Five Issues Expat Families Encounter During an International Relocation. Addressing The Can Enhance Employee Loyalty

Moving ranks among the most stressful life events; up there with divorce and death of a loved one.  It’s impact on expatriate assignees and their families should not be underestimated. We know that many Global Mobility professionals who are supporting expatriate families have not relocated internationally so although they want to offer support it can be difficult to understand and appreciate where that support will be most needed and appreciated – it is not always what you’d imagine. This can increase the probability of miscommunication that often unintentionally creates resentment and jeopardises the productive working relationship between your department and the expatriates you are supporting. Today I’m sharing 5 thoughts that will help you to gain a better understanding of the expatriate family’s experience and help you to remain aligned.  Forgive me if some of these points seem a little strong – I could sugar coat them but they’re emotive for expat families and I want to communicate how these issues are often perceived.

1.    The internet enables expatriate families to learn a lot about a location before they’ve made a decision

Expatriates websites such as World of Expats allow prospective expatriates to access extremely detailed information on locations, housing and the moving process meaning that the information that is provided in HR or relocation company welcome packs sometimes can appear to be too basic. Do you have a list of Internet resources that an expatriate can use during the decision making process and beyond? Do you provide membership to a site that can give them the country information they need or connect them with a family already in situ?

2.    If expats have school ages children, their education is the one thing that they will be most concerned about getting right

Children’s education is an emotional touch-point for most expatriates. When they may already be wondering if they are doing the right thing for their children, nothing hits the button of parental guilt more than the thought that a relocation might have a negative impact on their education.  This means that by the time they’ve made the decision, they’ve probably already done some detailed research on schools. They may even have talked to the schools and registered their children for places.

Effective school support can be a huge bonus for your relationship with the family. Ensure that your school support service kicks as soon as the relocation has been suggested. If you use school consultants put the employees in touch straight away. If not, think about the resources you can provide that will help them to manage the process well for themselves. Consider an hours consultation with a school consultant who can help them to think through the questions they need to ask in order to find the right school for their children and be aware that, families may feel the need to pay to register their children at more than one school to secure a place on the waiting list otherwise they end up committing to a school before they’ve had to opportunity to see it.

3.    If they’ve never moved before and sometimes even if they have, they will be relying on the relevance and accuracy of the information you provide.

And they’ll feel let down if it’s not right.  Are you certain that the information you and your contractors are providing is accurate and takes into consideration the family’s specific circumstances?

4.    Spouses and partners may not ask for help but that doesn’t mean they don’t need it.

Spouses and partners often focus on everyone but themselves.  Most of the time, they will put the logistics of the move and their children ahead of their own needs. Taking the time to ask them about what they want to do and provide them with accurate information on what is possible can be extremely valuable to them.

5.    If expats have to communicate the same information to multiple contractors, it undermines their faith in the process

Expatriates often complain of having to provide the same information to multiple points of contact in the process.  When that happens, it sends them the signal that the people who are supposed to be helping them are not communicating with each other.   They may also feel resentful about having to take the time to communicate it themselves as they typically have only a short time to organise their move and they don’t want to spend it repeating the same information multiple times. Do you have a system in place to ensure that information you or your sub-contractors collect can be shared appropriately?

We’ve been quite specific with these issues and the impact that they have on expat families, but the theme that carries through them all is communication.  If you and your contractors communicate with expatriate families in a relevant and empathetic way, you’ll have built the foundation for a good relationship that supports your talent management and retention objectives.