Expat Partner Support Is Crucial When Families Are Posted Abroad

Hi Everyone, Here is a piece from Global Connection that might interest you, especially if you are an expatriate partner or if you service expatriates and their families...

Expat Partner Support

"Partner support is crucial when families are posted abroad, and will only become more so over the coming years. That is the main conclusion of the survey that media organisation Global Connection had MonitorGroup carry out among its panel of expat partners around the world. The panel is a representative cross-section of Global Connection’s full membership of mainly traditional expatriates, although the ‘expat-light’ trend is starting to emerge. The expats surveyed were posted abroad by a total of more than 50 organisations.

The results of the survey show, first, that expat partners appreciate all types of support. We asked the respondents to rate a large number and a wide range of support initiatives, excluding those related to children and the actual move. These were rated on a 5-point scale: from insignificant [1] to very significant [5].

The average score for the 15 different types of assistance was 3.8. The scores scarcely vary, which means that the ranking order has only limited value.

The remarkably high rates alone demonstrate how much the importance of partner support has grown. Additional data serves only to confirm this trend:

• Expat partners have become a highly diverse group, but overall they tend to be critical, independent, generally highly educated (1) and typically, they were working on their own careers prior to their spouse being stationed abroad. The large majority of expat partners are still women, who would like to receive relevant information on which to base their decisions for creating an enjoyable, meaningful life abroad. Assistance in compiling that information is therefore a prerequisite for the success of the posting.

• The trend towards expat-light (2), which involves employees being stationed abroad for a shorter period of time or with a less comprehensive package of perks, also places huge demands on expat partners. Some stay behind with the family, while others who do go abroad are more or less forced to find work there in order to maintain their standard of living. In such cases, it is essential that the expatriating company or organisation provides support.

• Increasing numbers of expat partners undertake daily activities that are not, as in the past, primarily focused on the family. Global Connection surveys held in 2007 (3) and 2010 (4) demonstrate that over a period of just three years, the time that partners spend on non-family-related activities has soared by 34%. This, too, indicates a growing demand for support and information, among other things in looking for a paid or volunteer job.

ROI is hard to quantify

The above data takes on even greater significance when taking account of the fact that many dispatching companies have been taking a more critical look at their costs – including the costs of partner support – since the 2008 credit crunch. The problem is that the Return On Investment with respect to the costs of partner support is hard to quantify.

There are, however, good commercial reasons for taking partner support very seriously indeed. A number of these reasons are listed in the Brookfield Global Relocation Trends report (5), which was published earlier this year. The large quantity of statistical material in this report indicates, among other things, that 7% of all postings end prematurely. In another 7 % of all cases, the family returns home early, while the expatriated employee remains abroad alone.

Family or partner-related trouble is the main reason to return home for a third of the cases in which the employee and the family leave prematurely. For the latter 7% (family returns home, employee does not), the decision to go back often has to do with education, but the report also cites: “The real reason is often the fact that the family has difficulty adjusting.”

One must also keep in mind that many intended expatriations never even take place at all on account of the family. According to Brookfield, ‘partner and/or family’ is the main reason for a refusal to be stationed abroad in 83% of all cases.

The report refers to this solid, continuously reoccurring data, as a ‘challenge’ and further states: “With such widespread agreement about the nature of these challenges over such a long period of time, the lack of apparent success in addressing them is puzzling.”

Reprinted with written permission from Leo van Haaften of Global Connection, an international media company focusing on expats and their partners.  Special thanks to Expatica for alerting us to this article by sharing it on their site today as well.

Warmest regards, Andrea.

Expat Mini-Survey For Trailing Spouses

Hi Everyone, Job and Career Transition coach Jennifer Bradley, Ph.D. is seeking input for her presentation for the upcoming Families in Global Transition Conference in March 2010.

If you are a trailing spouse (accompanying partner), have 5-10 minutes to spare and would like to help Jennifer by completing her quick, online survey about your experiences abroad, please click here or email Jennifer directly if you have questions. Thanks.

Permits Foundation Looking For More Company Support From CEOs in India

Hi Everyone, Last week I finally had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen Van Der Wilk and her colleague Francoise van Roosmalen from the Permits Foundation.

Kathleen and Francoise are currently in need of more CEOs and local MDs in India to co-sign the executive summary they wish to present to the Indian authorities, with regards to the issue of employment visas for accompanying spouses, to demonstrate a wide basis of support among companies operating in India.

Do you know someone who could help? If yes, please urgently email Kathleen and Francoise. Many thanks.

Looking For An Expat Family Who Moved To Belgium For The Woman's Job

Hi Everyone, Can anyone help a Belgian journalist looking to interview and feature in Good Gevoel ("Feeling Good") magazine, an expat husband/partner who has followed his wife (with children) to Belgium for her job.

Ideally, she would like to speak to a man who is between 35-50 years old, comes from a continent other than Europe (preferably South America, Africa or Asia) and is a "happy houseman - taking care of the household and children - not looking for a new job".

Tough criteria? Maybe. If you match her requirements or know someone who does, please contact Grete Flies as soon as possible. Thanks.

Good News For Expat Spouses In Malaysia

Hi Everyone, In the Permits Foundation newsletter this week, they announced that new regulations allow spouses to take paid employment in Malaysia:

"The Malaysian Immigration Department has published new regulations that allow spouses on a Dependent Pass to take paid employment after obtaining an endorsement in the passport by the Immigration Department. They no longer need their own Employment Pass or Visit Pass Temporary Employment.

A job offer is required and the employer needs to have approval from the relevant authority / agency (MIDA / MDEC / Central Bank of Malaysia / Securities Commission / Public Service Department of Malaysia).

At the same time, husbands of Employment Pass holders may now apply for a Dependant Pass. Previously, they were only eligible for a Long Term Social Visit Pass.

The application can be made in Malaysia and no fees are made for the endorsement to work, beyond the normal cost of a dependant's pass. The changes, which are effective 20 November 2008, are published at: http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_PegawaiDagang.asp#new"

Trailing Spouses Working Abroad: Jeff Porter's Interviews with Jo Parfitt, Bertrand Fouquoire & Terri Williams

Dear Friends, If you are a Trailing Spouse, there is a good chance that you might enjoy this interview between Jeff Porter and portable career expert, Jo Parfitt.

Jeff Porter (founder of TrailingSpouse.net and now TheAusmerican) talks to Jo Parfitt about: Jo's book Career In Your Suitcase (3rd edition), which we featured on our Expat Women home page last month; the notion of when/how/if to look for a 'real job' abroad; the difficulties, but also rewards, of a portable career; some of the professional identity issues and stereotypes associated with trailing spouses; modern technology... and more.

If you still have stamina, you might like to also check out Jeff's interview with Bertrand Fouquoire (founder of DualExpat.com). Bertrand's website is in French, but the interview is in English. A HR Professional by background, Bertrand's goal is "to develop an international network for dual-career expat partners, plus help match companies with expat talent".

But wait, there's more...

Jeff also has interesting interviews with Terri Williams (of Seneca Coaching Solutions) about the job search process: interviews; resume-writing; negotiating the job offer etc. And I am sure he will add more in the future.

If any of these topics interest you, maybe listen to these talkcasts in the background, while you are working on other things, like I did...

Thanks Everyone and best wishes for your day/evening! Andrea