Employers failing to keep top talent as increasing numbers of expats walk out after return to UK - 09/11/2006 - Personnel Today

Employers failing to keep top talent as increasing numbers of expats walk out after return to UK - 09/11/2006 - Personnel Today: "You are in: PersonnelToday.com > Latest News
LATEST NEWS


Email a friend Printer Friendly Comment on this Article
Employers failing to keep top talent as increasing numbers of expats walk out after return to UK
PersonnelToday.com09 November 2006 13:03This article first appeared in Personnel Today magazine. Subscribe online and save 20%.


Companies that send employees on international assignments are failing to capitalise on this investment and losing talented staff through inadequate arrangements for repatriation and professional development
A study of 3,450 expatriates - by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Cranfield School of Management - looked at return on investment in this area and found that, on average, 15% of international assignees (often an organisation's top performers) resigned within 12 months of completing their posting.
As the trend for international assignments increases, organisations are placing more emphasis on selection. On average, a third of new expatriates are in the top performance category as assessed by their company.
Surprisingly, the report finds no correlation between higher pay for expatriates and improved performance. In fact, the higher the pay, the longer assignments tend to last, with some employees happy to prolong an enhanced financial existence abroad, with little incentive to return.
Among the report's recommendations are that home country managers need to retain a stake in performance assessment, establish clear finish dates at the beginning of the assign"