Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/227268
Relocation There's No Place Like Home? Repatriation is trickier than you think. But strategic planning can help. By Gail Rabasca As the talent war escalates with no end in sight, attracting and retaining key employees has become a top business priority. Companies have devised all sorts of strategies to coax the best and brightest on board, and to keep them happy and engaged, including an extensive array of perks. Still among the most sought-after incentives—perhaps now more than ever—is the opportunity of an international assignment. According to the recent PwC survey Talent Mobility 2020 and Beyond, 71 percent of younger workers in Generation Y want and expect an international assignment at some point in their careers. Such assignments can have unforeseen consequences, [40] HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2013 though, particularly when it comes to repatriation and retention. Companies often put considerable effort into deploying employees, but comparatively little in bringing them home. Employees are expected to learn skills that can be leveraged when they return, yet there's typically little or no planning to ensure this. As a result, many repatriating employees do not fare well. Upon return to the host location, they're often slotted into an open position that is available, or are stuck in a holding pattern until something opens up. This leads to tremendous frustration and, all too often, an exit from the organization. In one recent study on repatriate career satisfaction from the Journal of World Business, 28 percent of repatriates