Most companies focus on employee relocation to the destination during global mobility assignments. However, companies need to pay more attention to the end of the global mobility assignment: employee repatriation.
Employee repatriation is crucial for the assignment’s success. A study by the University of Iowa found that 38% of repatriates leave their company within the first year of their return. Smooth corporate repatriation makes employees feel supported and valued upon their return, ultimately increasing the likelihood that the employee will stay with the company.
Companies can ensure a seamless return to the country of origin by addressing the employees’ and families’ needs. But how do you plan a successful employee repatriation?
What is Employee Repatriation?
Employee repatriation is the process of returning an employee to their home country after completing an international work assignment. This process is a key part of global mobility.
Repatriation occurs at the end of a corporate relocation assignment and involves several logistical, personal, and professional components. Without proper repatriation planning, employees may struggle with the transition, affecting both their job satisfaction and long-term retention.
Which Types of Corporate Global Mobility Assignments Require Repatriation?
There are multiple types of global mobility assignments. The type of assignment determines whether employee repatriation is required.
Long-Term Global Mobility Assignment
Employee repatriation is almost always necessary for long-term assignments that last a year or more.
Employees on these assignments have brought or accumulated many household goods, including furniture, electronics, and personal belongings, which must be shipped back home. Due to the volume of personal items and the emotional transition back home, these long-term assignments often involve more repatriation logistics.
Short-Term Global Mobility Assignment
Short-term assignments, which typically range from 3 to 12 months, may or may not require full-scale employee repatriation.
In many cases, employees live in temporary housing during a short-term assignment. They do not accumulate many personal items, making the corporate repatriation simpler. Sometimes, short-term employee repatriation only involves travel back to the home country. Employees may not need corporate repatriation services in these cases, as no large-scale move is involved—just a return trip.
Global Mobility Assignments Without Employee Repatriation
Assignments that involve permanent international relocation or extended business travel do not require employee repatriation because the employee does not return to their origin country.
In these cases, the employee remains in the new location for many years or occasionally travels to their country of origin for visits without needing a full repatriation process.
International Corporate Relocation Services Required for Repatriation
1. Departure Services For Employee Repatriation
Departure services prepare employees and their families for their return to their home country. These relocation services assist with logistical tasks such as housing arrangements, school transfers for children, and financial and legal matters related to the employee’s relocation.
By offering these comprehensive departure services, companies can help their employees manage the details of the transition home. Destination services for repatriation allow employees to focus on their work responsibilities and family life without the added stress of dealing with relocation issues.
2. Transportation Home
Transportation services are provided for employees’ travel home. These services include booking flights for employees and their families and arranging ground transportation such as cars and taxis.
Transportation should also account for temporary accommodations, meals, and other travel-related expenses for a comfortable and hassle-free journey home.
3. Corporate International Moving of Household Goods
Moving household goods back to the home country can be complex internationally, especially for employees with families. International employee moves require shipments via sea containers or smaller air shipments, depending on the volume of items.
Using a professional corporate relocation company, manage everything from packing to consolidation, customs to storage, and the final delivery of the employee’s personal belongings home.
4. Temporary Housing
Upon arrival in their country of origin, employees and their families may need temporary housing while they search for a permanent home. Families may need corporate housing for about a month as they prepare to move back into their former home or search for a new home.
Corporate housing allows employees to focus on their work while their families settle into the new routine.
How Can Employers Achieve a Successful Corporate Repatriation?
5. Reassess Employee Role and Compensation
Returning employees bring valuable international, management, and industry experience that can greatly benefit the company. After completing an assignment abroad, it’s common for employees to take on a new role or receive a promotion.
Employees who return from international assignments bring a wealth of valuable experience. Their global assignment accomplishes a task for the company and invests in the employee’s management skills, understanding of global industry practices, and the ability to navigate new situations. These skills are a significant asset to the company.
Upon returning, these employees often take on new roles that leverage their global insights or may even receive promotions that reflect their enhanced skill set and increased value to the company.
Companies should consider reevaluating employees’ compensation and roles after corporate repatriation to retain employees after their assignment ends.
6. Cultural Training
When employees are abroad for an extended period, returning to their home country can involve some degree of reverse culture shock. Depending on the length of the assignment, cultural training can help employees adjust to the changes they face upon returning home.
7. Repatriation Support For the Family
Employees’ success in their new role is heavily influenced by how well their family adapts to returning home. Repatriation often brings challenges for spouses and children who may need support with career transitions or school placement.
Offering these repatriation services demonstrates care for the employee and their family.
NRI Relocation Can Manage Employee Repatriation
A corporate relocation company like NRI Relocation specializes in managing the employee repatriation process. Our corporate relocation consultants can handle all the logistical, financial, and personal aspects of the return journey.
Employers should partner with a professional relocation company to ensure successful repatriation for both the employee and their family. NRI Relocation’s expertise makes the corporate repatriation process more efficient and effective, leading to higher employee satisfaction and retention.
With NRI Relocation’s help, employers can focus on retaining top talent while we handle the logistical details of their return home.