What many companies do wrong when sending employees abroad
Not every company achieves a high grade in professionalism when it comes to sending employees overseas. An analysis of common procedures for dispatches abroad revealed that many companies commit one of the following seven errors, each of which can jeopardize an overseas project.
1) The wrong visa
Employees are still be being sent off to their destination with only a tourist visa. This can have drastic consequences: Not only could the company face punishment, but the affected employee as well. Prohibition of employment could even result from this. It is thus absolutely necessary to acquire the proper documentation before the trip.
2) Insufficient preparation
Companies that wish to organize their first dispatches overseas are often not properly prepared. Then it may happen that obstacles are suddenly standing in the way of the project - especially when personnel departments do not have the proper experience or capacities.
3) Faulty estimation of costs
When employers have still not acquired experience with dispatches abroad, they often may not realistically estimate the various cost factors. The actual expenses for an overseas project only become clear with the respective insight.
4) Unrealisticperceptions
Both employees and companies alike continue to have unrealistic perceptions of how a dispatch overseas is organized. Employment abroad has nothing in common with a vacation, and the stress factors arising from the relocation to a different culture are often not correctly calculated. The impact on the family should also not be underestimated, because for them this change also often comes with stress. Whosoever is not correctly prepared for the cultural change must deal with the consequences - even if the destination country may be similar to one's home country in some aspects.
5)Underestimating the complexity
A dispatch abroad always depends on a multitude of individual factors and is accompanied by high bureaucratic expense. Employees must tend to a successful transition into the new social security and tax system, and labor and immigration laws can influence the overseas project - which may be negative. Especially if the employee is not familiar with the complexity of the endeavor.
6) Poor organization
Dispatched employees (also called expatriates) continue to feel alone in their requirements and questions. Dissatisfaction is not uncommon in projects abroad and regularly gives companies a poor reputation. No wonder - such disappointments can very easily dampen employees' moods.
7) Botched return
It is especially aggravating when companies do not put in enough effort to positively and smoothly organize their employees' return. The dispatch abroad too often ends with negative feelings - namely when reintegration into the company is not tended to well enough. Many employees thus never seriously consider a dispatch overseas - they have come to believe that the transition is not worth it.