As the global economy expands, more organizations send their employees on international assignments, but repatriation can present challenges. Employees may need help to readjust to their previous roles and company culture, leading to low morale, reduced productivity, and loss of talent. To ensure a seamless transition, a well-planned repatriation process is crucial. This essay presents a five-step approach that organizations can use to repatriate their employees effectively, facilitating reintegration, skill retention, and an enhanced expatriate experience. Ultimately, this can boost productivity and employee retention.
A Five-Step Approach for Effective Reintegration
The first step is to assess the employee’s performance in Saudi Arabia by evaluating their achievements, skills, and knowledge gained during the overseas assignment. According to Ismail et al. (2019), this assessment should include a 360-degree feedback mechanism from colleagues, subordinates, and superiors. The feedback helps identify improvement areas and could include input from Saudi Arabian colleagues and superiors for a more detailed evaluation. This evaluation identifies areas where employees may require additional training or development to ensure they retain the skills acquired in Saudi Arabia.
The second step is to ensure the employee understands their new role and responsibilities by arranging a meeting with their manager to discuss re-entry into the organization. According to Borsetti (2021), an onboarding program provides returning expatriates with a clear understanding of their new roles. The program could include a review of the job description, performance expectations, policies, procedures, or culture changes, and cultural training to prepare for re-entry. This meeting and program offer an opportunity to set clear expectations and discuss any changes during the employee’s absence.
The third step is to provide the employee with training and development opportunities to integrate into the organization, including new processes or procedures and refresher courses on existing policies and practices. Davoine et al. (2018) suggest reversing mentoring programs as a unique example of providing training to expatriates returning home. This program pairs experienced expatriates with younger employees to transfer knowledge and skills, which helps them integrate quickly and effectively. Employees may require cultural adjustment training to readjust to the U.S. working environment.
The fourth step is to provide a support system for the employee to handle any challenges during the repatriation process. This involves assigning a mentor or coach to provide guidance and support and help identify resources to adjust to the new role and environment. Air & Space Power Journal (2019) proposes a buddy program as another example of support organizations can provide to returning expatriates. The buddy can provide advice and support on adjusting to the new environment and establishing new connections and networks within the organization. The buddy program can help the returning expatriate feel more comfortable and confident.
The final step is to monitor the employee’s progress and provide ongoing support to transition back into the organization. Regular check-ins are necessary to ensure a smooth adjustment and identify areas that require additional support. Aligning for the Future: An interview with Gen. Daniel Hokanson (n.d.) suggests offering a debriefing session as a unique way to provide ongoing support to returning expatriates. The session allows employees to reflect on their overseas assignments, share experiences, and provide feedback on the organization’s processes and procedures. The debriefing session helps identify areas for improvement and enhances the expatriate experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the five-step approach outlined in this essay provides a roadmap for organizations to repatriate their employees effectively. By evaluating the employee’s performance, providing training and development, offering a support system, and monitoring their progress, organizations can ensure a smooth transition for their returning employees. This can lead to increased productivity, higher employee retention, and an enhanced expatriate experience. As businesses continue to expand globally, a well-planned repatriation process is crucial to capitalize on the benefits of international assignments while mitigating the potential challenges.
References
Aligning for the future: An interview with gen. Daniel Hokanson. (n.d.). www.army.mil. Web.
Air & Space Power Journal. (2019). Maximizing Human Capital with Innovative Talent Management Strategy. Web.
Borsetti, A. (2021). Upskilling and reskilling to adapt to an evolving workforce. BenefitsPRO. Web.
Davoine, E., Barmeyer, C., & Rossi, C. (2018). Retaining repatriate knowledge at the crossroads between global knowledge management and global talent management. Management International/International Management/Gestiòn Internacional, 22, 142–154. Web.
Ismail, M., Zulkifly, N. A., & Hamzah, S. R. (2019). The power of shared vision: Bidirectional knowledge transfer between expatriates and host country nationals. International Journal of Business and Society, 20(2), 501–520.