5 tips for maximizing ROI on overseas assignments

Despite the fact the assignments are very expensive, only about 5% of companies even claim to have figured out a good methodology for calculating ROI on an individual expatriate. In fact, ROI is often referred to as the "Holy Grail" of global mobility because most companies are just not sure how to measure it. Businesses that have a strong global compensation collection program are very good at understanding what the "I" (investment) is on each assignment, but the struggle remains around how to evaluate and rate the "R" (return). While many companies define assignment objectives, few are consistently tracking and monitoring the progress on those objectives, and it is not clear whether these are consistently (or ever) communicated to the assignee.

Here are 5 tips to help pump up the "R" portion and increase the values of an international assignment for both the employee and the company.