
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%
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
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Visual
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Kinaesthetic
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Aural
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Social
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Solitary
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Verbal
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Logical
20+ METHODS
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SMART
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Spacing effect
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Six Sigma
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Kirpatrick model
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ADDIE
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Bloom's Taxonomy
and many others
30+ TYPES OF ACTIVITIES
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Experiental learning
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O T J
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In-basket exercises
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Demonstrations
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Role Playing
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Business Games
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Behavioural Modeling
and many others
3 GROUPS SATISFACTION
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Executive team
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Individual team managers
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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:
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The language skills necessary to communicate with their colleagues, navigate, purchase provisions and services, and make casual conversation
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Knowledge of cultural and societal norms in their host country (especially any differences which could lead to conflict or cause offence when not acknowledged).
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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.