| Do your plans for international expansion include | | | | schools, shopping, etc. on their own. |
| opening an overseas office? Your chances of | | | | - Be sure you have all the logistics such as visas, |
| success and profits will be greater if you develop | | | | medical exams, inoculations, clarifying whether or |
| a comprehensive expatriate program before you | | | | not your medical insurance will cover the |
| transfer any employees to a foreign office. | | | | employee in a foreign country, school for the |
| Sending someone overseas to live, even | | | | children, storage of personal property they won't |
| temporarily, is far more complex than sending | | | | be taking, how they will deal with their home if |
| someone on a short-term business trip or even | | | | they own one, etc., in place beforehand. |
| relocating them within the same country. Some | | | | - Set policies on annual home leave and perhaps |
| advice: | | | | paid R&R trips if appropriate. Is the home leave |
| - Decide in advance if the position you're creating | | | | part of the employee's regular vacation time or in |
| will always be filled by someone from | | | | addition to? Will you pay the travel costs for the |
| headquarters, or if your intent is to have the | | | | employee and family members to come home |
| person you are sending overseas identify, hire and | | | | for a visit and if so, how often? |
| train local personnel to staff the facility. | | | | - Your expatriate plan should also include a |
| - Get country-specific tax advice before you | | | | repatriation plan. Most companies simply guarantee |
| spend any money. Consult an accounting firm that | | | | the employee a job when they return from |
| specializes in international tax issues. | | | | overseas, but don't consider what that job might |
| - Provide cross-cultural training for the employee | | | | be. Think about how you're going to use the skills |
| and his or her family. This lets everyone know | | | | the person has gained, how you're going to get a |
| what to expect in the foreign country, and ideally | | | | return on your investment. It's very expensive to |
| should include an advance trip to the location | | | | send someone to work in another country. If you |
| before they actually move. Company-paid | | | | don't have a meaningful plan for when the |
| language training for the entire family--both in | | | | employee comes back, he or she may leave the |
| advance and after the employee moves--should | | | | company and you'll lose that investment. |
| be part of this package. | | | | Sources for information and resources in |
| - Arrange for destination services, which include | | | | developing your expatriate program include the |
| having someone meet the employee and family | | | | U.S. State Department (ask for the appropriate |
| on their arrival, help them get settled and | | | | country desk), the destination country's embassy |
| acclimated, and identify some local resources for | | | | in the U.S., and the U.S. embassy in the foreign |
| them. Don't leave them to figure out housing, | | | | country. |