During the three-day event, our account team participated in various educational seminars, listened to guest speakers, and networked with other relocation experts.

Ed Marshall sat on a panel entitled, “Today’s Executive: Special Needs Warrant Concierge Services.”  This seminar discussed how to handle senior executives in a changing housing market and discovering extras that make executives feel comfortable. According to the ERC program, more VIPs are getting longer temporary housing stays and are being offered concierge services of professional companies. Ed discussed these options and answered attendee’s questions.

“After Ed’s seminar, several people came up to our booth asking for more information on concierge services. It was a great opportunity to speak with new professionals,” Erica said.

Erica attended assorted small group sessions. One in particular was “Stick It! To Memory,” which presented ways to approach success in the work place. It left participants with insightful tools to help overcome the many hardships that come up in the industry. Another discussed social media connections for transferring employees. This seminar offered suggestions for establishing and managing a social network strategy for solutions to communicate information between employees and service providers.

Vandover’s presence at the ERC conference allowed our account team to not only network, but also gain knowledge of hot topics within the relocation and mobility industry.

The family unit structure is more diverse today, and this diversity is becoming more widely accepted by corporations and government bodies than in times past.  Today a family ranges from the traditional husband/wife/children to a man and woman together but not married with or without children to same sex couples with or without children.  The diversity of today’s families provides additional challenges when an employee is presented with the opportunity to relocate.  When it is time to repatriate back to the home country, the family unit is faced with challenges similar to what they experienced when they moved to the host country.  Transitioning to a new location or back to the original home location affects the spouse/partner’s careers and the kid’s education plans.  Consider the spouse who worked hard at developing his or her profession.  Time and money has been invested for the necessary education.  In addition, they worked their way up through their professional ranks when a spouse’s relocation opportunity became available.  The spouse may have had to put their career on hold if they were not able to obtain a work permit in the host country.  In this case, the spouse is returning home but with a time gap in their work history. What do they do now? 

The same is true for the partner.  The partner faced additional concerns because of possible legal issues depending on the destination location.  These issues are present no matter if the employee and partner are the opposite sex or of the same sex.  To move along with the employee and maintain their relationship/family, the partner may have only been able to obtain a visitor visa with no possibility of obtaining a work permit during the length of the employee’s international assignment.  Like the spouse, the domestic partner had to consider the affect the transition would have on the investment they made in their career.  The partner, not being able to obtain a work permit, had to place their career on hold.  Again, like the spouse, the partner is now returning home with a time gap in their work history.  What do they do now?

Repatriating spouse/partners often are faced with packing up the household in the host country.  They prepare for settling the family back into the home country.  At the same time, the spouse/partner has the task of maintaining peace and harmony within the family structure as the employee returns to work and the kids return to school.  During all of this activity they are asking themselves what to do next.  If they were able to work abroad, will they be able to secure a position on their return without difficulty?  If they were unable to work abroad, how will they be able to address the time gap on their resume? 

Proper planning is necessary by the employee and their spouse/partner when accepting an international assignment.  When the spouse/partner knows they will be unable to work during the assignment period, planning to participate in volunteer opportunities and/or educational opportunities related to their profession allows them to fill the gap that would otherwise appear in their resume.  This allows the spouse/partner to demonstrate that they have remained active and up to date in their field during their time abroad.  At Vandover, we offer a Career Continuation Program which focuses on assisting the spouse/partner in identifying the right program for them to participate in while abroad so they can gain additional knowledge and experience to provide the added value a potential employer is seeking in an employee. 

 Children

The Brookfield Advisor reported that the 2008 Global Relocation Trends Survey identified that 51% of global relocations involve children.  As part of the repatriating family unit, these children need to be a major concern for both the family and the employer.  Repatriating children have their concerns, fears, and stressors the same as their parents – only at different levels of intensity.  Sometimes these are more intense than their parents may imagine.  The age of the child effects how they will handle the move back home.  What an adult might take in stride a child may view with fear as they are being led into unknown territory.  

Young children ages 0 to 6 won’t remember the “home” that is familiar to some of their family.  They do remember the “home” they are leaving.  The host country has become their home.  Either they were born while their parent was on assignment or they were young enough that they do not recall living anywhere else.  To them repatriating is definitely starting a new life.  Parents need to recognize this and realize that during the travel period and for awhile after they arrive back in the home country their young children may show signs of insecurity they hadn’t shown before.  Or they may regress in areas such as bedwetting or crying or “clinging” to one or both parents.  Planning ahead and being prepared for this kind of behavior during the repatriation process will convey the parent’s confidence to the child that there is nothing to fear.

The 7-to -12 year olds bring additional emotions and fears with them during repatriation.  They do remember the “home” they are returning to – although the memory may be somewhat vague.  However, the “home” they are leaving was still “home” to them and the place that holds their most recent memories.  They are leaving a school setting which is more familiar than the new school they will be attending.  They are leaving their familiar playmates and friends and returning to ones who may no longer seem as familiar to them.  Making this age group part of the pre-planning before the family’s return trip home will help them anticipate the adventure of what is coming and not dwell on what is being left behind. 

Teenagers going through the repatriation process face a much wider range of issues than even their parents.  The teen remembers the “home” they left when their parent’s international assignment started.  They may or may not have been excited about relocating to a foreign land.  They may or may not have successfully settled into the new host location as well as their parents had hoped.  No matter what, it should be remembered that the teen has changed both emotionally and physically during this time.  They are no longer the little child, but they are also not yet an adult.  Their level of maturity varies depending on age and environment.  Like their younger siblings, the teens have made new and sometimes close friends, and it is hard for them to leave these friends.  They are old enough to recognize that the “home” they are returning to will be different.  They realized this on holiday trips when previously close friends or family members seemed distant or changed.  The teen also faces starting over at a new school with possibly less enthusiasm than their younger sibling.  Bringing the teen into the repatriation planning early will give them a sense of ownership in the process.  Having them participate in selecting the various responsibilities they will have during this transition period will give them a sense of importance and pride in knowing their contributions will help make the family’s move be successful.  Including your teenager as an active participant in the repatriation process is important.  Assigning them a duty such as being the planning meetings recording secretary and time-keeper will help keep everyone focused and on schedule. Keeping an eye on a younger sibling during the trip will also get them involved with the move – and maybe even make the parent’s job during this time a little easier.  

Summary 

We have looked at the repatriation process and how it effects everyone – employer; employee; spouse/partners and children.  Each individual approaches the repatriation process with different concerns, emotions, hopes, and fears.  Making a repatriation process successful is more than just the employee returning to a position with their employer in the originating home location.  Each person involved in the process needs to recognize that just as they have changed during the term of the assignment, everyone/everything else has also changed.  

The employer is gaining an employee with new skills and techniques learned while on assignment.  The investment in the employee and assignment was huge in time, money, and talent.  To gain the highest return on this investment, the employer needs to recognize the improved skill sets and knowledge the employee is returning with and how these may be applied within the company.

The employee has gained experience that would not have been possible had they not accepted the assignment.   Studies have shown repatriating employees move onto another employer within a year after their return if their new skills and knowledge they gained on an international assignment are not recognized and put into use on their return.  Determination of the success of a well-planned international assignment should include utilizing the employee and this new knowledge they possess and how this will contribute to the business.  

Spouse/partners and children experiencing a well-planned repatriation process contribute to the overall success of the international assignment.  Just as happy spouse/partners and children determine the expat employee’s success at the start and during an assignment, the “happiness quotient” of the families is just as important. 

Implementation of an international assignment which is well planned from pre-decision to repatriation is a measurable “win/win” for everyone.

Oh, and let’s not forget the menagerie of pets that are also considered family members!

Philip Wright is a Transition Coach on the Vandover Coaching Team.

The employee has been on assignment for two, three, or more years. During this time they may or may not have been attached to the same program, department, or business unit as they were prior to accepting the assignment. Even if they were, they may find themselves returning to a totally different area than before. Every group has its own set of dynamics, and now the returning employee will have to re-enter or enter into a group and become established in the group dynamics. This is true even when returning to the same department and work station with the same manager and peers.

While the employee was away on assignment, the group did not become stagnant. It moved forward as other employees came and went, projects ended and new ones were started, new procedures were implemented, and familiar ones were eliminated, etc. The list goes on. The employee finds they are in unfamiliar territory even though it looks and feels strangely familiar. This may be more difficult for the employee to deal with than returning to an entirely new group and/or business unit.

It is only too common for the returning employee to be expected to quickly integrate into their new position. Without a well-planned repatriation process, the employee may soon question why they were on assignment if the skill and knowledge they gained is not being recognized and put into use upon their return. This is a main reason given by repatriating employees for departing from their employer in the first year after their repatriation. Vandover’s Repatriation Program includes coaching assistance that helps the employee provide management and HR with documented examples of the success that was achieved while on assignment and how these skills may be applied to current and future assignments with the employer. This process allows both the employee and the employer to recognize the additional skills and capabilities the employee brings with them from their international assignment.

Employees facing separation upon return also benefit from a well-planned repatriation process. Participating in a planned repatriation process helps separated employees face new prospects with confidence and high self-esteem. By knowing how a successful international assignment has allowed them to grow and gain new skills and management techniques, they will be better prepared for their next career opportunity. The Vandover Repatriation Program also provides separating employees with the necessary assistance to conduct a career search that acknowledges the achievements that were gained while on assignment.

NEXT: Repatriation – Planning for the Family

Philip Wright is a Transition Coach on the Vandover Coaching Team.

Even if living abroad has met all of the expectations of the employee and family, the repatriation process provides an opportunity to be just as successful or more so if it is well planned.  Planned?  You are coming back home!  What needs planning?  Everything! 

Not planning for a return home will create issues for all concerned in the repatriation process.  A successful repatriation depends on good planning by everyone involved – the employer, the employee, the spouse/partner, the children, and other extended family members including pets.  Wait a minute! How can the pets plan for their return?  They don’t, but owners have to include them in the process.  Otherwise, they may have to go into quarantine or worse yet, be left behind. 

This is the first of a 3-part series on how an employer, employee and spouse/partner can plan ahead. 

The Employer 

As the employer, you have invested a lot of time, effort, and capital to insure a successful international assignment.  How have you measured this success?  Has your expat employee reduced expenses at the host location?  Boosted productivity?  Resolved a major problem?  Implemented other managerial processes that would not have been possible without their being physically on site for the term of the assignment?  Do you have these results documented?  Will the employee’s successes while on assignment effect whether they return to a position with the company or not? 

Capturing the success of the assignment is an important tool for justifying the expense of international transfers.  How is this accomplished?  Vandover has developed a coaching-based program working with the repatriating employee to help them identify their success during their international assignment.  Working with the employee as early as six months prior to their repatriation, the Vandover Coach and the employee work together to identify what has been accomplished during the assignment. 

This coaching technique assists the employee in: 

• Documenting the scope and objective of the assignment
• Documenting the origination and host facilities and management
• Documenting the employees title and key responsibilities
• Identifying the qualities the employee developed which helped them thrive in their role
• Identifying the key skills the employee gained while performing in their assignment role
• Identifying how these skills were leveraged to support their performance
• Documenting their achievements and illustrating examples of their accomplishments while on assignment
• Identifying how these new skills and achievements will be applied and enhance their new position within the company on their return and in future projects

The value added to the company by incorporating a well-planned repatriation process for the employee not only identifies key employees and their assets but develops increased loyalty in the employees.  It is not unusual for a repatriating employee to depart from the company within six months to a year after their return as they feel their international experience is not being utilized.  However, implementing a well-planned repatriation strategy reduces this risk.  A common comment from employees who have participated in the Vandover Repatriation Program has been the expression they feel their employer “cares about them, their family, and their well-being” and creates increased employee loyalty.

Vandover’s Repatriation Program also takes into consideration employees returning home without an opportunity to continue working for the employer.  This program identifies the key skills, knowledge. and achievements gained by the employee while on assignment providing a “win/win” situation for employer and employee.  The employer receives the documentation results of a successful assignment while the employee receives career search assistance highlighting the key skills and knowledge achieved while on assignment.

NEXT: Repatriation – Employees Benefit from a Well-planned Process

Philip Wright is a Transition Coach on the Vandover Coaching Team.

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