Expatriate Engagement

Engagement is a relatively modern term in business. The discussion in the past of engagement was “attracting, motivating and retaining” expatriate workers. Each of the three strategies was based primarily on money. Competitive salaries that take into consideration the costs of living and exchange rates and the hardship of global expatriates, along with benefits like extended vacations, return flights and private schools or club membership, and similar were employed in order to “attract” expatriates to where their expertise was needed the most. Rewards, performance-based pay, and recognition plans were utilized in order to “motivate” expatriates. Shares, retirement plans, and gratuities that are tax-free were commonly employed in order to “retain” expatriates using the”golden handcuff” method.

The economic downturn and financial crisis have provided me with another proof that money on its own isn’t enough. When the economy is in a slump, how long are your expatriate employees staying and being motivated? It is not enough to never motivate or retain an expatriate if the annual salary increase is cut and bonuses are not worth it when they are not given at all, and shares aren’t functioning.

To ensure that expatriates are able to remain even in tough times, Engaged expatriates are essential. An expatriate who is engaged can be defined as one who has been loyal to the company (i.e., the host organization). An expatriate who is engaged is willing to put in extra effort doing the tasks essential to the success of the goals of the organization.

Recruitment and Promotion

Making sure that expatriates get in the correct position is an essential requirement for engagement. However, expatriates are typically employed because their talents are not readily available locally and as a result of their willingness to move to a country that the majority of people do not prefer to live in. This is why expatriates are typically employed for their technical abilities rather than their behavior that in their native country could have been scrutinized and subjected to strict reference verification. It is crucial that the expatriate who is in the best position is chosen for the right job by taking all factors to be considered such as personality, age, culture, and attitude, as well as their past track record with high-quality references.

High-Performance Standards

A good performance can be linked to low demand and short work. Accountabilities and responsibilities must be defined clearly with discernible distinctions from those who they report to as well as those who have to report to them. If accountability differences aren’t clearly defined, the consequence is a “non-job.” It is impossible to work in a non-job because it isn’t evident the accountability of who!

For engagement, expatriates must be tested by the high-quality performance that challenges their skills to the fullest extent. Hiring overqualified, over-experienced expatriates in jobs that are not suitable for them leaves them in a state of mediocrity. Expats often do poorly in situations where they are not challenged, and yet they are able to complete the most challenging tasks when tested.

Feedback

An engaged expatriate requires feedback. By gaining this feedback, the expatriate is able to control their outputs, evaluate the performance of their employees, and help them reach the goals they have set, as well as take total responsibility for their duties, assignments, tasks, and work.

In conclusion, I’m asking. If the economy is tight, will your expatriate employees remain, and are they motivated? An attractive salary which is based on the relative costs of living and exchange rate, and compensation for the difficulties of living in a foreign place, in conjunction with benefits for global expatriates, will draw and, to a lesser extent, keep foreign expatriates. If you desire your expatriates to remain in the face of tough times, it is essential to have active expatriates. Engaged expatriates will be more loyal to the company. You can increase the engagement of your expatriates by ensuring that they are placed in the correct position and are pushed to meet the highest standards of performance, which will test their skills thoroughly and provide feedback on how they’re performing.