We thought we should pull together the main reasons, according to our experience that hinder Expat Spouse employment in the host country. This is a non-scientific analysis based on opinions and experience. There are a number of studies (Permits Foundation, 2012; Silberbauer, 2015) dedicated to the topic though.
Global Mobility providers and academics often research how family impacts “expatriate failure”. In my view, this is not enough. We should investigate how we can bring down the barriers to Expat Spouse employment. Why is it so difficult for Expat Spouses to find work in the host country? Here is a short analysis of the issues.
1- Work Permit Restrictions
Finding a job is not as straightforward for many of my clients as it is in their home countries. Even if most top host locations allow Expat Spouses to work on the partner’s dependent work permit, other countries present significant restrictions to Expat Spouse employment. In fact, while some of them do not issue work permits to any Expat Spouses at all, others may present subtleties linked to marital status or they might not recognize same sex-marriages.
2- Host Language Skills
Even though the expat might work for a global company, most jobs in the host country will require host language skills. Unless you move from the UK to the USA, you often will not have the language skills required to work in the host country. It’s important that you don’t underestimate this aspect and that you start learning the local language as soon as possible, ideally before relocating. The good news is that almost two-thirds of employers already provide this as the main form of assistance (Permits Foundation, 2012). If there is a business need, companies generally pay for a 60-hour course also for the Expat spouse. However, 60 hours is not a lot and for working in another language a basic course will not be sufficient. There are specific job search engines that filter for English-speaking roles. If you are looking to find employment in the Swiss job market, you can look up www.englishforum.ch.
3- Recognition of University Degrees in Regulated Fields and Non-Regulated Fields
While within the EU we can assume that university degrees will be recognized due to the common job market, a Brazilian doctor cannot work in a hospital in Switzerland. We call this a “regulated profession”. In the best-case scenario, you will need to go through a considerable amount of bureaucracy to get your degree converted, and this may cost you a good amount of money. In the worst-case scenario, however, if you want to keep practicing your profession, you will have to get complementary certificates in the host country. Even in non-regulated fields and jobs it seems very hard to translate degrees and determine equivalency. Very often you need to explain what your degree and experience mean in “lay terms.”
4 – Professional Networks
Another issue is the lack of a professional network, which gives access to the untapped and informal labor market in the host country. Often you can only join professional associations when you are in a corporate role or when you have graduated in the country. Building your professional network in your host country will require time and trust. You will have to start from scratch and dedicate a considerable amount of time to this activity if you want to see good results. You will also need to understand that matters of trust and relationships are culturally different, so it’s important that you act in a culturally appropriate manner when attempting to expand your professional network.
5 – Global Mobility Policy
Only very forward-thinking global mobility and global recruiting policies address the need for support for “trailing” dual career partners. While ten years ago dual-career issues on international assignments were solved by sticking to classical Western nuclear “family” models, we now want to adhere to the needs of dual careers, patchwork families, Eastern “family” models, same-sex partners, and unmarried de-facto relationships. Visionary Global Mobility policies address various support models ranging from providing a lump sum to spousal career coaching. As an intercultural career advisor, I also work with clients who decide to start a global, transferable business so that they can follow their life partner to other locations and become location-independent. Thanks to technology I can support clients in NYC as well as in Mumbai. We also support candidates to improve their personal branding in the host market, learn to network effectively and improve their interview skills and online presentations. But it’s crucial that Global Mobility Leaders update their policies and promote spouse support services rather than pay lump sums.
6 – Intercultural Bias of Our Recruiters
Our recruiters often do not understand intercultural differences. Recruiters often don’t understand resumes from other countries and outsourcing talent specialists to HR-shared service centers has not improved the chances of “foreign” candidates in the recruitment process. Most selection methods and assessments are culturally biased. For example, in Switzerland, psychometric testing and other assessments of candidates are used to assess candidates next to interviews. Riedel (2015) shows examples where highly skilled candidates from China fell through the assessment roster in a German company because of their indirect communication style. Companies should provide training on Inclusion and Diversity in an attempt to eliminate unconscious biases and ensure all worthy candidates are being considered for global mobility. This practice is not yet spread. According to KPMG, 39% of employees surveyed aren’t aware of inclusive leadership training within their organizations.
7 – Unconscious Bias of Sending Home Sponsors
PwC issued a study in 2016 on female expatriation where it appears very obvious that a lot more women would be interested in an international assignment than the ones that are actually sent. As a matter of fact, some types of assignments (like short-term, very short-term, and fly-in and out commuter assignments) are notably more popular among women than among men. If women make up 20% only (PwC, 2016) of the internationally mobile population across all sectors, it’s probably due to the unconscious bias of the sending-home sponsors who assume a female manager is not mobile even though she might have mentioned it several times. I speak from experience. If you want to guarantee that the selection of women and other underrepresented groups is fair and objective, you need to measure the relative inclusiveness of mobility assignments and ensure policies on equal access are working. If you find out they are not working, intervene as soon as possible.
8 – Research to Measure the Impact of Dual-Career Programs
In 2012, ETH Zurich conducted extensive research with several European universities on barriers to dual careers within the EU and EFTA countries. For most companies (NetExpat & EY, 2018; Atlas World Group, 2019) the presence of dual-career couples negatively affects the decision to relocate. There’s more: the spouse’s unwillingness to move because of his or her career is the first reason for turning down relocation. After all, it’s 2020, and the increasing number of households relying on two salaries should not surprise us. While in the past, small firms were relatively less affected by spouse/partner’s employment than medium and big firms, in more recent times, the impact has been similar across company sizes. There is evidently still a lot to do in order to integrate the needs of dual-career couples in the expatriation process. If you want to keep pace with reality and stand out with a far-reaching Global Mobility policy, please keep this issue a top priority.
On the receiving end, I can report that more and more expat spouses are male. There is hope. If you want to see how all these work in practice and would like to receive a proposal from us, please drop a line to Angie Weinberger (angela@globalpeopletransitions.com). I am happy to support you!
Further Readings:
The Modern Professional’s Guide to Avoiding Career Stagnation
My favourite Productivity Hacks – Seven Tips to claim back your Diary
Global Recruiting – Helping Global Talents succeed in Switzerland
Offline and Online Presence is the Way Forward for Modern Professionals
References:
Atlas World Group. (2019). 52nd Annual Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey. https://www.atlasvanlines.com/AtlasVanLines/media/Corporate-Relo-Survey/PDFs/2019survey.pdf
KPMG. (2018). Inclusion and Diversity: How Global Mobility can help move the Needle. KPMG International. https://assets.kpmg//content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2018/06/global-mobility-inclusion-and-diversity-how-gms-can-help-move-the-needle-FINAL.pd
NetExpat & EY. (2018). Relocating Partner Survey Report. https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-2018-relocating-partner-survey-final-report/$File/ey-2018-relocating-partner-survey-final-report.pdf
Permits Foundation. (2012). International Mobility and Dual-Career Survey of International Employers. https://www.permitsfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Permits+Global+Survey+2012nw.pdf
PwC. (2016). Women of the world: Aligning gender diversity and international mobility in financial services. PwC. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/financial-services/assets/women-of-the-world.pdf
Riedel, Tim (2015): “Internationale Personalauswahl”, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Gottingen.
Silberbauer, K. (2015). Benefits of dual-career support for expat spouses, International Journal of Business and Management, vol 3, no. 2. DOI: 10.20472/BM.2015.3.2.005.
Weinberger, A. (2019). “The Global Mobility Workbook”, Global People Transitions, Zurich.
Weinberger, A. (2016). “The Global Career Workbook”, Global People Transitions, Zurich.
In the interview below we cover four key tips for your repatriation or your next transition.
1 – Repatriating Your Role – You own your career and your brand
- Maintain a Repatriation Plan with your Employer
- Regular “home leave” where you network with your previous colleagues and meet your sponsor and other important influencers, and key decision-makers.
- Think about alternative roles you could do with your expat experience, start your own business
- Update your CV and LinkedIn profile and add your transferable skills
2- Expect Re-Entry Shock – It’s not all milk and chocolate
- Reading the news and keeping up with the latest trends in the country before you repatriate
- Keep relationships up and return “home” regularly.
- Psychological contract: Consider what you expect and write it down as it might need alignment with your employer, your partner, and your family
3 – Plan the Logistics – The devil’s in the detail, consult the Professionals
- Negotiate a repatriation budget and clause in your assignment contract.
- Check all immigration requirements for your kids, and partners with different nationalities (Example: Language requirements)Optimize Taxes – Talk to Your Tax Expert when to go
4 – Optimizing Taxes – Talk to Your Tax Expert about when to go
- Go through all the tax and financial aspects of your repatriation carefully with an expert, especially when you are planning to retire early or when you expect a severance package.
CONTACT Angie Weinberger via LinkedIn, Email angela@globalpeopletransitions.com for participating in a free workshop series that will help you build your personal brand and sign up here.
Have you returned from your Christmas holiday full of new spirit and New Year’s resolutions and do you already feel a shift in energy as days are getting a bit longer and there is more sunlight. My plants outside thought it was spring already and I did not dare to tell them yet that winter is coming back. I remember the slight optimism of last January when I was hoping for a “back to normal” and only six weeks later the world was in turmoil again.
This year I made a change and started the New Year in South India at 30 degrees Celsius and with an amazing vacation that feels like a trip to paradise. And while it’s cold and snowing now in Switzerland the warmth and happiness I took with me lightened up my heart for most of the last two weeks. I hope you understand that I also have moments of self-doubt and fear and that I’m not always the calm and relaxed coach that you might know. I can also get stressed and deal with similar issues you might experience. This year though I have not (yet) felt the “post-holiday” blues. I even feel elated as I write this, in a rather festive spirit as I complete the second work week of this new year.
My desire and ambition is to be fresh, energetic, focused and emotionally stable. I want to create and find the atmosphere for creativity whether I’m in an office or in a fancy hotel room. I want to be up for networking with prospects and clients all the time. I want to get up in the morning with a big smile and fulfill my purpose whether we have a pandemic, a war, or a snowstorm. And this is why I’m practicing how to manage my energy better constantly. And in India I was even more motivated to learn more about meditating and yoga.
The Magic of Rituals
6 January marks the last day of the holiday season in Germany and Switzerland. In some parts of Europe, it is the most important day of the holiday season. For us, it means that the next day we really need to throw out the Christmas tree and all the decorations. It’s a nice ritual and the cleaning-up exercise means that I can get back into full steam. As often rituals help me with transitions and change I thought I’d share mine to get back into my creative mode again. I also think someone needs to tell my neighbor that it is definitely high time to take down the Christmas decorations especially as we are approaching New Year this weekend (again). I asked my colleagues in Singapore if it was okay to wish them Happy New Year (ahead of time) as in the German culture wishing ahead is often considered bad luck but they loved it. So from one Happy New Year to another Happy New Year I believe we should all take vacation, work-from-anywhere and really re-energize before getting back into the hustle and bustle of our self-imposed modern lifestyles. Yesterday, I even managed to close the books for 2023 and discard old case files.
1 – Decoration Boxing
Allow yourself one last look at your Christmas cards and decorations. Then box all of them into the Christmas box where you keep them until after Thanksgiving or the first advent weekend. Say goodbye to Christmas movies too..
2 – Calendar Planning
Get an annual calendar for your wall and mark all the important dates such as holidays, vacation or downtime, birthdays, weddings, launch dates, workshop days, lectures and other important events that you already committed to. Plan one long weekend every month for either self-care, your partnership or a strategic offsite. Book all your travel ahead with enough cancellation options and dive into the feeling of pre-travel excitement way before it is happening. Did you book your summer holiday yet?
3 – Routine Prepping
Prepare everything that you usually need to have ready to get into your weekly routines such as lunches, dinners, grocery shopping, and other regular Sunday activities to start into a good week ahead. Get your hair, nails, shoes, suits back in work look. (I know those bra’s are starting to feel uncomfortable.).
4 – Workspace Enhancing
Clean your workspace at home and consider at least one enhancement such as upgrading your software, buying colorful pens, post-it notes or a new journal. Buy a few colorful physical folders for your creative ideas and pimp up your filing system. Get yourself an orchid or a beautiful flower that you can add to your “home office.”.
5 – Purpose Reminiscing
Remember why you are where you are today in your professional life and as an entrepreneur, digital nomad or expat and connect with your mission statement. Read it out to yourself. Does it still fit? Check your resume and other brand messages. Is there anything you feel needs an upgrade? Visualize your life in 2023, add photos to your vision board and pick your word for 2023 if you haven’t done so yet.
I wish you all a wonderful start in the New Year.
Angie
PS: If you haven’t received a Global People Club Sandwich from us yet this year please make sure that you subscribe as we will continue to deliver these blog posts to your inbox.
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/become-a-reader-of-the-global-people-club-sandwich/
Recently I went to the ballet. They showed Nutcracker and Mouseking. If you know the story of the nutcracker you might be able to relate to his feeling. He is a prince trapped in a wooden statue. Maybe you feel more like “Aschenbroedel”? A princess trapped in a gray suit who sorts out the beans or the dollars on a spreadsheet.
You are well-traveled and fascinated by traveling outside the shores of your country. You are presumed to have the same bubbly experience as an expat sent on an international assignment to another country. You thought your experience would be like the adventure that you had on your previous vacation trips. Your first day in the foreign land was laden with a lot of exuberance and effervescence. But you had barely spent one month before all your hopes disappeared into the thin air. Now, the only rhetorical question you keep asking yourself is “Can I get relief from being trapped in this figure, please?” or “Where is that prince in shiny armor that will find a shoe that only fits me? When will I be invited to dance at the ball?”.
There are many moments when you feel overwhelmed and frustrated that you can’t do it all. And you don’t want to add to the stress of your spouse who’s busy searching job boards and tweaking their resume every time.
Your days are busy. Sometimes you leave work at the end of the week feeling unfulfilled, longing for a sense of purpose.
Sometimes you lie in bed missing your parents, friends, and loved ones so much that you often wonder if this was all a big mistake. In the middle of all these, you receive your line manager’s email that the presentation you made was a wreck.
The longer this goes on you notice that feelings of resentment creep up, toward your partner, your job, your young kids, or even your host country.
This does not have to be your story or case. I want to help you gain control of your life and live with a sense of purpose again. If you are feeling frustrated, crave a sense of purpose, or wish you are doing more to make the most of your life abroad, we have the answer you have been looking for.
Our program addresses, head-on, the biggest challenges that globally mobile individuals face, it is based on methods tested for over a decade with individuals just like you.
We teach you powerful strategies to give you immediate relief to your immediate challenges and help you take over the driver’s seat of your life’s vehicle. All of this, in short, easy-to-apply lessons – right when you need it. It has everything you need to:
● Develop and keep the right mindset to cherish your experience abroad
● Identify your purpose abroad (beyond work or the family)
● Stop letting stress get between you and the ones you care for
● Feel close to loved ones, even if they are thousands of miles (or kilometers) away
Imagine a life where you feel in control and spend your time and energy on things that resonate with your higher self.
● You are taking real steps to reduce the strains of your life abroad
● You have your confidence back
● You feel competent in your intercultural interactions
● You are fueled by a sense of purpose
● You have a community of people who understood you, and whom you could rely on for support
You can start today and then rise from the physical and mental exhaustion in which circumstances have kept you. Yes, you can rise to a new life of purpose and relevance.
I am not just going to propose some hypothetical ideas, but time-tested, hands-on ideas that would immediately get you back on track. Having lived abroad and moved several times in my life, I had to deal with adapting to a different intercultural climate myself. I have been able to weather even the most complex challenges and it would be my pleasure to take you by the hand and help you navigate this new terrain.
If you want to make some important changes, anywhere from feeling less overwhelmed, finding purpose, or creating better connections with your loved ones from afar, book a meeting with me here. I want to learn more about you and the challenges you are currently facing.
Kind regards,
Angie Weinberger
This time I really wanted to get it right and stop buying “plastic stuff made in China” (because to be honest, these modern brushes always have a catch and then I throw them out in a rage). I also don’t like the vacuum cleaner. It smells. It’s loud. It takes away space. Speaking of space. What would a Jedi do to keep their spaceship or humble house clean? Probably deal with it through energy. Not sure. I’ve never seen Yoda clean or even go to the bathroom.
So, I bought a broom and a brush of wood. Very old-school. I only needed one rubber ring, but you never just order one rubber ring online and my weekend seemed too precious to roam the hardware stores of Zurich for hours. I ordered a bit more. As you do while you are at it. A solid wooden broom is just what I need right now in times of energy savings.
I hope that now I can finally close my home project of unclogging the sink drain. It gives me a sense of accomplishment that I managed to do this alone without any mansplaining in the background. The mansplainer was absent for too long. It needed to be fixed but then in the middle of sifting through smelly rubble the rubber ring broke and this is not something I stock.
I tried the unclogger. I thought that’s why we have that thing. But that did not work.
I also order the cleaner (hope that one is a bit more environmentally friendly).
And then I started to take the thing apart. Which not only took me weeks to get started on. It also was a bit hard to open but I managed. I’m a strong woman after all. I used up all my energy to do this on a Saturday or even a weekday. And the smell was horrid.
Let me also explain to you that in Germany (my home country) I would know what product to buy and I would probably buy something less sustainable just to get on with it. However, here I am. 13 years in Switzerland, and still don’t know the equivalent product. And you probably think now: “But you speak the darn language:” Still, I did not grow up with “INTENSIF Ablaufreiniger flüssig extra stark” …so I did not exactly know what to look for online. Also, back in Germany I always had a cleaning person and would really let them deal with it.
Here’s what I learned.
1 – Never order anything made in China again, ever.
2 – Start to work on home improvement projects right away. Don’t accept a clogged sink for weeks hoping that “they” will get to it.
3 – Make sure you have an idea of how to repair a clogged sink, how to defrost the fridge, or air the heaters (I still don’t know that).
4 – When you start a home project make sure that you understand all the parts that you need for completion so you can finish the project. Because right now I have a slightly dripping sink and my bathroom looks really messy. You probably already hear me talking about process porcelain and how I spend my days mending what is broken as if I was Kylo Ren.
5 – When you live in a high labor-cost country like Switzerland accept that you have to do more yourself.
6 – If you get mad or sad about “Aschenputteling” like I used to, there is probably a deeper psychological reason behind it. I often felt sad that I could not just call my dad and ask him to help me with this stuff. I often felt that it was unfair that I had to take care of every.single.thing in my life. Sometimes we just have to get started, even if we have to sift through the dirty, smelly hair that is clogged there in our subconscious.
So, if you are ready: Work with me in 2023. Let’s start to unclog and move forward. Reply to this email with “Unclogging 2023”.
With love
Angie
PS: Do you know how to “air the heaters” and would you do me a favor and help me out here?
PPS: I’m also intrigued that Finance seems to be catching up on the Human Touch idea and that we might go beyond “Spreadsheet Capitalism” in 2023.
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/our-ten-commandments-for-the-global-mobility-manager/
