Expat Excellence

Shifting the boundaries

We hear it again and again: The world is getting smaller. Rapid expansion of international business is making it increasingly necessary for organizations to deploy workers to foreign markets. Studies indicate that over three-quarters of large and midsize companies send employees abroad; and that nearly half of these intend to increase the size of their expatriate workforce.

However, sending employees to live and work abroad has its risks. New research shows that up to 40% of expatriates employed in a developed country; and that as many as 70% working in underdeveloped countries return from international assignment prematurely. The vast majority of these “expat failures” arise not from an employee’s inability to perform at a foreign workplace; but rather from the inability of the employee, or members of the employee’s family, to adjust to living in a foreign environment.

It is not unusual for the direct costs involved with expat failures to reach $300,000 per employee. Even expats who remain for the duration of their international assignments can cost an employer at least three times the base salaries of their domestic counterparts. In addition, there are indirect costs of an unsuccessful foreign assignment: underperformance, damaged client relations, ongoing negative impact on an employee’s future workplace performance, loss of employee self-esteem, and damage to an employee’s family relationships.

Expat Excellence

Phyleon EAS provides a risk-decreasing program to organizations that maintain an expatriate workforce: Expat Excellence (EE). Expat Excellence is a proactive, integrated program that helps expatriate employees and their families adjust to a foreign workplace and lifestyle. It is also an educational program for managers, to assist them in supporting excellent workplace performance by their expatriate employees.

The benefits of Expat Excellence

• Proactive arrival-to-completion support for expatriate employees in adjustment to a foreign workplace, and living in a foreign environment.
• Proactive arrival-to-completion support for expatriate families in adjustment to living in a foreign environment.
• Proactive support and education for managers of expatriate employees.
• A diverse approach to personal development, facilitating adjustment and excellent workplace performance for expatriate employees.
• A diverse approach to personal development, facilitating adjustment to life in a foreign environment for expatriate employees and their families.
• Seamless and confidential access to mental health services for expatriate employees and their families, if necessary.

What does Expat Excellence offer?

Expat Excellence offers a range of logically integrated services (see figure 1).
The Cultural Acquaintance Training (CAT) begins when expats and their families arrive. They become acquainted with the ‘ins & outs’ of their new environment and the structure of the programme. The Expat Check-Up (ECU) proactively and regularly contacts the expat family to ascertain whether they require support. Continuously during their stay, the employee or family member can call for assistance via the Expat Support Programme (ESP). If specific adjustment issues arise for an employee or family member, referral to our Coping and Resilience Programme (C&RD) can be considered.

How does Expat Excellence differ from regular EAP?

Expat Excellence differs from regular EAP in that it is:
• Proactively responsive. Outreach is provided to expatriate employees and their families upon arrival, reducing the likelihood of issues arising during their adjustment process.
• Broader and more integrated. Not only are counselling services offered; but also personal development interventions for sustainable change and performance improvement.
• Focussed on adjustment and development, rather than on problems.