Expatriate Cultural Training

In today’s global economy, having a workforce that is fluent in the ways of the world isn’t a luxury. It’s a competitive necessity. No wonder nearly 80% of midsize and large companies currently send professionals abroad—and 45% plan to increase the number they have on an assignment.

But international assignments don’t come cheap. On average, expatriates cost two to three times what they would in an equivalent position back home.

A fully loaded expatriate package including benefits and cost-of-living adjustments costs anywhere from $300,000 to $1 million annually, probably the single largest expenditure most companies make on any one individual except for the CEO.

International assignments are exciting for the individual and can be hugely beneficial for the organization. But they are risky too.
According to INSEAD, the proportion of expat assignment failures can
be as high as:

There are a number of reasons – some down to the individual, some to the organization – but any single one of them can result in an early flight home and a huge disappointment for the company and assignee alike.

50%

YOU CHOSE THE WRONG PERSON IN THE FIRST PLACE

This is the fundamental decision – and one that many companies get wrong. The problem is that, unless there is a precedent, it’s very difficult to isolate the qualities that successful expats need.

Sometimes, an assignee will thrive because they are adaptable; they are both sensitive to their new environment and able to shape their behaviours and lifestyle to fit in with it. However, sometimes the opposite is true. It is equally often noted that a successful expat is one with a clearly defined set of values that enables them to perform consistently, professionally and effectively regardless of their social milieu. Clearly, both characteristics are desirable, and ‘compromise’ candidates may be the ones most likely to succeed.

LACK OF LOCAL
SUPPORT

It is not all about the individual. The host country has a crucial role to play, and the most important individual is the host sponsor. Their role is to provide support in helping the assignee fit in, whether on a social, professional or domestic level – without their support assignments can go wrong very quickly. Don’t forget that busy work schedules will quickly dominate and leave little time for the assignee to manage their own affairs – and also distract the hosts from their obligation to support the assignee. But if one individual has a clearly defined role to support them, they will not it slip down their list of priorities.

DISCONNECTION FROM THE HOME COUNTRY

It is important to keep in touch with colleagues and work life back home too. The more isolated an assignee is, the more likely they are to reject it – whereas our experience suggests that it is helpful to stay in contact. For this reason, companies are wise to assign a contact who is responsible for keeping the assignee ‘in the loop’ about developments at home. They not only have a more balanced view of their role within the global organization, but are also better prepared for repatriation once their assignment is over.

DOMESTIC DIFFICULTIES

While children and spouses are frequent factors in early repatriation cases, it is extremely hard to spot because most assignees are reluctant to share domestic or social difficulties with the company. They usually believe that any problems will suggest to the company that they are “not up to the job” and therefore paper over the cracks rather than asking for support. Ironically, therefore, the people who could help most are the last to know. To avoid this, frequent and open communication is essential. The company needs to know that the assignee’s family is coping, and it should explain the need for open communication up-front – before they even leave the country.

FAILURE TO PLAN

In a perfect world, every overseas assignment would be strategically planned and carefully implemented. The truth of modern business is that organizational resource needs can change overnight – so there is sometimes little or no warning. The individual needs time to prepare practically and mentally for the assignment, and the organization needs time to put the right infrastructure in place: as mentioned in the last three points, it takes time to choose the right candidate, and to put in place the people required to support them. Sometimes they get away with it; sometimes, it’s no surprise that they’re on one of the first planes home.

With 50% of all overseas assignments failing, the cost of failure is high – the average cost of an expat assignment can amount to $311,000 per year.

It makes financial sense for companies to ensure that they fully prepare and support expatriate employees before, during, and after their overseas assignments.

Some of the most important services that should be available to all expats on overseas international assignments include:

HEALTH SCREEN

Pre-assignment health screening to ensure that the employee is fit for the assignment

Cross-cultural training for the entire family

Comprehensive travel and medical insurance packages

Access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) throughout the assignment

FAMILY TRAINING

INSURANCE

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE

OUR PROGRAMS TAKE EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION

7 LEARNING STYLES

Visual
Kinaesthetic
Aural
Social
Solitary
Verbal
Logical

20+ METHODS

SMART
Spacing effect
Six Sigma
Kirpatrick model
ADDIE
Bloom's Taxonomy

and many others

30+ TYPES OF ACTIVITIES

Experiental learning
O T J
In-basket exercises
Demonstrations
Role Playing
Business Games
Behavioural Modeling

and many others

3 GROUPS SATISFACTION

Executive team
Individual team managers
Individual contributors

LACK OF EXPATRIATE TRAINING

Expatriate failure becomes far more likely in situations where the employee has been given insufficient training prior to the move. Expatriate preparation should not be rushed and must include cultural and language training where applicable, in addition to basic training regarding their role and assignment.

Your expatriate employee must be prepared with:

The language skills necessary to communicate with their colleagues, navigate, purchase provisions and services, and make casual conversation
Knowledge of cultural and societal norms in their host country (especially any differences which could lead to conflict or cause offence when not acknowledged).
Basic knowledge of the area in which they will be living and working (e.g. public transport, schools, restaurants and other facilities)

Effective planning is the key to avoiding expatriate failure.

Employers must ensure that every aspect of the employee’s new work and living situation has been considered, so that measures can be put in place to prevent problems.

International relocation training plans vary in content and structure, depending on location and the duration of time the employee will be abroad. In general, it is wise to allow for at least one month of training time prior to the move. Preferably, this training should be conducted within your employee’s normal working hours.