Why buy us?

“Global Mobility” is currently undergoing a global transformation. New technologies, the constant evolution of companies, generational diversity and political situations have evolved the roles and lives of mobile professionals faster than existing policies can keep up, calling for a clear focus on the processes to be updated to cater better for the people driving Global Mobility.

Are you as a Global Mobility Professional feeling overwhelmed by the speed and scope of this ‘boom’? Perhaps you need to introduce yourself to the field and get a better, broader overview of Global Mobility. 

Maybe you are in HR or a line manager and want to ensure that you are becoming an employer of choice for younger generations demanding “Global Mobility” as a prerequisite for working with you. 

Or, you are just on the brink of deciding for or against an international assignment as an expat or expat family and want to understand the language we use better.

How we will help you

Working with “The Global Mobility Workbook” and Angie Weinberger will enable you to:

• run your Global Mobility in a more strategic way by deeper understanding trends and drivers of Global Mobility
• develop and sort out your legal framework, policies, guidelines, exception management,
• give you models for improving how you explain what we do to the outside world,
• support expats and their spouses and enhance their “Expat Experience” through training, coaching and deeper understanding of the psychological effects of cultural adjustment,
• develop your professional profile and “Global Competency”.

In order to make the expat experience worthwhile for their careers and support for their families even better, it takes people who want more than ticking off a checklist.

It takes dedicated professionals and it needs personal communication with the entire expat family. We want to bring the human touch back into our process-driven work.

That is just the tip of what Global Mobility truly is, and the Global Mobility Workbook provides not only a baseline starting point to understanding the field but is a hands-on manual for people in HR, line managers, expats and their spouses.

What you can expect from us

• Establishing the Global Mobility Brand. Strategic classification of international assignments for the “business case”, integration of the assignment in succession planning and more. 
• Optimizing the Global Mobility Process. Optimizing the operational handling of Global Mobility in all corporate processes from recruiting, via talent development to localisation. We explain basic principles without the technical details that overwhelm beginners in the field.
• Defining the Global Mobility Clients. Focusing on the experience of expatriates and their spouses, as well as on the process of monitoring those who are affected, including their safety and health. We also give an overview of emergency situations.
• Building the Global Mobility Team. Presenting Global Competency as a key component in the career development of Global Mobility Professionals. It’s a mix of knowledge, attitude, skills, reflected experience and body learning. We also coach you along the way and develop an online learning plan together.

It’s a workbook so it engages you with:

• • Goal Setting: In the beginning of our journey together you set goals for yourself.
  • Homework: Most chapters come with a suggestion of a homework.
  • 12 Case Studies: In addition we provide downloadable cases studies from daily business scenarios. These present you with various international mobility challenges to engage with and analyze. 
  • 7 Templates: We share templates upon request.
  • 5 Tools: We send you examples how you can run your operations and projects
  • 3 Checklists: Global Recruitment, Relocation, Social security considerations
  • 12 months RockMeApp: Free access to the RockMeApp, our career planner and online coaching platform (value 250 CHF/USD).

Sign up here for updates on this publication. 

About the Author

Angie Weinberger is the Global Mobility Coach. She combines executive coaching, her long-standing Global Mobility expertise and workshop facilitation skills into programs for Global Mobility Professionals, Expats and Expat Spouses. She’s a recognized guest lecturer in “Global Mobility” and “Intercultural Management” and has worked in HR with an international focus for over 20 years.

Previously she wrote “The Global Career Workbook” (2016). She also wrote a German textbook on managing international assignment into and out of Germany published in 2009, 2010 and 2011. This publication triggered her interest in writing again.

Angie’s current projects include building the Global Mobility Function for a private bank, the development of a web application for online coaching called RockMeApp and RockMeRetreat. 

Angie also defines herself as an author, social media junkie and Bollywood lover. She has lived and worked in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, India and Australia.

When Angie is not working she enjoys hiking in the Swiss countryside, watches movies and overindulges on the cooking of her Pakistani partner.

Job postings are crucial in attracting diverse talent, but overt and subtle discriminatory language can inadvertently exclude certain groups. In Switzerland, where diversity is supposedly valued, discriminatory language must be recognized and eliminated from job advertisements. Creating inclusive job postings in Switzerland fosters diversity and attracts many talents. Organizations can contribute to a more equitable and welcoming job market by carefully crafting language and eliminating unintentional biases.

Why do we need to get better at writing inclusive job postings?

Diverse Talent Pool: Inclusive language attracts candidates from various backgrounds, promoting a diverse and dynamic workforce. We suffer from a lack of talent, and at the same time, we hold back diverse talent from applying to our jobs because we use exclusive language and portray an image that stops great talent from applying. A study by Harvard researchers, carried out on a job platform, revealed that adverts for roles in stereotypically ‘male’ areas, such as analytical or management roles, attracted a higher proportion of qualified male applicants than females. We need to actively encourage female and rainbow talent to apply.

https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2023/

Legal Compliance: Discriminatory language can have legal consequences. In Switzerland, adhering to anti-discrimination laws is essential to maintaining a fair hiring process. Still, research by ETH confirms that there is widespread discrimination not only against hiring from abroad but also towards second-generation immigrants IN Switzerland.

“Ethnic discrimination in hiring decisions has been well-documented in many countries, with ethnic minority jobseekers writing about 50% more applications before being invited for a job interview than their majority competitors (Zschirnt and Ruedin 2016). However, it is not only first-generation immigrants that are affected by ethnic discrimination but also their offspring.” 

Corporate Reputation: Job postings reflect the company’s values. Inclusivity enhances the organization’s reputation and fosters a positive employer brand. I mentioned the Coop fiasco recently and I think there are enough challenges for inclusion in the Swiss workplace so if you would like to attract more foreigners you need to understand inclusion better and also work towards better inclusion in your onboarding process.

Easy to Implement Ideas for Inclusion

Innovation and Creativity: Diverse teams bring varied perspectives, fostering innovation and creativity within the workplace. 

Employee Morale: Inclusive language signals that the company values all employees, boosting morale and creating a positive work environment.

Ten Tips for Writing Inclusive Job Postings

1. Use Gender-Neutral Language: To ensure inclusivity, use gender-neutral titles and pronouns. Follow the UN Guidelines and our templates provided in “The Global Rockstar Album.” 

2. Focus on Skills and Qualifications: Emphasize the skills and qualifications necessary for the job, avoiding unnecessary criteria that may exclude certain groups. Explain the exact necessity of language proficiency and add the roster from the European language certificate framework. 
3. Apply Cultural Sensitivity: Be aware of cultural biases and use language welcoming to candidates from various cultural backgrounds. Learn about white supremacy and privilege to reduce bias and stereotypes in your recruiting process. The Global Rockstar Album has an extensive reading list on the topic, and I offer customized workshops on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership. 
4. Use Disability-Inclusive Language: Frame job requirements around skills, allowing individuals with disabilities to showcase their abilities.
5. Avoid Age-Related Language: Avoid terms that may imply age preferences. Instead, focus on the required skills and experience.
6. Incorporate Diversity Statements: Include a diversity statement highlighting the company’s commitment to an inclusive workplace. Encourage women and rainbow talent to apply even if they do not meet the full criteria of the job posting.
7. Seek Input from Diverse Teams: When crafting job postings, consult with employees from diverse backgrounds to ensure inclusivity.
8. Review and Update Regularly: Job postings should be reviewed and updated regularly to align with evolving diversity and inclusion best practices.
9. Check Your Imagery and Look and Feel: What message does your recruiting website convey through its imagery and look and feel? Ask users of different generations and backgrounds to give feedback on the “vibe” they get from your recruiting website and all your social media channels.
10. Be approachable: Ask your recruiters and hiring managers to post roles and be approachable for questions. Ask them to accept candidate connection requests and have a qualitative database for direct feedback on your candidate experience. There is so much you could learn from listening to diverse candidates.

By adopting these practices, organizations in Switzerland can create job postings that comply with legal requirements and foster a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture. Please book a first consultation with Angie Weinberger for expert guidance on creating inclusive job postings and fostering a diverse workplace.

https://calendly.com/angieweinberger

Contact Card 2

The Global Rockstar Album

Further Resources

https://www.reddit.com/r/zurich/comments/1817vqp/how_common_are_jobs_that_do_not_require_knowing/?rdt=56304&onetap_auto=true&one_tap=true

https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1354319/discrimination-and-language-preferences-in-job-posts?lang=en

https://www.snf.ch/en/6x7fl9pIJtxVXYJS/news/how-recruiters-discriminate-on-employment-websites

https://ethz.ch/staffnet/en/employment-and-work/employment/recruitment/inklusives-recruiting.html

http://multiculturaladvantage.com/recruit/diversity/diversity-in-the-workplace-benefits-challenges-solutions.asp

http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters

http://www.advocate-group.co.uk/5-real-benefits-of-gender-diversity-in-the-workplace/

http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/166220/business-benefits-gender-diversity.aspx

https://www.wgea.gov.au/learn/about-workplace-gender-equality

https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/wgea-business-case-for-gender-equality.pdf

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.

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. Before getting too frustrated please check out our Expat Spouse Career Program Zurich Switzerland HireMeExpress.

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: 

https://www.sirva.com/learning-center/blog/2019/12/20/supporting-accompanying-spouses-partners-during-relocation

Why Building Professional Relationships is Harder for You

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/the-modern-professionals-guide-to-avoiding-career-stagnation/

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/my-favourite-productivity-hacks-seven-tips-to-claim-back-your-diary/

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/global_recruiting/

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/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.

Unlocking Expat Spouse Opportunities: Empowering Expat Spouses in Their Career Journey

Dear Expat Spouses,

We thought we should pull together the main reasons, according to our experience that hinder your 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. Global Mobility providers and academics often research how family impacts “expatriate failure”. In my view, this is not enough. There is a need for us to investigate how we can bring down the barriers pertaining to your need for employment as an expat spouse. Why is it so difficult for you as Expat Spouses to find work in the host country? Here is a short analysis of the underlying issues which let us explore why venturing into an international assignment can be an exhilarating adventure, but it often presents unique challenges, especially for expat spouses seeking employment in a new country. This comprehensive guide aims to illuminate the eight significant hurdles that expat spouses may face and provide practical tips on how to surmount them. Our mission is to inspire optimism, offering actionable insights to empower expat spouses as they navigate this exciting but often challenging path.

1 – Conquering Work Permit Restrictions

Finding a job outside of one’s home country is not just as straightforward for many of my clients as it is in their home countries. Even if most top host locations allow you to work on the partner’s dependent work permit, other countries present significant restrictions to your 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. How best then does one overcome this?

Challenge: You may encounter work permit restrictions that vary from country to country, with some nations imposing stringent rules based on marital status or same-sex marriages.

Tip: You can start by researching your host country’s work permit regulations before you plan to relocate. You and your partner can seek out employers who actively support spouse work permits, and don’t hesitate to consult legal experts when needed. We’ll guide you through this bureaucratic maze.

2- Mastering the Host Language 

Despite the fact that the expat might work for a global company, most jobs in the host country will require host language skills unless you happen to 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 their Expat spouse’s classes 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. 

Challenge: Many positions in the host country necessitate fluency in the local language, which may be a daunting task for expat spouses.

Tip: Embark on your language-learning journey before moving, and make the most of language courses offered by your employer or local institutions. We’ll show you how to immerse yourself in the culture, fast-tracking your language skills.

3 – Navigate the 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.” 

 Challenge: In regulated professions, your academic degrees might not receive immediate recognition, leading to bureaucratic hurdles and added expenses.

Tip: Explore degree recognition processes in advance and be open to obtaining supplementary certifications. We’ll connect you with local experts to streamline this process, ensuring your qualifications shine.

4 – Build Your Professional Network

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. 

Challenge: Establishing a professional network in a foreign land can be intimidating, yet it’s essential for career growth.

Tip: Invest time in networking, attend industry events, and leverage online platforms to connect with professionals in your field. Join local associations and expat communities to expand your circle.

5 – Evolve and Challenge the 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.  

Challenge: Not all companies offer comprehensive policies to support expat spouses in their career endeavors.

Tip: Champion enhanced policies within your organization. Advocate for spousal career coaching and support services, collaborating closely with HR to ensure your needs are met.

6 – Combat the 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.  

Challenge: Recruiters may not fully grasp intercultural nuances, leading to biases in candidate selection.

Tip: Encourage companies to provide inclusion and diversity training for recruiters. Share your unique experiences to help educate them on diverse perspectives.

7 – Support more Research to Measure the Impact of Dual-Career Programs

In 2010 when I was still working at PwC we launched a project together with ETH to support more expat partners in Zurich. 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. 

And this indicates an increase in the number of households relying on two salaries, which 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. 

Challenge: Dual-career couples’ needs may not always be integrated into expatriation processes.

Tip: Advocate for policies that prioritize dual-career couples’ needs, collaborating with like-minded individuals to drive change within organizations.

Expat spouse employment challenges are real, but they can be overcome with a proactive approach and a positive mindset. By advocating for change within organizations, seeking language skills, and actively networking, expat spouses can enhance their career prospects in the host country. Remember, you are not alone on this journey, and there are abundant resources and support available to help you thrive in your international adventure. 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! 

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.

Resources for Expats and their Spouses

Eight Major Barriers to Expat Spouse Employment

Expat Spouse Employment | Global People Transitions |

Why Building Professional Relationships Is Harder for You

Why Building Professional Relationships is Harder for You

Benefits of Spouse or “Plus-One” Communities in Global Mobility

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/benefits-of-spouse-or-plus-one-communities-in-global-mobility/

How to get a Swiss recruiter’s attention through engaging cover letters:
How to get a Swiss recruiter’s attention through engaging cover letters – Global People Transitions

How to Help Your Spouse Adjusting to the Host Country – Five Principles:
How to Help Your Spouse Adjusting to the Host Country – Five Principles – Global People Transitions

The Swiss Recruiting Summer Slump – Six Tactics to Make More of the Downtime:
The Swiss Recruiting Summer Slump – Six Tactics to Make More of the Downtime – Global People Transitions

Why Culture Shock Is Different Than Depression:
Why Culture Shock Is Different Than Depression – Global People Transitions

Get Organized to Reach the Peace of Mind You Need to Focus on What Matters:
Get Organized to Reach the Peace of Mind You Need to Focus on What Matters – Global People Transitions

The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 1:
The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 1 – Get Started on LinkedIn

The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 2:

The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 2 

The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 3:

The Social Media Newbie Part 3

The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 4:

The Social Media Newbie – Part 4

The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 5:

Global People Transitions | The Social Media Newbie – Part 5

Books

The Global Career Workbook (2016).

The Global Career Workbook

A list of books I recommend to all Expats reinventing themselves: 

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/the-ultimate-holiday-reading-list-for-expats-to-reinvent-themselves-start-2021-with-a-plan/

Measure Expat Performance

An expatriate (“expat”) is an individual living and working in a country other than their country of citizenship, often temporarily and for work reasons. They are usually sent abroad by a multinational employer (profit or non-profit). Managers often criticize expats who take up expensive international assignments for “underperforming” in their host locations. But nobody knows why that is. We don’t have data to prove this.

A study by Learnlight shows that four in ten international assignments are judged to be a failure. And yet the number of overseas assignments continues to rise. Global companies are under considerable pressure to determine what makes a successful overseas assignment and to understand why they so often fail. However, what has been so often overlooked is why it is difficult to measure expatriate performance. Since both assignment failure and success depends on how expats perform on the job, it becomes pertinent to consider how expats perform and why it is difficult to measure their performance. In the following points, I will highlight and elaborate on five reasons why it is difficult to measure expatriate performance.

• Goals for Expats are often not clearly defined. They are often conflicting as they have to take into account the interests of the home and host company, or headquarters and subsidiaries. It becomes difficult to work effectively when expats are trying to achieve the home company goals while simultaneously trying to fit in the expectations of the host company. More expats would perform well if the goals of the host company align with the objectives of the home company.
• Performance ratings have been calibrated for years. However, we know that there is an unconscious bias in the data. The first rater is usually a direct manager.  This person potentially judges their own weaknesses less and thinks that the expat is responsible for failure alone. However, often the manager in the host country does not help the expat to solve dilemmas. The home country manager should consider it a responsibility to make it seamless for the expatriate to integrate well into the system. One of the biggest factors that determine whether or not an assignee would be successful is who his or her line manager is. 
• Cultural concepts of performance are biased. Definitions of “high performance” have been largely influenced by Western values and did not take team performance into account. The gig economy will need stronger team collaboration and fewer individual players. Eastern values and approaches might have an advantage now.
• Management by Objectives is outdated. We need a new conceptual framework of performance. Even in the past setting annual targets was not always the best method of judging performance (irrespective of expat or local).
• Expat managers usually lack the informal network and access to the host culture so it is not surprising if their performance drops in Y1. It is quite impossible to know how to navigate in a terrain that you are not familiar with. Also, they are busy adjusting and have a family to integrate into the new life abroad. One might think that we can accelerate the cultural adjustment and then just go “back to the normal way of judging performance” but I would advise against such thinking. It takes time to fit into the system and culture of a new location. Hence, the whole process of cultural adjustment takes its tolls on expat performance.

Scullion, and Collings (2011) describe the performance assessment system at Novartis which will be used as a generic example for global companies. The system “…grades employees on (a) business results (the “what”) and (b) values and behaviors (the “how”). While the business results are unique to each business area, the values and behaviors (ten in all) are common across the entire firm.” Together with the potential assessment talents are assessed in a nine-box matrix. (Scullion, Collings, 2011, p. 29). Basing expats’ performance solely on business results may not give the overall picture of all that transpires to make an assignment either a success or a failure. There should be a holistic overview of all the processes that go into cultural adjustment and family acculturation. 

The Term “Expat Failure” and what it commonly refers to

When discussing the success of an international assignment or project a common way to measure “success” is expat adjustment which in contradiction to “expat failure” is often equalized with completing an assignment for the planned assignment period.

“The authors leave open how long it may take an expatriate to attain the same level of applicability and clarity abroad as at home, stressing that one or two years may not suffice. To reach higher levels, the person may very well have experienced an identity transformation far more profound than passing through a cycle of adjustment.” Hippler, Haslberger, Brewster (2017, p.85)

“A “comprehensive model of success is missing” and Caligiuri’s (1997) suggestion that future studies should clarify what is meant by adjustment, as opposed to performance, indicated the need for definitional and discriminant clarity when examining performance.” Care and Donuhue (2017, p.107)

Talent management approaches in Germany and Switzerland and most of Europe is driven by the U.S.-based ideas about talent identification and definitions and use the “nine-box grid” to select key talents with a halo effect towards white males. 

Influence of psychological contract on expatriate retention

An issue in expatriation is often the lack of clarity around the role after repatriation. A psychological contract exists between the expat and the company but there is no written agreement or clear understanding of the next role or roles in the process. Expectations are not properly managed and often expats are disappointed with their title, pay or role content in the next role when returning from an assignment.

Two years after repatriation there are several factors influencing retention significantly. 

1. a) re-entry cultural adjustment, another 
2. b) role expectation mismatch and 
3. c) the lack of applicability of the learning from the previous assignment.

The Integration of Global Mobility and Global Talent Management

One of the reasons for this lack of synchronization is the missing integration of global mobility and global talent management activities and functions in today’s organizations. The only guidance focuses on academic concepts of expatriate return on investment.

A Holistic Competency Model is Needed

I claim that we not only need better integration of Talent Management and Global Mobility (hence the term Talent Mobility) but we also need to look at our performance management systems, global competency models, recruiting and talent identification process in a new light. We finally need to advance HR to an interculturally competent function and reduce the inherent bias in all of our processes, tools and leaders. This will be a major task in a post-colonial BANI World.

My Global Competency Model has been an attempt to integrate Eastern and Western mindsets into a model. Our coaching approach builds on Eastern and Western coaching practices. We included the ethics by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The holistic approach of my coach, educator Drs. Boudewijn Vermeulen, further developed by Dr. Eva Kinast into a holistic, body-oriented and intercultural coaching method. This method focuses on building and maintaining effective trust-based relationships, the body-mind-heart connection and is linked to the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung. 

The model also assumes weekly reflection, and regular practices, which originate from Eastern mindsets and concepts such as ZEN. We integrated body learning which was taught to me by Dr. Jay Muneo Jay Yoshikawa in a course of Eastern Mindscapes (back in 2005 at the Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication in Portland, Oregon). Reflected experiences are based on the single-loop and double-loop learning theory of Argyris and Schoen. Also, experiential learning that I first learned from Thiaggi about 20 years ago and have further developed into all of my programs.

Trust and Relationships are Collaboration Glue

In almost every coaching session right now leaders talk to me about the need to get better at building trust (also in a virtual setting) and relationships. Relationships in my view are the glue to working well together within a monocultural but also multicultural environment. Collaboration (as opposed to Cooperation) requires a higher level of trust among project team members. Agile needs it. And Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion demand it. 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR GLOBAL MOBILITY?

“Better alignment between global mobility and companies’ global talent agenda is a precondition for making mobility truly strategic and helping companies achieve a significant return on investment with their international assignments.”

• Widening the scope of Global Mobility to include international hires, cross-border commuters, international transfers, lifestyle assignments, global digital nomads and other groups of internationally mobile professionals.
• Reviewing all HR models and processes to reduce bias and White Supremacy should be on the priority list of every HR leader but you can also make it your personal mission. Help us create a world where everyone has a chance and invite those to the table that are often overlooked.
• Defining assignment objectives up front and tracking progress throughout the assignment. You must ensure that not only the home company or headquarters have clear cut objectives for the expat  but also that the host company’s objectives are in sync and align with that of the headquarters. Coach the expat or send them to me for coaching. Help them be a success rather than a failure.

• Improving productivity by addressing development areas such as communication, process and culture barriers. Key problem areas should be identified. Oftentimes, expats complain about loss of connection to the home company. Nobody from the headquarters or home company is interested in how they fare in the new environment. If expats feel deserted, it could adversely affect their performance output. Proffering viable solutions to pain points of expats, such as cultural roadblocks would help improve expats performance. Give them the vocabulary to speak about their blockers, send them to intercultural awareness training. 

• Helping coordinate annual talent review of all expatriates. Reviews like this give expats the opportunity to express their perception of the international assignment. 

• Increase the expat’s self-awareness. Let expats learn more about themselves. We use the IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory) and ICBI™ (Individual Cultural Blueprint Indicator) for example for self-awareness assessment and the outcomes can be a great conversation starter in a coaching session.

RESOURCES

https://feibv.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Master-Thesis_Weinberger-Angela_Jan-2019_Final.pdf