Seven Ideas to Make You an HR Super-Star

First, I have some very happy personal news to share.  I'm working with Mobility Services International (MSI) on a series of whitepapers. You can bet that as soon as that link is "live" - you'll be the second to know!  The first is an article that looks at the benefits of using a third-party provider to manage expatriate payroll.

Spoiler alert:  I'm very much in favor of using this service.  I'm jealous of those firms that have already made the move.

I think it may be helpful to Expatriate Managers who may not already have the benefit of using such a service.  As a a 'baby' Expatriate Manager, I wish I'd had the foresight to go with one of these firms early in my tenure with some of the firms with which I'd worked.  

There is a tendency for organizations start out paying expatriate benefits and salary through local payrolls, even though (with few exceptions) the likelihood of making errors is high and with it the risk of non-compliance by following this practice.  

Newly hired, the expatriate manager will focus on the laundry list of issues to address by their managers.  Early on I would interview assignees to find out where their 'pain points' were.  A good source of information, but the findings may not result in the development of projects that really should be a priority.

I introduced, early on, a global medical plan with emergency evacuation services.  Not a bad thing, however, I do wish I'd focused on outsourcing international payroll.  It surely would have cleared the way for the work that most of us prefer to do.  Running payroll and ensuring tax compliance will quickly fill your days, weeks and months - stealing time from the more visible projects.

I do recall a move to a vendor to manage expense processing and invoice processing related to expatriates.  This was a beautiful thing indeed, but only part of the solution.  It gave me the unforeseen capability to introduce pilot programs using alternate or specialized vendors.  

Here are some tips to make your life easier and be the super-star that you want to be:

1. Work with an external law firm that specializes in Immigration Law -  preferably one with overseas offices for cases where there is no on-the-ground HR to manage visa-sourcing.  Many third-party law firms try to offer one-stop shopping for their corporate legal needs.  It's nice to be able to use a firm that can do the occasional outbound visa work.
2. Develop a good world-wide network of vendors to handle settling-in support.  Key markets should have 'go to' agents that know your company well and know your priorities for your assignee's on-boarding to the host location.
3. Find a great international bank to support your assignees specialized banking needs.
4. Do use a global medical program provider that offers evacuation support.  It can be literally a life-saver.
5. Get to know your peers.  I love to network and share good ideas.  Some of the best ones have come from other people in the business.  
6. Take the time to meet with vendors who want your business.  Many of us in HR have to deal with the sales call now and then and have learned to get them off the phone as soon as possible. Make their day and let them take you to lunch.  They spend a great deal of time learning trends, may have some great ideas, and can introduce you to other expatriate managers.
7. Read and share great industry blogs :-)

You may already be a super-star, and if so, let's talk and share some ideas!

"Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted."  - George Kneller