Global Mobility Trend: Expatriate Coaching

The Growing Trend of Organizations Sending Employees Worldwide

Our world is becoming increasingly connected, prompting businesses to expand their operations internationally. The reasons are obvious: companies want to tap into new markets, access fresh talent, and make their products available to a broader audience. Despite the challenges associated with operating in various countries, organizations must ensure their employees are well-prepared to work abroad.

Challenges of an Expatriate and the Accompanying Family

Expatriates face several challenges, including:

• Navigating culture shock.
• Adapting to work and growing in a new intercultural environment.
• Finding meaning and purpose abroad, especially applicable for the accompanying partner.
• Coping with reverse culture shock once they return home.

The consequences for the company are undeniable. If an expatriate doesn’t figure out how to deal with these issues, it may hinder their full potential, leading to decreased productivity, burnout, and in the worst case, early termination of the expatriate`s contract — a costly event for the company and a traumatic experience for the expat and their family.

The Impact of Expat Coaching

Companies invest significantly in expatriates who leave earlier than planned or who may be engaged, excited about their job, focused, and knows how to work in this new environment but is concerned about a partner at home who is frustrated and depressed.

Unfortunately, many companies are not ready to invest in expat coaching. They recognize the benefit of providing cultural training, which is unarguably important, and language lessons and sometimes even executive coaching for managers. However, envision how the whole global mobility might shift if everyone had a coach by their side throughout their entire international assignment, including during repatriation, which is often the hardest part of the expat lifestyle.

Many expatriates leave their positions and even leave the company once they return home. They often think that the company does not appreciate their experiences abroad. They don´t feel valued, and on a personal level, they have changed. Companies lose valuable employees because they fail to recognize how much an individual has changed during their time abroad. Additionally, this results in a missed opportunity for knowledge transfer that the departing person could provide to their colleagues in the company.

The Value of Expat Coaching for Companies

As more and more companies send their employees worldwide, coaching emerges as the missing piece to make this a successful endeavor for everyone involved. The expatriate who needs to figure out how to do their job in another cultural environment would know that he could always reach out to a professional coach before a situation gets out of hand. This would not just support the development of the employee but would also lead to conflict resolution since the expat is equipped to navigate workplace dynamics with empathy and a vision for the future.

An unhappy spouse is the number one factor in an expat’s decision to move back home. Offering coaching support to the accompanying partner early on could empower them to think about how to use this time abroad in the best possible way, mitigating the risks of homesickness, frustration, and depression and reducing the risk of early termination. Investing in coaching sessions for the whole family is a strategic move that could reduce the company’s turnover cost.

Furthermore, providing coaching sessions for expatriates has the added benefit of enhancing positive employee branding. This will create an attractive workplace, enhancing the company’s reputation as a supportive entity for employees working abroad. The employee is more likely to become a strong advocate for the company, positively influencing talent acquisition efforts.

In summary, coaching is the perfect fit for employees on international assignments. It supports the expatriate and contributes to the success of the company in many various ways, including:

• Cultural adjustment.
• Enhanced job performance and increased productivity.
• Employee satisfaction and reduced turnover costs.
• An attractive workplace and company reputation.
• Positive experience for the entire expatriate family.
• Global leadership development.

Coaching plays a crucial role in ensuring the success of an international assignment, leading to an overall improved organizational performance now and in the future – and what could be more important than that?