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Managing International Assignments

International assignment management is one of the hardest areas for HR professionals to master—and one of the most costly. The expense of a three-year international assignment can cost millions, yet many organizations fail to get it right. Despite their significant investments in international assignments, companies still report a 42 percent failure rate in these assignments. 1

With so much at risk, global organizations must invest in upfront and ongoing programs that will make international assignments successful. Selecting the right person, preparing the expatriate (expat) and the family, measuring the employee's performance from afar, and repatriating the individual at the end of an assignment require a well-planned, well-managed program. Knowing what to expect from start to finish as well as having some tools to work with can help minimize the risk.

Business Case

As more companies expand globally, they are also increasing international assignments and relying on expatriates to manage their global operations. According to KPMG's 2021 Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey, all responding multinational organizations offered long-term assignments (typically one to five years), 88 percent offered short-term assignments (typically defined as less than 12 months), and 69 percent offered permanent transfer/indefinite length.

Managing tax and tax compliance, cost containment and managing exceptions remain the three principal challenges in long-term assignment management according to a 2020 Mercer report. 2

Identifying the Need for International Assignment

Typical reasons for an international assignment include the following:

• Filling a need in an existing operation.
• Transferring technology or knowledge to a worksite (or to a client's worksite).
• Developing an individual's career through challenging tasks in an international setting.
• Analyzing the market to see whether the company's products or services will attract clients and users.
• Launching a new product or service.

The goal of the international assignment will determine the assignment's length and help identify potential candidates. See Structuring Expatriate Assignments and the Value of Secondment and Develop Future Leaders with Rotational Programs .

Selection Process

Determining the purpose and goals for an international assignment will help guide the selection process. A technical person may be best suited for transferring technology, whereas a sales executive may be most effective launching a new product or service.

Traditionally, organizations have relied on technical, job-related skills as the main criteria for selecting candidates for overseas assignments, but assessing global mindset is equally, if not more, important for successful assignments. This is especially true given that international assignments are increasingly key components of leadership and employee development.

To a great extent, the success of every expatriate in achieving the company's goals in the host country hinges on that person's ability to influence individuals, groups and organizations that have a different cultural perspective.

Interviews with senior executives from various industries, sponsored by the Worldwide ERC Foundation, reveal that in the compressed time frame of an international assignment, expatriates have little opportunity to learn as they go, so they must be prepared before they arrive. Therefore, employers must ensure that the screening process for potential expatriates includes an assessment of their global mindset.

The research points to three major attributes of successful expatriates:

• Intellectual capital. Knowledge, skills, understanding and cognitive complexity.
• Psychological capital. The ability to function successfully in the host country through internal acceptance of different cultures and a strong desire to learn from new experiences.
• Social capital. The ability to build trusting relationships with local stakeholders, whether they are employees, supply chain partners or customers.

According to Global HR Consultant Caroline Kersten, it is generally understood that global leadership differs significantly from domestic leadership and that, as a result, expatriates need to be equipped with competencies that will help them succeed in an international environment. Commonly accepted global leadership competencies, for both male and female global leaders, include cultural awareness, open-mindedness and flexibility.

In particular, expatriates need to possess a number of vital characteristics to perform successfully on assignment. Among the necessary traits are the following:

• Confidence and self-reliance: independence; perseverance; work ethic.
• Flexibility and problem-solving skills: resilience; adaptability; ability to deal with ambiguity.
• Tolerance and interpersonal skills: social sensitivity; observational capability; listening skills; communication skills.
• Skill at handling and initiating change: personal drivers and anchors; willingness to take risks.

Trends in international assignment show an increase in the younger generation's interest and placement in global assignments. Experts also call for a need to increase female expatriates due to the expected leadership shortage and the value employers find in mixed gender leadership teams. See Viewpoint: How to Break Through the 'Mobility Ceiling' .

Employers can elicit relevant information on assignment successes and challenges by means of targeted interview questions with career expatriates, such as the following:

• How many expatriate assignments have you completed?
• What are the main reasons why you chose to accept your previous expatriate assignments?
• What difficulties did you experience adjusting to previous international assignments? How did you overcome them?
• On your last assignment, what factors made your adjustment to the new environment easier?
• What experiences made interacting with the locals easier?
• Please describe what success or failure means to you when referring to an expatriate assignment.
• Was the success or failure of your assignments measured by your employers? If so, how did they measure it?
• During your last international assignment, do you recall when you realized your situation was a success or a failure? How did you come to that determination?
• Why do you wish to be assigned an international position?

Securing Visas

Once an individual is chosen for an assignment, the organization needs to move quickly to secure the necessary visas. Requirements and processing times vary by country. Employers should start by contacting the host country's consulate or embassy for information on visa requirements. See Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions .

Following is a list of generic visa types that may be required depending on the nature of business to be conducted in a particular country:

• A work permit authorizes paid employment in a country.
• A work visa authorizes entry into a country to take up paid employment.
• A dependent visa permits family members to accompany or join employees in the country of assignment.
• A multiple-entry visa permits multiple entries into a country.

Preparing for the Assignment

An international assignment agreement that outlines the specifics of the assignment and documents agreement by the employer and the expatriate is necessary. Topics typically covered include:

• Location of the assignment.
• Length of the assignment, including renewal and trial periods, if offered.
• Costs paid by the company (e.g., assignment preparation costs, moving costs for household goods, airfare, housing, school costs, transportation costs while in country, home country visits and security).
• Base salary and any incentives or allowances offered.
• Employee's responsibilities and goals.
• Employment taxes.
• Steps to take in the event the assignment is not working for either the employee or the employer.
• Repatriation.
• Safety and security measures (e.g., emergency evacuation procedures, hazards).

Expatriates may find the reality of foreign housing very different from expectations, particularly in host locations considered to be hardship assignments. Expats will find—depending on the degree of difficulty, hardship or danger—that housing options can range from spacious accommodations in a luxury apartment building to company compounds with dogs and armed guards. See Workers Deal with Affordable Housing Shortages in Dubai and Cairo .

Expats may also have to contend with more mundane housing challenges, such as shortages of suitable housing, faulty structures and unreliable utility services. Analyses of local conditions are available from a variety of sources. For example, Mercer produces Location Evaluation Reports, available for a fee, that evaluate levels of hardship for 14 factors, including housing, in more than 135 locations.

Although many employers acknowledge the necessity for thorough preparation, they often associate this element solely with the assignee, forgetting the other key parties involved in an assignment such as the employee's family, work team and manager.

The expatriate

Consider these points in relation to the assignee:

• Does the employee have a solid grasp of the job to be done and the goals established for that position?
• Does the employee understand the compensation and benefits package?
• Has the employee had access to cultural training and language instruction, no matter how similar the host culture may be?
• Is the employee receiving relocation assistance in connection with the physical move?
• Is there a contact person to whom the employee can go not only in an emergency but also to avoid becoming "out of sight, out of mind"?
• If necessary to accomplish the assigned job duties, has the employee undergone training to get up to speed?
• Has the assignee undergone an assessment of readiness?

To help the expatriate succeed, organizations are advised to invest in cross-cultural training before the relocation. The benefits of receiving such training are that it: 3

• Prepares the individual/family mentally for the move.
• Removes some of the unknown.
• Increases self-awareness and cross-cultural understanding.
• Provides the opportunity to address questions and anxieties in a supportive environment.
• Motivates and excites.
• Reduces stress and provides coping strategies.
• Eases the settling-in process.
• Reduces the chances of relocation failure.

See Helping Expatriate Employees Deal with Culture Shock .

As society has shifted from single- to dual-income households, the priorities of potential expatriates have evolved, as have the policies organizations use to entice employees to assignment locations. In the past, from the candidate's point of view, compensation was the most significant component of the expatriate package. Today more emphasis is on enabling an expatriate's spouse to work. Partner dissatisfaction is a significant contributor to assignment failure. See UAE: Expat Husbands Get New Work Opportunities .

When it comes to international relocation, most organizations deal with children as an afterthought. Factoring employees' children into the relocation equation is key to a successful assignment. Studies show that transferee children who have a difficult time adjusting to the assignment contribute to early returns and unsuccessful completion of international assignments, just as maladjusted spouses do. From school selection to training to repatriation, HR can do a number of things to smooth the transition for children.

Both partners and children must be prepared for relocation abroad. Employers should consider the following:

• Have they been included in discussions about the host location and what they can expect? Foreign context and culture may be more difficult for accompanying family because they will not be participating in the "more secure" environment of the worksite. Does the family have suitable personal characteristics to successfully address the rigors of an international life?
• In addition to dual-career issues, other common concerns include aging parents left behind in the home country and special needs for a child's education. Has the company allowed a forum for the family to discuss these concerns?

The work team

Whether the new expatriate will supervise the existing work team, be a peer, replace a local national or fill a newly created position, has the existing work team been briefed? Plans for a formal introduction of the new expatriate should reflect local culture and may require more research and planning as well as input from the local work team.

The manager/team leader

Questions organization need to consider include the following: Does the manager have the employee's file on hand (e.g., regarding increases, performance evaluations, promotions and problems)? Have the manager and employee engaged in in-depth conversations about the job, the manager's expectations and the employee's expectations?

Mentors play an important role in enhancing a high-performing employee's productivity and in guiding his or her career. In a traditional mentoring relationship, a junior executive has ongoing face-to-face meetings with a senior executive at the corporation to learn the ropes, set goals and gain advice on how to better perform his or her job.

Before technological advances, mentoring programs were limited to those leaders who had the time and experience within the organization's walls to impart advice to a few select people worth that investment. Technology has eliminated those constraints. Today, maintaining a long-distance mentoring relationship through e-mail, telephone and videoconferencing is much easier. And that technology means an employer is not confined to its corporate halls when considering mentor-mentee matches.

The organization

If the company is starting to send more employees abroad, it has to reassess its administrative capabilities. Can existing systems handle complicated tasks, such as currency exchanges and split payrolls, not to mention the additional financial burden of paying allowances, incentives and so on? Often, international assignment leads to outsourcing for global expertise. Payroll, tax, employment law, contractual obligations, among others, warrant an investment in sound professional advice.

Employment Laws

Four major U.S. employment laws have some application abroad for U.S. citizens working in U.S.-based multinationals:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

Title VII, the ADEA and the ADA are the more far-reaching among these, covering all U.S. citizens who are either:

• Employed outside the United States by a U.S. firm.
• Employed outside the United States by a company under the control of a U.S. firm.

USERRA's extraterritoriality applies to veterans and reservists working overseas for the federal government or a firm under U.S. control. See Do laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act apply to U.S. citizens working in several other countries?

Employers must also be certain to comply with both local employment law in the countries in which they manage assignments and requirements for corporate presence in those countries. See Where can I find international employment law and culture information?

Compensation

Companies take one of the following approaches to establish base salaries for expatriates:

• The home-country-based approach. The objective of a home-based compensation program is to equalize the employee to a standard of living enjoyed in his or her home country. Under this commonly used approach, the employee's base salary is broken down into four general categories: taxes, housing, goods and services, and discretionary income.
• The host-country-based approach. With this approach, the expatriate employee's compensation is based on local national rates. Many companies continue to cover the employee in its defined contribution or defined benefit pension schemes and provide housing allowances.
• The headquarters-based approach. This approach assumes that all assignees, regardless of location, are in one country (i.e., a U.S. company pays all assignees a U.S.-based salary, regardless of geography).
• Balance sheet approach. In this scenario, the compensation is calculated using the home-country-based approach with all allowances, deductions and reimbursements. After the net salary has been determined, it is then converted to the host country's currency. Since one of the primary goals of an international compensation management program is to maintain the expatriate's current standard of living, developing an equitable and functional compensation plan that combines balance and flexibility is extremely challenging for multinational companies. To this end, many companies adopt a balance sheet approach. This approach guarantees that employees in international assignments maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in their home country. A worksheet lists the costs of major expenses in the home and host countries, and any differences are used to increase or decrease the compensation to keep it in balance.

Some companies also allow expatriates to split payment of their salaries between the host country's and the home country's currencies. The expatriate receives money in the host country's currency for expenses but keeps a percentage of it in the home country currency to safeguard against wild currency fluctuations in either country.

As for handling expatriates taxes, organizations usually take one of four approaches:

• The employee is responsible for his or her own taxes.
• The employer determines tax reimbursement on a case-by-case basis.
• The employer pays the difference between taxes paid in the United States and the host country.
• The employer withholds U.S. taxes and pays foreign taxes.

To prevent an expatriate employee from suffering excess taxation of income by both the U.S. and host countries, many multinational companies implement either a tax equalization or a tax reduction policy for employees on international assignments. Additionally, the United States has entered into  bilateral international social security agreements  with numerous countries, referred to as "totalization agreements," which allow for an exemption of the social security tax in either the home or host country for defined periods of time.

A more thorough discussion of compensation and tax practices for employees on international assignment can be found in SHRM's Designing Global Compensation Systems toolkit.

How do we handle taxes for expatriates?

Can employers pay employees in other countries on the corporate home-country payroll?

Measuring Expatriates' Performance

Failed international assignments can be extremely costly to an organization. There is no universal approach to measuring an expatriate's performance given that specifics related to the job, country, culture and other variables will need to be considered. Employers must identify and communicate clear job expectations and performance indicators very early on in the assignment. A consistent and detailed assessment of an expatriate employee's performance, as well as appraisal of the operation as a whole, is critical to the success of an international assignment. Issues such as the criteria for and timing of performance reviews, raises and bonuses should be discussed and agreed on before the employees are selected and placed on international assignments.

Employees on foreign assignments face a number of issues that domestic employees do not. According to a 2020 Mercer report 4 , difficulty adjusting to the host country, poor candidate selection and spouse or partner's unhappiness are the top three reasons international assignments fail. Obviously, retention of international assignees poses a significant challenge to employers.

Upon completion of an international assignment, retaining the employee in the home country workplace is also challenging. Unfortunately, many employers fail to track retention data of repatriated employees and could benefit from collecting this information and making adjustments to reduce the turnover of employees returning to their home country.

Safety and Security

When faced with accident, injury, sudden illness, a disease outbreak or politically unstable conditions in which personal safety is at risk, expatriate employees and their dependents may require evacuation to the home country or to a third location. To be prepared, HR should have an evacuation plan in place that the expatriate can share with friends, extended family and colleagues both at home and abroad. See Viewpoint: Optimizing Global Mobility's Emergency Response Plans .

Many companies ban travel outside the country in the following circumstances:

• When a travel advisory is issued by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, International SOS or a government agency.
• When a widespread outbreak of a specific disease occurs or if the risk is deemed too high for employees and their well-being is in jeopardy.
• If the country is undergoing civil unrest or war or if an act of terrorism has occurred.
• If local management makes the decision.
• If the employee makes the decision.

Once employees are in place, the decision to evacuate assignees and dependents from a host location is contingent on local conditions and input from either internal sources (local managers, headquarters staff, HR and the assignee) or external sources (an external security or medical firm) or both. In some cases, each host country has its own set of evacuation procedures.

Decision-makers should consider all available and credible advice and initially transport dependents and nonessential personnel out of the host country by the most expeditious form of travel.

Navigating International Crises

How can an organization ensure the safety and security of expatriates and other employees in high-risk areas?

The Disaster Assistance Improvement Program (DAIP)

Repatriation

Ideally, the repatriation process begins before the expatriate leaves his or her home country and continues throughout the international assignment by addressing the following issues.

Career planning. Many managers are responsible for resolving difficult problems abroad and expect that a well-done job will result in promotion on return, regardless of whether the employer had made such a promise. This possibly unfounded assumption can be avoided by straightforward career planning that should occur in advance of the employee's accepting the international assignment. Employees need to know what impact the expatriate assignment will have on their overall advancement in the home office and that the international assignment fits in their career path.

Mentoring. The expatriate should be assigned a home-office mentor. Mentors are responsible for keeping expatriates informed on developments within the company, for keeping the expatriates' names in circulation in the office (to help avoid the out-of-sight, out-of-mind phenomenon) and for seeing to it that expatriates are included in important meetings. Mentors can also assist the expatriate in identifying how the overseas experience can best be used on return. Optimum results are achieved when the mentor role is part of the mentor's formal job duties.

Communication. An effective global communication plan will help expatriates feel connected to the home office and will alert them to changes that occur while they are away. The Internet, e-mail and intranets are inexpensive and easy ways to bring expatriates into the loop and virtual meeting software is readily available for all employers to engage with global employees. In addition, organizations should encourage home-office employees to keep in touch with peers on overseas assignments. Employee newsletters that feature global news and expatriate assignments are also encouraged.

Home visits. Most companies provide expatriates with trips home. Although such trips are intended primarily for personal visits, scheduling time for the expatriate to visit the home office is an effective method of increasing the expatriate's visibility. Having expatriates attend a few important meetings or make a presentation on their international assignment is also a good way to keep them informed and connected.

Preparation to return home. The expatriate should receive plenty of advance notice (some experts recommend up to one year) of when the international assignment will end. This notice will allow the employee time to prepare the family and to prepare for a new position in the home office. Once the employee is notified of the assignment's end, the HR department should begin working with the expatriate to identify suitable positions in the home office. The expatriate should provide the HR department with an updated resume that reflects the duties of the overseas assignment. The employee's overall career plan should be included in discussions with the HR professional.

Interviews. In addition to home leave, organizations may need to provide trips for the employee to interview with prospective managers. The face-to-face interview will allow the expatriate to elaborate on skills and responsibilities obtained while overseas and will help the prospective manager determine if the employee is a good fit. Finding the right position for the expatriate is crucial to retaining the employee. Repatriates who feel that their new skills and knowledge are underutilized may grow frustrated and leave the employer.

Ongoing recognition of contributions. An employer can recognize and appreciate the repatriates' efforts in several ways, including the following:

• Hosting a reception for repatriates to help them reconnect and meet new personnel.
• Soliciting repatriates' help in preparing other employees for expatriation.
• Asking repatriates to deliver a presentation or prepare a report on their overseas assignment.
• Including repatriates on a global task force and asking them for a global perspective on business issues.

Measuring ROI on expatriate assignments can be cumbersome and imprecise. The investment costs of international assignments can vary dramatically and can be difficult to determine. The largest expatriate costs include overall remuneration, housing, cost-of-living allowances (which sometimes include private schooling costs for children) and physical relocation (the movement to the host country of the employee, the employee's possessions and, often, the employee's family).

But wide variations exist in housing expenses. For example, housing costs are sky-high in Tokyo and London, whereas Australia's housing costs are moderate. Another significant cost of expatriate assignments involves smoothing out differences in pay and benefits between one country and another. Such cost differences can be steep and can vary based on factors such as exchange rates (which can be quite volatile) and international tax concerns (which can be extremely complex).

Once an organization has determined the costs of a particular assignment, the second part of the ROI challenge is calculating the return. Although it is relatively straightforward to quantify the value of fixing a production line in Puerto Rico or of implementing an enterprise software application in Asia, the challenge of quantifying the value of providing future executives with cross-cultural perspectives and international leadership experience can be intimidating.

Once an organization determines the key drivers of its expatriate program, HR can begin to define objectives and assess return that can be useful in guiding employees and in making decisions about the costs they incur as expatriates. Different objectives require different levels and lengths of tracking. Leadership development involves a much longer-term value proposition and should include a thorough repatriation plan. By contrast, the ROI of an international assignment that plugs a skills gap is not negatively affected if the expatriate bolts after successfully completing the engagement.

Additional Resources

International Assignment Management: Expatriate Policy and Procedure

Introduction to the Global Human Resources Discipline

1Mulkeen, D. (2017, February 20). How to reduce the risk of international assignment failure. Communicaid. Retrieved from https://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/reducing-risk-international-assignment-failure/

2Mercer. (2020). Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices. Retrieved from https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/international-assignments-survey .

3Dickmann, M., & Baruch, Y. (2011). Global careers. New York: Routledge.

4Mercer. (2020). Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices. Retrieved from https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/international-assignments-survey

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8 Tips for Preparing Expatriates for Foreign Assignments

Preparing expatriates for foreign assignments is a crucial undertaking for either expansion processes or short-term business travel. The challenge here is to ensure that the employees chosen to go work abroad do so successfully. Much of that effort will be produced by them, but even more important is for the wider company to provide support.

When moving and managing assets - in this case, your talented employees - you want to make sure that all that time and effort isn’t for nothing. You want to make sure the move is compliant and that workflows shared by your team and the expatriate employee are streamlined. 

So what do you need to focus on? Here are eight tips for preparing expatriates for foreign assignments in a successful mobility project. 

• Pre-Move Training
• Sourcing Immigration Support
• Ensure Continued Communication
• Provide Support On The Ground
• Undertake Project Alignment Meetings
• Invest in Knowledge Management
• Provide Home and Host Sponsorship
• Take Into Account Domestic Duties

1. Pre-Move Training

Preparation for expatriation is of utmost importance. This training needs to be well-researched, taking into consideration the potential challenges that employees and mobility teams might face. For example, identify:

Your potential challenges : For example, a specific country could require a specific tax set up for expatriates or business travelers. You’ll have to research the requirements that apply to your expatriation.

Strategies that help you deal with these issues: Some global organizations work with Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) in order to maintain compliance and work in line with cultural requirements. This is one potential solution that you might find appealing.

Areas for cultural training : Cultural expectations can be radically different in one country compared to another - while this may seem like the last thing to focus on, it’s worth spending time looking into cultural differences, just so no accidental faux pas are made.

The overarching goals of the assignment : An expatriation depends on all stakeholders having visibility and an understanding of the reasons for it. 

Local language training : Even if the host country has a good rate of use for your language, it’s worth helping your employee get to grips with the basics.

2. Sourcing Immigration Support

Immigration and the requirements therein are obviously crucial. Border controls, regulatory environments and immigration law are therefore all things to contend with. Now, these can be daunting and confusing, but it’s imperative to fully prepare for them, as they’re some of the first barriers to overcoming when expatriating an employee for foreign assignments. 

You need to make sure that you’re expatriation is in line with national and international immigration policy for both your home and host country. Similarly, visas and short-term or permanent residency applications need to be sent off for. Without these, alongside a considered approach towards global immigration , your overseas assignment won’t be able to continue. 

3. Ensure Continued Communication

Without communication, there’s no expansion. Home and host teams need to be on top of carrying out frequent communications, so that data is acted upon and problems can be solved collaboratively.

Assignees need to be proactive in this and so too do home teams. Communication allows organizations to leverage what’s being learned and respond actively to specific events. On top of that, communication needs to be structured so the learnings and updates shared are easily tracked. Monthly meetings and weekly check-ins are good places to start. 

4. Provide Support On The Ground

Alongside frequent communication, on-ground support also needs to be offered. This is a job for HR teams, who can help expats and their families (if applicable) adapt to their new surroundings. This kind of support covers:

• Finding accommodation.
• Creating bank accounts and setting up payroll in line with host-country regulations ( This is another obligation that a PEO can support you with ).
• Providing health insurance.
• Enrolling children in school (if applicable).
• Preparing accurate taxation processes.

Taxation is one thing to be aware of, as getting the process wrong can result in legal ramifications. Again, this is something a PEO can help support , as they can act as local Employers of Record, managing and deducting taxation at source - making sure your expatriate assignment is compliant in terms of taxation. 

5. Undertake Project Alignment Meetings

Once the critical information regarding the expatriate employee’s assignment, residency, taxation and other requirements has been exchanged with the relevant stakeholders and/or authorities, it’s time for a project alignment meeting.

This meeting should be held between the employee, a host manager or host team and home team. In it, you should identify the potential causes of friction for the assignment and work to strategize mitigation techniques. Similarly, go over mutual expectations held by the home and host team so that visibility and transparency are also captured. 

Overall, you’ll want to firmly pin down issues that may affect:

• Data collection.
• Reporting strategies.

6. Invest in Knowledge Management

Any assignment knowledge generated needs to be properly disseminated to the relevant parties, quickly and efficiently. These lessons are not only worthwhile for future expatriates, but for the wider company itself and how it approaches global marketplaces. 

When we ensure that learning is absorbed and spread across the whole enterprise, we help to reduce mistakes and delays in the future.

7. Provide Home and Host Sponsorship

As we’ve briefly discussed, having home and host teams managing the expatriate are important, but let’s cover that more in-depth. 

Communication via email isn’t the best way to manage a remote employee. To make sure the expat doesn’t feel cut off from home office processes, create teams or ‘sponsors’ that oversee the experience and work of the employee. 

Whether they be points of contact or mentors, these individuals (or wider teams) help to anchor an expat employee to the work in the home country, keeping them updated on any new developments. Both sides help to co-manage and resolve problems when they arise.

Sponsor individuals within the home country are best suited if they too have had experiences with expatriation, because a lot of this management is about empathy - not just looking for hitting the next performance goal. Expatriation is a difficult process, especially if the host country is a radically different place.

8. Take Into Account Domestic Duties

Another tip for preparing expatriates for overseas assignments is to make sure their family is supported.

Some expatriate employees have children and spouses, which sometimes do make an overseas assignment a lot more complex. These difficulties are usually hard to spot, as many employees will be reluctant to share them with employees, due to the size of the project and the personal nature of these difficulties.

It can be the case that the people most likely to be able to help are the last to know, so this is another thing that good communication can help with. From the home country team’s point-of-view, they need to inquire regularly about how the domestic side of the project is going. 

It needs to be made clear that any issues in regards to this need to be made known, but also that no judgment will arise from those issues being aired. Expatriation is a tough process for a family and businesses need to be supportive. This kind of transparency will dramatically help the overseas assignment. 

To discover more about overseas assignments and expansion, we’ve created a fantastic foundational guide that will help you when strategizing your next moves, be they domestic or international. 

The Guide to Global Expansion

There’s a lot of different info out there on the web about taking your business abroad - or even just sending an employee overseas. To help cut through the noise, our detailed guide will help your business’ journey to expansion.

Inside, you’ll discover more on expansion methods, the crucial considerations and further information on PEO. Just click the link below to get your copy.

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7 Strategies for a Successful International Work Assignment

Published: Oct 08, 2018

International assignments are exciting for a host of reasons, but having the opportunity to live in another country while finding success in your career at the same time is particularly compelling. Working abroad allows you to gain real-world experience, advance the skills you have, and learn how to thrive in a global environment.

But living and working in a new country with a different culture is a major life change. It’s important to immerse yourself in the experience and remain positive through the ups and downs. Below are 7 tips to make the most of your journey abroad.

1. Keep an Open Mind

Social media and the internet allows us to connect with people from all over the world. Take time to learn about the history of your new home, including any local customs or laws, so you can set more realistic expectations ahead of time.

When you finally touch down in your new destination, keep an open mind. What you think you know about an area or country may end up being turned on its head once you spend more than a few days there.

For Allison Alexander, a participant in Abbott’s Finance Professional Development Program , an international assignment was the ultimate lesson in flexibility. “Going to an international role means you’re stepping into a culture and a set of expectations that are foreign to you,” she explains. “It forces you to be open to the unexpected.”

Unlike traveling for leisure, international assignments allow you to spend months or even years in a location. You can, and should, tap into the global mindset you’ve already developed while leaving room for all the surprises that will come from long-term exposure to a different culture.

2. Set Goals

Maximize the benefits of an international assignment by setting goals for yourself at the beginning. What do you hope to accomplish in the first two weeks? How can you challenge yourself once you’ve settled in? And when you leave, what are the skills you want to take with you? Having clearly defined milestones will help you stay focused on what’s important and define the steps needed to grow your career.

3. Develop Language Skills

You may not become fluent, but practicing the local language can help you build deeper connections within the community and potentially open up new work opportunities in the future. Don’t fret if you stumble through mispronunciations and tenses at first, the more you practice, the more confident you'll become, and the better you'll get.

4. Be Adventurous

When you're abroad, it's great to take advantage of travel. You have a new world at your doorstep! It's also a chance to try activities you've never tried before.

"I've been doing things I thought of all my life but could never muster enough courage to actually do," says Timir Gupta, another member of Abbott's Finance Professional Development Program, who has traveled solo, tried skydiving, and chased the northern lights. "And it's a great conversation starter during an interview," he adds.

5. Apply New Perspectives

Gaining insight into different business practices can help you learn to look at old problems in new ways when you return home. This type of creative problem solving will be an asset no matter what your next assignment is.

"When you finally make your way back to a domestic role, you've now become an expert in two completely different professional structures," says Alexander. "You've seen what works and what doesn't in a global setting, and you can lead the group on new ways of thinking that may lead to more success."

6. Expand Your Network

Get out and build connections, both at your assignment and beyond. "Because of traveling, I have friends all over the world," says Gupta. He now has connections across five continents that he can tap into when looking for a reference or career advice.

Luckily, maintaining the professional network you build abroad is now easier than ever before. Social media, LinkedIn, and apps like WhatsApp can help you stay in contact with your colleagues and mentors.

7. Market Yourself and Build Your Career

When you return home, don't forget to incorporate your experience into your personal branding. You want to make sure prospective employers know how your new skills, perspectives, and connections set you apart. Think: How can I rework my resume and reframe interview answers to showcase what I've learned?

Depending on your experience, you may even refocus your career or choose employers who will use your global mindset. If you want more opportunities to go abroad, many multinational organizations offer international assignments. With offices in more than 150 countries, Abbott has numerous internships and development programs for students in finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, environmental health, and quality assurance.

Look for companies expanding in emerging markets, too. This can give you the unique opportunity to get in at the ground level and learn how to evolve a product or service to match the local market.

No matter what you choose or where you go, an international assignment can provide you with the unique opportunity to grow personally and professionally—and hopefully have a little fun along the way too.

This post was sponsored by Abbott .

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International Citizens Group

Resources for International Citizens and Expatriates

• Expatriate Selection: Lessons From the U.S. Peace Corps

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” – President John F. Kennedy, 1961 Inaugural Address

On March 1, 1961, John F. Kennedy created the US Peace Corps. In August of that year, the first 52 Peace Corps volunteers arrived on the shores of Ghana. Today’s 4,000 or so annual volunteers are a devoted and skilled bunch of mostly early career professionals. Yet those first volunteers were among the nation’s best and brightest, all graduates of Harvard, Yale, or Princeton at the behest of Ghanian President Kwame Nkrumah.

Despite their credentials and commitment, it wasn’t long before issues arose. Perhaps most infamously, an early volunteer to Nigeria wrote a letter home describing the state of living conditions as squalid, horrifying and primitive. Intercepted by the local postal service, it was soon on the front page of major Nigerian newspapers, sparking outrage among the populace.

In my Peace Corps assignment to Central Asia’s Kyrgyz Republic, roughly one-third of the assignees departed prior to the end of their 27-month assignments (including yours truly, who resigned early in favor of a local faculty position in order to research governmental corruption without tainting US-Kyrgyz relations). To help improve the fit between volunteers and host countries, the Peace Corps is among the earliest known organizations to perform psychological assessments on applicants interested in volunteering abroad. The results of this early experiment were reportedly mixed. However, psychological assessments have improved with time and are now a recognized best practice to use in expatriate selection for organizations staffing international offices.

The expatriate selection process can be complicated. At its best, it involves many stakeholders, including managers, HR staff, and host country professionals, each of whom has input on what is relevant to the determination. What are the key questions they should ask, and what steps can organizations take to prepare the employees they choose for international assignments?

Expatriate Selection: Who Chooses?

At its best, expatriate selection is a collaborative effort. Participants include management, HR professionals, and host-country recipients, each of whom has a particular (if at times overlapping) role to play. Host country staff are primarily responsible for assessing technical skills. They answer the question: can this candidate complete the required tasks?

While this is a crucial question, it is not the only question. Unfortunately, scholars have for decades documented that technical competence regularly overshadows other issues of concern. What other factors should companies consider in selecting expatriates?

Other key elements include whether the expat candidate has the cultural and social skills to succeed in the new assignment. Family questions may also be relevant. HR and host country managers should have an expansive role to better assess these variables.

A significant barrier to expatriate success is cultural distance. This measures how different the host country’s culture is from the home country. A forthcoming article will discuss this in more detail, but for now, know that cultural differences may present themselves in many ways. And for the home country staff, these differences may not be obvious.

Host country staff, however, may shed light on which cultural practices most challenge foreign national workers. These may be language or communication differences, social norms, or business practices. The deeper the differences, the more important it is that the chosen expatriate brings prior international experience to the job. In addition, host country staff may coordinate with HR and home country staff to assist in the expatriate selection and identify which foreign nationals most flourish amidst these cultural differences.

Furthermore, HR staff may spearhead those pre-departure psychological assessments that the US Peace Corps popularized so many years ago. These practices are among the most important – but least understood – of all selection practices.

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Also Read: Resources & Articles for Expats

“Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”

Grit. It’s a topic popularized by Wharton Professor Angela Duckworth in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance . Grit is the ability to remain committed to long-term goals despite challenges, sometimes for years at a time. As Duckworth revealed in a series of groundbreaking studies, grit may be the single most important variable for employee success. More so than skills. More so than intelligence.

And for the expat, grit may be even more important than among domestic employees. An individual accepting an international assignment is taking a leap of faith. No matter how much support is received – and later articles review exactly what kind of support expatriates tend to need and want – the expatriate will inevitably face challenges.

These challenges may be from work styles or relationships with co-workers or supervisors, challenges for the family in adjusting, or social setbacks. Consider the ongoing Covid pandemic and the upheaval this caused for expatriates. New concerns sprouted about healthcare, travel restrictions and closing borders, and social isolation in countries where restaurants and other public venues closed en masse .

Selecting for grit – and yes, there are surveys that do just this – is, therefore, one of the key psychological variables that organizations should look at when assessing expatriate candidates. What else?

What Factors Should Companies Consider for Expatriate Selection?

The so-called Big Five Personality traits are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion/introversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. They are among the most important and best understood of the many personality traits which make up an individual’s character. (An easy trick to remember the Big Five? Take the first letter of each trait. It spells “OCEAN”). Put simply, if you understand where someone falls on each of these traits, you can predict a lot about their attitudes and behaviors in life and work.

Extraversion

Extraversion measures sociability and leads to expat success. Studies show that extroverts are less likely to quit their jobs, while supervisors rate them higher in performance. Extraversion also correlates with ambition, which also leads to higher job performance.

However, don’t take these studies to mean that organizations should exclude introverts from international assignments. After all, they represent around 50% of the population. And as Susan Cain documents in her well-researched book, Quiet , introverts also offer employers valuable skills.

Consequently, this is more about understanding in which positions each can flourish. For instance, extroverts are well-positioned to handle international assignments that require regular contact with the local population. By contrast, introverts do well when given space for their creative and thoughtful juices to flow and when they have quiet workspaces far away from daily chaos. In addition, introverts may require more organizational support in terms of socialization and integration with host country nationals.

Openness to Experience

Another trait predicting expatriate success is openness to experience. These individuals seek out novelty and adventure. They’re more likely to try different foods, listen to new music, and support cultural activities. They are, in turn, primed for positive attitudes when it comes to embracing the changes and opportunities of a new national culture.

Indeed, studies show that expatriates high in openness to experience tend to perform at higher levels. In one study, higher-performing expatriates were more likely to report that they took the international position for the love of travel and the opportunity for new experiences. Furthermore, these individuals tend to gain more value from their interactions with host country nationals – enthusiastically soaking up information and using it to improve their day-to-day performance. Finally, spouses high in openness to experience adjust better, as well.

Neuroticism and Conscientiousness

Organizations may also seek expatriates that are low in neuroticism and high in conscientiousness. Neurotic types tend to struggle with ambiguous and stressful environments, with which, as we know, foreign assignments are rife. Finally, conscientiousness measures dependability and diligence and is related to grit. It predicts higher job performance for both domestic and international workers.

Click here for a survey that measures each of these so-called “Big Five” personality traits. In addition, companies can customize open-ended interview-style questions to assess where expat candidates fall on each of these traits.

Expatriate Preparation: How To Prepare Employees for International Assignment

Your expatriate selection process is complete, now what?

Expatriate research reports that the most important pre-departure expatriate preparation involves a series of in-depth training sessions. There are many types of training for expatriates. The primary categories are area studies, cultural practices, language training, sensitivity training, and field experience.

At the most basic level, expats must understand practical living conditions. Can they drink the water? Where do they go for medical treatment or for groceries? And what are the best neighborhoods to live in?

Expatriate Training

In addition, training for accompanying family members is key. This means including spouses and even children in some training sessions and providing families with information about schooling for children and spousal employment.

Finally, expatriate training should include business-relevant matters, such as local business laws and relationships with local partners. Expatriates should, furthermore, be clear about their job expectations, their performance management systems, and their compensation policies.

In addition to training, the company often undertakes other concrete activities on behalf of the international assignee. This includes visas and other bureaucratic support, which can be a byzantine nightmare for the uninitiated employee.

Studies also show that expatriates are grateful for long lead times before departure. Rushed assignments such as those with two months’ notice or less prove troublesome in terms of selling a house, buying or renting a new one, changing schools, and organizing a move (and to another country, at that).

The US Peace Corps learned some lessons the hard way but responded by putting more effort into their selection policies. In so doing, they – and all organizations following suit – give those selected the best chance of succeeding in even the most challenging environments. When paired with pre-departure and training preparations, your expatriates will arrive in their host countries with every possible advantage.

Related Articles

• Culture Shock: What It Is and How HR Can Help
• Understanding and Preventing Expat Failure
• The 5 Best Countries to Work in for Expats

About the Author

Dr. Thomas J. Bussen, with a Doctorate of Business Administration, JD, and MBA, is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, and a former professor at the African Leadership University and the American University of Central Asia.  He is the author of several books, including  Shaping the Global Leader  and  Compliance Management: A How-to Guide . His latest book,  Enlightened Self-Interest: Individualism, Community and the Common Good , makes the case for a more inclusive and equitable professional mindset and is expected for release in 2023 with Georgetown University Press.

Sources and Further Reading

Anderson, B. A. (2001). Expatriate management: An Australian tri‐sector comparative study.  Thunderbird International Business Review ,  43 (1), 33-52.

Harris, H., & Brewster, C. (2002). An integrative framework for pre-departure preparation.  International Human Resource Management: A European Perspective ,  224 .

Hung-Wen, L. (2007). Factors that influence expatriate failure: An interview study.  International Journal of Management ,  24 (3), 403.

Lin, C. Y. Y., Lu, T. C., & Lin, H. W. (2012). A different perspective of expatriate management. Human Resource Management Review, 22(3), 189-207.

Mesmer-Magnus, J. R., & Viswesvaran, C. (2007). Expatriate management: A review and directions for research in expatriate selection, training, and repatriation.  Handbook of research in international human resource management , 197-220.

Our Most Famous and Infamous RPCV . Peace Corps Worldwide.

Suutari, V., & Brewster, C. (2001). Expatriate management practices and perceived relevance: Evidence from Finnish expatriates.  Personnel Review .

Wang, C. H., & Varma, A. (2019). Cultural distance and expatriate failure rates: the moderating role of expatriate management practices.  The International Journal of Human Resource Management ,  30 (15), 2211-2230. – see page 2213 for an overview of the selection process.

Zeitlin, Arnold (1986). First Group of Peace Corps Volunteers Marking 25th Anniversary. AP News.

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Delivering A Successful International Assignment

Anne morris.

• 9 October 2019

IN THIS SECTION

• 8 minute read
• Last updated: 9th October 2019

Organisations deploy personnel on international assignment for many reasons. Whether you are addressing an internal skills gaps, supporting leadership development or looking to improve working relations across borders, for any international assignment to be successful, there will be a multitude of legal, immigration, tax and pensions risks to manage when sending employees overseas.

This article covers:

International assignment objectives, international assignment structures, employment law.

• Immigration options 

Assignee remuneration

Professional support for international assignments.

Global mobility programmes have traditionally been developed with a uniform approach, driven largely by cost management and operational efficiencies. However, organisations are increasingly taking a more flexible and bespoke approach to overseas assignments in order to attain advantage in areas such as compliance and talent development and retention.

While a one-size-fits-all approach to the fundamentals of mobility management may be a commercial reality, overlaying this should be areas of specific consideration and capability that can be adapted to the specific needs and risks of each international assignment. This allows for greater focus on the assignment’s commercial objectives and the agility to respond to the organisation’s changing global mobility needs .

From the outset of any successful assignment project, there should be clarity of objectives. Why as an organisation is the decision being made to invest in sending an employee to perform services in a different country?

International assignments can offer value in many areas, many of which typically present in the longer-term.

Internal knowledge transfer is a common assignment objective to address talent or skills shortages within overseas regions. Deploying key talent with specialist knowledge and skills to train and upskill local team members can help to resolve local labour or skill supply issues. The cost/benefit analysis can explore potential missed opportunities or delays resulting from shortages in the local talent market.

International assignments are also highly effective in building relationships and improving intercultural working. This could be relationships within an organisation, with local clients and intermediaries or local authorities. Face to face interaction remains highly effective and valuable in building influence on the ground and can offer significant potential for advantage over competitors.

Beyond relationships, value is also created in the knowledge gained by assignees working overseas, from insight into local customs and culture, improved language capability and a general understanding of how business is ‘done’ within the region and helping to adapt organisational protocol to suit the local environment. Combined with the assignee’s existing market and organisational knowledge, they can offer a global perspective with local details, bringing considerable potential to build competitive differentiation.

With clarity of objective, you can then consider whether an international assignment is the most appropriate solution . Is it possible to hire or promote locally? Would multiple, shorter trips be as effective in performance terms but with lower cost implications? International assignments demand significant investment and it will be important to assess cost projections against expected return and value to the organisation.

As well as clarity of objectives, a successful international assignment also requires clarity of contractual terms, both to manage the expectations and understanding of the assignee, and also for the mobility team to identify support needs and potential risks. 

Now more than ever, organisations are developing portfolios of mobility programmes to enable an agile approach to global mobility that responds to the organisation’s changing needs for international personnel mobility. Assignments come in increasingly different shapes and sizes, from permanent relocations or temporary exchanges, secondments or transfers to a different region or to a different organisation.

While organisations demand greater flexibility and agility from their global mobility programmes, underpinning the activity should be an appropriate assignment structure with a supporting contractual agreement that enables compliance with regulatory and legal duties.

When considering which structure to adopt, organisations will need to consider a range of factors including the type of assignment and the relevant environmental context such as regulatory, immigration, employment law, tax, pension implications. 

For international assignments, where the employee is moving from the home country employer to a host country employer, the employer could consider a number of assignment structures, including:

• The employee continues to be employed solely by the home employer.
• The employment contract with the home employer is suspended for the duration of the assignment while the employee enters into a new employment contract with the host employer .
• The employment contract with the home employer is terminated with a promise of re-employment at the end of the assignment while the employee enters into a new employment contract with the host employer .
• The employment contract with the home employer is suspended and the employee enters into a contract with an international assignment company (IAC) within the employer group
• The employment contract with the home employer is suspended and the employee enters into a contract with both an IAC and the host country employer.
• The employee remains resident in the home country and works in a host country under a commuter assignment.  

Each type of assignment structure offers advantages and disadvantages which should be considered in light of the individual assignment. For example: 

• Do employment laws in the host country require the assignee to be employed by a local entity? 
• Would the assignee be agreeable to ending their home country contract and starting a new agreement with a new entity in the host country? 
• Are there terms in the home country contract that would need protecting in any new agreement, such as restrictive covenants? 
• Which jurisdiction would prevail, the host or home country? 
• How would local laws interpret a situation where there is no contract of employment with the employer in the host country? 
• Issues such as income and corporate tax, pension and employment rights and responsibilities will need to be identified and assessed against the specific assignment objectives and budget and the assignee profile and circumstances. 

Employment law implications come hand-in-hand with selecting an appropriate assignment structure.

Home-country employment contracts for employees on assignment from the UK to an overseas jurisdiction should generally be interpreted under the laws of England and Wales. If a host country contract is used, there should be specific provision in the agreement to determine which jurisdiction would prevail. However, neither position is guaranteed, for example where issues of domicile arise which may supersede any contractual provisions. Again the need is to assess on an individual assignment basis.

As well as explicit contractual considerations, employers should also be aware of any statutory rights or implied terms under UK law that may continue to apply even in the host country.

Specific provisions may also need to be made to ensure confidentiality and appropriate handling of commercial and sensitive information. While this may be standard or expected for senior employees, those on assignment should also be considered for such terms relevant to the type of assignment and the commercial objectives of the project.

Immigration options

Successful international assignments will invariably require careful consideration of the immigration requirements. Governments across the globe are adopting increasingly protectionist stances towards economic migrants, as policies seek to favour domestic workers. This means business travellers and visa holders are now facing greater scrutiny when applying for work visas and when trying to gain entry at the border. 

Visa options and criteria vary between countries and are subject to frequent change. Where permission is required for the assignee to work in the host country, it will be important to ensure the assignee applies for the most appropriate route to meet the assignment need, whether that is a work permit or a business visitor visa. The immigration requirements and options will be determined in most part by the rules of the home and host countries, the nationality of the assignee (and any of their dependants who will be joining them overseas) and the nature of the activities the assignee intends to perform during their time in the host country. 

For example, a British citizen may be eligible to travel to the US to attend sales meetings and work conferences for up to 90 days  without having to apply for a visa but to conduct ‘gainful employment’ they would need to look at a specific work visa, such as the L-1 visa for intracompany  transfers. 

A further factor will be the specific requirements of the visa or permit. Work visas, for example, may require sponsorship of the employee by a local entity with valid sponsor status. The application process for work visas are typically resource-intensive and in many cases will require the employer to provide compelling evidence as to why the role or work cannot be performed by a worker resident in the host country. 

Preparation will, therefore, be critical, ensuring there is sufficient time to consider the relevant immigration options in light of local rules, and to then make the required application. Complications may also arise where the employee does not meet certain requirements under the local rules, for example if they have a past criminal conviction or negative immigration record. This will require careful handling and, depending on the host country’s rules, may require submission of a visa waiver to explain the issue and provide assurances of the employee’s eligibility by requesting a discretionary decision on the application.

Relocation packages are typically the biggest expense associated with an international assignment. While cost control will remain a concern, it is important for employers to ensure they are offering packages that are competitive within the market and that the package will support both the commercial objective of the assignment and compliance with associated legal and tax risks.

Home-based packages remain common, including those which may be markedly above local market compensation levels, particularly in circumstanecs where the assignment need is business-critical.

It may be possible however to look at offering a lower package than the home-based option, by either localising the package to harmonise with host nation levels or to develop a ‘local-plus’ offering that maintains a degree of competition, but this can be challenging to apply consistently across all assignment types and locations.

Again, consideration should be given to the individual assignment and the assignee. Millennial workers for example are generally understood to value international experience and the remuneration package may not be their primary concern where the opportunity for overseas exposure is available.

For organisations with a substantial cohort of international assignees and travellers, it may be more appropriate to build a compensation scheme specifically for globally-mobile personnel.

Importantly, assignees who will remain under an employment contract in their home country may continue to be subject to home country payroll while on assignment. This will also enable pension and benefits to be offered in the same way through the home country. Taxation, however, raises more complex issues, for example where withholding rules apply in the host country. This will require specialist guidance to ensure tax liabilities in the home and host country are correctly managed and met withiin the appropriate timeframes.

International assignments are demanding on the employer and the employee, but have become critical given the business imperatives to meet talent and development needs and achieve competitive advantage . 

Employers should not lose sight of the need to understand the specific risks of each individual assignment, which increasingly demand bespoke solutions. While compliance , efficiencies and cost control should be underpinned by a solid global mobility infrastructure of policies, systems and procedures, the current shift is away from a uniform approach to assignment management, instead moving towards more agile management of each assignment, shaped by the specific assignment objectives, budget and risks in relation to immigration, tax, remuneration and employment law.

DavidsonMorris’ specialist global mobility consultants provide expert guidance to employers on all aspects of international assignments, from programme management and implementation to strategic consultancy to ensure value and return on the mobility investment. We understand the commercial drivers behind mobilising workers and the need to ensure compliance without impacting return on mobility investment.

We work with senior management teams, HR and mobility professionals to develop strategies that ensure effective compliance risk management while supporting delivery of the organisation’s global mobility objectives. For advice on making the most of international assignments, speak to us .

Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.

She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.

Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator , and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals

• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Employment Case Law Update May 2024
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Updated Absence Rule for EU Settled and Pre Settled Status Holders
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Switching from Pre Settled to Settled Status
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ EU Settled Status & Absences from UK

About DavidsonMorris

As employer solutions lawyers, DavidsonMorris offers a complete and cost-effective capability to meet employers’ needs across UK immigration and employment law, HR and global mobility .

Led by Anne Morris, one of the UK’s preeminent immigration lawyers, and with rankings in The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners , we’re a multi-disciplinary team helping organisations to meet their people objectives, while reducing legal risk and nurturing workforce relations.

Legal Disclaimer

The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the law, and should not be treated as such. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct at the time of writing, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert legal advice should be sought.

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Managing International Assignments: Compensation Approaches

A new international assignment landscape is challenging traditional compensation approaches

For many years, expatriate compensation has been focused on a dilemma: having assignees on expensive home-based expatriate package versus localization - which is about replacing expatriates with locals or at least transition expatriates from an expatriate package to a local salary. Many predicted that the traditional home-based balance sheet approach would gradually disappear. The predictions of the demise of the typical expatriate approach have been greatly exaggerated. We are witnessing the emergence of new compensation challenges instead, due to the complexity of having to manage multiple types of assignments and assignee categories.

The home-based approach still retains its utility for certain kinds of moves (e.g. business-critical assignments or moves to hardship locations). Local strategies are becoming more common but, due to the difficulty of applying them consistently in all transfer destinations, they are used only in some cases (moves between similar countries, developmental moves) and take multiple forms as “purely local” or local-plus approaches. Additional approaches like international compensation structures have emerged to address issues of global nomads.

The challenge for HR managers is, therefore, not so much to find the best approach applicable for all assignments as to deal with individual assignment complexity, envisage greater mobility policy segmentation and, if relevant for the company, map each compensation approach to a particular assignment in a consistent way.

The increasingly complex international assignment landscape: One size does not fit all anymore

Expatriates vs. Locals

One size fits all?

Let's localize assignees as soon as possible!

Expatriates

Rise of the third-country nationals

Need to add a cost efficient category for junior employees/developmental moves?

Traditional expatriates

Global nomads

Permanent transfers

Employee-initiated moves

Local or local plus?

Foreigners hired locally

Commuters (cross-border or regional

Multiple types of short-term/project/rotational assignments

Increasing number of home locations

Reviewing international assignment approaches in three steps:

Step 1: Understand the options available

Approaches linked to the host country (local or local-plus)

While these approaches sound logical and natural (when relocating assignees to a new country, they will be paid according to the local salary structure in that destination country) their practical implementation is often tricky. Few employees accept a salary decrease when moving to a low-paying country. It is often difficult to reintegrate assignees relocated to a high-paying country into their original salary structure due to their inflated base salary.

The host approach was historically not the most common for assignees on long-term assignments. However, we have witnessed a growing interest in recent years in host-based approaches – either a host approach or local-plus approach (host salary plus selected benefits or premiums) – as companies are trying to contain costs and as significant salary increases in many emerging markets make host strategies more attractive.

Approaches linked to the home country ("balance sheets")

Home-based approaches have been traditionally the most commonly used to compensate international assignees. Assignees on a home-based approach retain their home-country salary and receive a suite of allowances and premiums designed to cover the costs linked to expatriation. The equalization logic behind the balance sheet approach (no gain/no loss) encourages mobility by removing obstacles. Retaining the home-country salary facilitates repatriation. The balance sheet approach can, however, be costly. Many companies either look for alternatives or try to reduce the benefits and premiums included for less significant moves.

Other Solutions

Hybrid approaches attempt to combine the advantages of the home and host-based approaches. These often mean running a balance sheet calculation and comparing the results with the host market salary to determine what solution would make sense. A hybrid approach can work well for a small assignee population but it can generate inconsistencies when companies expand globally, and the assignee population grows significantly.

Finally, some companies rely on international compensation structures that do not use the host and the home structures at all. These might utilize the average salary in a selected group of high-paying countries where the companies operate. This approach facilitates mobility for global nomads and highly mobile employees. It is, however, often very expensive and doesn’t solve all assignment-related issues (e.g., currency issues, pension, taxation). It is typically used in specific industry sectors (e.g., energy and engineering) and for a few assignees (top level managers and global nomads.)

Step 2: Assessing assignment patterNs and business objectives

Assignment patterns

Are assignees moving between countries with similar salary levels, which would make the use of local or local plus easier or, on the contrary, are expatriates sent to host countries with different pay and benefits structures (low-paying to high-paying, or high-paying to low-paying country moves)? Are moves for a fixed duration – e.g., assignments lasting one to five years – or will the company rely on permanent transfers with no guarantee of repatriation?

Assignee Population

Are assignees coming mainly from the headquarter countries (typical for early stages of globalization) or is the number of third-country nationals already significant? A growing number of multinational companies report that the number of moves between emerging markets (“lateral moves”) is catching up with or exceeding the number from the headquarters, prompting a review of compensation approaches.

Are some assignees becoming true global nomads who move from country to country without returning home during their career? Employees, and especially the younger generations, are becoming much more mobile, but only a minority would be global nomads. These assignees are usually top-level managers, experts with unique skills, or globally mobile talent sourced from small or emerging countries where the absence of career opportunities perspective would preclude repatriation perspectives.

Company's philosophy and sector

Some industry sectors like services and finances relocate employees between major regional and financial hubs which facilitate the use of local approach, whereas energy and engineering companies transferred employees to hardship locations are a key feature of the business – and requires comprehensive expatriation packages often based on balance sheets and international salary structures.

Step 3: Assess segmentation needs

An increasing number of companies rely on expatriate policy segmentation to reconcile the cost control versus international expansion dilemma – how to have the same number of assignments or more without increasing the budget dedicated to international mobility. Segmentation means reallocating part of the budget to business critical assignees and limits the costs of non-essential moves.

Some of the commonly used assignment categories include strategic moves (business-critical), developmental moves (which benefit both the company and the employee), and self-requested move (requested by the employee but not essential to the business).

A consistent policy segmentation approach allows HR teams to present business cases or assignment options to management and provide a clearer understanding of the cost and business implications of relocation for different assignees.

It could also help manage exceptions into a well-defined framework based on a consistent talent management approach, as opposed to ad hoc deals.

Example of segmented compensation approach: the four-box model

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How to prepare employees for international assignment success

To help boost your international assignment success rates and post-assignment staff retention, we discuss the key reasons for assignment failure, the problems with repatriation and what you as an organisation can do to prepare your employees.

Assignment failure

The number of international assignments being terminated early is on the rise. ECA’s latest Managing Mobility Survey revealed that the number of assignments cut short had increased by 50% compared to the figure seen in our 2012 survey.

What is happening here? The main issue seems to be a mismatch between expectations and reality. Nearly three in five companies report that assignments terminate early or fail to meet objectives due to assignees underperforming in their new role; the firm may initiate termination to cut their losses. On the other hand, the second most common explanation given for assignment failure, as reported by nearly 50% of employers, is dissatisfaction with the new role on the part of the assignee.

Assignee disillusionment is also common outside of work. A substantial number of employers – more than two in every five – report that when assignments break down they often or sometimes do so when an employee, or their family, finds themselves unable to adapt to their change in living circumstances. In almost half of cases when assignees fail to settle in, cultural issues play a significant role. Other common challenges that arise are feelings of isolation, difficulties with language, accommodation or children’s schooling arrangements and concerns about security and welfare.

Problems with repatriation

Post-assignment retention of employees is also a problem for many companies. One in eight repatriating assignees leave the company within two years, taking with them valuable skills and experience and other benefits gained from the costly assignment. Some regions fare worse than others in this area; European headquartered companies, for example, reported losing three employees for every 20 returning from assignment within two years and Australian and American companies reported higher attrition rates still. These sobering figures may even be underestimates, given that only three companies in five track post-assignment retention and career outcomes.

While relocating for an assignment is recognised to be substantially disruptive for assignees and their families, it is common for both employers and assignees to underestimate the upheaval of repatriating. Assignees and their families are not unaltered by their experiences living abroad, and neither does time stand still in the country left behind; hence the relocating assignee might find that their former workplace and colleagues, their social circles, and even the cultural and societal norms all feel unfamiliar.

Difficulties with settling into a new role or career upon return to the home location is certainly a commonly reported problem; 70% of companies find this is either sometimes or often behind an employee’s decision to leave. If assignees are ill-prepared for the potential hitches that can occur when returning to the home entity, they may be susceptible to overly high expectations.

The impact of repatriation on a returning assignee’s home life is also not to be underestimated. According to one in three companies, it is sometimes or often the case that family concerns – i.e. with regard to a partner’s career, children’s education or relocation issues – are the reason for post-assignment staff turnover.

What can be done to address these challenges?

The key to improving an employee’s ability to adapt to assignment and, later, post-assignment life is making sure they are well prepared for what is to come. 

In the 21st century, anyone can of course undertake a little online research at the click of a button. But the sheer number of search results returned, unreliable sources and a lack of resources geared towards the unique experience of being an assignee can result in confusion and misinformation, rather than genuinely useful knowledge and awareness.

Self-preparation tools that are tailor-made for the assignee experience are a more effective way to inform and guide employees about the realities of a potential move abroad and help to make the process less overwhelming. ECA’s three International Assignment Guides cover the main scenarios expatriating families face:

Planning to Work Abroad? is full of relevant and useful guidance about what to expect when going to live and work in another country and ensures that families really do consider all the pros and cons of such a move. This puts candidates in a better position to assess whether or not an assignment abroad is for them – rather than finding out the hard way during the assignment.

Together on Assignment enables assignees’ partners to weigh up the implications of accompanying them on assignment against those of remaining behind; it also sends a reassuring signal that the company is sensitive to the welfare of the family as a whole, not just the assignee.

Returning Home prepares returning families for the potential challenges they may encounter when trying to slot back into home country life. It also ensures assignees have realistic expectations for their post-assignment career. Greater pragmatism about this process can help reduce the number of returned assignees exiting the company, taking their valuable international experience and skills with them.

Each of the International Assignment Guides combines anecdotal advice and worksheets with real-life case studies to raise awareness of issues that should be considered, discussed and resolved before committing to an assignment. Quotes from former assignees provide practical tips that can only come from first-hand experience, while comprehensive checklists and questionnaires lay out all the decisions that an expatriating family face, and outline the potential pros and cons to be considered.

The International Assignment Guides can be provided directly to your mobile population through your company intranet for ease of access. ECA also provides location-specific Country Profiles to brief assignees with essential information about the location where they are preparing to live and work. For more information about how ECA can assist you with assignee preparation, please contact us .

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Three Keys to Getting an Overseas Assignment Right

• Mark Alan Clouse and Michael D. Watkins

How to tackle a management role in a new cultural and regulatory environment.

Reprint: R0910N

The mergers that thrive postrecession will be those that focus not just on the numbers but on integrating and motivating employees. To extract lessons on how to manage the human side of M&A, Harvard Business School’s Kanter studied a dozen deals that overcame the usual barriers to success: employee shock, protests, and anxiety, all of which can fuel supplier unrest, government disapproval, and customer defections.

Procter & Gamble, for instance, faced the prospect of “blood on the floor” in its ranks when it bought Gillette, because headhunters went after Gillette managers. Yet P&G managed to retain a large percentage of them, and it enlisted employees in keeping suppliers, distributors, and customers happy. The company met cost and revenue targets within the first year, incorporated Gillette’s superior go-to-market processes, and continued to position itself for growth even as the current recession loomed.

Kanter highlights the key strategies behind effective integration by describing practices at P&G and two other companies: CEMEX, which needed to transfer know-how to acquired employees so they could absorb its processes quickly and meet global standards, and Publicis Groupe, which treated its mergers like reverse takeovers, allowing acquired talent to take the lead in building new capabilities.

The Idea in Brief

• International experience is as valuable as ever—particularly in today’s global organizations.

• But the personal challenges of an overseas assignment are also as daunting as they’ve ever been.

• Settling your family, adapting your communication style, and understanding the new regulatory environment are critical for transitioning successfully, the authors say.

Assuming a new leadership role is hard even in the best of circumstances: relationships are undefined, routines are unfamiliar, and expectations are often unclear. Now imagine yourself heading up a new unit or project in a corporate and national culture radically different from your own. To strengthen their CVs, many ambitious executives willingly learn new languages, uproot their families, and puzzle over local laws and customs.

• MC Mark Alan Clouse is the managing director of Kraft Foods Brazil. He was previously managing director of Kraft in greater China. Michael D. Watkins ([email protected]) is the chairman of Genesis Advisers, a Newton, Massachusetts–based leadership development firm. He is the author of The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels (Harvard Business Press, 2003). His new book is Your Next Move (Harvard Business Press, 2009).

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• International Moving

How to Prepare Employees for International Assignments

In today’s globalized world, international assignments are increasingly prevalent. These opportunities allow employees to develop skills, gain experience, and contribute to their company’s global expansion. However, these assignments can also pose challenges, requiring employees to adapt to new cultures, languages, and ways of life.

Ensuring the success of an international assignment involves proper preparation, including providing the necessary skills, knowledge, and support.

Key Steps in Preparing Employees for International Assignments

Here are key steps in preparing employees for international assignments:

1. Assess Employee Suitability

Consider factors such as language skills, cultural adaptability, and willingness to relocate to determine if an employee is suited for an international assignment.

2. Offer Cultural Training

Provide insights into the host country’s culture, customs, and business practices to foster understanding.

3. Provide Language Training

For interactions with non-native speakers, offering language training can be beneficial.

4. Assist in Relocation

Facilitate housing, transportation, and help with visa and immigration paperwork.

5. Ensure Ongoing Support

Regular check-ins and resources for handling challenges are crucial to ongoing success.

Benefits of preparing employees for international assignments include:

• Enhanced Performance: Prepared employees are better equipped to handle challenges in new cultural environments, boosting their overall success.
• Increased Confidence: Cultural training and support bolster employees’ confidence in succeeding abroad.
• Improved Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Cultural understanding leads to smoother collaboration with international colleagues.
• Quick Adaptation: Preparation speeds up employees’ acclimatization, reducing stress.
• Higher Job Satisfaction: Well-prepared employees enjoy assignments more, leading to increased job satisfaction.
• Higher ROI: Companies investing in preparation tend to yield higher assignment success rates.

By following these steps, companies can ensure employees are well-equipped for international assignments, benefiting both employees and the company.

Additional Tips for Preparing Employees for Overseas Assignments

Additional tips for preparing employees for overseas assignments:

• Realistic Expectations: Help employees understand potential challenges, aiding in expectation management.
• Stay Connected to Home Culture: Encourage maintaining ties to their home culture for a sense of identity.
• Share Experiences: Provide avenues for sharing experiences with fellow colleagues for mutual support.

These strategies empower companies to facilitate positive and successful international assignments for their employees.

Pre-Move Training

Pre-move training is a crucial component of preparing employees for international assignments. It should cover practical aspects such as visa requirements, legal obligations, and documentation. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to address employees’ questions and concerns, setting expectations for the assignment.

Your Potential Challenges

Understanding the potential challenges that employees may face during international assignments is essential. These challenges can include language barriers, cultural differences, and adapting to a new work environment. Identifying these challenges in advance allows for proactive preparation and support.

Areas for Cultural Training

Cultural training plays a pivotal role in helping employees navigate the nuances of a foreign culture. This training should encompass areas such as communication styles, social norms, and business etiquette. Cultural sensitivity training ensures that employees can integrate seamlessly into their new environment and foster positive relationships with local colleagues and clients.

Provide Support On The Ground

Supporting employees on the ground is essential for their well-being and success during international assignments. Employers can offer assistance with housing, transportation, and settling-in services. At Leo Packers and Movers, we specialize in facilitating smooth transitions by managing logistics and ensuring that employees have the support they need.

Establishing clear timelines for each phase of the international assignment is critical. This includes planning the move, pre-move training, arrival in the host country, and ongoing support. Having a well-structured timeline ensures that all aspects of the assignment are coordinated and that employees are prepared at every stage.

Preparing employees for international assignments requires careful planning and attention to detail. At Leo Packers and Movers, we understand the importance of a seamless relocation process. By providing pre-move training, addressing potential challenges, offering cultural training, and ensuring on-ground support, employers can ensure that their employees are well-prepared and equipped to thrive in their international assignments. Clear timelines help streamline the process and ensure a successful transition for everyone involved.

Embarking on an international assignment is a significant undertaking for both employees and their employers. Preparing employees adequately for the challenges of living and working in a foreign country is essential to ensure their success and well-being. At Leo Packers and Movers, we understand the intricacies of international relocation services . In this guide, we will explore the various aspects of preparing employees for international assignments, including pre-move training, potential challenges, areas for cultural training, on-ground support, and timelines.

The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only. Service availability may vary, and we recommend consulting with us to confirm the suitability and availability of any Leo Packers and Movers services before making any requests or decisions based on the information presented here.

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Module 16: Globalization and Business

Effective training for international assignments, learning outcomes.

• Differentiate between documentary training, cultural simulations, and field simulation training.

Living and working in an international community, such as Hong Kong, can be rewarding and challenging—if you are adaptable and prepared for what to expect.

Types of Training for Global Workers

Global companies often send managers from the home country office to work in foreign subsidiaries. Sometimes this is done for the development of the manager, so she can gain experience in the global operations of the company. It may also be so the company can exert more control over the subsidiary. When the assignment is for a long period, the manager’s family may also be sent. This represents a significant investment for the company, and it does not want to see the manager fail and return home early. The cost of a three-year assignment averages $1 million. [1] One way the company can help the manager succeed is to provide training before she leaves so she knows what to expect.

What constitutes an effective training program depends a lot on its “rigor,” or how thorough and challenging the program is. If the employee is going for a relatively short time, say less than a month, then a low-rigor program may suffice. If the employee and his family are moving for a year or more with the intent of living in the host country, then high-rigor training is required. With a brief assignment, adequate training may involve watching some videos on local culture, going to lectures, and attending briefings on company operations in the host (destination) country. For longer assignments, extensive experiential learning, interactions with host country nationals, and language training may be offered not just for the employee but for the whole family. Studies have shown that international assignments are more effective when the employee’s family is included and consulted in the relocation and training processes.

Documentary Training

Documentary training is textbook and classroom learning, which focuses on looking at differences between cultures and is a key part of both low-rigor and high-rigor training approaches. Differences are examined because they are potential friction points that create misunderstandings and hurt feelings. You have probably heard many examples of cultural differences involving common human interactions, such as greetings, gender relations, and the giving of gifts. For example, Asian business people defer to authority very differently from Westerners. They will not correct their managers nor will they make suggestions in public that would cause their managers embarrassment. Food in China is served hot, and to be offered cold food may be offensive or off-putting.

The perception of sickness and disease differs greatly in different cultures even among closely related ethnicities. A British worker would probably not take kindly to what you consider to be sympathetic inquiries about his latest illness and treatment. Americans, on the other hand, tend to “over share” and be more frank about personal health issues. Americans also tend to be casual about invitations and don’t like to pressure people on the spot. An expatriate in India may invite a coworker to a party he is having on the weekend and then follow up with “Come over if you want to.” To many cultures this is heard as “We don’t really care if you come or not.” There are many excellent sources of information on specific cultural traditions and norms of various countries, but multinational businesses often arrange for professional cross-cultural trainers to provide onsite lectures, videos, or workshops on cultural differences.

Cultural Simulation Training

After learning the cultural “do’s and don’ts” of a host country, many companies will ask their employees to participate in cultural simulations in which they will role play various situations and practice responding in culturally sensitive ways. This process is most effective when the training takes place in the host country or when the trainer can include people from the actual host country to help. The goal is to duplicate as closely as possible scenarios that the employees may face, such as having to question or to reprimand a local employee, making a presentation to host country upper-level managers, or how to approach a person of the opposite gender in countries where the sexes do not mix as freely as in the United States.

Field Simulation Training

When the company believes that the employees have successfully passed the “survival training” stage, it is time for field simulation training . The employee (and family) visits a neighborhood of the same ethnic background as the destination or, if the trainees are already in-country, then they move out to the “real world.” Depending upon the conditions, an individual may be dropped into a rural area with limited resources and told to get back to the office. Or a family may be moved into temporary housing so that they can meet their neighbors, shop for food, locate transportation, and just explore the area. When the simulation is over, the trainees come back to the center to compare notes and share experiences.

Benefits of Rigorous Training Programs

For extended assignments, a rigorous training program benefits both the employee and the employer. It prepares an employee (and family) for success by the following:

• Providing practical assistance for relocation efforts. Some questions the employee might have about the new location include: How long will it take to get there? What kind of money will I be using? How far is the office from my home? Do I need a car? What medicines can I get and what must I bring with me? What should I bring in the way of technology, and will I have to pay duties on imported goods?
• Giving the employee information that will allow her to make an informed decision about the assignment.
• Providing emotional security about the change. A rigorous training program greatly reduces the chance that the employee will leave the assignment early because of a misunderstanding.
• Increasing the cultural sensitivity of the employee. By training employees on cultural matters, the company lessens the likelihood that its reputation will suffer among the host country employees.

The disadvantage to the company involves the cost of the training and the out-of-office time of the employee to undergo the training, but this is a small price to pay considering the potential benefits.

Finally, companies preparing their employees for an expatriate experience should also offer readjustment counseling when the employee is due to return. Re-entering the home country can produce a reaction called reverse culture shock that describes the bewilderment and distress experienced by individuals suddenly exposed to a new, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment—in this case, their own.

• J. Stewart Black and Hal Gregerson, “The Right Way to Manage Expats,” April 1999, accessed July 31, 2017, https://hbr.org/1999/03/the-right-way-to-manage-expats ↵
• Effective Training for International Assignments. Authored by : John/Lynn Bruton and Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image: Hong Kong. Authored by : AndyLeungHK. Located at : https://pixabay.com/en/hong-kong-hongkong-asia-city-2291752/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

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What We Can Learn From International Educators

An American who has worked abroad shares how teachers in other countries implement some familiar strategies, with potential lessons for the U.S.

Teaching abroad allows you to broaden your perspective on the world at large and how different families and cultures approach education and teaching. It also helps you to continue to grow in your teaching in different contexts to meet the needs of a variety of students.

I am privileged to have worked abroad in two amazing schools. I grew in so many ways both personally and professionally. In that experience, I also reflected on the many challenges of both living and teaching abroad. Some personal challenges may seem obvious—languages, cultural norms, friendships, lifestyle—but there were specific challenges in the teaching profession while abroad that I couldn’t quite name at the time. 

Two professors at William & Mary School of Education, Leslie W. Grant and James H. Stronge , are involved in several research projects, including international comparative case studies of award-winning teachers in the United States and Asia.

More recently, they’ve been researching the strengths practices that international teachers have that ensure student success. Professors Grant and Stronge have interviewed 20 teachers across eight international schools in four countries in Asia and continue to do so. I saw them present their findings, which really resonated with me—not only due to my experience as an international educator, but also because what they reported can be transferable across the teaching profession. Below is a summary adapted from Stronge’s framework of effective teaching that shares effective practices that international school teachers use.

• Cultural Awareness and Responsiveness: Being aware of the culture and responding to the various needs of the students you serve in your guest country.
• Language Acquisition: Learning languages utilized in your guest country.
• Professional Knowledge: Knowledge of content and best practices in teaching areas.
• Instructional Planning, Delivery, and Assessment of Learning: Effective unit and lesson planning, instructional strategies, and assessment practices to drive student learning. 
• Professionalism: Attending to ethics and appropriate policies of the school and country.
• Learning Environment: Creating a healthy climate and culture in the classroom, including building student relationships. 
• Teacher Collaboration and Leadership: Collaborating with colleagues in professional learning communities or similar teams to maximize student learning, as well as taking various leadership roles like instructional coach or department chair.

“Cultural awareness and responsiveness“ and “language acquisition” might be the practices that stand out initially, which makes sense. When you live in a different country than your initial home, it’s important to learn the language or languages around you. Similarly, just as all educators endeavor to be culturally responsive and aware of the many cultures that make up a classroom, there’s even more of a need to understand the culture of the country where you now teach and live to ensure that you can be an effective educator. By learning the language and connecting with the local culture, you can build connections with your community, learners, and caregivers. 

At a cursory glance, any educator would likely say, “That makes sense” or “All great teachers do it,” but after talking with Leslie Grant, I learned that there are some critical nuances and components that need to be unpacked. 

Effective Direct Instruction

While their research continues, a study soon to be published found that in the area of instructional delivery, direct instruction was often used effectively. Direct instruction, however, wasn’t simply lecture; it was a structured set of tasks that teachers guided students through, involving teacher modeling, questioning, practice, and careful planning, rather than simply talking at students. As Dr. Grant describes, “Of the instructional activities used in the classroom, interaction and engagement with students were the most used activities. Clearly, these effective international teachers are focused on the needs of their students.”

Students might have some freedom in the process, but it is carefully orchestrated by the teacher. 

Sharing Work in Collaboration

While collaboration may seem straightforward, a specific nuance of collaboration is critical to international educators. It centers around “doing work” and “workload.” International educators collaborate in ways that ensure that there is a shared workload. It’s not simply another planning meeting, but a sense that work is getting done with tangible products. In fact, one educator shared that there was no way they “could survive” without the collaboration of their colleagues.

This work is directly connected to the curriculum from lesson planning to assessment design. As Dr. Grant says, “Teachers co-develop lessons and assessments, share effective instructional practices, and reflect on student learning. These are hallmarks not only of effective teachers but also of effective collaborative structures.” 

Systems Thinking

Coupled with being culturally aware, international educators in the study understand the many systems that impact them. These include the political and legal systems of the host country as well as their role as a middle-level leader in a large school. They’re able to understand the tensions between school and home and how potential conflict might arise. 

For example, they might have to know how to navigate the school system’s expectation of homework and the cultural and community expectation. This system and situational thinking allows educators to better collaborate with all members of the school community in complex geopolitical and cultural settings.

Key Takeaways

Flex curriculum design muscles: While educators may not have the time to fully design their curriculum, it’s important that they be trained in the process of effective curriculum design practices so they can unpack and understand how curriculum materials are created. It’s OK for educators to adapt them, but it’s important that those adaptations maintain the integrity of the curriculum. This can only be done by fully engaging in the curriculum as it is with a level of fidelity.

In addition, professional development in curriculum design can help challenge or reinforce mental models we may have about effective teaching. 

Language and cultural matters: We need to continue to support culturally responsive practices. Furthermore, educators need to engage with their local community in meaningful ways to deepen their understanding of the many cultural backgrounds in their classroom. This can include learning a language of the community, home visits, cultural celebrations, place-based experiences, attending community forums, and more.

While this may seem like a lot, I encourage educators to try one practice that makes sense for their bandwidth. 

Don’t shame direct instruction: There has been a narrative that direct instruction is ineffective. Direct instruction, however, is effective teaching that requires intentional planning connected to where students are and what they need to learn next.

We need to give permission for educators to deliver structured teaching through direct instruction and avoid shaming them in our collaborative conversations. 

Reflect on hiring and appraisal practices: All of the above ideas call us to reflect on hiring and appraisal practices. We can suss out these dispositions and practices through interview questions and performance tasks. We might ask a teacher, for example, to describe direct instruction in the classroom or ask about their comfort level in working with different cultural communities. We might include an appraisal goal that asks educators to modify curriculum tasks based on effective principles.

Teaching in another country is an exciting opportunity. We learn that while there are general best practices that are universal to all educators, we also understand that there are nuances and needs when teaching internationally. However, those practices can provide insight into how we in the United States engage daily in the practice of education. 

• Press Conferences and Statements
• Press Conferences

Press Conference by Minister Saito (Excerpt)

*Note: This is a provisional translation for reference purposes only.

10:35 to 10:47 a.m. Friday, May 17, 2024 Press Conference Room, METI Main Building

Opening Remarks

Visit to hokkaido.

Good morning. To begin, I would like to mention one point.

On May 19, the day after tomorrow, I will visit Hokkaido to observe the Rapidus Corporation construction site. The 2-nanometer next-generation semiconductors that the company has been developing are indispensable for realizing digitization and decarbonization in a wide variety of industries, including autonomous driving and generative AI, and they are also a key technology that will determine the future economic growth of Japanese industry. Moreover, the semiconductors are important strategic goods from the viewpoint of economic security. Going forward, semiconductors are also considered critical for Japan in capturing the globally increasing demand.

We also expect that the Rapidus project will bring about a wide variety of ripple effects, including investments and employment involving related industries, as in the cases of TSMC and JASM in Kumamoto.

We have decided to provide a total of up to 920 billion yen in support to the project on the basis of the strict examination of the status of development conducted by outside experts. On the day of my visit, I will confirm the current state of the pilot line under construction and exchange opinions with the staff, including the workers at the site, on the progress made in the development and future prospects. I will end my remarks here.

Question-and-Answer Session

Strategic energy plan.

Q: The Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy has started discussions on the revision of the Strategic Energy Plan to prepare the seventh edition. It has announced that interviews with experts are to be conducted on individual issues. At the Strategic Policy Committee meeting, some members pointed out, as to a desirable approach to advancing discussions, that it would be desirable to hear opinions from a wide range of individuals from different generations, including young people. What do you think is a desirable approach to advancing future discussions?

A: In formulating the next Strategic Energy Plan, we would like to consider measures while receiving opinions from people in a variety of positions, including young people. For this purpose, in formulating the Strategic Energy Plan, METI will not only hold discussions by the members of the Committee but also advance some efforts, including calling for public comments to take into account the opinions of a variety of people, conducting interviews with associations in a variety of areas in the discussion process of the Committee, and establishing an opinion submission section on the METI website to receive a wide range of opinions at any time in parallel with advancing discussions at the Committee.

In addition, we would like to ensure the transparency of the Committee’s discussions by publicizing all materials and minutes of the Committee and uploading each Committee’s meeting to YouTube on the day of the meeting to ensure that it is easily accessible. Moreover, we would like to regularly distribute articles explaining a variety of themes concerning the difficult energy situation faced by Japan on our website and also distribute video clips to enhance the public understanding of energy issues. Through these efforts, METI will endeavor to convey easy-to-understand information to the public on the energy situation surrounding Japan. By using various means as I mentioned, METI hopes to reflect the opinions of people in various areas, including young people, in its policies.

Q: Regarding the question that was raised just now, at the kick-off meeting involving the Strategic Energy Plan, you showed an awareness of the problem in that Japan is now confronting the most severe situation in its energy policy in the postwar period. Looking back on its postwar energy situation, I understand that triggered by the 1970s energy crisis, Japan established the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, and since then, it has been working on stable energy supply and other energy policies.

The most severe situation can be understood as a situation worse than the energy crisis. Could you once again explain your understanding of the severity of the situation Japan now faces?

A: I joined the then-Ministry of International Trade and Industry as a university graduate and my first assignment destination was the Policy Planning and Coordination Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. For 40 years or so since then, I have faced and confronted many issues involving energy policies, both directly and indirectly.

Concerning the energy crisis you mentioned, I think that Japan now has a severe issue that is different from those during the crisis in terms of quality. At the meeting of the Committee on May 15, I expressed my opinion with a strong sense of urgency that Japan is confronting the most severe situation in the postwar period. This is because, first, Japan has not yet depicted a concrete approach to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Under this circumstance, I think that it is somewhat difficult to forecast the extent to which the demand for electricity will grow despite the expectation that the demand may greatly increase in Japan.

In addition, as various technological developments are advancing simultaneously, we are confronting a situation in which it is not easy to estimate the progress of the developments. Meanwhile, Japan needs to launch energy policies with a long lead time despite poor visibility, and under the condition that Japan's inability to secure a stable supply of carbon-free power sources would affect its international competitiveness. From this standpoint, I have made statements to the effect that Japan may be facing difficulties that are unprecedented in its history.

We would like to work on the formulation of the next Strategic Energy Plan with this strong sense of urgency.

Q: I, too, would like to ask you about the Strategic Energy Plan. At the recent meeting of the GX (Green Transformation) Implementation Council, Prime Minister Kishida said that there is a limitation to the method of presenting the numerical figures in the Energy Mix only based on a single predetermined assumption. Concerning the next Strategic Energy Plan, on which discussions have started, could you explain the future approaches along which you will advance discussions on the Energy Mix?

In addition, you have just mentioned a strong sense of urgency due to conditions that Japan might have never experienced before. In advancing the discussions, am I correct in understanding that Japan’s energy policy is still based on the premise of the S + 3E principle? Please explain your view.

A: I recognize that at the 11th meeting of the GX Implementation Council held on May 13, Prime Minister Kishida said that there is a limitation to the method of presenting the numerical figures in the Energy Mix only based on a single predetermined assumption. From my understanding, the Prime Minister believes that Japan should formulate the Energy Mix not just based on a single assumption, as Japan faces increasing uncertainty about future energy demand and technological innovation, as I mentioned earlier.

Regarding ideal approaches to the new Energy Mix, the Committee will hold discussions on the specifics, and I can say that the best way of coming to appropriate conclusion is nothing more than having the Committees discuss the Energy Mix in depth.

In addition, as the S + 3E principle is the core of our energy policy, I do not believe that this principle will change. At the meeting of the Committee held on May 15, some members pointed out that the principle should basically be maintained in the next plan as well. Accordingly, we would like to advance discussions toward the revision of the plan to prepare the next one under this principle.

Last updated:2024-05-17