I have been a strong proponent of Global Mobility for years now and most readers and clients will know my general optimism towards it. I will be taking a critical look at the trend towards more Lifestyle Expats and various shortcomings that need to be addressed by Global Mobility Managers, Recruiters, and HR Directors if we want to hire qualified professionals from other countries into the German-speaking regions without annoying them in the process. Another trend we have to take into consideration here is that our populations are a lot more diverse than they used to be ten years ago (Weinberger, 2019). We especially see a rise in female expats such as Ayeesha on assignment (Yeah!). As I already wrote […]

Over the last twenty years in Human Resources, I noticed that a lot of Expats were frustrated in the process of moving to another country for work. It was not only because their companies paid them another package than what they expected. It was also because a lot of international assignees underestimated the challenge of moving to another country. For example, expats moving to Switzerland often think it will be easier to find affordable childcare, high-quality apartments, and a job for their “trailing” spouse. Most expats believe it will be easy to learn the local language (or they even think we speak English). Most expats believe that they are going to have a great career step after their repatriation. I […]

You are Jason Bourne, you wake up in a hotel room in a Middle Eastern country. It’s too hot in your room. You sweat and you just woke up from a nightmare. You are not sure if this nightmare is a memory because you cannot remember who you are. How will it be possible for you to connect with anyone? How will you trust others if you do not even know who you are? What if you have changed your identity so often that you cannot even clearly pronounce your name? This is a challenge and you are probably shaking your head. “This is a movie, it’s not real.”.  Yes, but there is a truth in this movie that is […]

Did you go to a party last night and ask Karen, the other Expat Spouse across from you, how she managed her transition to Switzerland? And did Karen say: “Just reinvent yourself!”. This is a dreadful sentence to tell any newbie in a new place.  This sentence is advice you often hear when you lose your work or are still looking for a new job in Switzerland.  You are a New York, London, Frankfurt, or Mumbai professional. You have a career stamped on yourself. Telling you to reinvent yourself is like saying, “Why don’t you just run a marathon after recovering from COVID-19.” People make it sound so simple; it makes you feel guilty and shameful because it seems to […]

Guest post by Brooke Faulkner Whether on a short or long-term assignment, expatriates should take advantage of all that Global Mobility has to offer. Being appointed to new locations can further your professional development, help bring the best professional practices to new places, and help your company expand its global network. This is all not to mention that on a personal fulfilment note, Global Mobility is a perfect opportunity to experience new cultures, meet new people, and learn new languages. Businesses who appoint expats may know of the business advantages, and they may even know of the benefits of global mobility. However, there are side effects of global mobility, and a significant drawback of an appointed expat is that they may […]