International Orientation Briefings

Helping people adapt successfully to a new country and culture is the most difficult part of relocation – and one of our specialties.  We identify and address each individual’s needs so that they can understand the demands of their new role in a new place – and ensure they have the skills and knowledge to be at ease in their new business and cultural environment. Please click on our Family Moving from the US case study for details of a real example.

Working in an unfamiliar culture

Relocating employees need to arrive with the ability to conduct business combining cultural sensitivity with the demands of their specific job. During a face to face meeting with our expert the assignee and their family can ask them any questions relating to their move, topics usually covered include:

• Host culture values
• Cultural values and communication styles
• Causes and stages of culture shock
• Avoiding mis-understandings

For more information click on our Banking executive moving to Mumbi for 6 months case study for details of a real example.

Family/Partner Support

Many overseas moves do not succeed because the accompanying partner and/or children find it impossible to settle into their new environment.  Miserable families make for ineffective employees! To avoid costly mistakes, for companies and employees, areas covered include:

• Making the right decisions.
• Pre-departure planning
• First days
• Settling in
• Adapting and adjusting
• Career issues for partners

For more information clink on our Schools/Education advice link.

Repatriation (incoming and outgoing) Briefings

For many employees and their families ‘coming home’ is just as hard or harder, than the original move abroad  and companies face attrition rates of up to 40% within the first year of an employee’s return.  Repatriation briefings help prevent the loss of valuable skills and experience, protect the investment in the employee and provide support for the family. During a face to face meeting with our expert the assignee and their family can ask them any questions relating to their move, topics usually covered include:

• Causes and stages of ‘Reverse Culture Shock’
• Coping with a different lifestyle
• Re-establishing relationships at work and home
• Financial implications
• Changes in the Education, Government policy, Health and social trends
• Re-entry issues for specific family members: partners, children, teenagers.

Workplace Briefings

Ensuring work colleagues understand a bit about their new colleague’s culture can often help avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, and help the new assignees ‘fit in’ and settle into their post much more quickly.