The Right Way to Integrate and Manage Expats in Your Organization

Globalization already shows its effects in large companies. It is not uncommon to see people of different nationalities working together, some of them from different continents. Expats are no longer an “exotic” image in the business landscape. But the expenses and the cultural shock involved in relocating people to a different country must be justified by the need to perform that relocation and by the benefits it brings to your company.

Life as an Expat — a Daily Challenge

Exploring a new culture is great, but when an entire family is transplanted without preparation to a new country, troubles are bound to appear. Learning a new language and the customs, traditions and religious beliefs of the place where they are supposed to work and live for years is not easy. The challenges at work are multiplied by the challenges to fit in the new society and maintain harmony at home with their family.

The success or failure of bringing over an expat to add value to a certain branch office depends exclusively on how the company manages and integrates these expats into their new environment. There are many ways in which managers and CEOs can ensure a smooth transition, but some of the most important are:

1. Get Your Entire Team Involved in the Process

Your employees, especially the ones who will work directly with the expat are more valuable in helping them integrate in the new society and culture than all the orientation and induction courses. By taking time to explain, little by little and in a natural manner, the specifics of the new culture, and by acting like living examples and representatives of your culture, your team members can shorten the transition period and help expats learn the local language and customs faster.

This type of socializing should be encouraged even outside business hours — by hosting special events, teambuilding sessions and gatherings that include spouses.

2. Include the Entire Family in the Welcoming Program

Spouses and children who do not manage to fit in with the new culture are among the main reasons why expats choose to return home before the end of their assignments. It is a sensitive situation especially for children and stay-at-home spouses, who are suddenly cut off from all their family and friends. They may find it hard to understand the new society they live in, and blend in without offending residents with disparaging customs and beliefs.

By creating special after-school and socialization programs for the expats’ family, you can help them understand and enjoy your culture, and create the premise of a smooth integration of the entire family into the new socio-cultural environment.

3. Include Home Trips as Benefits in the Salary Package

Being homesick is a reality, even in the modern world where live video chat allows people to communicate across the world. Many expats feel that they are losing contact with family members, friends and colleagues back home, and this worry makes them underperform or even decide to cut short their overseas engagement.

By arranging periodic trips to their home city, paid by the company, you ensure that your expat employees will remain loyal to you and fully dedicated to working to their best abilities.

4. Show Respect for their Religious and Ethnic Customs and Beliefs

Just as you expect your expats to embrace the business and social norms of your culture, you should demonstrate the same respect towards their particular beliefs and customs. Make sure that they can practice their religious rituals freely in their new country and that their dietary requirements (imposed by national and religious customs) can be met.

In doing so, you demonstrate that you truly value them, not only as professionals but also as individuals with their specific background.

5. Include Repatriation Efforts in Your Deal

An expat might not stay in your country forever. After some years, they might go back home and expect to fit in again, both in the society and in the company they work for. By making plans to make this secondary transition as smooth as possible, you give your employees peace of mind and allow them to focus on the work they have to do now.

This article was originally published on pldx.org.