Chris Brewster, professor of international
human resource management at Henley Management College, outlines the key steps
to managing employee repatriation.
Organisations
that operate internationally invest large sums of money in the people they send
abroad and then often lose them when they return. And when these employees
leave, they usually go to another company in the same field - ie, they go and
work for the competition.
Despite
this, organisations pay little attention to managing those who have completed
their overseas assignment and are about to return home. But there is a great
deal HR professionals can do to ensure employees' repatriation experience goes
smoothly and that the organisation retains their investment.
Recent
Henley research shows that a significant proportion of expatriates leave their
organisations on or soon after return home. Many are approached with other
offers months before they do so. The repatriates are generally happy with their
new careers - but the costs to the organisation that loses their newly
developed expertise is high.
Managing
expectations
One
of the most common issues organisations face with repatriates is dealing with
their high expectations in relation to how they will be treated by management
and other employees after repatriation, as well as their job position, standard
of living and long-term career prospects.
Typically,
repatriates expect to be rewarded with high-level jobs and the opportunity to
utilise the skills acquired while abroad. They also expect their supervisors
and colleagues to be interested in their international experiences and to
support them through the repatriation experience.
High
expectations become a problem when returnees are dissatisfied because their
experience and more developed skills remain unrecognised and unused. They look
for somewhere where these will be appreciated. When such employees leave the
investment is lost and it makes other employees less likely to accept such
postings.
There
are a number of support practices that HR professionals can consider to help
managers develop realistic expectations about their work and non-work lives
before repatriation, making the experience more positive and rewarding for all
parties involved.
Maintain
contact with the 'home' office
Ensuring
contact is maintained between the expatriate and their home unit decreases the
'out of sight, out of mind' risk for both parties, as well as making the
eventual transition from expat to repat smoother. Many expatriates are often
'tapped up' by the competition well before their own company starts to talk
with them about repatriation.
There
are a variety of ways to maintain this contact, for example, inviting
expatriate managers to 'dial in' periodically to staff or team meetings on a
conference call facility that enables them to update their colleagues on their
plans and activities; arranging return visits to the home office; or having a
named contact in the home country to ensure that both parties are kept informed
and up-to-date on progress and plans.
Agree
what will happen after the repatriation
Pre-departure
career discussions are a positive way for HR professionals to begin managing
repatriate expectations. By defining an individual's repatriation job status
early, they are less likely to worry about their situation and more likely to
concentrate on the job in hand. As a result, they can better prepare for the
repatriation when it eventually occurs.
Following
repatriation, many employees find themselves in a holding post, with no serious
job to do, or in a new position with clearly less authority than they had while
abroad. Not only does this situation prevent individuals from using the skills
they acquired overseas, but it has a significant negative impact on employee
morale and motivation, with the prospect of driving valuable employees out of
the business.
Manage
the additional knowledge coming in to the business
The
organisation needs to consider how it will use the additional knowledge and
experience individual managers have gained through the expatriate experience.
This
process needs to be considered and managed from the beginning of the managers'
relocation - development and strategic goals need to be agreed from the outset
to ensure there are valuable outcomes for the individual and the organisation.
'Debriefing sessions' with senior managers are also a good way for the
organisation to learn more about its international environment and to make the
repatriates feel valued.
Consider
the impact on work and personal relationships
The
change in interpersonal relationships between repatriates, their colleagues and
friends must also be a significant consideration. Reintegration, particularly
where there may be jealousy about the time abroad or changes within
departments, can cause problems for repatriates. Maintaining communications
between the expatriate manager and the 'home' office will minimise the effect
of this situation.
Family
members and dependants also have a huge impact on the success of the
repatriation - if they are unable to adjust to the move 'home', this is likely
to become the focus of the employee's attention, distracting them from their
work and, as the employee becomes less productive and less motivated, their
levels of satisfaction and their value to the business are diminished.
HR
needs to consider strategies such as re-entry counselling for all those
involved in the move, as well as building in the needs of the family and
dependants into repatriation programmes.
Is
it worth it?
Although
it is a complicated process to implement, generally it is accepted that foreign
experience is good for career development. It is only when there is no careful
management of the repatriation process that the value of overseas experience
may be lost to the organisation and to the individual manager.
