TALENT
One way of addressing costs and return
on investment is to segment policy in such a way that expenditure is targeted towards the most business-critical assignments and where the deployment of skills and knowledge is most crucial to organisational success. In this way, money invested in international mobility brings the best value to the business. Future talent development is critical
workplace and home security required, and how local travel will be managed. Medical reviews can establish the presence of local medical facilities and evacuation options. Particular difficulties that may need to
be addressed in challenging locations may work against the organisational diversity and inclusion strategy. For example, certain regimes may prohibit same-sex couples or female employees from sponsoring their husbands/partners in the host location. The talent management strategy may
need to consider how best to address employee development if particular locations become a career impossibility. Organisations will also need to consider
the costs involved in deploying foreign nationals into particularly challenging locations where hardship and housing costs become especially expensive and the additional support required in policy (including rest and relaxation breaks, security provision and so on) raises costs significantly.
Return on investment This raises the issue of return on investment from a talent management strategy that involves international mobility. Survey data suggests that organisations
have yet to grasp the measurement of assignee costs effectively. While cost/ benefit analyses are typically carried out prior to a transfer, measurement of performance while on assignment to assess the degree to which the expatriate has met organisational goals and added value is frequently not measured effectively. Once the assignee has been deployed
abroad, time is required to settle into the new culture. It takes time for expatriate performance levels to rise to their pre- assignment level, and thus on-assignment added value may not be as high as expected. Performance management measurements may, therefore, not be a true representation of employee potential. As organisations move towards using
shorter assignments, so the performance- reducing effect of culture shock means that the proportion of the assignment during which the assignee is working at full capacity becomes reduced.
to business, but some individuals actively seek out the option to work abroad, and international mobility is an expectation of the younger generation. Full-cost assignments, therefore, need not be provided for those who wish to self-initiate their relocation abroad. A reduced assignment package may also be applied to the development of younger talent, such as that within graduate trainee programmes.
Graduate programmes Survey research suggests that organisations are increasingly developing graduate trainee policies that rotate these highly qualified new recruits across a range of company locations and include short-term international assignments. Indeed, the business model used in large multinational corporations in a number of sectors, such as oil, banking and pharmaceuticals, includes graduate trainee programmes that develop individuals for global careers. When assignee costs are met by the local
operation, there is likely to be local demand for cost reduction. Local operations hosting graduate trainees are, therefore, very likely to support a low-cost policy that provides sufficient compensation to underpin the transfer but is not so generous that it brings an expensive unwanted cost to the business. This can provide a driver for a segmented relocation policy that delivers a tailored set of benefits applicable to graduate mobility. Graduate assignment programmes that offer international opportunities are popular, as they provide not only an opportunity for career development but also exposure to international environments and senior business leaders. Developing graduates through international mobility also helps to create a high-performance culture and an organisational global mindset.
So, even though the benefits provision may appear lower than for other assignees, graduate schemes are attractive if they offer talent planning for future more-senior positions. Hence, rather than providing a series of graduate placements that address short-term needs, the strategy behind a graduate
talent mobility programme
should consider longer-term strategic imperatives, with placements providing
stepping stones towards future goals. This means thinking beyond current roles to ensure that graduates see a future within the organisation and become engaged with it. Return on investment in graduates
can be achieved if the programmes that are developed for them result not only in their contribution towards business results through completion of objectives but also in longer-term retention and achievement of succession planning principles. It is, therefore, important that return on investment in global graduates is monitored. This can be achieved through analysis of performance ratings and how these have improved after an international assignment, plus measurement of their career progress and the permanent roles they secure after programme completion. Graduate talent mobility programmes
should not only address remuneration and benefits issues but also provide coaching and mentoring opportunities. Graduates need to be encouraged to network and identify their own opportunities. That said, it is the organisation’s responsibility to ensure that graduates are placed in functions where their value to the business is recognised and they are supported to achieve their full potential. The graduates themselves need to take
stock of their career potential, ensure that they set themselves clear objectives, and commit fully to those objectives. They need to be aware of the value of networking, mentoring and coaching, and to engage with the opportunities presented. Organisation-initiated actions to
support graduate mobility, linked with the development of realistic graduate employee expectations which enable them to recognise their own responsibility for managing their own careers, are crucial foundations in a graduate talent mobility programme.
Global Mobility T OOLKIT
Relocate
Build your knowledge and resources with our new Global Mobility Toolkit, available on
relocateglobal.com
44 | Re:locate | Winter 2016/17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68