Candidate Assessment: Critical to the Success of an Expatriate Assignment
One of the most crucial aspects of a successful international assignment is selecting the right candidate(s) for the job. Too often, the decision is made to send the most technically capable employee, or one that speaks the local language, rather than the right employee. Another fallacy is to assume that completing a previous expatriate assignment will predict success on another assignment. According to Barry Kozloff, President of Selection Research International (SRI), cultural flexibility, family conditions, and level of company support are factors useful in screening candidates, but it is also clear that the successful international assignment should be part of a global talent development system.
Cultural flexibility refers not only to the candidate’s ability to adapt to new surroundings, but his/her innate cultural sensitivity and honesty. A resume/CV may describe years of international experience, but it is important to delve deeper to gain a sense of how the candidate will deal with the complex and perhaps unpredictable nature of the assignment, and, if the posting is a managerial position with local reports, how the candidate will interact with colleagues. In addition, a careful evaluation of the accompanying spouse/partner should not be overlooked. Companies that specialize in the candidate selection process use various self-assessment and self-selection tools to help candidates and spouses/partners crystallize their opinions and mindset with regard to a potential international relocation. Kozloff warns that only those companies that use standard, published psychological instruments with national norms are able to ensure adherence to U.S. Federal guidelines to avoid possible liability.
Self-assessment tools and a formal interview with the employee, their spouse/partner, and older children, conducted by a well-qualified assessor with the correct professional credentials, will outline the family conditions and the situational readiness of the candidate and his/her family. Each candidate should think thoroughly about whether the particular time in his/her life – and that of the family – is a good time in which to relocate abroad. Sometimes, the result is that the candidate will pull out, or perhaps delay interest in taking an international assignment, but the company is assured that a potentially unsuccessful assignment, and very expensive venture, is avoided.
Measuring the readiness of the company to support employees who move abroad is another factor in predicting the success of an expatriate assignment. Working with a third-party relocation company to provide various support services is essential. Benefits should include Destination Services to assist the family in finding appropriate housing, schools, and social networks, as well as helping with the home country property by financially supporting home sale or property management. Using reputable international household goods movers to transport or store valuables, in addition to offering cross-cultural training and language instruction, are all relevant support services most global companies provide. In-country counseling and follow up on a regular basis are also recommended as unexpected problems may arise that require different kinds of support.
Successful expatriate assignments do not necessarily mean a company is managing a successful global talent management program. Kozloff states that the single most important aspect is what happens to the employee after the assignment. A deliberate repatriation process, coupled with mentoring while on-assignment and regular visits to the home location and company office, demonstrate that the corporation is thinking of the future. “Planning for the individual’s next job should be part of the international assignment decision,” states Kozloff. The commitment the company makes to these employees places even more importance on the selection process whereby finding employees who demonstrate, “flexibility, judgment and maturity,” three key personality traits of a successful expatriate assignee, is achieved. The intersection of a concise and purposeful selection process with the overarching goals of the corporation can help lead to success across borders.
Posted on 12/8/2009 in Global Mobility | Comments (0)
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