worldwide international assignment policies and practices

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Mobility: Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices, Global

Access current trends and benchmarking data about strategic mobility management and long-term assignment policies and practices.

One of the most comprehensive and established market surveys of its kind, our Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices (WIAPP) helps you uncover the current trends in global mobility programs in general and long-term assignment management in particular, in order to gain actionable insights and benchmark your approaches. 

The latest reports from our  Worldwide International Assignment Policies and Practices survey (WIAPP)   , conducted during February and March 2023, offer current and comprehensive insights into:

Strategic mobility management.

Based on data from over 360 participating organizations, the report outlines the why and how of global talent mobility programs, their direction and how they fit within broader company strategies.

• What drives international talent mobility
• Where mobility management fits within an organization
• How it relates to talent management
• The organization and responsibilities of the mobility function, including operating models, digitalization and technology
• Demographic trends

International assignment policy framework trends

Long-term assignment* policies and practices

The report explores long-term assignment (LTA) policy and practice trends from over 300 participating organizations, and their evolution since the 2020 survey edition.

• LTA trends and demographics, policy frameworks and program administration
• Remuneration approaches
• Tax, social security and compliance
• Allowances and benefits including cost of living (COL) / goods and services (G&S), housing, education, transportation and more
• Hardship / quality of living (QOL) premiums and rest-and-recreation leave
• Security and emergency evacuation measures
• Pre-assignment support and relocation assistance
• Repatriation and localization

The WIAPP also facilitates a review with  Mercer's Policy Benchmarking service  . We can assess your mobility program using precise benchmarking tools and report on gaps in your program that could be costing you money or valuable competitive advantage. For more information, please  contact us  or speak to your mobility consultant.

Note: If paying by invoice, your report will be delivered within four business days. If paying by credit card, unless otherwise noted, your report will be delivered immediately upon payment authorization.

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Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices

Uncover the current trends in global mobility programs and long-term assignment management.

Product Highlights

With the Strategic Mobility Management portion of the Worldwide International Assignment Policies and Practices survey, understand the why and how of global talent mobility programs, their direction, and how they fit within broader company strategies.

• What drives international talent mobility
• Where mobility management fits within an organization
• How it relates to talent management
• The organization and responsibilities of the mobility function, including operating models, digitalization, and technology
• Demographic trends
• International assignment policy framework trends

With the Long-term Assignment Policies and Practices portion of the Worldwide International Assignment Policies and Practices survey, explore LTA policy and practice trends and how they have evolved since 2020.

• LTA trends and demographics, policy frameworks, and program administration
• Remuneration approaches
• Tax, social security, and compliance
• Allowances and benefits, including cost of living (COL) / goods and services (G&S), housing, education, transportation, and more
• Hardship / quality of living (QOL) premiums and rest-and-recreation leave
• Security and emergency evacuation measures
• Pre-assignment support and relocation assistance
• Repatriation and localization

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• IsOrderingSet Yes
• Ordering Type COL/QOL
• Enable Participation Yes
• Participation Start Date 02/09/2023
• Participation End Date 03/31/2029
• Sub Title Uncover the current trends in global mobility programs and long-term assignment management
• Region Global
• Short Description Access critical policy and practice elements for international assignments.
• isCOLQOL NO
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• widget1 Publish Date ~ June 2023
• widget2 Organizations ~ +300
• widget3 Key Surveys ~ 2
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With one of the largest participant base in the market, the comprehensive Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices (WIAPP) addresses the most critical policy and practice elements of international assignments and answers prevalent questions in this dynamic field:

• How are mobile workforces changing?
• What are the trends in administering mobility programs?
• What policy segmentation have companies implemented? What are the policy differentiators? Do companies have more than one long-term assignment policy?
• How important are certain incentives in the current economy?
• What factors cause an assignment to fail?
• How flexible are employers to accommodate an increasingly diverse assignee profile population?

The WIAPP also facilitates a review with Mercer's Policy Benchmarking service . We can assess your mobility program using precise benchmarking tools and report on gaps in your program that could be costing you money or valuable competitive advantage. For more information, please contact us or speak to your mobility consultant.

Survey results are delivered in a published PDF format to your imercer.com account under My Downloads.

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Assignment segmentation

Why does it matter.

The expatriate mobility landscape is fast evolving and companies find it increasingly difficult to have only one policy covering all international assignments. More and more, employers are segmenting their expatriation policy, not just by assignment duration (long-term versus short-term) but also by expatriate assignment purpose (strategic assignment versus developmental moves or moves requested by the employees themselves.)

Policy segmentation is a way to:

• Address the limitations of the one-size-fits-all types of policies
• Reconcile the cost control versus international expansion dilemma in a context of budget constraint by shifting budget from less essential moves to assignment that are critical to the business
• Present business cases / options to management to understand the cost and business implications of sending expatriates
• Manage effectively exceptions into well-defined framework and process as opposed to one-to-one ad-hoc deals
• Reconcile talent management and reward / expatriate management

How Mercer can help

Based on the output from mobility stakeholders’ interviews, benchmarking analysis and assignee surveys, and taking into consideration the company’s business priorities, Mercer will provide recommendations regarding the segmentation of assignment policies, to achieve better alignment between the mobility programs and the business/talent needs of the organization.

Mercer will analyze the company’s mobility segmentation needs along three dimensions to determine the optimal number of policies required, bearing in mind the administrative implications:

• By assignment duration and pattern
• By purpose or strategic impact
• Geographic segmentation

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Mercer will prepare and present a document with the analysis and recommendations as well as help design decision trees to navigate the different assignment options.

Policy segmentation benchmarking

Using the unparalleled data from the latest research, Mercer will provide you with off-the-shelf or custom benchmarking surveys and assess your mobility program using an array of precise policy benchmarking tools. We'll work with you to identify best practices for each type of assignment.

Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices

This is a comprehensive survey covering all aspects of international assignment management and has the largest participant base in the market with more than 1000 global companies participating. Learn more .

Alternative International Assignment Policies and Practices (AIA) Survey

This survey is a deep-dive into policies and practices, and examines trends for the following types of international assignments: local plus, developmental/training, short-term, commuter, intra-regional, and global nomad. Learn more .

Rotator Assignments Survey and Services

Rotators are critical to the success of many companies to support challenging projects in a vast range of locations worldwide, particularly in the energy, mining, engineering and construction industries. Mercer's extensive competitive data and expertise in global mobility can help support our clients' international rotator programs. Learn more .

Local Plus and Location-specific Surveys

An in-depth look at policies and practices in several locations where local plus packages are prevalent, the Local Plus Surveys expand on our recent research into alternative assignment types. Learn more .

Flexibility in mobility policy As mobility programs grow and new situations arise, companies may need to be flexible on their approach to compensation, even within a policy that includes assignment segmentation. Our whitepaper outlines the considerations, benefits, and drawbacks involved.

Being strategic Linking mobility strategy and talent management is essential when trying to segment mobility policies.

2022 Expatriate Management and Talent Mobility Conference 4-5 April 2022 | Virtual event Join our virtual conference to learn, network and get ready to embrace the new realities of talent mobility.

Mobility events and training Mercer conducts webcasts on timely topics in global mobility throughout the year, as well as training programs for mobility professionals. Find a session near you!

Get the latest global mobility news, event invitations, and articles from Mercer. sign up now

KPMG Personalization

Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report

Insights on how global organizations administer their global mobility programs.

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• Global Assignment Policies & Practices Survey Report

For global mobility leaders of multinational organizations, benchmarking your global mobility policies and practices against those of other global organizations and industry peers can be a powerful tool for reflecting on your current approach and planning how to prepare your talent mobility program for the future. To help, KPMG International conducts an ongoing annual survey of global mobility policies and practices of multinational organizations. While the number of participants continues to grow, the resulting database is already believed to be one of the most robust of its kind on a global scale, with input from over 375 multinational organizations in more than 25 countries and/or territories.

The data offers insights into global mobility programs and how they are evolving in terms of mobility, tax and immigration policies, structure, governance, priorities, performance measures, using technology and automation, and more.

Download the 2021 KPMG Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey summary report and scroll down for more on this year's key findings.  

Kristof Van Gucht

Executive Director, People Services | Tax, Legal & Accountancy

KPMG in Belgium

2021 KPMG Global Assignment Policies and Practices Survey Report

A look into how global mobility programs are evolving based on the survey results from over 375 multinational organizations in more than 25 jurisdictions worldwide.

Download PDF (1.4 MB) ⤓

What do the latest results tell us?

The results of this year’s Global Assignment Policies and Practices (GAPP) survey shed light on how global mobility programs are evolving. In addition to compliance and global risk management, supporting the organization’s business objectives, controlling program costs and being adaptable to changing business requirements are clearly the top priorities for today’s global mobility leaders. The global talent mobility function's contribution to strategic value also now seems to be taking priority; being recognized as a trusted advisor and partner to the business playing a critical role in attracting, mobilizing, engaging, developing, and retaining global talent.

Organizations continue to offer greater flexibility in their talent mobility policy approaches — developing policy frameworks that are aligned to overarching talent and business development objectives. Fifty percent of survey participants cite including core versus flexible provisions, with nearly a quarter (23 percent) of participants adopting a cafeteria approach expanding the range of choices for either the assignee or the business. Enabling choice for mobile employees to develop assignment and transfer packages best suited to their personal needs is on the rise. Enhancing overall employee experience is a critical factor for attracting, developing, and retaining key talent globally.

Organizations continue to adopt more purposeful approaches to mobilizing talent globally by strengthening the connections between talent management and global mobility functions. Even during 2021, 93 percent of survey participants still ranked supporting overall business and talent development objectives as a top program goal for their international assignments.

Global talent mobility is too complex and important to employees and the organization to leave up to chance. In particular, survey participants are particularly interested in solutions for producing assignment cost projections, automating assignment initiation, and creating assignment documents. More and more organizations are looking to have a fully integrated, ‘single source of data truth’ technology solution that spans the whole spectrum of mobility and provides self-service to employees via online portals and mobile technology solutions integrated with mobility processes.

Fast-moving organizations do not want to be bogged down in transactions and typically outsource high-volume complex transactions like individual tax compliance. Survey participants outsource tax consulting (88 percent), tax return preparation (90 percent), immigration (92 percent) and relocation management services (84 percent), so they can focus on providing a superb employee experience, participate in talent planning and workforce shaping with HR, and demonstrate an return on investment for their organizations on employee mobility spend.

It’s widely predicted that many workers, especially those in professional services, will still favor working remotely at least part of the time as local restrictions ease and businesses are opening their doors again. According to KPMG’s 2021 Global CEO Outlook survey, CEOs are focused on providing increased flexibility for their workforce. Global executives are looking to implement a hybrid working model for their staff with 51 percent of CEOs investing in shared workspaces and 37 percent looking to have most employees working remotely at least two or more days a week.

Benchmark your organization today!

KPMG’s Global Mobility Services practice members can provide a personalized benchmarking report allowing you to compare your organization across key areas of interest. Participants find this useful in evaluating their organizational policies against a specific set of parameters. In addition to key organizational demographics and global mobility policy overview, the survey questions follow an overarching framework of the key phases of an international assignment and transfer life cycle with additional relevant topical categories covering immigration compliance, assignment management technology leverage, automation and robotics and program data and analytics insights.

If you would like to participate in the KPMG GAPP Survey and receive a personalized benchmarking report, please click here . To learn more about how KPMG’s Mobility Consulting Services can help you build an operating model that serves and delivers for your organization, please send an email to  [email protected] .

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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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Objectives of the programme.

WHO India Country Office collaborates with the Government of India and relevant stakeholders within the framework of the collaborative Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) to actively support the development and implementation of national health policies, strategies and plans aiming at promoting access to and utilization of affordable and quality health services and improving the financial protection against health-related risks. The Country Office contributes to providing technical support in developing national policies, strategies and activities in the area of health systems strengthening including, (i) advocating for Universal Health Coverage and building up national capacity in UHC-related matters; (ii) facilitating the adoption of evidence-based public health interventions as well as appropriate reforms/changes with a view to promote equity and accelerate the movement towards universal health coverage. Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHOWHO's mandate revolves around six (6) leadership priorities specifying (i) advancing universal health coverage; (ii) health related sustainable development goals; (iii) addressing the challenge of non-communicable diseases and mental health, violence and injuries and disabilities; (iv) implementing the provisions of the International Health Regulations (2005); (v) increasing access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products; (vi) addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. The South-East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO is made up of 11 countries, with over 1.9 billion people, with India's population of 1.4 billion. All the Member States of WHO/SEAR (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste) share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All of WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation. The mission of WHO India is to improve quality of life of the 1.4 billion people in India by supporting the government in eliminating vaccine preventable and other communicable diseases, reducing maternal and neonatal mortalities, promoting healthy lifestyles, addressing determinants of health, preparing and responding to health emergencies and strengthening health systems for universal health coverage. Mission of the WHO Country Office for India Within the framework of WHO's Country Cooperation Strategy the mission of the WHO Country Office is to support India in: (i) developing and sustaining its own health policies, health systems and public health programmes; (ii) working to prevent and overcome threats to health; (iii) anticipating future challenges; and (iv) advocating public health.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the overall guidance of the Administrative Officer, and the direct supervision of the Team Leader (Health Systems), and within the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following responsibilities:

• Provide support and input to the immediate supervisor on aspects of planning, resource allocation and human resources management of the programmes and projects of the Department. Brief staff at all levels on budget, financial, administrative, HR- and other procedures and practices and monitor the correct use of the WHO Financial Rules and Regulations by staff in their implementation of funds.
• Cross-check obligating documents available from GSM or other on-line systems, monitoring the availability of funds and alerting to upcoming shortfalls, updating files, and transferring funds as instructed; upon instruction clearance of obligating documents, checking them for completeness, and following-up on missing elements as required.
• Monitor expenditures and alert supervisor on issues of compliance with work plans, financial rules and regulations and award agreements. Follow up on the mid-term reviews and the end of year of biennium closure of accounts exercise for the Department.
• Review contractual documents, issuing PTAEO numbers, earmarking funds, and verifying and clearing payment requests; prepare appropriate draft contracts for individuals or service providers such as APW's, and other contract modalities. Monitoring the staffing level of the Department, keeping track of all contract extensions and renewal deadlines, checking and ensuring that funds are available for the proposed contract and ensure that the renewal of contracts for staff are carried out in a timely fashion, maintaining and updating the Departmental HR plans accordingly, acting as leave administrator for the Department.
• Monitor and follow-up on programme implementation-levels, drawing the attention of the Supervisor to problems, inconsistencies, delays and other anomalies detected.
• Provide assistance on the Department's HR-administrative issues.
• Manage the smooth running of the administrative functions in the Department, including maintaining an up-to-date status of the office space and acting as the office space focal point for the Department.
• On own initiative draft routine correspondence, and upon instructions and guidance draft correspondence of a non-routine character; finalize correspondence/reports for signature; analyse incoming correspondence and requests, researching, obtaining and attaching background information where required, or redirecting them as appropriate, drawing the attention of the supervisor or other senior staff concerned to urgent items and deadlines.
• Take minutes in the Departmental group meetings.
• Provide administrative and logistical assistance in the context of the organization of meetings relating to the work of the Department.
• Perform other related duties as required or instructed, including providing support to other areas of work as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Essential : Completion of secondary school education or equivalent. Desirable :

Essential : At least five (5) years of relevant experience. Desirable : Relevant experience in WHO or another UN agency is an asset. Experience in Oracle-based or other ERP systems an asset.

The incumbent is expected to stay current to developments in his/her area though attending on-house and on-line training courses.

WHO Competencies

• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Knowing and managing yourself
• Producing results

Use of Language Skills

Essential : Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Hindi. Desirable :

REMUNERATION

WHO offers staff in the General Services category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at INR 935,497 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link:  http://www.whed.net/ . Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States ( https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion ) are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to  [email protected]
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the  WHO Values Charter  into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit:  http://www.who.int.
• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.
• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.
• Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at  [email protected] .
• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
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Contractual Arrangement: Fixed-term appointment

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): Two years

Job Posting: Jun 25, 2024

Closing Date: Jul 9, 2024

Primary Location: India-New Delhi

Organization: SE_IND WR Office, India

Schedule: Full-time

Link to apply:

• WHO Careers Website:  Careers at WHO
• Vacancies (staff member access):  https://careers.who.int/careersection/in/jobsearch.ftl  
• Vacancies (external candidate access):  https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl