Elevating the Success of Expatriates

One persistent and usually costly challenge that many mobility programs experience is high turnover and incomplete assignments among expatriates. According to this article from HBR, these failures can drain millions of dollars in productivity, rehiring costs, and strained stakeholder relationships. 

Companies investing in global assignments want to guarantee success—not just by physically moving employees around the globe, but by actually helping them flourish (and avoiding frantic midnight calls to HR!). Recent research pinpoints three key organizational elements that can make the difference between expatriate triumph and expensive misadventures, offering valuable insights for companies looking to get the most from their international mobility programs.

1. High Decentralization: Trust the Locals!

Letting local managers take the wheel empowers them to respond swiftly to challenges unique to their area. When expatriates can actually make meaningful decisions rather than awaiting endless approvals, satisfaction skyrockets and the dreaded "assignment burnout" becomes less of a risk.

2. High Formalization: Yes, Rules Can Be Fun!

Clear guidelines and structured policies might sound like a snooze fest, but they're critical for helping expatriates quickly find their footing. With clarity and structure in place, employees can confidently manage cross-border responsibilities. Less guesswork means fewer headaches and better outcomes.

3. Global Knowledge Integration: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

Investing in global collaboration tools ensures your team isn’t reinventing the wheel every other Tuesday. When knowledge flows freely across borders, decisions improve, productivity rises, and employees feel like they're part of a global team rather than isolated islands.

By blending these structural ingredients into your international mobility strategy, you’ can maximize the return on investment and reduce those "what have we gotten ourselves into?" moments. 

Add to this further policy and support elements and a great candidate selection process, and your expats will be on their way to a successful assignment. If these best practices pique your interest, we've also published many other articles on expatriate success. Feel free to take a look at these:

A Playful Guide for Expatriate Tax Compliance

Navigating Immigration Uncertainty as a Mobility Leader

Living Well, Working Better: How Quality of Living Data Enhances Global Assignments