Rewarding International Assignees

Whilst many employees are excited about the career development and lifestyle changes involved with an international relocation, other rewards are expected.

The nature of workforce mobility is changing with assignment duration and destination support differing from traditional approaches pre-pandemic. Adaptable packages are now a feature of international relocations, and this includes the rewards offered to employees moving to a role in a new country. This is especially important in securing employee retention.

The Nature of Assignee Rewards

Traditionally, rewards have reflected duration, job level and destination location. The level of reward must be sufficient to tempt individuals to move and work abroad for the organisation.

It’s important to acknowledge that individuals will need a tailored approach to their reward package. This will vary according to the duration of the assignment and the employee’s circumstances. Are family members moving abroad too, or is language training required, for example?

Influencing Factors

These criteria should be considered when creating the employee reward structure associated with international relocation:

• Assignment length.
• Assignment pattern – will commuting be required when the employee is based in the new location?
• Is the assignment developmental (career or training) or strategic?
• Availability of employees within the host location.
• How safe or hostile is the new location?
• Potential of the assignee to perform well in their new role – with some of the reward possibly being performance-based.
• Employee wellbeing and caring requirements – such as family needs, housing and education costs.

Once the assignee reward package has been designed, it’s important that any destination services involved are provided efficiently and cost effectively. This helps assignees settle into their new location and role as quickly as possible, with productivity benefits.

Once the relocation and reward package has been agreed, thorough and regular reporting ensures that the nature and level of associated costs incurred during implementation are as expected.

“It’s vital that organisations are in control of the costs associated with their global talent mobility programmes,” says Sarah Huntridge of BTR International. “This extends from individual assignments to quarterly and year-end reviews.”

Would you welcome some expert feedback regarding your organisation’s internal assignment reward packages?

Is it the right time to review your global mobility policy?

Contact the friendly experts at BTR International for an informal discussion without obligation. Let’s ensure your mobility programme meets the needs of your business and your employees, attracting the best talent for your international relocations.