Host Country Tips for Promoting a Successful Global Assimilation
Whether large or small, companies in today’s economic climate must ensure that their global mobility program is as effective as possible, regardless of financial resources. Even as organizations reduce their overall volume and change the profile of some global assignments, the average cost of an assignment is still well over US$1,000,000. As such, it’s critical for companies to protect this investment, a process that begins with a successful assimilation into the host country.
In larger organizations, successful assimilation is supported by the company’s relocation program, through the inclusion of benefits including language assistance, cross-cultural training and settling-in services. In smaller organizations, the assimilation process is sometimes more challenging. With fewer financial resources and often no structured policies, host country managers are left to their own accord to work with employees and help them with their assimilation.
In working with your employees, regardless of your relocation program elements, here are a few suggestions which will help your global assignees as they assimilate into the new environment.
If your company has other expatriates in the area, set up a “mentor” program whereby one of the current expat families provides assistance to the new family. If there are no expats, then ask for locals to offer their assistance. Mentoring programs don’t just benefit the employee but also his/her spouse/partner and any accompanying children. We recommend initiating the mentoring as soon as the employee agrees to the assignment because answering questions upfront can help set expectations appropriately. When the assignee arrives in country, make sure that the families meet in person, and that follow up continues throughout the first few months of the assignment. You may even want to create a ‘tip sheet’ or ‘critical list’ for mentors to serve as a guide as you launch the program. Of course any mentoring should be complimented by regular follow-up by host country human resources as well.
Host country human resources can also conduct both general and assignee specific research on the area and present an information package with details about shopping (groceries and other sundries), medical care (general practitioners, dentists, etc who work with the expatriate community), how to open a local bank account, how to register with the consulate, how to use public transportation, and information about joining general expatriate associations and clubs. We recommend that the local human resource manager invest time in visiting expatriate schools and garner the basic information so that they can provide that information to their incoming assignee/family. We also suggest that they take a tour with a local agent to view potential expatriate housing, familiarizing themselves with the typical areas, styles and available inventories.
Organizations can also sponsor periodic lunches for expatriate spouses/partners to create a sense of unity amongst the group. The lunches are often modeled after ‘newcomer’ events and include basic networking and general introductions. If available, a human resource leader may also want to moderate discussions around challenges faced etc. providing a forum for those who are further along in their assignment to share their experiences.
While it’s always optimal to provide these services through a relocation management company, it’s not always practical, but it always important. Successful assimilation is a critical key to the overall assignment and the return on the investment for your organization.
Posted on 06/2/2009 in Global Mobility | Comments (0)
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