Why is Coming Home Sometimes Difficult?

Often we assume that returning home will be a positive and easy experience compared to transferring overseas. Your employees know the location, they are returning to a familiar work and national culture and they will be moving back to social and work networks. However the reality is often different. Changes to both work and society may present a very different environment to the one they left behind.

The work experience they have been focused on may have provided greater challenge and complexity than the job they are returning to, utilizing few of the skills they may have developed while overseas. Research shows that the majority of returned expatriates seriously consider leaving their organizations in the year after their return and many do so. Retention of returning expatriates is a significant issue especially in regard to skills and knowledge transfer and ROI. Cultural Transitions provides repatriation programs which focuses on the following

1. Examine issues of readjustment and to explore ways of dealing with them.

2. Identify personal and professional changes that have occurred during their international assignment

3. Anticipate and make provisions for the impact of these changes during their readjustment period

4. Develop constructive plans for adjusting and becoming more effective at work

5. Identify relationship and family issues which may impact on the repatriation process

6. Support spouses and partners in the repatriation process including the provision of career transition programs to facilitate return to the workforce or development of additional skills.