The Least You Can Do...

You may see from my resume that my experience is heavy on the corporate side.  I've only worked with two defense contractors since moving to this area.  And with the combined four months that I've worked with these two organizations, I've learned a lot about the ways of working.  I hope to continue this work which I find to be exhilarating.

Working with people in dangerous locations is one thing, but the numbers are overwhelming.  This is high-impact HR.  It's hard to separate yourself from the work you are doing.  I feel at times (because the people I work with are in danger) that I too, in a strange way, are also deployed.

I cannot believe how life goes on with so many in harms way right now, fighting for our freedom.  It's so strange that people don't notice and go about their daily business.  The flags that have gone down after 911 haven't come up again - yet the people there deployed need us in mind and spirit.  The families they left behind, too, need us.  Need us to remember their sacrifice.  

If you ask me what you can do, I'll tell you.  Every time you have the opportunity to send a letter, do it.  Every time you hear someone busting the military, stop them.  Every chance you get, send flowers to the wife of someone whose husband is away.

Do this and pray for them, too.

That is all.

With loving regards, 

Lauren

The Global Mobility Identity Crisis

Often, the international assignment function seems to suffer from an identity crisis.  I began to notice that colleagues managing this function seemed to vary in terms of the departments to which they were aligned.  Though each alignment presents it's own challenges, I would recommend each organization to look inward and examine if the international assignment program is located to best achieve internal goals.

"Self-portrait" 1861 Henri Fantin-Latour

Resourcing Alignment

I have observed cases where the global mobility program may belong, from a reporting standpoint, to the recruiting function as some of the tasks (e.g., relocation, immigration, on-boarding) seem to relate to bringing in talent to various areas within the company.  However some issues may be present with this alignment, for example:

• Separation from talent management and succession planning function:  resourcing is more concerned with filling gaps than planning next steps for successful candidates.  
• The tendency for recruiting to 'bend the rules' to attract a candidate could lead to more policy exceptions which in turn can make running a consistent program a real challenge.

Tax Concerns

This group is concerned with tax compliance.  Though this is an aspect of assignment management that is growing in importance, it is not the end all and be all.  Allowing audit-fear to run an international assignment program may be a 'safe' approach, this alignment may not enable a corporation to get the most out of its assignment program.  Instead of reporting to tax, or assigning a tax professional to the function - there should be a strong partnership to leverage the support-strength of the corporate tax function.

Reporting to Compensation and Benefits

Compensation professionals have an affinity for creating global alignment between job descriptions, and they may view the expatriate program as a series of perquisites or benefits enjoyed by an elite population.  Though this alignment will enable better connection to things like bonus, multi-year incentive programs, stock options and deferred compensation program - this alignment may lead to the expatriate function moving from strategy to more of an analytic support function.  

Connection to Talent

Though not often seen, I feel that the best alignment may be to the talent management function.  I feel that an expatriate program, at it's best, is a development program for the high-potential employees within an organization.  The talent group has a strong investment in retaining key talent and planning for key leadership positions within the organization through succession planning.  Often persons feel lost at the end of the assignment in terms finding a good fit for their next role (or worse, no role at all). 

Who owns the international assignment function communicates where the values of the company are focused in terms of the benefits expected from the global mobility program.  Consider the benefits of aligning to talent management and succession planning if developing and retaining key talent is your ultimate program goal.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
― C.S. Lewis

For more on the topic of global mobility alignment, check out this white paper written as a result of my collaboration with Mobility Services International. In the article behind this link there is a further exploration of the link to global mobility alignment and program goal achievement (see pages 5 and 6).

An Inconvenient Truth: HR, you're only as good as your vendors!

All Human Resources professionals are either supported by (or at the mercy of) the providers that support their organizations.

For, among others, the following services:

Picasso, "Girl before a Mirror" - 1932  

• Employment Law & Immigration
• Medical Insurance
• Benefits Management
• Leave Administration
• Drug Testing
• Work Life Balance
• Training
• Recruiting
• Payroll
• Tax
• Relocation, etc.

It usually goes that we inherit providers selected by previous managers.  And, most of the time, the HR people dealing with the day-to-day issues with a vendor don't get to select those vendors, or learn to make up for what that provider may not do so well - as an act of preservation.  It's just what good HR people learn to do...

Much tips the scales towards one provider or another, usually its price and capabilities.  Because at most companies the RFP process is so arduous, it does save time to go with an all-in-one provider.  You may go with one provider for Relocation support and also look for the potential to add other services on an as-needed basis.

Smaller specialized firms deserve a closer look.  Some reasons include:

• VIP Client-Status: I've observed that some larger service providers you may be one of many clients and get lost in the crowd;
• Real Subject Matter Expertise: A law firm that only specializes in employment law or immigration just has a distinct advantage;
• Advocacy:  These firms may have their own lobbyists to influence positive change.

This means that some specialized providers may be at a disadvantage over larger firms.  Larger firms with sales departments just as large as their customer service group.  I'm not casting dispersion on this, it's just good business.

Time and time again, the same service providers have a habit of making the same mistakes.  Human Resources will call them in with a list of areas for improvement, see service improve for a time, and then slowly but surely things start slipping again.  

But, avoid some pitfalls, if possible:

1. Though you may be tempted, avoid asking specialized providers to do something they are not equipped to do.
2. Don't leave them hanging.  Ensure the provider is well-connected to point people in your organization and understands your culture.
3. Avoid being a 'guinea pig' for a new service they may be adding to their offerings.  Wait at least a full year or two until they work out the kinks.
4. Your provider may get bought-out by another larger organization.  

In my industry, international relocation, there has been a lot of consolidation of settling-in providers in particular.  Though it takes more time, finding the best provider with local offices in your key markets is the best approach, in my opinion.  

People in the Expatriate Management business will probably know who I'm talking about - because two major settling-in providers were 'swallowed' up by one.  What I've seen is the really good local consultants are putting out their own shingles.  I think there may be a reason.  

But even before the consolidation, I had some major misgivings about the service provided by some of the formerly independent agencies.  The usual breakdown is something like the following:

The Hourly Approach

• Half-day program for business travelers;
• Full-day program for short-term assignments;
• Three days for single assignments;
• Six-days for assignees with families.

Some providers offer a flat-fee approach.  Services such as Intrepid New Yorker offers a service that for a flat rate, they will do what ever it takes to acclimate your assignee to the area.  They often have consultants that have relocated internationally themselves and have a first-hand appreciation of its complexity.  They are able to offer a real-time cross-cultural training approach to their settling-in services.  

Other firms will hire current real estate agents; and while these agents have a lot of transferable skills and knowledge that will help your transferee - I worry that their real estate agent will rear it's head and before you know it they'll be showing houses to purchase not rent - which hurts assignee mobility and causes other downstream problems seen during the bubble when housing took a nose-dive.  

Recommendations:

1. Negotiate a flat rate, not an hourly rate with your settling-in provider;
2. Look for firms that only do settling-in support;
3. Identify firms who use former real-estate agents (not active ones) and transferees;
4. Find firms that have consultants that you can contact directly - not ones that you have to go through many layers;
5. Ensure that assignees only have to do one intake needs-assessment and that information is shared between the relocation consultant and the settling-in service.

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”  

― George Bernard Shaw