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How important are repatriation programs?
When doing business globally and working within expatriate assignments, how important is it to have a repatriation program which helps individuals and families re-accustom themselves to the home country way of life? I would love to hear from HR professionals as well as those who are or have been in expat assignments.
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4 Answers
If you sent the person overseas to develop them as a global-minded leader a repatriation plan is pretty important. Studies have shown that expats frequently return to HQ to an vague, unspecified role, which causes both stress and resentment. It's important to have a 'return plan' so the returning person feels like there's a place for them and so the company makes best use of a skilled resource.
As for the 'way of life' repatriation for the family, the main adjustments are: 1) Ex-pats typically get money for private schools, spacious accommodation, overseas calling subsidies, etc., which ends once they get home; and 2) If they made friends of different nationalities overseas they may have expanded their horizons and find people in their hometown a bit narrow minded. For the first, it's always sad when free money dries up but these things are sent to try us; for the second, it's a good idea to provide some literature about 'what to expect when you return home' and give the returning employee some time off to get everyone settled in.
Why spend many thousands of dollars to develop broader global perspectives in a promising talent only to throw away the total investment by not having an effective repatriation plan to ease and smooth their transition back to the home mainstream environment?
It would be a terrible waste of money to lose that now more valuable worker. Without a lifeline, they might simply fail to re-adapt and flounder in their work. If too uncomfortable, they might even take the new skills you funded to a rival firm. There are well established protocols to handle these challenges. Take lessons from the military and veteran multinationals who deal with this transition process all the time.
Duh, why spend a fortune every year to place an expat on international assignment, if you're only going to fritter away the learned talent at the end of a career enhancing experience? That would truly be the definition of a waste of money.
Too many companies consider the expat "out of sight, out of mind." And while such a management is booting an opportunity to retain developed talent, the expat can be busily selling themselves to the external marketplace. Because you've trained them, paid for them to gain valuable experience, made them much more marketable for your competitors. Not a smart business move.
Thanks for all of the answers. I agree that they are so important yet getting companies to realize that is tough sometimes. I asked the question to make sure I wasn't the only one who thought they were important!
It is not easy to take on an international assignment, get very accustomed to that way of life and then be thrown back into ours without much help or transition time. We do lose valuable talent when we do this.
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