Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/149047
Relocation furnished accommodations, and personal expenses, among others (see Figure 2 on page 49). Kate DeFrancisco, director of consulting services for MSI, recommends having a policy in place around spouse and family accompaniment. "Some assignees want these short-term assignments to be accompanied, even when the assignment is only a few months. This may considerably increase the costs of the assignment, and for a potentially short period of time, is it worth the investment?" she asks. "I think it's important for companies to be prepared for this request and have a policy around what they will or won't offer." Adidas's Nowicki can vouch for the importance of having a policy around short-term assignment practices. After enlisting these types of programs both formally and informally, the organization decided to move forward with a uniform policy by working with MSI. With up to 25 international assignments a year, Nowicki says there was a need for transparency and visibility. The policy delivers administrative information to the temporarily transferring employee including assignment costs, letter of assignment, family and career support, immigration, culture prep, details of travel to host to location, transportation, insurance, general working hours, vacation time, emergency leave, compensation, allowances, taxation, and guidance for end of the assignment. Providing employees with guidance and coaching during the initial transition should not be overlooked. "Without destination services to help the employee acclimate to the host location, or any form of intercultural training to ensure the employee will be comfortable in this new environment, companies wind up with employees faltering or not succeeding and ultimately the employer's costs escalate to replace individuals on assignment or to recruit and train new people to their organization," explains Graebel's Regenold. And the overarching goal of success on behalf of the organization and the employee should always be considered. "From a talent development perspective, it's also important to provide the assignee with coaching and mentoring during a short-term assignment," says MSI's Rabasca. "This further assists them in broadening their skill sets to a global level and developing a completely different lens than they had previously." Advantage: Short-Term Assignments At a Glance: Short-Term Assignment Stats The recent increase in short-term assignments can be attributed to several factors, explains Cara Skourtis, vice president of global operations for NuCompass Mobility Services. Some include: •A2012WorldwideEmployeeRelocationCouncil(WERC) study found that 66 percent of organizations expected an increase in international short-term assignments in 2014. •costcontrolconcerns(domorewithless) •project-basedworkmightnotrequireasmuchtimeto complete as a traditional long-term assignment •employeedevelopmentprogramscansupportrotational assignments to multiple locations •trainingopportunitiescanbeprovidedtomore employees by distributing that cost across a broader employee base •establishingamoremobile-readyworkforceallows companies to adjust to global economic or political conditions or expand into new markets more quickly [50] HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2013 •AMercer2012 Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices reported that 51 percent of respondents saw an increase of short-term assignments in the last two years, and 71 percent expect an increase in the next 24 months. •AccordingtoWeichert's Employee Mobility Survey, 56 percent of respondents use alternatives to relocation to keep talent mobile, the most common being short-term assignments. •Cartus's2012Trends in Global Relocation survey found that short-term assignments are occurring more frequently according to 38 percent of respondents. •Graebelexperiencedanuptickofabout20percentyearover-year, between 2009 and 2011; and in 2012, this type of assignment doubled in volume.