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Global Assignment Best Practice

Anne morris.

3 October 2019

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When planning and preparing for a global assignment, there are numerous factors that have the potential to contribute to its overall success, with benefits both for your business and for the assignee. The following guide looks at best practice for employers when deploying personnel overseas, from the employee experience to the flexibility of different types of global assignment.

The employee experience in global assignments

A good employer will recognise that at the heart of its business are its people. As such, ensuring a positive employee experience for overseas assignees can be crucial the success of a global assignment.

As an employer responsible for sending an employee overseas, you will have a legal duty of care, not to mention a moral responsibility and vested financial interest, to ensure the wellbeing of that individual. In particular, when planning a global assignment, caretaking the health and safety of the overseas assignee should be paramount.

Any assessment of travel risks must be tailored to the nature of the work to be undertaken, the attributes of the employee and any factors specific to the host destination. The importance of researching the country and region in which the assignee will be working, and keeping abreast of any imminent changes, cannot be underestimated here.

Even relatively safe destinations can quickly become high-risk regions due to health, safety, security, political or social reasons, not to mention the possibility of natural disasters, so it is important to stay fully informed of changing risks and to be able to relay such information to assignees working remotely.

It is also important to educate each overseas assignee in advance of their global assignment about the location in which they will be working, not least arranging security briefings and training on hostile environment awareness for those travelling to high-risk destinations, as well as educating all assignees on any legal and cultural differences, even for low-risk destinations.

Preparing assignees for cultural integration can often be key to ensuring not only the safety and security of these individuals, but also their overall wellbeing and happiness, on both a professional and personal basis. This could include, for example, the use of pre-deployment programs such as cross-cultural training and intensive language classes. Any training and classes could also be extended to family members accompanying the employee on their global assignment.

You may also want to consider putting in place a benefit and support program, both prior to departure and throughout the lifecycle of the assignment, from deployment through to repatriation.

As such, by creating a safe and supported working environment from the outset, this can significantly alleviate the risk of failure and help to avoid early repatriation, ensuring the global assignment is a success for everyone involved.

The use of technology in global assignments

When conducting business on an international scale, this can give rise to a number of challenges, not least in sourcing suitable data to make informed decisions, both in advance and during the lifecycle of a global assignment. Here, the use of technology can play a crucial role in guiding your global mobility policies and management decision-making.

In particular, where implemented effectively and used correctly, data and predictive analytics tools can prove to be invaluable in gaining insight into operational costs and overall return on investment, as well as employee placement and key performance indicators.

In particular, analytics tools can be used in the following ways:

Cost analytics – to establish a cost model for your global assignment
Workforce analytics – to connect the talent in your recruiting database to the skillset needed for your global assignments
Assignee identification analytics – to focus on the cost drivers of sending the right assignees to the right location
Employee retention analytics – to predict which overseas assignees are at risk of early repatriation or attrition and which candidates, and/or global assignments, are at a higher risk of failure
Exposure analysis – to quantify the various levels of exposure to any penalties associated with non-compliance

In fact, with the benefit of these types of analytics tools, together with other forms of technology, global mobility is becoming far easier to achieve in the digital age, and to do so successfully.

It can significantly lessen many of the legal and administrative pressures when managing a mobile workforce, especially when it comes to tax and immigration compliance in a highly regulated environment. Furthermore, technology can also play an important role in enhancing the individual performance of overseas assignees.

When planning and preparing for a global assignment, although the focus will primarily be on selecting the right assignee for the particular assignment and location in question, including their individual qualifications and capabilities, by offering the employee the right tools to do their job to the best of their ability, technology can help to maximise the prospects of a successful outcome.

Indeed, by investing in technology, an employer can not only maximise the productivity of an overseas assignee, but also monitor their progress and even measure assignee experience.

Further, the use of technology through, for example, mobile devices and secured wireless networks, can be extremely effective in maintaining regular communication with overseas assignees, ensuring that they don’t feel disconnected from the company or work colleagues back home. This can be crucial in avoiding early repatriation and the potential failure of the global assignment overall.

Needless to say, however, it is vital that you keep abreast of technological advancements, from connectivity to up-to-date software, to ensure that your overseas assignees can carry out their work cost effectively and efficiently, and that the use of technology is aligned to your organisational objectives and overall mobility goals.

The importance of return investment in global assignments

For you as the employer, global assignments can equate to profitable expansion into both new and existing markets, significantly boosting the global revenue, as well as the reputation, of your business. Furthermore, by sending existing employees abroad, as opposed to recruiting overseas, this can help to streamline operations and expedite growth.

That said, cost control can play a key role in the commercial viability of a global assignment, not least when factoring in the potentially significant cost of both deployment and repatriation of the overseas assignee.

However, global assignment management is not only about number crunching. It is equally about the potential return on investment in various other ways. In fact, overseas assignments can be an excellent way of developing top talent within your organisation, by offering key individual employees a career pathway to more senior promotion.

In particular, the international experience can help train promising and ambitious individuals for leadership, managerial and executive roles, as well as giving them invaluable insight and new industry knowledge to help develop your business back in the UK.

Further, for the individual employee, on both a professional and personal basis, the benefits of working abroad can be significant, not least in terms of potential career progression, increased salary or compensation, as well as the possibility of an international travel experience for their whole family.

As such, given that the overall success of the global assignment will inevitably include the successful repatriation and retention of your top talent at the end of the assignment, you will need to consider what initiatives to implement to alleviate the risk of losing key employees.

In addition to the promise of career progression and a suitably senior role to come back to, useful initiatives could include the use of competitive relocation and repatriation packages, ensuring that your overseas assignees are happy to repatriate and return home. As previously indicated, this should also include the cost of suitable benefit and support initiatives to ensure the overall wellbeing and happiness of your employees.

Understandably, you may feel cautious about controlling the cost of a global assignment, but this must be balanced against the need to attract and retain talent to ensure the continuity and success of your business in the long-term.

Flexibility in global assignments

When determining the potential success of a global assignment, you will also need to consider the nature and duration of the task to be undertaken and the best way in which this can be achieved, from the use of frequent business travel and short-term assignments to long-term assignments and relocation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Needless to say, each of these different types of global assignment has different benefits and risks, although business travel is likely to prove the most straightforward and cost effective choice in many cases. Here, individual employees can attend conferences and meetings, close a deal, sign new business and network. Indeed, networking can be one of the most lucrative ways to support business growth.

Senior executives and managers can also use extended business trips to undertake various different global assignments, including opening a new office or setting up a new division, without the costs associated with other types of global mobility, and without the same personal and practical challenges of relocating to another country.

In respect of short or long-term assignments, these can be a good way of gaining invaluable insight and industry knowledge to help progress your business back in the UK. The long-term global assignment, in particular, can also be extremely effective in establishing a foothold in strategic and emerging markets. This type of assignment can provide new sales opportunities, new customer bases and significantly increased revenue. It can even enhance your reputation and global influence as a corporate organisation.

However, where you are looking to fill skills gaps or to manage operations overseas, you may want to consider the possibility of permanent relocation, not least because this can often prove to be much more cost effective than the traditional long-term assignment with the associated costs of repatriation. That said, any relocation package will need to include sufficient incentive to attract a suitable candidate to move abroad on a permanent basis.

Key take-aways

The management of global assignments can be one of the hardest areas for employers and HR experts to master, not least when trying to control costs whilst adapting to the shifting demands of the global business environment. As such, there is a very high failure rate for global assignments.

Further, the consequences of an unsuccessful global assignment can be far-reaching for your business, not only in terms of loss of revenue and wasted expenditure, but the potential loss of key personnel and top global talent from within your organisation.

It is, therefore, imperative that you understand and address the following key global assignment success factors:

Make a full assessment of any travel risks, tailored to the individual assignee, the specific assignment and the host destination in question, keeping abreast of any changes that may impact on this.
Educate each overseas assignee in advance of their global assignment about the locations in which they will be working, including but not limited to any safety and security issues, as well as any legal and cultural differences.
Always ensure the overall wellbeing of your overseas assignees at all times, from deployment through to their return home, as such alleviating the risk of early repatriation. This could be through the provision of cross-cultural training, intensive language classes and/or an ongoing benefit and support program.
Ensure that you adequately incentivise your overseas assignees so as to avoid losing key employees from within your workforce, for example, through attractive relocation and repatriation packages, as well as a suitably senior role to return home to.
Utilise data and analytics tools to make informed management decisions in respect of global assignments, from cost control to non-compliance.
Keep abreast of technological advances that may maximise the productivity of an overseas assignee, or otherwise enhance any profitable business growth.
Consider the flexibility offered by different types of global assignment, from business trips to permanent relocation, not only with regard to the nature and duration of the task to be undertaken, but also with regard to the personal and professional needs of the prospective candidate who may be undertaking this assignment.

Needless to say, this list is not exhaustive, with a plethora of other factors that may come into play when planning and preparing for a global assignment.

Guidance for HR & employers

For advice and guidance on managing global assignments, or any aspect of global mobility programme strategy and implementation, contact us .

Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.

She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.

Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator , and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals

Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Family Visa UK: Explore Ways to Apply
Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Ukraine Refugee Aid in UK
Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Understanding British Values
Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Family Reunion and Immigration

About DavidsonMorris

As employer solutions lawyers, DavidsonMorris offers a complete and cost-effective capability to meet employers’ needs across UK immigration and employment law, HR and global mobility .

Led by Anne Morris, one of the UK’s preeminent immigration lawyers, and with rankings in The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners , we’re a multi-disciplinary team helping organisations to meet their people objectives, while reducing legal risk and nurturing workforce relations.

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Global Assignment - Definition, Importance, Steps & Example

What is global assignment.

Global assignments are business projects which are allotted to some employees outside the home country. Global assignments are employers assigning their employees on projects which are globally implemented. Global assignments are mostly taken place in multinational companies and may involve employees to relocate from their current country to a different country where the assignment is assigned.

Since globalization has taken place rapidly and the world has become more connected, it has become a very common phenomenon. Many countries face skill shortage or require an expert for a particular assignment so they would hire the person with the requisite skills or knowledge from other countries and pay the person a hefty compensation as demanded by the person.

Steps in Managing Global Assignment

Some steps in managing global assignments & international projects are:

1. Evaluating objectives of the international project

2. Identifying team members & giving pre-requisite training

3. Pre-departure preparation of activities & work to be done

4. On job activities on global assignment at international location

5. Project completion

6. Evaluation & reassignment if required

Importance of Global Assignment

Global assignments as identified by experts in international human resource management are of three types

1. Technical assignments: Employees may be assigned global assignments if they have the technical skills that are required by the MNC for a particular assignment and the MNC is not able to find anyone as capable as that person internally and in that particular country, if a person is located within the MNC in another country then that person is sent on a technical assignment.

2. Developmental assignments: Developmental assignments are typically used to develop a project or concept that is new to a different location or develop skills in a different location which is not implemented in that location, it is also used by institutes to bring in faculties from different parts of the globe to give the students an exposure to different perspectives and cultures and their thoughts on the scenario of the subject.

3. Strategic Assignments are global assignments in which a key partner is sent to launch a product in a key location, develop the market or get necessary changes in the business strategy or even sign Memorandum of Understandings and Joint Venture deals.

Advantages of Global Assignments

Some advantages of global assignments are

1. Skills and knowledge which are not available in a country can be brought from other countries.

2. MNC’s are able to get their projects done more effectively and not having the problem of talent not being available.

3. Employees may be motivated to join an MNC which assigns global assignments to its employees regularly.

Example of Global Assignment

Here is an example of global assignment for a hypothetical organization Company A. Company A could not find a person who could communicate in French, German and Hindi in their main headquarters in USA as they felt that there would be a gap in understanding if the language is translated to English, and then to either of these languages. So, since they did not find the any person who had proficiency in these three languages in their headquarters and started finding for a person with the language skills throughout all their office. Company A found a person in their international office in India with the knowledge in these three languages. So, they assigned her the project under a global assignment and she was asked to relocate to the main headquarters located in the United States for the duration of the project.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Global Assignment along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team . It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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Selecting Global Assignees

By Valerie Frazee

Jul. 1, 1998

The success of your entire overseas venture may rest in the hands of one expatriate employee and his or her family. So how do you make sure you send the candidate most likely to live up to the challenge? This was the question on the minds of three readers who recently posted discussion threads on the topic in the Global HR Forum on Workforce Online. Responding to their inquiries, we asked an authority on the subject to share her perspective. Here she outlines a strategic approach to expatriate selection. She includes an overview of how assessment tools can aid the process. Dr. Paula Caligiuri from Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, researcher on the topic of managing global assignees, says: Selecting global assignees is both a critical and frustrating topic for global HR professionals. Most human resources professionals agree that not all employees sent on global assignments will succeed. Some will flourish, while others, unfortunately, will fail. Seasoned global HR professionals may pride themselves on the fact that they can predict the outcome of an assignment — after just a few interactions with a prospective assignee. They have developed the sixth sense for selecting global assignees. Despite the sixth sense that these HR professionals may have, the unfortunate reality is that most are unable to stop a risky global assignment from moving forward. Frequently, an assignee is chosen within the business unit based only on the person’s technical or managerial skills. HR has little involvement, except to process the appropriate paperwork. This typical scenario is both myopic and deleterious for organizations valuing the strategic management of their human talent worldwide. Appropriately, this scenario is beginning to change in many multinational organizations as global HR is becoming more integrated into the overall global business strategy. In fact, research suggests that your involvement in the global assignment process is related to better bottom line success. As a function, global HR is becoming more involved in the strategy and practice of managing the global assignment process. Many global human resources professionals have started their strategic roles with improvements on the global assignee selection process. The process outlined below is a description of what global HR professionals in these strategic multinational organizations are doing to select their international assignees. The most effective process for selecting global assignees involves four distinct phases:

Phase One: Allow for self-selection. Employees who may be on the track for a future global assignment should begin the decision-making process about a year or more before a position becomes available. (The way companies identify this group will vary.) In this self-selection phase, employees introspectively question whether they are right for a global assignment, if their spouses and children would be interested in relocating internationally, if this is the best time for them professionally, and so on. The greatest criticism of self-selection is that candidates and their spouses will not be honest. I have found this criticism is unfounded given that most people are very honest with themselves — if they know that the information is private and confidential. People would rather learn for themselves that they may not have what it takes for a global assignment, rather than go through formal company-initiated testing — a process they are likely to fake to save themselves the embarrassment of failing the test . Given that the consequences of being unsuccessful on a global assignment are high, people will seek out information that helps them predict the likelihood of their success living in another country. During self-selection, your employees and their families can be honest with themselves without fearing negative repercussions from the organization and without the pressure of having to make a quick decision. Self-selection instruments such as The SAGE (Self-Assessment for Global Endeavors) and The SAGE for Spouses (both by Caligiuri & Associates in Edison, New Jersey) can help employees and their families through the decision-making process. Some organizations, such as Plano, Texas-based EDS, have made a self-selection instrument generally available on their company’s intranet to encourage self-assessment among those who may not have previously considered a global assignment. Other organizations, such as Wilton, Connecticut-based Deloitte and Touche LLP, give the self-selection instrument to targeted employees. Then human resources is available for follow-up discussion meetings after the employees have taken the instrument. In either case, the purpose is for HR to provide information and assist in the decision-making process — without evaluating the candidates’ potential. Phase Two: Create a pool of candidates After the self-selection process, employees should have the option of putting themselves in a candidate pool. You can organize this candidate pool in an electronic database. Each multinational organization may organize the database differently, depending on its staffing needs. Some examples of employee information for the database include: the year the employee is available to go, the languages the employee speaks, the countries the employee prefers and the jobs for which the employee is qualified. HR, in this phase, creates and manages the database. It’s imperative that you include all possible candidates who may be considered for a global assignment in the database. Phase Three: Assess candidates’ technical skills Once the business unit has identified a position, you should scan the database for all possible candidates for a given global assignment. This short list is forwarded to the department requesting the assignment. It’s now the job of the sending manager to assess each candidate on technical and managerial readiness relative to the needs of the assignment. You can offer guidance in phase three to help the sending manager identify the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience needed to perform a given job. In this phase, the job requirements of the global assignment should be the focus. If a global assignment is for director of production in China, for example, assess candidates on their records as production managers, not on their cultural skills or competencies to operate in China. (The exception to this would be if a position had been analyzed for the necessary global competencies. It has been my experience that this is done very rarely. Phase Four: Make a mutual decision. In this final phase, the sending manager has identified one person as an acceptable candidate based on his or her technical or managerial readiness. You know the candidate family is willing to accept the assignment because it has placed itself in the candidate pool. At this point, an assignee has been tentatively “selected.” To offer a realistic preview to these tentative global assignees, organizations have matched repatriate families with the selected families. The purpose is for the repatriate families to share experiences and difficulties. As a caution, the repatriate families doing the previews should be chosen carefully. Find repatriates who had positive experiences but who are also realistic about the challenges of the assignment. If possible, match families with children of similar ages. An honest discussion between repatriates and future assignees gives the assignees more information and an additional opportunity to deselect if they feel that a global assignment is not right for them. Often, these meetings are encouraging and supportive — strengthening a family’s commitment to the assignment. Some organizations, such as Brampton, Ontario-based Northern Telecom, conduct a more thorough assessment of the selected assignee and his or her family, in an attempt to ensure their assignees’ success. Some consulting organizations, such as Thornhill, Ontario-based FGI Global Relocation Services, conduct a pre-departure family assessment. The relocating family and a family counselor determine what, if any, accommodations the family may need to be successful in the host country. Then human resources works through the counselor to provide the family any necessary accommodations detected in the assessment process. This is a very proactive strategy. Post-selection preparation. Many consulting organizations offer thorough cross-cultural preparation to prospective global assignees and their families. These cultural preparation programs, while falling under the heading of training, sometimes uncover specific cultural concerns. From an assessment standpoint, HR can use this knowledge to prevent a potential problem when the family is on assignment. In the extreme cases, a family realizes that its decision to accept the assignment was a mistake. Employees may, even this late into the process, deselect. As with Phase One, I recommend that the decision to refuse an assignment in this phase be made by the assignee and not by the organization. Fortunately, for organizations going through the first three phases, a deselection at this stage is a very infrequent occurrence. In conclusion, there are three themes in this global assignee selection process. The first is to plant the seed as early as possible. You will get the best possible candidates when you cast a large net and engage individuals’ decision-making processes long before a position becomes available. The second theme is to involve the family from the very beginning. A global assignment will disrupt the lives of every family member — and each member will influence the assignment positively or negatively. The third theme is to allow for deselection at every phase. Traditional selection methods simply do not work for global assignments — unless a thorough job analysis is conducted for each assignment. The decision needs to be mutual among the employee, his or her organization, and his or her family. Organizations should convey to their employees that a global assignment is not right for everyone. Global Workforce , July 1998, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 28-30.

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Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report

Insights on how global organizations administer their global mobility programs.

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Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report

For global mobility leaders of multinational organizations, benchmarking your global mobility policies and practices against those of other global organizations and industry peers can be a powerful tool for reflecting on your current approach and planning how to prepare your talent mobility program for the future. To help, KPMG International conducts this annual survey of global mobility policies and practices of multinational organizations. While the number of participants continues to grow, the resulting database is already believed to be one of the most robust of its kind on a global scale.

The data offers insights into global mobility programs and how they are evolving in terms of mobility, tax and immigration policies, structure, governance, priorities, performance measures, technology, robotics, automation, international remote working and more

Download the 2023 KPMG Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey summary report and scroll down for more on this year's key findings.

2023 KPMG Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey

A look into how global mobility programs are evolving based on the survey results from over 100 multinational organizations in jurisdictions worldwide.

Download PDF (888 KB) ⤓

What do the latest results tell us?

The results of this year’s Global Assignment Policies and Practices (GAPP) Survey sheds light on how global mobility programs are continually evolving. In addition to compliance and global risk management, supporting the organization’s business objectives, controlling program costs and being adaptable to changing business requirements are clearly the top priorities for today’s global mobility leaders. The global talent mobility function’s contribution to strategic value for the organization has taken priority; being recognized as a trusted advisor and collaborator to the business.

Many organizations are recalibrating their approach to flexible work arrangements, leaning towards requiring employees to be more present in the office. This shift represents a response to several factors, including the desire for more direct collaboration, and the cultivation of company culture. Businesses, however, must recognize that top professionals now prioritize flexibility and work-life balance. To remain competitive, organizations will need to blend the advantages of in-person collaboration with a continued commitment to accommodating the diverse needs and preferences of their workforce, all while striving to attract and retain the best talent in this ever-evolving employment environment.

Recognizing the importance of attracting, retaining, and developing top talent as a competitive advantage, the global mobility function plays a pivotal role in making this vision a reality. This alignment helps ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time, with the skills and expertise to drive the organization forward. By harmonizing global mobility with talent initiatives, companies can leverage international experience, facilitate career growth, and support the evolving needs of their workforce, ultimately contributing to sustained success and an agile response to the ever-changing demands of the global marketplace.

Global mobility functions continue to place a strong emphasis on technology due to its transformative impact on the way organizations manage their global workforce. In terms of global mobility, technology serves as an enabler, allowing companies to optimize the deployment of their talent on a global scale. By leveraging technology, global mobility functions can not only improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness but also enhance the overall employee experience, making it an indispensable tool for organizations seeking to navigate the complexities of global talent management while remaining agile, competitive, and compliant in the dynamic global landscape.

There has been a notable increase in the incorporation of inclusive language and a heightened awareness of accessibility concerns within mobility policy development. As organizations strive for greater diversity and inclusivity, it has become essential to ensure mobility policies address the unique needs of all employees. This shift underscores a commitment to providing equitable opportunities for all, irrespective of individual circumstances or identities. Organizations are recognizing that mobility policies must be accessible, accommodating, and free from bias, thereby fostering a more inclusive work environment.

There continues to be an ongoing trend of short-term cross-border mobility by companies. Short-term assignments, often lasting weeks or a few months, provide companies with a flexible solution to address specific projects, knowledge transfers, or market exploration without the long-term commitment of traditional expatriate assignments. This trend aligns with the evolving preferences of a mobile and diverse workforce, and as companies continue to prioritize agility and adaptability, short-term cross-border mobility is likely to remain a prominent feature of talent management strategy.

Benchmark your organization today!

KPMG’s Global Mobility Services practice members can provide a personalized benchmarking report allowing you to compare your organization across key areas of interest. Participants find this useful in evaluating their organizational policies against a specific set of parameters. In addition to key organizational demographics and global mobility policy overview, the survey questions follow an overarching framework of the key phases of an international assignment and transfer life cycle with additional relevant topical categories covering immigration compliance, assignment management technology leverage, automation and robotics and program data and analytics insights.

If you would like to participate in the KPMG GAPP Survey and receive a personalized benchmarking report, please click here . To learn more about how KPMG’s Mobility Consulting Services can help you build an operating model that serves and delivers for your organization, please send an email to [email protected] .

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Many firms make it harder to land these opportunities by requiring a business case. 51% of companies surveyed in 2012 assess your candidacy on a cost-benefit analysis. Some ask for your own self-assessment to inform their decision-making. Therefore, it is important to think logically about your candidacy before asking for a global assignment. The following discussion addresses what you must consider when itching for a global assignment and what to do if you lack the necessary attributes to advance with that big “ask” for a relocation, and it also gives you a start to structuring your business case. Start by considering the following six questions to give you the most compelling reasons as to why you should be assigned abroad.

Thinking through a global assignmentvfinal

Start by comparing yourself against your peers.

Where do I currently stand in the company? – Think about how important your skills, experiences or relationships are in comparison to those of your peers. If you are of more value to an employer, they will be more willing to invest in keeping you happy and succumbing to your request. An easy way to figure out your worth vs. that of your colleagues is if you were stack ranked. For better or worse, if you work in a transparent organization that openly shares your ranking, then you’ll have a clear idea of where you stand organizationally. Otherwise, take an honest look at your performance evaluation(s). Are you a consistent top performer? Consider your direct impact on individual(s), team(s), the business or the industry. Do you get the toughest projects? Are you entrusted with the most responsibilities? Do you lead tasks with higher visibility than your peers? If your answers are favorable, then take note of your findings and proceed to the next question. If your responses are unconvincing, then focus on rising above your peers within the next two years. Performance improvements take time but are prerequisites for launching global-assignment conversations.

Click –> The Essential Guide to Landing a Global Assignment by Melissa Llarena – to download the full edition of this blog. The full edition will address the five remaining questions, and…

-Help you figure out what to do if your manager does not support your relocation

-Share real examples of what successful expats did to land their global assignments

-Expose the two game-changing points that most aspiring globetrotters neglect to address

DOWNLOAD NOW -> The Essential Guide to Landing a Global Assignment by Melissa Llarena

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Melissa Llarena

A friend shared this blog with me. Working abroad opportunities are at an all-time minimum because of how virtual we are in 2013. Although I didn’t have this guide during my transition, definitely concur that I did follow the process you lay out in this guide unconsciously.

You bring up a great point about how virtual we’ve become. I would argue that in some locations face-to-face interactions, however, are crucial. For instance, throughout Latin America, in person contact matters greatly. It’s all about building trust and that’s harder to do via Skype. Thanks for commenting. I hope your transition was wildly successful.

5 Small Things That Can Make or Break Global Assignment Success

This piece was originally posted on the InterNations Business Solutions blog .

From an employee engagement and talent retention perspective, the majority of hiring executives — up to 97% — understand the immense value of relocation programs, but feel they need a better way to manage these programs (Wakefield, 2018) . With approximately 40% of all international assignments ending in failure (Right Management, 2012), we couldn’t agree more, especially given the forecast for a 50% growth in the number of international assignments by the year 2020 (PwC, 2019).

As an organization with 30 years of experience in supporting global relocation success strategies , we have come to learn those seemingly small things are actually rather big things when it comes to the success or failure of an employee moving abroad.

Although candidates generally request support through financial means — such as cash allowances and housing assistance (Wakefield, 2018), we urge hiring executives, relocation directors, and mobility professionals alike to pay closer attention and give greater assistance to expats in the following areas:

1. Family Support

Over the last ten years family has consistently shown to be the number one reason why international assignments fail or succeed (EY, 2018; CERC, 2017; BGRS, 2016). More specifically, EY lists a partner or spouse “not being happy” with relocation as the top reason for assignment failure. “Children issues” comes in as the fourth most common reason for failure (EY, 2018).

On the one hand, it appears that organizations are recognizing the importance of offering family support. Out of nearly 3,500 respondents, 90% said their companies offered relocation support to partners (EY, 2018). On the other hand, “relocation support” can be a very broad term.

According to EY, the most common form of “partner support benefits” is language training. While language training can be helpful, it does not address the collective stress of cultural adjustment that a family goes through when relocating abroad.

Tip for Success: Look at your service providers first to ensure you have vendors that offer family integration and support (for both spouses and children). Their cultural adjustment to the host country is just as important as the employee’s — if the family is OK, the assignee can better focus on their job. Also, make sure your providers can offer support in a manner that meets relocated families on their terms and schedule. Are they flexible in how they deliver their services? Families need time to be together during this stressful period. This is what will help foreign assignments succeed.

2. Assignment Selection

According to BGRS (2016), poor candidate selection is the second-most common reason why global assignments fail. Not coincidentally, BGRS also reports that approximately 80% of companies don’t formally assess the adaptability of international assignment candidates, and only 29% of companies use some type of self-assessment tool. For some assignments, a particular skill set or urgent business need is required, and for others, the move may be for high potential leadership development. Regardless of the reason, most clients don’t have a long time horizon to identify possible employees as candidates for a move. Even for those firms that do have time to field a pool of candidates, budgets often don’t allow for candidate assessment services in addition to pre-departure cultural training.

Furthermore, data shows that it is rare for a first-choice candidate to accept a relocation offer — and this trend is on the rise (BGRS, 2016). Tying into the need for greater family support, 32% of leaders said they had turned down a foreign assignment out of consideration for their families, and 28% said they did so to “protect their marriages” (HBR, 2014).

In order to access and select the very best candidates for relocation programs, time and planning is key. Companies need a process for employees to self-identify early on that they are interested in a global assignment, which can help expand the already identified pool of employees coming from the business line or talent development. With a broader pool to choose from, there is less stress on choosing a first-choice.

Tip for Success: Nearly three-quarters of companies don’t maintain a candidate pool for global assignments, and 33% don’t have a process for employees to designate themselves as willing to go on a foreign assignment (BGRS, 2016). During new hire orientation, build in a way for employees to “raise their hand” if they are interested in a global move — this can be via interviews or via self-selection tools. When key employees are identified for a move, companies should invest in a developmental candidate assessment process that can identify professional or personal issues that need to be resolved before an assignment begins. Companies that follow such a process will field and deploy many better-prepared employees for assignment, leading to higher success rates.

3. Cultural Understanding

Approximately 44% of companies offer cross-cultural training as a core policy benefit (KPMG, 2018) — which means the majority of organizations are not offering their assignees coaching or training to set them up for business success. As a result, it is no surprise the inability to “adapt to the host location” is the third most common reason for global assignment failure (BGRS, 2016).

Interestingly, “job expectations not met” is the fourth most common reason for assignment failure, according to BGRS. The ability to perform a job role or function successfully in a foreign location is directly connected to understanding and making adaptations for the culture (Aperian Global, 2016). Cultural competence and agility do lead to assignment success on multiple levels. Most companies do not see the value of work style adjustment when considering the ROI for “cultural training.” Many think such training covers basic protocol issues that are common for a tourist vacation.

A foreign assignee recently shared their surprise at the impact cultural work style training had on their global assignment: “I was amazed at how much I had not considered in working with colleagues who are of a different culture. I realized I can’t run meetings or give feedback to people the way I was used to in my home country. In fact, what worked great for me back home in terms of my work style, but will be counterproductive in working with my host country colleagues. I now know how to make simple adjustments to the way I go about my work — and I see it paying off.”

Tip for Success: Although the large majority of mobility heads are under pressure to reduce overall mobility costs, cross-cultural training is one thing that should not be cut from your core policy. Many assignments cost five times or more than the employee’s salary, so a failed assignment is very expensive. Limit that financial risk by providing helpful integration support, which with more options today than ever, is affordable. One-size-fits-all-policies will often lead to overspending for under-utilized and ineffective training. Find providers that can offer the widest range of flexible solutions to assignees on their schedule (pre-departure, post-arrival, virtual coaching, online self-guided, etc). These same providers should be able to offer you subscription-based pricing that ensures the training used is what is paid for.

4. Decreasing Stressors

Beyond an employee uprooting their life and family, there can be many other stressors that come into play during relocation. Expectations and goals are often not clear to foreign assignees, which can quickly mount to stress and confusion. According to KMPG (2018), 19% of companies do not have a process for setting assignment goals.

Twenty-five percent of assignees follow the host country goal-setting process, which could be a significant challenge and stressor for candidates if language and culture barriers have not been addressed through adequate training.

Tip for Success: Mobility department and talent development heads should ask this simple question: “If I were to agree to go on a global assignment, what would I expect? Career advancement, new skills that will serve me later, higher pay?” These and similar types of questions are always top of mind to a prospective assignee, so it is critical to document what the reasons for the move are (business need or professional development), while at the same time documenting the agreed-upon expectations by the employee and manager. Without that, there will be ambiguity and possibly resentment when the employee learns the expectations were not honored.

5. Adjustment within the Social Context

Interestingly, technology has not changed the international assignment failure rate (TLNT, 2017). One might suppose that with webcam video to connect with friends and family back home and social platforms to help expats meet up, that failure rates would have decreased. But the data would suggest that failure rates are a very human issue more related to the ability or inability to integrate and adjust to a new culture.

”Employers underestimate the need for social integration and the fact that it is part of their responsibility to make sure their expat employees manage to feel at home and welcome abroad,” Theresa Häfner, Head of Business Solutions at InterNations, recently said.

Tip for Success: Companies should leverage technology that can help foreign assignees connect and relate, while simultaneously encouraging cultural coaching that focuses on adapting to their new home. Settling in requires personal work, much of it centered around self-awareness of one’s style in relation to the host country. Once the strategies are presented on how to adapt and adjust to host country norms of business, then the networking and social acclimatization will only strengthen their ability to settle in and succeed while on assignment.

Whether it is these five issues or others, there is no simple way to ensure success every time for every assignee. Personal lives are as complex as the business — but these strategies can help.

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International Assignments: Who's Going Where and Why?

What does the global-mobility landscape look like today?

According to global relocation services provider Cartus’ recent 2013 Trends in Global Relocation Survey, younger employees are most interested in taking international relocation assignments, with career development being the main reason, and sequential assignments are on the rise.

The survey’s findings shed light on who companies are moving (and where), what criteria they are using to select their mobile talent, and how they’re linking talent management to global mobility.

Assignee Demographics

The demographics of the expatriate population appear to be steady in terms of gender, with the percentages of both men (79 percent) and women (21 percent) shifting only slightly from 2012.

Generation X employees (56 percent) represent the largest age group of transferees. Baby Boomers (20 percent) posted a slight increase over 2012, while the youngest group—Millennials, or Generation Y (20 percent)—showed a significant increase.

Married expats with accompanying families are still the most common but have become a smaller percentage of global workers over the past six years. The category of those “married and traveling solo” has gained the most in percentage points over this period.

In general, younger, single male employees are showing the highest interest in global assignments, according to the survey. Women, Baby Boomers and employees with families are showing less interest in working abroad.

This profile holds true when the destination is an emerging market.

“Given the issues with schooling, housing and in many cases security, the lack of interest among assignees with families is not surprising,” the report said.

Some of the respondents’ comments include:

“Dubai and the Middle East have their limitations for certain lifestyles. People with family are not so open to move their family to areas with little infrastructure.”
“There is low interest in African regions.”
“Employees seem to be less interested in going to certain locations if assignment allowances do not properly reflect the hardships that exist in the new work/life environment.”
“As the quality of lifestyle in emerging markets can vary when compared to a developed country, it is difficult for entire families to relocate to these types of countries. We have implemented two-year assignments in these regions, which seem to be working, with a limited time in more challenging environments.”
“Although Millennials are interested in these types of assignments, we need highly experienced people to go in and develop our emerging markets, so sometimes the interest and the experience needed to be successful are out of sync.”
“Employees with families tend to shy away from emerging markets. They look for places with more stable economies and social systems, especially for reasons of safety, security and schooling. They are also concerned about fluctuations in currency and overall earning and savings power.”

Most and Least Desirable Locations for Assignments

When asked which of the developed countries generated the most employee interest for assignments, the clear choices were the U.S., U.K., Australia, Singapore and Canada.

Tier I India and China (developed cities such as Mumbai and Shanghai) ranked as the locations that workers were most resistant to relocating to among the developed countries, indicating these are still perceived as challenging markets.

For emerging-market locations, Brazil topped the list of nations to which employees most wanted to go, followed closely by the United Arab Emirates. Among the emerging-market countries that professionals were reluctant to work in are Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Notably, Tiers II-IV for both India and China show up as generating significant interest and resistance. “This is likely attributable to the fact that as booming markets, they offer significant opportunities but also major challenges in infrastructure and other areas,” the report explained. “They are likely to be perceived differently depending on the assignee’s experience, appetite for adventure, and perception of the market’s importance to company goals.”

Motivating Factors

When asked for the main reasons why employees accepted an international assignment, companies said that while attractive compensation was named by a third of respondents (34 percent), the main motivating factors for employees were career development and advancement.

“This finding is a clear indicator that now is the time for companies to really start focusing on creating synergies across HR and businesses in order to ensure assignees are no longer ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and they are aware that the company is also focusing on their career. If employees’ value is not recognized, particularly the Gen Y/Millennial population, attrition rates will continue to rise,” according to the report.

Qualifying Criteria

As for the business criteria and qualifications that organizations seek when considering someone for an international assignment, leadership potential (80 percent) and technical skills (75 percent) were cited the most. A significant number of respondents (61 percent) also noted that the criteria depended on the project. Notably, only 33 percent are factoring in minimum performance ratings in selection criteria.

Flexibility and the ability to adapt to fluid circumstances (71 percent) led the list of behavioral characteristics businesses look for when considering an employee for an assignment abroad.

Second and third on the list of behavioral traits were career orientation and the desire to advance (63 percent), and the ability to work productively in an independent setting (57 percent).

Questioned about the family criteria their organization takes into account when considering someone for an international assignment, 68 percent of respondents said family status was not considered, while 25 percent said family criteria depended on the project.

Linking Talent Management and Global Mobility

When asked whether they agreed with the statement “The impact of an international assignment on an assignee’s career is positive,” 82 percent said yes, a 30 percent increase from 2009. “This supports the feeling that companies are paying more attention to, and realizing the importance of, how international assignments support employee growth, business value and retention,” the report said.

Building effective linkages between talent and global mobility will help ensure that assignments truly contribute to company business strategies, the report said.

According to respondents, the most frequently implemented strategies were:

Ensuring assignment objectives are incorporated into the employee’s performance review while on assignment (62 percent).
Collaborating with HR to ensure that employee performance ratings are considered for all workers on overseas assignments (60 percent).

The top three strategies under consideration:

Tracking postassignment employee advancement (63 percent).
Tracking postassignment employee retention (57 percent).
Developing a global talent pool for future assignments (56 percent).

Sequential Assignments Rising

Not all expatriates get to return home after an assignment. Fifty-eight percent of respondents have either many (13 percent) or a few (45 percent) “global nomads” who are on back-to-back assignments. More than half (57 percent) expect the sequential-assignment trend to stay about the same, and about a third (31 percent) expect the trend to increase.

Of organizations that said they have sequential assignments, 80 percent said they were typically long term, and the most frequent demographic profile was an older employee, Generation X worker or a Baby Boomer. This supports a general trend of companies sending more senior employees on this type of assignment, often with newer employees accompanying them for professional development, the report said.

Repatriation Lacking

Responding organizations ranked repatriation and career development highest among aspects of their relocation programs they most want to improve.

More than half (58 percent) of companies said they did not offer formal repatriation programs. Of those that offer these programs, only a third (33 percent) typically offer repatriation programs for long-term assignments. The most common reasons given for not offering these programs were lack of perceived value by the organization (60 percent) and cost considerations (35 percent).

Roy Maurer is an online editor/manager for SHRM.

Follow him at @SHRMRoy

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How IPM Global can help with your Global Assignments

April 19, 2023

Welcome to IPM Global , where our team of experts prides itself on understanding and meeting your Global Mobility needs. Each day presents unique challenges, so we’ve assembled a team of highly skilled professionals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to take on any task. We’re adept at analysing any potential situation involving cross-border moves to identify required information, anticipate potential implications, and developing a roadmap to success. Whether starting from scratch or refining an existing plan, we’re committed to delivering the best results. In this blog series, we’ll explore some of the critical offerings we provide to our clients and address some of the most common questions along the way:

Our typical assignment lifecycle

Ipm’s process for new leads: how we help companies navigate global assignments, outsourcing your global mobility program.

Managing your assignees, even after they are gone

Why Cultural Training is Vital for Successful International Assignments

Relocating an employee to another country can be a stressful experience both for the employee and the HR team, with many facets to consider. From immigration and tax implications to finding a place to live and coordinating a move, it can be complex and time-consuming. As a result, we have designed our typical assignment lifecycle to ensure that every aspect of the relocation is carefully planned and executed, from the initial data review to the final delivery of destination services.

The first stage of our assignment lifecycle involves reviewing the data we receive from our clients to ensure it makes sense, and whether it raises any “red flags”. These could be for instance, an issue of home country tax residence not being broken, as can happen if the family do not accompany, which has a potential impact on costs or common-law spouse recognition in the destination country for immigration which may impact a partner being able to join on assignment. Once we have confirmed the data is correct, and any “red flags” discussed and resolved, we will provide a full assignment costing to cover the duration of the assignment and send it back to you for approval.

And that’s all we need to move on to the next stage! Once we receive your approval on the assignment, we will then prepare salary calculations and draft the necessary assignment documentation. We then hold a briefing session with your assignee to ensure they understand the terms and conditions of their relocation and explain what happens next in the relocation process.

The final and most substantial stage of the assignment lifecycle is getting the assignee from point A to point B. This phase involves coordinating with our network of agents to arrange necessary services such as work permits, tax briefings, removals, and destination services such as home searches. We monitor all of the different stages of this process closely to ensure everything is on track and schedule.

Throughout the assignment lifecycle, we constantly keep in communication with HR to ensure we deliver the highest quality service to our clients. Managing a relocation can be draining, so we aim to provide a seamless and stress-free experience for our clients and their assignees.

Our comprehensive assignment lifecycle ensures that every aspect of the relocation process is carefully planned and executed From the initial data review to the final delivery of destination services, we are committed to delivering the highest quality service to our clients. We would be delighted to support you if you are planning a relocation.

At IPM Global , we understand that complex global assignments can be daunting. That’s why we specialise in helping companies navigate the international assignment process, providing a comprehensive and end-to-end experience.

The first step in our new lead process is to coordinate an initial team call to determine your needs and assess how we can help. Each client we work with has unique requirements, and it’s crucial for us to gauge the scope of the issues you have, or what you want to achieve, to provide tailored solutions. Whilst this may look different for each client, certain core principles will prevail with all For example, we always discuss the need for documentation, policy, and process for our clients, taking a holistic approach, to ensure equity of treatment.

During this introductory call, if this is the first assignment your company has undertaken we’ll also discuss the assignment length and the country you are moving your employee to. These factors are crucial as they help determine the parameters of the relocation, including immigration requirements and tax and social security obligations. Managing tax and tax compliance, cost containment, and managing exceptions remain the three principal challenges in long-term assignment management, according to a 2020 Mercer report .

It’s important to note that frequent business travel can cause issues with immigration if there are cumulative trips to one location that are stacking up. To avoid complications, we’ll delve into the immigration situation, the visa requirements, and potential timelines for getting approval for the relevant documentation. We understand that obtaining the necessary paperwork can be tedious, and we’re committed to supporting you every step of the way.

Lastly, if considering permanent relocation, we’ll discuss permanent residency options, which can vary depending on the country and nationality of your employee. Countries typically require a work permit before applying for permanent residency, but exceptions exist. Again, our expert team will guide the best course of action to ensure a smooth and successful transition!

Outsourcing your Global Mobility program can be a significant decision for any organisation, and we understand the apprehension that comes with it. However, partnering with a specialised global mobility service provider like us can bring many benefits, including improved efficiency, reduced costs, and access to technical expertise. According to LearnLight , “The expense of a three-year international assignment can cost millions, yet many organisations fail to get it right. Despite their significant investments in international assignments, companies still report a 42 percent failure rate in these assignments”.

When you approach us, we begin by understanding your pain points and why you want to outsource. We will then work with the person in charge of the program within your organisation, whether it’s an HR manager or a global mobility manager, to determine how we can help you. If you already have an existing vendor, we want to know what problems need addressing and how these can be improved.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to outsourcing, so we tailor our process to your specific needs. We recognise that the level of expertise within your own organisation and the size of your program will determine the extent to which you want to delegate tasks to us. So, we work with you to understand your comfort level and determine the level of involvement that works best for you.

If you have existing assignments, we will ensure a seamless transition by taking these over and performing a compliance audit to ensure everything is on track. We are also accustomed to working with multiple people in different regions, and we are up to the challenge of navigating the added layers of complexity that this may entail.

We aim to work with you as a partner, not just as a service provider. We want to understand your needs, answer your questions, and design custom solutions to address your unique challenges. In a recent article , Ernest and Young state, “68% of mobility functions juggle both strategy and operations”. The article continues, “freeing up the in-house team to focus on their core initiatives and operationalise strategy is how you take mobility to the next level”. By outsourcing your global mobility program to us, you can focus on your core business objectives while we handle the complexities of global mobility.

Managing your Assignees, even After they are Gone

As we well know, the work doesn’t end as soon as your assignee reaches their new location. There is still much to do behind the scenes, and we understand the importance of managing individuals even after the physical relocation For example there are numerous critical dates to be monitored, such as social security certificates, work permits, and tenancy agreements. It can be a complex task for any company. This article will delve into our process for managing assignees and the challenges we frequently face.

We need to monitor critical dates and recognise any imminent dates proactively before expiration.. For instance, some countries issue work permits only annually; as a result, this detail can be overlooked when surveying the entire assignment timeline. Similarly, tenancy agreements tend to last one or two years, so carefully managing other timeframes during the assignment duration is necessary. As a result, we create a custom action plan and work with your and your assignee’s timeline. We strive to act as an additional layer of protection for companies even if they have their own internal safeguards on certain dates, thus enabling us the opportunity to capture issues others may miss.

Our team also monitors existing assignees as part of their daily duties. According to an article published by Harvard Business Review , staying “in frequent contact throughout the assignment” is one of the five most crucial factors for “managing successful overseas assignments”. IPM’s experts ensure that everything is in line with the original assignment’s duration and identify potential issues, such as tax concessions expiring after a certain period. Additionally, we can draft extension letters for assignees where you wish to extend their assignment,, informing HR of any changes and costs that may arise, due to, for example, differing tax or social security treatment. By ensuring you don’t sweat the small stuff, we help create bandwidth within your organisation to check in with your assignee and offer support where needed.

Finally, we are on hand to help with salary reviews, ensuring that your assignees receive fair compensation based on tax rates, exchange rates, and cost of living indices. Determining the cost of living index can be challenging, especially when countries experience different inflation levels. The exchange rates between countries can also significantly affect the assignee’s ability to purchase goods and services. To ease your mind, our team periodically recalculate salaries with the latest information to confirm your assignees receive adequate compensation.

Our robust process for managing assignees extends past the physical relocation. We understand the importance of monitoring critical dates, identifying potential issues, and recalculating salaries to ensure fair compensation. Assignees and businesses alike can rely on IPM Global to remain a safety net, especially when dealing with complex scenarios. IPM’s experience in Global Mobility services has helped many companies manage their assignees efficiently and effectively over many years.

International business assignments are becoming increasingly common in our globalised economy. While these opportunities provide individuals with exciting prospects for professional growth and personal development, they also present challenges that can significantly impact the relocation’s success. One of the most critical challenges is navigating cultural differences. Therefore, to ensure the success of international projects, we recommend companies invest in cultural training for their employees.

At IPM, we understand the importance of cultural training and have developed a process that considers both the home and host cultures. Our process involves working with various suppliers and utilising online tools to provide customised training for each assignment. This training includes an overview of the host culture’s customs, traditions, etiquette, communication styles, and business practices. With this knowledge, employees can navigate their new environment more effectively, build relationships, and avoid misunderstandings.

The importance of cultural training is more than just anecdotal. Numerous studies support its necessity. For instance, a study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that “between 10% and 20% of all U.S. managers sent abroad returned early because of job dissatisfaction or difficulties in adjusting to a foreign country”. Further, a HubSpot report states, “the vast majority of respondents said it was extremely or very important that their companies invest in training employees to work effectively across cultures (74% of all respondents) and to provide continuous learning for that purpose (82%)”.

Another factor to consider is the impact of cultural training on the assignee’s family. Employees uproot themselves and their families from their support network when they relocate. According to a 2020 Mercer report , “difficulty adjusting to the host country, poor candidate selection, and spouse or partner’s unhappiness are the top three reasons international assignments fail”. Cultural training can ease this transition by providing family members with an understanding of the host culture and customs, ahead of their relocation. This knowledge can help them integrate into the new environment and avoid feelings of isolation and culture shock.

In conclusion, cultural training is a critical component of successful international assignments. It is not just a nice-to-have but a must-have investment for any company that values the success of its employees and the retention of top talent. At IPM, we understand the importance of cultural training and have developed a comprehensive process that considers both the assignees and their family’s needs. With our customised training, employees can thrive in their new environment, build relationships, and make meaningful contributions to their organisations.

Integrated Mobility Solutions from IPM Global

At IPM Global, we understand the importance of maintaining a human touch in global mobility programs, even as technology advances. Our highly experienced mobility consultants have supported companies through recessions and world crises. We understand the speed and urgency needed when companies adapt. Juggling your assignee population while maintaining organisational compliance is a challenging feat. That is why we rely on more than our previous experience. Our team stays current on shifts and trends in global mobility, from changes in business traveller regulations to political turmoil. This commitment lets us strategically advise clients and help them achieve their commercial objectives. So if your company is considering implementing or expanding a global mobility program, contact us today for a friendly, no-obligation discussion.

If you would like to sign up to our news letter or request a copy of our brochure, please sign up here or contact us for further information.

PO Box 189, Port Talbot, SA13 9FG

+44 (0)1733 364040

[email protected]

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4 Reasons Why Global Assignments Fail and How to Prevent It

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Understanding the core issues that lead to a failed assignment is the solution to your mobility program’s success.

Mobility professionals understand the weighty cost of a failed assignment; the price tag of an unsuccessful assignment may amount to five times or more than the employee’s salary. Failed assignments also affect a mobility program’s positive ROI, diminish retention rates and available talent pools, and negatively influence future program budgets. With so much on the line, what can be done to facilitate higher assignment success rates?

Employees will face various challenges throughout their assignment term. While there isn’t any one-size-fits-all solution, understanding these common difficulties can help your mobility program make the necessary changes to reinforce assignment success rates.

A lack of spousal and family consideration in the relocation

An assignee’s family plays a consistent role in assignment success rates, as a partner or spouse’s dissatisfaction with relocation is one of the most common causes of assignment failure. Causes for family discontentment include inadequate accommodation for children in the relocation process, insufficient cultural and language training for the household, and a lack of career support for spouses.

Organizations are beginning to recognize the value of providing family support by extending relocation assistance to their employee’s partners and families. If an assignee’s family is pleased with their relocation experience, the employee can focus more on their work, ultimately improving the likelihood of assignment success.

Mobility program benefits should address the many stressors of a family’s cultural adjustment when moving abroad. Family language training, spousal career aid, and assisting with children’s education arrangements are a few suggested family support benefits.

Ill-matched employees and relocation assignments

Many globally mobile companies neglect to formally assess candidates for assignments, leading to poorly matched relocation roles. Unsuccessful international assignments are often due to faulty candidate selection. Mobility programs can combat assignment failure rates by investing in an assessment process to identify appropriate candidates.

Too many companies overlook the importance of maintaining a candidate pool for global assignments or lack a process for employees to declare their willingness to work abroad. Providing a method for employees to self-identify their interest in international assignments can help companies expand their talent development pool. For example, during an initial interview, include opportunities for a potential employee to communicate an interest in relocation.

Providing additional assignee assessments, such as self-guided family and personality assessments, is also recommended to ensure you’re pairing the most suitable employee with a relocation role.

Minimal or no cultural awareness training

Though multi-level cultural competence leads to assignment success, companies often neglect to offer cross-cultural training as a core policy benefit. Some may only provide minimal training to cover fundamental tourist protocol issues. As a result, an inability to adapt to the host location is a frequent reason for global assignment failure.

Performing a role successfully in a foreign location requires understanding and acclimating to the host country’s culture. Responsibilities such as following a goal-setting process in the host country can be a significant challenge for candidates if language and cultural barriers aren’t adequately addressed through training. While mobility programs are under pressure to reduce overall costs, cross-cultural training is one area that shouldn’t fall on the budget chopping block.

Failure rates are closely tied to an individual’s ability or inability to integrate and adapt to a new culture successfully. Through cultural training, assignees are better equipped to succeed in their new roles as they’ll be comfortable experiencing the culture of their host country and embracing the local community.

Unmet role and relocation expectations

Unmet job expectations are a prevailing cause of assignment failure. A lack of clarity in expectations and unclear goals can quickly lead to strain on foreign assignees. If an employee feels that their expectations aren’t being met, it could lead to frustration and even resentment.

We recommend documenting the reasons for the relocation (such as a business need and/or professional development) and the employee’s and manager’s agreed expectations. This discussion and documentation gives both parties a reference point regarding future check-ins or performance reviews.

Before addressing expectations with an employee, mobility counselors should ask themselves: “If I agreed to go on a global assignment, what would I expect?” Higher wages, new skills that will benefit you in the future, or advancement in your career? Empathizing with an assignee’s relocation experience will help you better understand how to improve the process and extend adequate support.

Supporting global mobility programs for over 20 years

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What Are Global Compensation Services?

By LaQuita Morrison, GMS

Prior to the pandemic, increased globalization and cross-border projects led a growing number of companies to send employees on short- and long-term global assignments. While global compensation services benefit both employers and employees, they can also complicate payroll, as well as income and tax reporting. Adding to the complexity, global assignments include relocation-related benefits that may or may not require reporting. Employers bear responsibility for ensuring that employees receive adequate compensation in a timely manner while complying with local income and tax reporting regulations.

Regulatory compliance and timely, accurate tax reporting remain vital in protecting both the employer and its employees from potential issues with revenue services. This is especially true for employers managing assignments in multiple locations, with varying durations, types, pay scales, and employee nationalities.

Why Companies Choose to Outsource Global Compensation Services

For employers with employees on global assignments, navigating the complexities of international regulations and reporting requirements may place a significant burden on their payroll and bookkeeping departments. Many do not have staff with the required expertise.

An employer might have seven employees on assignments in four different countries. If these employees have varying levels of seniority, their wages and benefits will differ. To enable accurate reporting, payroll staff need to understand the regulations and employment tax laws of all four countries. If the employees come from different countries, the situation grows even more complex. Additionally, the duration of each assignment impacts the taxability of compensation items such as household goods storage.

Even if a company has professionals with the required expertise on staff, the time and investment needed to ensure correct and comprehensive reporting may drain needed resources.

For this reason, a growing number of companies outsource this process to global compensation services providers. These third-party service providers assume responsibility for collecting, controlling, and reporting all employee compensation data on the employer’s behalf. They assist employers from the beginning of an assignment, ensuring transparency, and correct, complete documentation. Furthermore, they provide comprehensive compensation administration and reporting that complies with all applicable regulations.

Elements of Global Compensation Plans

Working with a global compensation services provider offers companies a cost-effective way to gain access to the expertise, manpower and resources needed to maintain centralized, organized payroll and tax reporting. Explore typical offerings of a global compensation plan below.

Cost Projection

A global compensation services provider can develop comprehensive, high-level estimates of expected costs specific to the global assignment. Projections are based on the employer’s mobility and compensation policies and any additional assumptions. Beyond the employee’s base compensation, which consists of his or her salary and any bonuses, the projection includes all estimated assignment expenses and hypothetical expenses.

Cost projections create data-driven estimates that employers can use to make strategic decisions. With an accurate understanding of the investment required, employers can perform cost-benefit analyses for potential assignments.

Letter of Assignment

A letter of understanding or letter of assignment outlines the details and benefits of an assignment. This legally binding document serves as an addendum to the assignee’s regular employment contract and lays out any varying or additional terms that apply for the duration of the assignment. As such, it must be signed by all parties. In addition to the start and end date of the assignment, job title and location, the letter of assignment must specify all contractual agreements, code of conduct, compensation and benefits, assignment-specific benefits such as moving expenses and repatriation allowance, tax equalization and other fiscal matters.

The letter of assignment should lay out all pertinent assignment details and leave no room for interpretation. Any lack of clarity could lead to costly misunderstandings, draining resources, creating a distraction for the employee, and impacting the success of the assignment.

Initial Balance Sheet

The initial balance sheet is typically affixed to the letter of assignment. It provides details regarding the assignment allowances the employee will receive.

Certificate of Coverage

When an employer sends an employee on an assignment to another country, they may be required to pay social security taxes in both the home and host locations unless those countries have entered into totalization agreements. These are bilateral social security agreements that eliminate dual taxation by assigning coverage to only one country, typically where the work is performed. Currently, the U.S. has totalization agreements with 26 countries. The country assigned coverage of the employee’s work issues a certificate of coverage.

Employers need to know the exact social security regulations each country requires before sending employees on assignment, and if applicable, apply for a certificate of coverage before the assignment starts. This will protect both the company and its employees from dual taxation. Moreover, it will safeguard the company from compliance issues.

In general, a certificate of coverage has a duration of five years. A country’s social security administration may grant extensions, although there is usually a processing period of four to six weeks. Compensation services providers can track expiration dates and apply for certificates of coverage on behalf of their clients, preventing any lapse in coverage.

Payroll Instructions

Close up of businessman or accountant hand holding pen working on laptop computer for calculate business data, accountancy document and calculator at office

Employers must develop payroll instructions for each assignment based on the financial data detailed in the assignee’s letter of assignment and initial balance sheet. These instructions ensure that payroll accurately incorporates all elements of the assignee’s compensation, that all components are accurately recorded, that necessary withholdings are made, and that the funds are sent to the appropriate governmental bodies.

Payroll departments both at home and in the host locations need to receive and understand each assignment’s payroll instructions. Some compensation services providers not only prepare payroll instructions but will also offer training on payroll file content and the data needed for payroll file returns. Instructions regarding payroll reporting allow for flexibility. Some employers prefer to receive instructions for full payroll details each cycle while some prefer only updates about any applicable changes.

Payroll Reconciliation

Payroll reconciliation ensures that payroll instructions are carried out correctly. It verifies correct amounts and dates, directed to the correct accounts. When completed by a global compensation provider, this reconciliation provides an additional layer of protection against errors.

During payroll reconciliation, compensation services providers may also collect all payroll detail as a part of the compensation accumulation process.

Compensation Accumulation

A critical component of a company’s global mobility reporting, compensation accumulation is the collection of all assignment-related, off-payroll costs made to, or on behalf of, assignees through accounts payable (e.g., for housing) or finance (e.g., for taxes). Compensation accumulation includes reconciliation of all reports to the relevant assignee’s letter of assignment and balance sheet, as well as to company policy.

Compensation accumulation can present challenges for companies with assignees in multiple countries. Collecting the required data often requires interacting with multiple locations and departments, or even service providers to whom a company has outsourced business processes. Nevertheless, employers must report all of these expenses accurately to remain compliant.

A compensation services provider collects the reconciled payroll data needed for compensation accumulation monthly and stores it in a central location. This keeps the process streamlined and eliminates issues that may arise from decentralized, untimely data collection.

Global Statement of Earnings (GSOE)

The global statement of earnings (GSOE) provides a comprehensive, detailed overview of an employer paid to (or on behalf of) each assignee. Tax providers use the GSOE when preparing tax returns. It also becomes a data source for shadow payroll. The GSOE is reconciled to the U.S. Box 1 Form W-2 at year’s end.

The GSOE ensures that the company remains in compliance both at home and in the host country with properly recorded taxes for reporting purposes. Furthermore, it ensures assignees pay taxes as needed and enables the employer to provide assignees with tax return preparation assistance benefits.

Shadow Payroll

Shadow payroll, also referred to as “ghost payroll,” reports compensation paid to an assignee from another country. Running a shadow payroll concurrently in the host location simplifies income and tax reporting and facilitates compliance, which is a critical factor of expatriate compensation packages.

Compensation reporting can prove complex, because the various components of an assignee’s total compensation package may originate in different locations. Typically, employers pay base salary and any bonuses from the assignee’s home country while paying many assignment-related costs such as housing allowances, dependents’ allowances, and taxes from the host country.

Keeping records in both countries ensures timely and accurate reporting. For this reason, compensation services providers send shadow payroll reports that show all payments made to the host location and/or the company’s tax provider. They also send an “add to earnings” file to the payroll department in the home country for the payments made in the host location. This ensures a full and accurate report of all costs associated with an assignment in each location.

Balance Sheet Updates

Balance sheet updates adjust the initial balance sheet created at the beginning of the assignment and affixed to the letter of assignment. A variety of circumstances may require balance sheet updates during an assignment including changes to salary or family size. They also facilitate cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) revisions as needed. Compensation service providers work with the company’s data provider to obtain updated COLA indexes and exchange rates.

Tax Equalization

During the tax equalization process, the company’s tax provider calculates the assignee’s hypothetical tax liability in his or her home country . This hypo tax accounts for base pay but not items such as cost-of-living allowances, education allowances, relocation costs, and other similar costs. The resulting sum indicates whether to adjust the assignee’s compensation up or down. The tax provider prepares a settlement while the compensation services provider processes the payment.

Year-End Reporting

Year-end reporting involves the collection of all payroll and tax reports for assignees, as well as the subsequent filing with all relevant national and state entities. A compensation services provider coordinates the tax eligibility list with the employer and its tax provider. Throughout the year, the compensation services provider also sends preliminary reports to the tax provider to facilitate any safe harbor (estimated tax) payments. With all compensation data collected, the compensation services provider sends the GSOE to the tax provider. This can be done in the currency of the home country, host country, or the country where the company is headquartered.

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Insights + Resources

How much is the average employee relocation package what’s included, what is an executive relocation package, how to build an effective hr communication strategy, should your relocation package include hardship allowances.

Using Global Human Resources

Process to Link Source and Destination Assignments for Global Transfer

Use the Migrate Employment Data process to link the source and destination assignments during a global transfer. By linking the assignments, you can view the complete assignment history of the source and destination work relationships.

Here's what the process does:

Selects all active workers (employee, contingent worker, and nonworker) who don't have their termination dates populated in the work relationship and for whom the source assignment ID isn't populated.

Identifies the source and destination assignment IDs for the selected workers based on these items:

Action occurrence ID.

Comparison of the assignment start date of the destination assignment and assignment end date of the source assignment.

Once identified, the process stores the assignment ID of the primary assignment as the source assignment in the destination assignment.

The Migrate Employment Data process will populate the SOURCE_ASSIGNMENT_ID field in the PER_ALL_ASSIGNMENTS_M table only for global transfer.

During a global temporary assignment, the assignment ID isn't stored as the source assignment ID.

Points to Consider

You can run this process to only link your existing global transfer transactions. Change legal employer transactions initiated from the UI after release 20B will be linked by the application.

You can rerun the process, but the process will only select data where the source assignment ID isn't populated for a global transfer action.

When you run the process, it includes all active workers and processes their historical records including those from their earlier work relationship. For example, the process will also include the historical records of a currently active rehired worker.

Process Parameter

The Migrate Employment Data process uses the Link Global Transfer assignments parameter. This parameter links the source and destination assignments related to global transfer by updating the PER_ALL_ASSIGNMENTS_M table.

View History of Assignment Updates

After you have linked the source and destination assignments, you need to set the ORA_PER_EMPL_DISPLAY_GT_HISTORY profile option to view a continuous history of assignment updates across legal employer changes. For more information about this profile option, see the Employment Profile Options topic in the Related Topics section.

IMAGES

Global Employer Services
International Assignment Stages
The Essential Guide to Landing a Global Assignment [Top Six Questions
PPT
SAP Help Portal
PPT

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Usability Enhancements for Resource Assignments

COMMENTS

How to Manage a Global Assignment
In particular, analytics tools can be used in the following ways: Cost analytics - to establish a cost model for your global assignment. Workforce analytics - to connect the talent in your recruiting database to the skillset needed for your global assignments. Assignee identification analytics - to focus on the cost drivers of sending the ...
Managing International Assignments
International assignment management is one of the hardest areas for HR professionals to master—and one of the most costly. The expense of a three-year international assignment can cost millions ...
PDF International Assignment Handbook
It's helpful to think of the international assignment as a lifecycle—moving from pre-assignment to repatriation. Here's a quick overview of each phase of the assignment lifecycle: Pre-assignment—Your direct manager and your HR manager will share the personal and career opportunities that the international assignment will provide. The Global
Global Assignment
Some steps in managing global assignments & international projects are: 1. Evaluating objectives of the international project. 2. Identifying team members & giving pre-requisite training. 3. Pre-departure preparation of activities & work to be done. 4. On job activities on global assignment at international location.
Global Assignments Enhance Employee Development
Developing high-potential employees and meeting business needs are the top two reasons employees at Brown-Forman are sent on international assignments, she said. Brookfield's 2015 Global ...
Selecting Global Assignees
The most effective process for selecting global assignees involves four distinct phases: Making a mutual decision. Phase One: Allow for self-selection. Employees who may be on the track for a future global assignment should begin the decision-making process about a year or more before a position becomes available.
Managing the Entire Global Assignment Cycle: Establishing Best Practic
gone on an international assignment (Carpenter, Sanders, & Gregersen, 2001; Gregersen. et al., 1995). Of the CEOs who have worked abroad, their most common destination by. far was Canada, followed by Great Britain and then Belgium. Very few CEOs have lived. and worked in Latin America or the Far East.
Managing International Assignments & Compensation
It is, however, often very expensive and doesn't solve all assignment-related issues (e.g., currency issues, pension, taxation). It is typically used in specific industry sectors (e.g., energy and engineering) and for a few assignees (top level managers and global nomads.) Step 2: Assessing assignment patterNs and business objectives
Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report
The results of this year's Global Assignment Policies and Practices (GAPP) Survey sheds light on how global mobility programs are continually evolving. In addition to compliance and global risk management, supporting the organization's business objectives, controlling program costs and being adaptable to changing business requirements are ...
The Essential Guide to Landing a Global Assignment [Top Six Questions
Global assignments are big risks for firms, so you must do your homework prior to launching conversations around your desire to work abroad. ... Although I didn't have this guide during my transition, definitely concur that I did follow the process you lay out in this guide unconsciously. Reply. Melissa on January 31, 2013 at 4:13 pm. You ...
5 Types of Global Assignments
Short-Term Assignment. A short-term international assignment usually lasts for a year or less. Employers generally have a specific goal for the employees they send on short-term assignments, such as facilitating training, completing a particular project, or temporarily filling a vacancy. Many short-term assignments are single-status, whereby ...
5 Things That Make or Break Global Assignment Success
Tip for Success: Nearly three-quarters of companies don't maintain a candidate pool for global assignments, and 33% don't have a process for employees to designate themselves as willing to go on a foreign assignment (BGRS, 2016). During new hire orientation, build in a way for employees to "raise their hand" if they are interested in a ...
How To Manage A Successful Global Mobility Assignment
To the uninitiated, an assignment is as simple as getting a visa and a plane ticket. However, to ensure that it is a successful assignment, organizations must carefully: Define the criteria of a successful Global Mobility Assignment. Select the correct person to send on assignment. Engage both host and sending offices.
Creating an Exceptional Employee Experience during Global Assignments
These few lines explore various strategies that organisations can employ to provide an excellent employee experience during global assignments, backed by academic references. 1. Thorough ...
International Assignments: Who's Going Where and Why?
Developing a global talent pool for future assignments (56 percent). Sequential Assignments Rising. Not all expatriates get to return home after an assignment. Fifty-eight percent of respondents ...
How IPM Global can help with your Global Assignments
At IPM Global, we understand that complex global assignments can be daunting. That's why we specialise in helping companies navigate the international assignment process, providing a comprehensive and end-to-end experience. The first step in our new lead process is to coordinate an initial team call to determine your needs and assess how we ...
4 Reasons Why Global Assignments Fail and How to Prevent It
Too many companies overlook the importance of maintaining a candidate pool for global assignments or lack a process for employees to declare their willingness to work abroad. Providing a method for employees to self-identify their interest in international assignments can help companies expand their talent development pool. For example, during ...
Global Assignments Overview
Here is an overview about global assignments in Employee Central. With the Global Assignment Management function, you can send an employee on a global assignment to another company. The administrator or manager can add a global assignment for an employee. Once the global assignment is active, there's one home and one host employment for this ...
A Guide to Global Compensation Services
The global statement of earnings (GSOE) provides a comprehensive, detailed overview of an employer paid to (or on behalf of) each assignee. Tax providers use the GSOE when preparing tax returns. It also becomes a data source for shadow payroll. The GSOE is reconciled to the U.S. Box 1 Form W-2 at year's end.
Global Assignment
Global Assignment Configuration is the part of the configuration process where we will set the control and parameters so that Home details and GA details can have their own events to capture Global Assignment concept. ... Global Assignment creates a separate employee profile in Employee Central, it assign a separate Username ( usually it ...
Managing global assignments Flashcards
Guidelines to Enhance Global Assignment Success. View assignments as a process, not an activity.Recognize and consider all dimensions of the assignment experience.Conduct thorough and professional assessments of candidates.Establish and maintain realistic expectations.Provide training.Provide appropriate health and safety support.Provide well ...
HR in a Global Context Quiz Flashcards
How does the issue of allegiance in global assignments affect the process of global assignment selection and assignee management? A. A priority should be placed on the support needed for assignee's unique needs B. High levels of allegiance can create risks of noncompliance with local laws C. Greater attention should be paid to the logistics of the move D. Allegiance to the home or host country ...
Managing Global Assignments Quiz Flashcards
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like An employee has been selected for an international assignment. This first time assignment is expected to last 2 to 3 yrs & involves full relocation. Why is well crated global letter of assignment a key part of the plan?, During which stage of the global assignment process should criteria for the ideal expatriate candidate be ...
Process to Link Source and Destination Assignments for Global Transfer
Points to Consider. You can run this process to only link your existing global transfer transactions. Change legal employer transactions initiated from the UI after release 20B will be linked by the application. You can rerun the process, but the process will only select data where the source assignment ID isn't populated for a global transfer ...