INDIA FOCUS
WHAT DO INDIAN NATIONALS WANT ON OUTBOUND MOVES? While self-managed and business travellers are the core of India’s outbound mobile population, there is a shift in attitude towards asking for more destination and financial support. “Ten years ago, people were given basic information and advice about coming to the UK,” observed Johnston. “Today, clients expect people to be there to help them.” For Creed, this change in expectation has risen as India’s
tech talent recognise their value to their employers and shifts in demographics. “A few years ago, you could easily get someone Indian outbound to go with a package at the threshold for immigration. But now there is pushback. We are being asked for accommodation and education support and destination services – your typical expat benefits,” she said. Echoing this during the Q&A after the panel discussion, Eva
Stock, director of business engagement at expat community FOCUS, said she is increasingly seeing families relocate from India, counterbalancing the standard single person assignment. Kumar believes given how over-subscribed good schools are in both the UK and India, education could rise up the agenda. “This is not a challenge yet,” he said. “But could be.”
HOW ARE HR AND GLOBAL MOBILITY
RESPONDING? Weichert’s study assesses the characteristics of successful inbound mobility programmes. It found that support which included country- and city-specific policy provisions is particularly important for Indian nationals, especially in the US, as they are often on home-country salaries and need additional allowances and benefits in kind. “This is alongside the higher level of hand-holding required,” continued Creed. “An employee who has travelled extensively outside of work might find relocation easier. But as Kumar said, a lot of people might never have left their city. So, coming to the UK, the US, Europe or elsewhere in APAC, is going to be quite unnerving for them. And also, as Johnston said, that duty of care is so much more important as we move more and more people India outbound.” DXC Technology is already responding to the challenges in
changing the level of support it offers. Recognising that in an age of cost-control, actually investing more upfront in the global
mobility offer makes sound business sense, Creed has convinced the company’s leadership to revise its packages upwards for Indian talent outbound – and with positive results for both the company and assignees. “We’ve found that now we’ve started adding more, our retention is actually increasing and seeing employees who are a lot happier,” she explained. For Johnston, the changes are also on the suppliers’ side.
Service providers, employers and assignees need to work ever more closely together and with agility to establish the foundations of a successful relocation in a short timeframe. “We need to stay close to the HR department, so we know what the person relocating values and what to expect in the UK,” he said. “Then, we need that connectivity in the supply chain and to talk about how we can get the assignee connected in the UK, whether it’s in a home ready for them to move straight into with all the utilities connected, fridge stocked, mobile phone and bank account set up, and the person oriented to the local area. “If we are going to engage with people, we need to reach out
before they arrive in the UK. We need to know the technology space so we can reach people 24-7 on a platform, if not in person. And do all this quickly.” Johnston adds: “We find where this happens, assignees are
highly positive about being in the UK. When they go back, we all want them to say to their peers and colleagues ‘you should be doing that.’ As employers and as an industry, we should all be giving people our support.”
Watch Festival highlights at
relocateglobal.com/festival-of-global- people-2019
WEBINAR COMING SOON!
Register for Relocate’s India webinar Autumn 2019 on
relocateglobal.com Find out how to support employees on assignments to India in the Autumn issue of Relocate Magazine.
Audience at the Festival of Global People
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