Return ticket

Is it wise to send your best staff overseas? Each time you do, know this: there is a chance that person is already secretly plotting to quit the company the moment they return. A report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Cranfield School of Management says firms are selecting the best people to send on international assignments. But eventually they are losing these talented staff due to inadequate arrangements for repatriation and professional development.

The failure to devise a career path for these high-flyers means recently repatriated staff might jump ship. “People who have spent two years working in a different way across varied markets and cultures are not always happy to return to the same desk and the same prospects,” says PWC partner George Yeandle. “In this vacuum of direction, many have a career ‘wobble’ then leave via a recruitment market in which their experience is seen as increasingly valuable.”

So, as a boss, what can you do?

Cranfield’s Dr. Michael Dickmann says: “They need security, a meaningful role on their return, and to see a clear path for their future career development within the organisation.”

In this vacuum of direction, many have a career ‘wobble’ then leave via a recruitment market in which their experience is seen as increasingly valuable
George Yeandle, PWC

Yeandle, meanwhile, says foreign assignments must be better planned: “Be clear about objectives and timescales and remain involved in performance management as much as possible, don’t just hand it over wholesale to the host country.”

The survey also found that employees did their best work whilst on assignment (see box), and their first 12 months back will also be fairly productive. However, it’s the year after this when the trouble starts, says Dr. Dickmann, as staff turn their attention to making use of their international experience.

So the warning is clear: look after your staff upon their return, or watch them leave again for good.