Most challenging assignment destinations: How to overcome multicultural differences?
Most challenging assignment destinations: How to overcome multicultural differences?
When reviewing the most challenging destinations for assignees (#1 USA, #2 China, #3 India) as part of our 2019 Global Mobility Survey, Cultural differences are the most cited reason for those destinations to top the list.
Working internationally exposes an assignee to many different cultures. The culture of the host country is one, but there are also those cultures of other international assignees from elsewhere around the globe, who are also assimilating the host culture as they integrate. At the same time, non-work life has its own differences.
The key to ensuring that your assignee is able to adapt to that culture, and thrive in their new work environment, is to arrange appropriate amounts of cultural training, both for the assignee, but also for their family members who will also need to adapt and assimilate.
Whilst the abundance of on-line training makes it easy to push a percentage of the responsibility back onto the assignee, this may not be enough in certain countries. In those cases, the best employers manage their duty of care obligations with additional face-to-face sessions, to ensure that internationally mobile employees are adequately supported in their new roles.
Santa Fe’s Assignment Management services can seamlessly integrate cultural training into your assignee experience, maximising the chance of success of the international move.
Download and read the full report: 2019 Global Mobility Survey ‘REVISION: Mobility through the looking glass’.
