Offi ces throughout America, Asia-Pacifi c and Europe

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Issue 47

TESTIMONIALSchlumberger Spouses Associati onMuriel Barnier, Program Manager SSA and HSE at Schlumberger, Houston, USA, is interviewed by Nathalie Brotchi, EVP Global Operations, NetExpat Group

Schlumberger Spouses Associati on arti cle conti nues on page 2

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Contents

EDITORIALThe 3 most common mistakes in expat partner assistanceAlain Verstandig, NetExpat President

Current trends are forcing corporati ons to revisit not only what type of expat partner support they off er but also how they off er it. Here are 3 common and painful mistakes to avoid:1. Off ering cash instead of supportWhile 86%1 of organizati ons select a set of programs to support their expat partners, 14%1 are tempted to throw cash at the problem. These numbers are decreasing over the years for the following reasons:

• Cash is oft en poorly used: it might be used to enroll in further educati on programs which are not fully thought through, or spent to buy material objects like fl at screen TVs which will certainly not help their integrati on or make them happier abroad. A cash soluti on doesn’t equip the expat partner with the necessary know-how, career advice or networking skills which are essenti al for a successful integrati on.

• Cash is the simplest but also the most expensive way to off er expat partner support: next to grossing all amounts up, value added taxes and even employer’s contributi on to social security oft en blow the fi nal bill for corporati ons.

2. Having an ambiguous policyDon’t leave your policy short of what your company wants to off er: if you do not specify all the basics (budgets, scope, rules of eligibility…), you’ll soon see a worryingly inconsistent implementati on of your good intenti ons. Don’t be short-sighted: your next generati on of mobile employees, Gen Y, greatly value transparency and equal treatment! 3. Selecti ng a provider unable to deliver a global soluti on Don’t be tempted to search for soluti ons “just for your HQs” and main locati ons: partner assistance will soon be requested wherever you send your employees. With the increasing number of countries now allowing expat partners to work legally, you need a provider able to cover at least 80% of your geographical needs. Country coverage should be part of your requirements when you select a provider!

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organized into about 120 chapters in 51 countries, each having its own Local Board, and gathers about 5000 members globally. The biggest SSA chapters are those of Houston, Al Khobar, Kuala Lumpur and Paris. There is also a global board of 11 SSA members which is vital to the organizati on. They work very hard at supporti ng local chapters and connect with Schlumberger at corporate level. The SSA mission statement is to create and maintain a welcoming and supporti ve environment for all members and their families. The SSA fosters fellowship through ongoing social events and community involvement.

Nathalie Brotchi: Muriel, the Schlumberger Spouses Associati on is an amazing concept created by Schlumberger 25 years ago: can you tell us more about it?

Muriel Barnier: Indeed, the Schlumberger Spouses Associati on, or the “SSA” as we call it, is a not for profi t organizati on funded enti rely by Schlumberger to support its employees’ spouses/partners. It all started 25 years ago with a group of Schlumberger expatriate spouses in Paris, who saw a need to create a support system for one another. Today, the SSA is

Page 1The 3 most common mistakes in expat partner assistanceAlain Verstandig, NetExpat President

Page 1Schlumberger Spouses Associati onMuriel Barnier, Program Manager SSA and HSE at Schlumberger, Houston, USA, is interviewed by Nathalie Brotchi, EVP Global Operations, NetExpat Group

Page 2Self-Employment in Hong Kong: using Networking to build up a successful businessAgnieszka Marczuk, spouse of a BNPParibas expat is interviewed by Sam Pinney, APAC Regional Manager, NetExpat APAC

H1B spouses can now work in the USA

Page 3Best practi ce sharing within German and non-German industriesWinfried Guba, Director NetExpat Germany and Davina Bayless, Global Operations Coordinator NetExpat

Are your global mobility policies “Gen Y ready”?

Page 4Are women benefi ti ng from global mobility?Jonathan Dunlea, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia

Learn more about NetExpatwww.netexpat.com

(1) “KPMG Global Assignment Policies Practi ces Survey 2013”

also how they off er it. Here are 3 common and painful mistakes to avoid:

of organizati ons select a set of programs to support their are tempted to throw cash at the problem. These

Muriel Barnier, Program Manager SSA and HSE at Schlumberger, Houston, USA,

The SSA is a great relocati on resource during transfers. Among other things, they have created departure and arrival informati on kits, moving check lists, informati on for children…

The SSA also acts as an important liaison between Schlumberger spouses and Schlumberger HSE Managers on safety, security or health related issues. The HSE functi on organizes training in chapters on topics such as First Aid,

Malaria, Road Safety and Breast cancer. Some of this informati on is available on the SSA website such as a useful video on Ebola, vaccinati on info for the whole family and plenty of personal security ti ps. The SSA is also one of Schlumberger crisis management stakeholders and has proven to be a great partner during crisis such as the Arab Spring or hurricanes.

NB: I’m sure the SSA has faced a few challenges in the last 25 years!

MB: One of the fi rst challenges was for the SSA to establish their own vision and mission and organize themselves around it. This is sti ll the foundati on of the associati on and one of their keys for success.Staffi ng is also a challenge: the SSA is made of volunteers who are oft en mobile; you have to constantly fi ll in gaps left by those moving in other places. We also tried a few things which didn’t work as we

wished: as a growing number of accompanying partners are men, we strongly encouraged them to join the SSA but most of the ti me they don’t feel they belong.

NB: Could you summarize for those from other multi nati onals, tempted to replicate the SSA organizati on, what you consider to be the key success factors behind such an organizati on?

MB: Again, the fi rst step is to defi ne and communicate a clear vision and mission agreed by both the company and the associati on, followed by a writt en set of Guidelines. Sponsorship

Sam Pinney: Agnieszka, tell us how you got to where you are now as I bet there were a few hurdles to overcome?

Agnieszka Marczuk: It all started in South Korea 5 years ago where we moved with our two children for my husband’s company BNP Paribas: at the ti me we were concerned that this would be challenging, especially for our two daughters who spoke litt le English - now they speak English bett er than I do! It really took some adjustments from us all, especially for me: I had to give

up my job, not only because it was hard to secure a work permit in Korea, but also because my

priority was to support my family with the adjustment. However, we soon became accustomed to the cultural diff erences and even found some similariti es with Poland.

It was very important for me to remain acti ve and do something meaningful: I was involved in sports, ladies’ organizati ons and volunteering at school and I quickly started helping my Korean friends locate business contacts in Europe. I really enjoyed this and soon realized that it could lead to a successful career. Then came our transfer to Hong Kong: you can imagine how

thrilled we were when we were off ered the assignment to Hong Kong. With the help of my NetExpat consultant, the contacts I made in South Korea and the new skills I learned, I am now following my ideas from Hong Kong! Furthermore, my business partners are based in South Korea, so we are able to off er our services across Asia. SP: I was lucky enough to meet you at one of our seminars in Hong Kong. Can you tell us a litt le about how these were helpful in pursuing your dream?

AM: I att ended two NetExpat seminars: “Welcome to Hong Kong” and “Boost your Job Search Networking”. I really enjoyed both as an opportunity to meet new people whilst getti ng advice from the NetExpat consultant, and realizing that we all have similar concerns and questi ons which

we could share with each other. “Boost your Job Search” was very useful and it was amazing how in just four hours we learned how to introduce ourselves, highlight our skills and assets, network, and clearly present ourselves. This was not only useful in helping to fi nd a job, but also in my case, helping me learn how to sell my product in the future without using aggressive sales techniques. I am looking forward to exploring the NetExpat Community and att ending its Chatti nar next week now that things are litt le less hecti c.

SP: You are really well integrated now. What advice would you give to anyone starti ng afresh abroad?

AM: Make sure your enti re family is happy! It is worth all the energy and ti me you put into this.

Start building up a network from which you will be able to identi fy the people you can trust and rely on, and who will become your friends. This is also true for the kids - it’s really important to work on your network, and reliable friendships will come out of it.

from senior company leadership and strong partnerships with representati ves at locati on level will also be key success factors.

You will need to ensure that your corporati on will fi nancially support the associati on with yearly budgets, which are, all things considered, reasonable. You will then need the volunteers: you need to reach a criti cal mass of employees with spouses willing to contribute their ti me, skills and energy in each of your future chapters.

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SUCCESS STORYSelf-Employment in Hong Kong: using Networking to build up a successful businessAgnieszka Marczuk, spouse of a BNP Paribas expat is interviewed by Sam Pinney, APAC Regional Manager, NetExpat APAC

Schlumberger Spouses Associati onconti nued from page 1

Sta� ng is also a challenge: the SSA is made of volunteers who are o� en mobile; you have to constantly � ll in gaps le� by those moving in other places

It was amazing how in just four hours, we learned how to introduce ourselves, highlight our skills and assets, network and clearly present ourselves

H1B spouses can now work in the USA!Great news: as of May 26th 2015, spouses of H1B visa holder will be allowed to work in the USA! Spouses of L1 were granted this access to the US job market years ago. NetExpat experts will be delighted

to help and guide any expat partner interested in working while in the USA.

H1B spouses can now H1B spouses can now work in the USA!

interacti ve conference. This event was undoubtedly fruitf ul for all, leaving parti cipants with food for thought and ideas to bring back to their colleagues. “All speakers were well-chosen and very professional. The potenti al for discussion during and aft er the contributi ons was just perfect” shares Erika May-Lütgenbruch, Head of Internati onal Mobility, GEA Group AG.

“The feedback we received once the conference was over was so positi ve and beyond all our expectati ons” said Winfried Guba. This was more than enough for the co-organizing committ ee Allianz, Deloitt e and NetExpat, to set the date for the next IMT conference which will take place in Hanoveron October 13th 2015. Great corporate speakers are already confi rmed with Allianz, SAP, Schlumberger, the US Nati onal Foreign Trade Council and Volkswagen to name but a few.

Registrati on is already open, and the number of parti cipants is limited to sti mulate the quality of the interacti on: if you are interested in joining, please contact us at imt@netexpat.com.

In order to keep up with the Joneses, you fi rst need to know what the Joneses do right. It’s no diff erent in Global Mobility and Talent Management, where inspirati on is possible only through regular best-practi ce sharing among your peers. Spotti ng a gap in the discourse around internati onal mobility practi ces in Germany, NetExpat joined forces with Allianz and Deloitt e to co-organize the fi rst Internati onale Mobilität und Talentmanagement conference in October 2014. As a unique concept in the German mobility landscape, the conference was on invitati on only, restricted to corporati ons and free of charge. Debates and presentati ons ran in both German and English featuring testi monials both from German and non-German internati onal corporati ons.

Germany hasn’t lacked conferences on internati onal mobility enti rely, but while some existi ng formats addressed the

needs of small restricted German-centric groups others were too commercial in nature. “It became clear through exchanges with Global Mobility Managers that

there was a demand for a quality one-day internati onal conference”, Winfried Guba, Director NetExpat Germany explains.

Through this event, Internati onal Mobility Directors, Compensati on and Benefi ts Directors and other Talent VPs, were able to gain insight into leading practi ce from renowned companies such as Bosch, Conti nental and Lesaff re. This didn’t just include what we all do right: the whole climate of best practi ce exchange allowed corporate parti cipants to also look into what they are

less comfortable with to seek inspirati on from others. As Gudrun Kipp, Director Compensati on and Working Conditi ons at Robert Bosch GmbH, comments:

“We found it very enriching and were able to gather real inspirati on for our own work.”

Through candid discussion, parti cipants shared their experiences and learned not only how large internati onal corporati ons handle internati onal mobility, but also how medium and smaller ones with less than 200 expatriates cope with their own challenges managing mobility.

The sti mulati ng and confi denti al atmosphere facilitated a truly

CONFERENCE IN GERMANYBest practi ce sharing within German and non-German industriesDavina Bayless, Global Operations Coordinator NetExpat and Winfried Guba, Director NetExpat Germany

� e potential for discussion during and a� er the contributions was just perfect

We found it very enriching and were able to gather real inspiration for our own work

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WHITE PAPERAre Your Global Mobility Policies “Gen Y Ready”? As corporati ons conti nue to navigate the waters of an ever evolving global workforce, one of the hott est topics today revolves around the newest generati on to enter the job market – Generati on Y. What makes this new generati on ti ck? What’s important to them and what is no longer a deal breaker when it comes to accepti ng assignments abroad? We address all of these questi ons and many more in the latest NetExpat white paper featuring Generati on Y in global mobility. With contributi ons from Boeing, Conti nental, Proctor & Gamble, PwC and Schlumberger, these internati onal corporati ons share their insight on how their organizati ons are proacti vely changing and adapti ng their global mobility policies to win the bid for top Gen Y talent in the future.

As corporati ons conti nue to navigate the waters of an ever evolving global workforce, one of the hott est topics today revolves around the newest generati on

What makes this new generati on ti ck? What’s important to them and what is no

We address all of these questi ons and many more in the latest NetExpat white

With contributi ons from Boeing, Conti nental, Proctor & Gamble, PwC and

Internati onal experience can be crucial for att aining senior leadership roles in multi nati onal organizati ons, yet only one in four outbound expatriates from Australia are women. This lack of internati onal exposure at criti cal points in their career may be unintenti onally limiti ng women in their career progression.

Bias ‘hotspots’Assumpti ons about female candidatesManagers appear to expect a lack of availability, suitability and willingness from women to take internati onal assignments. These assumpti ons may result in women being overlooked before the selecti on process has even begun.

Interesti ngly, these assumpti ons do not stand up to scruti ny – research shows women are no less interested than men in internati onal assignments.

Lack of formality in internati onal assignments management The use of formal or structured candidate recruitment and selecti on in global mobility is surprisingly low. 55% of respondents said they initi ated the opportunity themselves or found the opportunity through personal networks and/or informal communicati on. This closed and informal approach to candidate selecti on negati vely impacts female candidates. Furthermore, when there is a pressing need to fi ll an overseas role, managers will typically select someone on their immediate radar, and someone similar to them. Given the imbalance between males and females in both expatriate and leadership positi ons, this approach to candidate selecti on will perpetuate the gender imbalance via the selecti on of a “mini-me”.

Some soluti ons• Work on governance - Internati onal assignments should no longer be isolated projects assigned in a hurry and should be factored into the career plans of workers with high potenti al. • Timing is everything - Women are more likely to take up assignments earlier in their career, before the age of 40. Organizati ons should identi fy high performing females at junior levels, to increase their likelihood of accepti ng a longer term, more strategic role later on.• Increase engagement - The more committ ed a female employee is to her employer, the more willing she will be to accept an internati onal assignment. The opposite is true for men. Making accelerated development programs available to female employees early in their career can increase commitment, and improve both the quanti ty and quality of female assignees.• Focus on locati on, not durati on - The level of development in the host country, cultural diff erences, and politi cal risk are of greater concern to female assignees than males. Working with candidates to identi fy suitable host locati ons will have a greater impact on female parti cipati on than focusing on short-term mobility.

• Champion your role models and social networks - High profi le, successful female leaders with internati onal experience should be made available to play mentoring roles to potenti al and current female assignees.• Tackle the dual-career issue – Look to include spousal support (e.g. help to fi nd jobs and learn the local language) as a core, non-negoti able benefi t in assignment policy. Fixing the gender pay gap could also give women more leverage when negoti ati ng with their partners potenti al internati onal assignments.

NetExpat is a global leader in assessing, training and coaching expatriates and their partners. We provide expat partner support, expat coaching, intercultural training and expat assessment to over 200 multi nati onal corporati ons in 70 countries where we have a local presence. Our ulti mate goal is to assist corporati ons and expats in achieving successful international assignments, whether the move is for three months, three years or on a permanent basis.Web site: www.netexpat.com e-mail: info@netexpat.com Sp

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Supported by

3MACNielsenAdeo Leroy MerlinAir LiquideAirbusAlstomAmadeusAREVAAstraZenecaAuchanAVIVAAXABacardi-Marti niBASFBayerBD Biosciences Europe

BMWBNP ParibasBoehringer IngelheimBoschBPBristol-Myers SquibbBSHCapgeminiCargillCaterpillarCGG VeritasColgate PalmoliveConti nental AGCorus Group plcCredit SuisseDanisco

Deloitt e Touche TohmatsuDexiaDiageoDeutsche BankDuPontEDFEgisEssilorEuroclear Bank ExxonMobilGDF SuezGeneral MotorsGivaudanGlaxoSmithKlineGlion IHEGoodyear

HoneywellINGINSEADInternati onal PaperJohnson & JohnsonJungheinrichKraft FoodsLogicaL’OréalLVMHMarsMasterCardMBDA FranceMerck KGaAMerck Sharp & DohmeMethanex

Munich Re NestléNewell RubbermaidNissan Europe NyrstarNYSE-Euronext PerkinElmer Pfi zerPhilip Morris Internati onalPricewaterhouseCoopersProcter & GamblePSA Peugeot CitroenPuratosReckitt BenckiserRocheRolls-Royce

Saint GobainSanofi -Aventi sSchlumbergerSolvaySonyStandard LifeSWIFTTchiboThalesThe Body ShopTOTALUBSUCBUmicoreUnileverUPSVallourecVoithWhirlpool…

SURVEYAre women benefi ti ng from global mobility?1

Jonathan Dunlea, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia

Tackle the dual-career issue: look to include spousal support as a core, non-negotiable bene� t in assignment policy

Seven out of 10 female employees want to work outside their home country yet only 1 in

4 expatriates are female.

(1) PwC Australia and Melbourne University’s Centre for Ethical Leadership joined forces to research this issue in depth. Data from interviews with HR leaders, online surveys, academic literature and PwC’s expatriate tax client base explored the potenti al barriers and bias behind the low female parti cipati on rate in global mobility.