As fewer workers apply for overseas assignments, global mobility specialist Caitlin Pyett considers the reasons and shares the experiences of one client’s efforts to better understand its employees’ reluctance.
One of the most significant outcomes of the pandemic has been the shift in our working norms. Office-based work has given way to a more relaxed approach to location. Most companies offer home working, and some (usually newer) companies offer the ability to work from anywhere. We’ve noticed something very strange happening to attitudes as a result of this.
Yes, there are many – mainly young, hip and carefree – people now looking to hop on a plane and take advantage of a ‘work from anywhere’ culture. Give them a Wi-Fi connection on a beach, and they’re good to go.
On the other hand, we are increasingly hearing clients report that some of their employees are more apathetic about the concept of international work. It’s almost as if their attitude is: “If I can do my work perfectly well from my kitchen table, why would I bother relocating to the other side of the world?” That’s a very valid question.
So, what is going on? Is this a generational thing, with Boomers and Gen X less motivated to get out there and uproot their lives for the chance to work overseas, whilst Gen Z are just itching to get on a plane?
Or is it a passing phase? Are we all so used to the globalisation of our work and our world that global assignments just don’t hold the intrigue they once did? I recently explored this through the experience of a head of global mobility at a media organisation.
Relocation apathy
The life of the journalist is, by its very nature, one which involves moving around. They need to be wherever the story is – with notepad, voice recorder and pen in hand – before they file their copy as quickly as they can.
Although the world is undoubtedly becoming smaller and technology makes it easier to do a lot of jobs from home, reporting for a broadsheet newspaper with a cast-iron reputation for getting to the heart of stories is not one of them.
My contact told me that even if they were working from home in the location to which they had been relocated, there would still be the expectation for their journalists to be across a story as it breaks, interviewing people and forging relationships that would be vital for the thorough reporting for which the organisation is renowned.
However, she also told me of apathy creeping into the wider world of work and mobility. One where employees are of the mindset that if they can work remotely then there is little point in going through all the upheavals associated with a relocation to a different country and that the desire to work abroad is decreasing.
Understanding reluctance
Her employer understood that relocations improve retention and speed progression, but the root cause of why they are seeing fewer people demonstrating an appetite for international assignments is something they are trying to understand. They are looking at whether it is something they can address through assignment packages, whether it is about understanding the opportunity, or if people are concerned about potentially being separated from family members following the pandemic.
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“We currently have international postings for which we would expect to receive multiple internal applications,” she explains.
“These have not been forthcoming, and we are having to go externally and find local hires. We want to understand why this is no longer an appealing proposition to some people within our company,” she adds.
“An internal survey is currently under construction, from which we hope to find out more about why our more experienced staff are not applying for international assignments. We want to learn about their perspectives on the value of them and what their potential blockers might be.
“Are they financial? Do they have caring responsibilities? Are they concerned about being separated from friends and family? Or does their partner face difficulties getting a job in the host country?” she asks.
Benefits of international relocation
From the survey, the organisation expects to find concrete reasons why some members of its staff do not wish to relocate. They can then use these reasons to articulate the potential benefits of the process and the value of assignments to the business.
There is only so much that the global mobility team can do; consequently, much of this articulation will need to come from senior leaders who have already been on an overseas assignment earlier in their career.
Leaders need to be engaged in the career aspect of relocation. Rather than simply seeing it as filling a role, they need to look at the process holistically as they consider what happens when the assignee returns to their home country maybe three years later.
When the organisation has pulled the data together, it can demonstrate the value of assignments by highlighting that so many of the company’s leaders have had that international experience and that it has been good for them. The leadership team can be genuine advocates for relocation.
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