Who's Ready for an Expat Assignment?

I was talking to a couple of HR directors the other day and their biggest concern was: How do we know when someone is ready to take an expat assignment?


First they need to understand that there are different levels of expats, with different costs, marital status, expectations and will. It is very different to assign a single person to an expat spot then it is to a family. 


When you're young and single an expat assignment is not only an opportunity to advance your career but also to live an adventure and save some money. You'll learn a different language and culture. This looks good in any resume. It also shows that you're adaptable. And on the personal side it can be lots of fun. Meet new people, new places... All while you have many expenses paid for by the company - like housing, car and a home leave. Not bad if you're starting your career. 


So I told the HR Directors that they need to look for people who are fun, easy to get along, adaptable, adventurous and most of all, who show the will to take a challenging job.  Many times the candidates will share his will to move abroad with their superiors. I told them they just need to trust that this person will be the right one for the job that's being assigned for him/her.


But if we're talking about an expat candidate with a family there's a lot more to be considered. I think that most of the times the families are overlooked by HR's. For all the reasons I posted on my previous posts I think it takes a lot more than finding the right person to get a particular job done. Knowing if the family will be supportive and give this employee peace of mind to perform the job is a very important task. I am a firm believer that HR underestimates the power of a family behind the performance of their employees.  The cost of living is also different for families. Most of the times it is a lot more expensive for the families to live abroad then it is in their countries. This can cause some marital problems. And instead of one person having fun there is a whole family trying to adapt to a new country. The term of the assignment is also a big factor. For some families 2 years is ideal and for some other 3 years is better. I made a few suggestions to the HR Directors but the truth is that you will only know if you made the right decision in sending an employee abroad after the fact. But you can definitely increase the odds of making it work.