Global Careers in the Long Run
To retain talented international career couples, employers need a long term perspective. Here we are global (HWAG) is currently doing research on International Career Couples (ICC). Here is a glimpse of some of our results.
From the perspective of the employing company, surveys consistently show that the partner’s career has become the number one factor that reduces international mobility of staff. As result, companies are missing out on a fair number of talented individuals. This does not help in the current situation where skilled workers are increasingly scarce. What is more, these numbers hide a (big) number of talented individuals who are not going to work for particular employers in the first place, because they have given up on international mobility by lack or a valuable perspective for their dual career couple.
Our research thus far has found that companiesare not really grasping the problem. Not that they do not support the mobilityof staff, their partners and family. Many do, yet with a short-term focus. That’ssurprising given the fact that large companies invest a lot in the long-termdevelopment of their staff. For example they offer leadership developmentprogrammes, management traineeships, facilitate MBA programmes or fund tuitionand college debts to attract talent. Most of those investments only pay backfor the employer after several assignments.
A change in perspective is needed
When it comes to facilitating internationalmobility, the focus is on the short term, i.e. how to get the staff member tomove on this particular occasion and this particular location. Some companiesare still rather generous and are bucking the trend of reducing cost inexpatriation. Support from employers for ICCs is limited to short-term, singleassignment support only. Employers are often focused on one individual - theemployee – in order to make the employee mobile for a particular assignment.Hence, even if their a menu of choices, it comes down to a one-size-fits all support usually tailored to“trailing” homemakers or secondary-career partners, not to full-careerpartners. Support mainly concernscross-cultural and language training, information about local networks andsocial activities as well as local job hunting support. All aimed at makingsure the spouse has something to do, after having given up a job to moveabroad. Whereas the expatriation often is supposed to fit a long term careerplan, there is little or no such concern for the spouse.
As a result, some couples end up makingcompromises on their life style, values and identity as a dual career couple. Otherssimply refuse. Companies seem to take this refusal too as a short term thing:they fail to see that the couple misses a long term perspective. They simplyassume that the couple is not mobile now, and may well be in a year ortwo.
What can employers do for Dual Career Couples?
When it comes to ICCs, the obstacles to international mobility nowadays most often arise from the career situation of the one “who is in fact most affected by a move” and “loses” more. Hence the advice is often directed towards fixing the “trailing spouse”. Arguably, as the ICC is first and foremost a couple, in anything the obstacles are at the level of the couple rather than the individual. Solutions therefore need to be found at the couple level. Consequently, rather than the trailing spouse the couple as an entity needs to redefine their identity or rebrand their profession.
About the authors
Jannie Aasted Skov-Hansen (Danish) is a Human Resource professional, specialized in global people mobility. She heads up here we are global - an evolving global community and international HR consultancy.
Dr. Paul Vanderbroeck (Dutch / Swiss) has a background of managing talent in multinational organizations. He is an Executive Coach specialized in career transitions and women leadership. He is an accomplished researcher and sought-after speaker on leadership and career development.
