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What are the common pitfalls that individuals and companies make? What factors might they not consider or not realise they have to think about in advance?

At Turner & Townsend we’ve been supporting our people with internal transfers within the global business for 40 years – last year alone we helped more than 120 move internationally.  

When relocating, employees tend to worry first about finding somewhere to live, being in the right catchment area for good schools, opening a local bank account, obtaining a driving permit and accessing healthcare. In the longer term it’s also important to understand what options there are for staying in the country – particularly where a work permit is needed – and how to look after their financial future by maintaining long-term savings or pension arrangements.

As an employer, it can be easy to focus on the immediate logistics of a move and overlook the long-term support that employees and their families often need. You also need to consider how an employee will integrate into their new team, making sure they have the same opportunities to develop their career, access to learning and development and appropriate support in their role. 

What support employees need, and what areas are better left for the individual to sort?

No two moves are the same. At Turner & Townsend we have a global mobility policy that tries to balance the different needs that our employees have. For example, employees with families may need a generous shipping allowance to set up a new home with familiar belongings, whereas others find a lump sum allowance the most helpful to buy new furniture when they arrive or put down a deposit on a new apartment.

In most cases a work permit will need to be arranged by the employer, but some countries offer low cost self-application work permits for (usually younger) people to work for a year or two, giving them the opportunity to experience an overseas culture and another way of life. On-the-ground support can range from finding suitable accommodation or language training.   

Technology has made many of these arrangements a lot easier – you can do and research most things online now, including obtaining a work permit or tracking your international shipment in real time. However, employees will have so much on their mind when moving that they are pleased when the company can support them and manage their move.  

How much connection back with the UK office do employees typically have?

Employees who are relocating are assigned a ‘buddy’ who can help them settle in and give them advice on some of the practicalities. With smartphones and apps such as Skype it is easier than ever before to keep in touch with UK offices and colleagues, but it’s important to integrate them into their new teams and management systems.

For employees working on a lengthy overseas assignment there are different challenges. It can be isolating being distant from your line manager and home country team, detached from team activities, and keeping in touch with colleagues, family and friends can be difficult particularly depending on the time zones.

Language barriers

While English is commonly spoken as the first or second language by large parts of the world, when it comes to meeting and dealing with local clients, speaking to your colleagues in the office or simply trying to open a bank account, some local language skills are always helpful.

Online translation and real-time spoken translation apps can be useful in the short-term, but for employees to really settle in and immerse themselves in the local culture online training or language classes are usually needed.

It is also important not to overlook family members. While young children are usually great at picking up a new language very quickly, a spouse who is looking to enter the local job market may find it difficult without good language skills. 

What financial support should be considered for employees?

For short-term overseas assignments it is often possible for employees to remain under their home country employment terms. This makes it much easier to simply add on the extra benefits / support that is needed for that placement or secondment.

At Turner & Townsend we have a global mobility policy that sets out a framework of what support will be provided (accommodation, flights home, subsistence), depending on the length and circumstances of the assignment. It’s important to be flexible to accommodate the different types of overseas posting, as an employee who could work a compressed working week in a client office and travel home in a couple of hours will require a different level of support to someone working in a remote location an eight-hour flight away from their family.