Character traits are key when recruiting for expat assignments
12 November 2014
Just like choosing a new recruit, companies need to carefully consider the investment they are about to make in a selectee for an expatriate assignment. But how do they know whether even the most competent employee will thrive in an overseas environment?
Thu, 13 Nov 2014 | By Sarah MarquetJust like choosing a new recruit, companies need to carefully consider the investment they are about to make in a selectee for an expatriate assignment. But how do they know whether even the most competent employee will thrive in an overseas environment?
Initial research, conducted by business psychologist, trained talent analyst and serial expat Vernon Bryce, suggests there are specific traits common to people who succeed in expat roles.
He said a “technical fit”, based on a candidate’s CV, was brilliant, but an “emotional fit” was also required.
He shared his findings at the EMEA Global Mobility Summit last Friday (7 November) where he told attendees that the traits of successful expats can be broken down into three clusters — inner self, team, and outer self.
When looking at the inner self (I am), a good expat will display the qualities of openness, empathy, positivity and altruism.
For team self (I bring), a good expat will display confidence, flexibility, collaborative thinking and also consider their work to be extremely important.
For outer self (I seek), they will be curious, imaginative, resilient and enjoy learning.
Potential expats can be scored on each quality to determine how appropriate they would be for an assignment.
A person who would make a successful expat should score three out of five on each quality.
However, anyone the expat takes with them (spouse and/or children) will also need to score highly in order for the assignment to be a success for the family unit.
Having the right “trait-fit” is just one slice of the pie too. The assignment also needs to fit the expat’s domestic pattern, health requirements and skills and experience.
In addition, people who are used to living in a number of different environments or have expat parents might make a good fit “not because of genetics but because of their experiences and movements between faiths, between geographies [and] between climates”.
Bryce recommended any company wishing to use such a system to make it available as a pre-interview tool, possibly on the company intranet, so potential expat candidates can rate themselves and any family members.
He conducted the research, which included interviews with a representative sample of expats, from 2010 to 2011 while he was living and working in Dubai.
Initial research, conducted by business psychologist, trained talent analyst and serial expat Vernon Bryce, suggests there are specific traits common to people who succeed in expat roles.
He said a “technical fit”, based on a candidate’s CV, was brilliant, but an “emotional fit” was also required.
He shared his findings at the EMEA Global Mobility Summit last Friday (7 November) where he told attendees that the traits of successful expats can be broken down into three clusters — inner self, team, and outer self.
When looking at the inner self (I am), a good expat will display the qualities of openness, empathy, positivity and altruism.
For team self (I bring), a good expat will display confidence, flexibility, collaborative thinking and also consider their work to be extremely important.
For outer self (I seek), they will be curious, imaginative, resilient and enjoy learning.
Potential expats can be scored on each quality to determine how appropriate they would be for an assignment.
A person who would make a successful expat should score three out of five on each quality.
However, anyone the expat takes with them (spouse and/or children) will also need to score highly in order for the assignment to be a success for the family unit.
Having the right “trait-fit” is just one slice of the pie too. The assignment also needs to fit the expat’s domestic pattern, health requirements and skills and experience.
In addition, people who are used to living in a number of different environments or have expat parents might make a good fit “not because of genetics but because of their experiences and movements between faiths, between geographies [and] between climates”.
Bryce recommended any company wishing to use such a system to make it available as a pre-interview tool, possibly on the company intranet, so potential expat candidates can rate themselves and any family members.
He conducted the research, which included interviews with a representative sample of expats, from 2010 to 2011 while he was living and working in Dubai.
