Supporting family needs in global mobility
Recent publications have again confirmed what many global mobility professionals know from first-hand experience: Family concerns greatly impact international talent acquisition and assignment success.
For example, international relocation significantly affects children’s needs and wellbeing. It impacts educational continuity and their relationships with friends and extended family members. It also requires them to adapt to multicultural and multilingual environments. Yes, children are resilient. But isn’t it our duty of care to protect them, and their parents, from unnecessary hardship by ensuring that our global mobility programmes consider their needs proactively?
To bring international relocations to a successful conclusion, you need to pay attention to the needs and wellbeing of all accompanying family members, at every stage of the move.
Candidate selection for global assignments
Make a great impression on your candidate(s) from the very beginning. Enquiring about their family status allows you to invite them to talk more about their motivations for, and concerns about moving abroad. We live in an era where privacy is handled with great care. Sometimes too much care, with global mobility reporting that they are unsure how to enquire about the family status of prospective internationally mobile employees. But initiating conversations on sensitive topics doesn’t have to be a no-go zone. It simply requires empathy, respect, and clear communication. Guidelines should include acknowledging sensitivity, explaining the purpose, respecting boundaries, and ensuring confidentiality.
International relocation contract offer
Deciding whether to accept an international relocation requires your candidate to balance career and financial benefits against the impact on their family’s needs and wellbeing. Karlijn Jacobs, Ombudsperson for International Children and Founder of Expat Valley, explains that many employees report feeling unsupported in their decision making.
“Research shows that in more than half of assignment rejections, family reasons are named,” said Karlijn “Families we work with, explain how they feel confident that they are well-informed when accepting an international relocation offer because they were given access to reliable information on a wide range of relevant topics.”
International assignment planning
When you plan for contract start and end dates, make sure to ask your employee about accompanying family members’ agendas. When does the school year end? What is their partner’s ideal timeline for career continuity? Are there significant events happening that cannot be rescheduled?
While you most likely cannot accommodate everything, the fact that you’re asking means your employee will be reassured that you are on their side. What’s more, it helps prevent your employee feeling as if they are stuck between balancing business and family.
Offer comprehensive benefits for expat families
There are some simple adjustments you can make to ensure the benefits of your global mobility programme support your internationally mobile employees and their family members. Consider how visa restrictions impact dual career households. Offer travel allowances and childcare provisions to split families and single parents. Offer family support solutions to ensure that there are experts involved in helping your employees navigate all decision-making involving their partner’s and children’s wellbeing.
Ensure that your employee and their family have settled-in
Settling-in means that your employee, and their family members, have found a comfortable rhythm of life in their new country. Usually, this only happens four to six months after moving – which catches many people by surprise. A simple way to address this, is to touch base with your employees about three months after moving. Your (standard) message could set the scene of how long it typically takes for people to settle-in and extend support if your employee is concerned about their, or their family members’ wellbeing.
Continuous improvement in global mobility
Last but not least, to continuously adapt to a changing global workforce, you need to continuously measure whether your efforts yield successful outcomes. This, too, goes beyond your employees. Enquire about their family’s wellbeing and the family’s relocation experience. After all, family concerns are critical to the success of international assignments and a happy, settled family will translate to a happy, well-settled and, crucially, productive employee.
Contact us today for practical advice on incorporating family needs into your global mobility policy, tailored to your assignees and budget. A friendly chat with no strings attached.