Tag Archives: Global HR

HR and Reward Challenges in Developing Markets – Beyond BRIC

Posted on January 20, 2010 by | 5 comments

 

Author:
Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC

We are all hopeful that 2010 will be a better year for business than 2009. When that hoped for upturn finally takes hold, where will your company find growth?  If your company is like many others, the answer to that question points to developing markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where growth rates are higher and opportunities are great.

Growth is Robust
Post-recovery estimates from the IMF for 2010 indicate worldwide GDP growth of 5.7% is expected, while GDP growth in developing countries is expected to climb 9.5%.

Regional comparisons are even more dramatic:

  • Sub-Saharan Africa – 9.6%
  • Latin America & Caribbean – 10.5%
  • Middle East – 14.9%
  • Central and Eastern Europe – 1.4%
  • Euro Zone – 3.6%

As you can see from these figures, growth in the developing world is expected to be almost three times greater, on average, than in the Euro Zone.  Investors have already discovered this; according to Bloomberg Business Week, the top ten performing stock market indices since December 31, 1999 are all developing markets, ranging from 901% gain in Ukraine, to just 318% in Brazil. With potential like this, it’s not surprising that more and more companies are focusing on new markets in these regions.

HR Challenges
The landscape for operating in developing countries is different from what many companies may be accustomed to in Western Europe, the US and elsewhere in the developed world.  For HR, the most prominent challenges are in two areas – talent and reward.

The Talent Challenge
Developing country markets are smaller than big developed country markets.  Fewer employers participate in the market, and not all sectors are represented, but those that do are all vying for the same people – the best talent.  Highly educated professionals are often in short supply, especially those with advanced degrees which are often obtained in the US or Europe.  While professionals may have training and education in a particular occupation, it is very common for these individuals to switch occupations for advancement opportunities.  They become generalists rather than specialists, and switch between sectors often as well.

Leading Employers Play a Key Role
Certain employers are found in a lot of developing countries, and help to define the labor market.  These employers include companies from the banking; consumer products; oil, gas and mining; and telecom and technology sectors.  Many of these companies are global multi-nationals which have been operating in developing countries for many years, and have a lot of experience with the conditions.  The other major players are international public sector organizations.  This group includes employers such as embassies, development banks, multi-lateral agencies such as the UN, and leading international NGOs.

Know Your Competition for Talent
Many private sector companies are surprised when we suggest they consider the international public sector as part of the group of leading employers with which they compete for talent.  After all, what do oil companies or banks have to do with embassies or the World Bank?  The answer is a lot!

International public sector employers are involved in a lot of the same activities as private sector companies.  For example, an MBA graduate being recruited by a consumer goods company for a brand manager role is the ideal profile for an embassy public information officer.  The engineers that the oil sector seeks can be deployed as project managers for infrastructure development funded by the World Bank, or an NGO such as the Global Water Project.  In addition, of course, there are occupations that are common to all employers, in areas such as administration, finance, human resources, IT, etc.  The lesson is to expand your focus in developing countries to include not only companies outside your sector, but some of the relevant international public sector institutions as well.

How Can I Be Competitive?
The second significant challenge for companies in developing markets is figuring out the reward structure.  Compensation schemes are different in each country, but there are some common themes across developing countries which differ from more developed countries.  For example, the span of salary ranges is often much wider than the typical 50% to 67% often found in developed countries.  The differential from one grade to the next can vary dramatically depending on the levels — often the jump from manager to executive can be 35% or more.

Base Salary is Just the Beginning
It is quite common to provide cash allowances, such as 13th and 14th month, as well as transportation allowances or housing allowances in many countries.  In addition, in-kind benefits such as beverages or meals, transportation (commuter buses) and subsidized loans are found in many markets.  The value of allowances and in-kind benefits can be substantial, ranging up to 30% or more in some countries.

Good Market References Are Important
One way to ensure a competitive position in the market is to establish your position with reference to the leaders, using a high-quality compensation survey.  The survey should include values for base salary, cash allowances, in-kind benefits and short-term incentives.  In addition, you’ll need to be aware of the social benefits and other statutory pay practices, how pensions and insurance are provided, and how the income tax scheme influences how compensation is structured.

In Summary
Developing markets are exciting, diverse and challenging.  Human resources professionals need to become aware of the unique market dynamics in smaller developing countries, including the role of leading employers and the complexities of how rewards are provided.

Note:  Birches Group conducts total compensation surveys in 147 developing markets.  Visit our website for more information.

More About Warren

Warren Heaps

Warren on LinkedIn

Developing Markets Compensation and Benefits Group on LinkedIn

Email Warren

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Posted in Africa, Compensation, Developing Markets, Global HR Expertise, International Expertise, Talent Management

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How to Develop Effective International Assignment Policies

Posted on January 17, 2010 by | 8 comments

Author:
Alan Freeman – LOF International HR Solutions

During a recent conversation a colleague shared some frustration she was feeling. “I’ve read lots of articles and attended conferences where we’re told what we “should” be doing with our International Assignments (“IA”) policies on the basis of what everybody else is doing with theirs. What I’m not hearing is how to go about structuring our program in a way that really makes sense for our company. Where do we start? Who should be involved? What steps are necessary?”

“True”, I said. “We hear a lot about best practices such as keeping the spouse happy, increasing flexibility, controlling costs, keeping exceptions to a minimum and conducting benchmarking studies to find out what everyone else is doing. That’s all well and good but if your company sells luxury consumer goods in the best department stores in the largest cities of the world, do you think that practices that work well for mining companies in rural West Africa or at 14,000 feet in the Andes Mountains will be relevant and useful?”

“Exactly – they wouldn’t!” she said, “so what should we do?”

Let’s start with The Prime Directive. Simply put, your IA policies and program exist to help your company achieve its business objectives by having the right talent, in the right places, at the right times, doing the right things. Clearly, your company’s business objectives define what the various “right items” will be. Is this another way of saying you must start by truly understanding your business? Yes, of course!

“OK, that makes sense” she said, “then what?”

Well, now it’s time to go about structuring your program. A process that has proven to work well follows these steps:

Assemble a Policy Development Team

To often, policy development is left up to a Global Mobility department or single HR staffer working in a vacuum.  This generally is not effective. Utilizing teams of key stakeholders provides greater breadth of ideas, broader input from key functions and business operating units, and greater understanding of and buy-in to the end product. The team must be led by someone with significant depth of IA program expertise and include Global Mobility, Tax, Accounting, Payroll, HR Business partners from units that utilize international assignments, etc. Bringing in expert consultants and specialty service providers, e.g. immigration, international tax, global security firms, etc. can pay large dividends as well.

Conduct Benchmarking

There are two types of benchmarking to consider. First, conduct internal surveys of line managers who make use of IAs, and current and former assignees themselves. These groups can provide a wealth of information as to what has been working and what has not. They further can often make great suggestions for new approaches worth considering.

Second, do take a look at market practices through both generally available surveys and, potentially, custom surveys more precisely focused upon your company’s industry and competitors. This can help generate ideas and help gauge competitive positioning. Be careful, however, to not only look at what companies are doing but also to ask how well those practices are working. It’s amazing how many times I’ve heard a colleague say “we do ____” and in the next breath, say “and I’d change that practice in a heartbeat if my management would allow me to!” Another caution about benchmarking is that it’s imperative to consider the policy package as a whole and how the many provisions work together in total. There is a definite tendency toward getting caught up on individual line items and, hence, “lose sight of the forest for staring at the trees”.

Draft a Policy Structure

Put together the first array of policy provisions that make sense given the demographic, geographic and time variables dictated by The Prime Directive. Make sure they integrate and work together in a consistent and holistic manner.

Model the Costs

The first question executive management is likely to ask when the new program is presented for approval is not, “how does it meet our business needs?” It’s assumed that it will. The first question is, “what’s it going to cost?” If you are reengineering an existing IA program you’ll need to show the difference in costs between the proposed and existing programs.

Fortunately, there are many applications and providers that make cost modeling relatively straightforward.

Test Your Ideas as You Go

One of the worst ways to achieve buy-in on your ideas is to keep them to yourself and spring them on someone only at the end. If you communicate as you go through the process, sharing what you’re thinking about and soliciting inputs, that engagement frequently gives the other a sense of having had input and influence on the final product. Those who feel they had input are much more likely to respond positively. Their inputs may well have a lot of value as well.

In a larger corporate environment this could be done via periodic progress update meetings.

Finalize and Implement

In pursuing the steps above, you’ll ultimately obtain approval to proceed. Prepare the necessary communications and implementation materials. If you are reengineering an existing program, you’ll have already determined whether current assignees will be “grandfathered” under their old terms, converted to the new terms, or converted with some sort of buy-out provision.

When you have it all in place, move ahead.

Continually Evaluate and Improve

Finally, when you implement your new program, be sure you’ve also built in metrics and processes for determining how well it’s working on an ongoing basis. You can’t have anticipated everything that will ultimately be encountered and change happens! Be ready to be flexible and make program adjustments “on the fly”.

More About Alan:

LOF International HR Solutions web site

Alan on LinkedIn

email Alan

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Posted in Expatriate Payroll, Expatriate Taxation, Expatriates, Global Mobility Services, Policy Development, Relocation

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Five Secrets to Reduce Benefits Cost, Part 3

Posted on January 13, 2010 by | 3 comments

Author:
George Bashaw – Atlas Global Benefits

I didn’t know you have kids.  Seriously, aren’t you single? I need to see some documentation.

Ok, that is a bit overboard. However, if you want to get serious about saving money on benefits, a dependent audit may be a bumpy but lucrative road.   This blog is the third in a series of five techniques to lowering your benefits cost without changing your plan design or carrier.  Prior posts in this series include Know Your Claims and Duplication of Coverage.

Secret Three:  Dependent Eligibility Audit
The intention of a dependent eligibility audit is to ferret out those who are ineligible for benefits.  Examples of ineligibles may include non-resident step children, college grads who may feel like dependents but technically are not, or the classic unemployed ex-husbands who will not get off the couch, but like an old hound, you feel sorry for them.  Joking aside, these people add up quickly. Finding one ineligible participant in your plan can save up to $6,000 per year.  Finding a slew of them will have a noticeable impact and go straight to the bottom line.

Communication is Key
Caution!  People get a pit in their stomach when they hear the word audit. Second, they do not like sharing personal information. Therefore, the way you deliver the message about the audit is key. In other words, you do not want to blast out an email today saying “proof of your dependent status is due by the close of business Friday.”

Sell the benefits of an audit to the participant.  The participants’ costs are going up and their benefits are getting cut, too.  Explain, as an employer and plan sponsor, you have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure all dependents are eligible, and to misrepresent is fraud.  Therefore, it is necessary to make sure the plans are in compliance.

Steps to Successful Audit

  1. Positive Communication
  2. Communicate at least a month before you start your audit to set expectations
  3. Create a plan and review with your employment attorney
  4. Communicate “the plan” (don’t call it an audit)
    • The definition of eligibility requirements
    • Methods to prove eligibility
    • Halo period where the participant may change status without penalty or embarrassment
    • Final deadline (here is where you may decide to define the nature of fraud)

Please share any stories you have about your experience with employee dependent audits.  If you happen to try one and you do not find any ineligibles, I may respond, “Look closer, the employees committing fraud may have left the building out of embarrassment.”

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Posted in Benefits, Expatriates, Insurance, International Benefits

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Five Facts About International Schooling

Posted on January 12, 2010 by | 4 comments

 

Author:
Liz Perelstein – School Choice International

Most companies sending employees overseas offer some kind of cross-cultural training.  But we rarely think of cross- cultural training for school children, even though education can be a make or break issue for many families considering an overseas assignment.

As you can see from the facts below, even expats who send their children to international schools encounter cultural differences that may be significant, and may clash with family customs.  Schools – local and even international – are a microcosm of the culture they inhabit.  Without understanding the host country’s educational system children can be disadvantaged in the admissions arena, in academic performance and in the ease of transition.

Consider these facts:

1) Did you know that 8th graders in Belgium, Korea and Japan do not use calculators in math classes?

Curriculum differences like these make it hard for children trained on calculators to adapt to local mathematics instruction in these countries.

2) Did you know that German parents give their children a Schultuete, or a cone filled with treats on the day they start first grade?

Children unfamiliar with local customs can feel awkward or embarrassed, affecting the transition to their new school.

3) Did you know that in Brazil children either go to school in the morning OR in the afternoon?

Spouses may find it difficult to work in countries with a school schedule alien to them.

4) Did you know that Saudi Arabia is enforcing a law that requires expat children to attend a school of their own nationality?

Many families choose a curriculum other than their national curriculum, often to preserve curriculum continuity with former or future schooling.

5) Did you know that admissions for 4-to-10 year olds for New York City independent schools requires an entrance examination that is ONLY administered in New York City?

Admissions opportunities may be limited for children if parents are unaware of requirements.

To learn more about educational customs in different parts of the world, visit our School Choice International blog or our Fact of the Week Collection.

More About Liz:

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Posted in Cross Cultural Insights, Expatriates, General, Global Mobility Services, International Expertise, Relocation, Repatriation

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Base Salary – Not So Basic!

Posted on January 6, 2010 by | 9 comments

Author:
Chuck Csizmar – CMC Compensation Group

Ever find yourself confused when asked to provide an international employee’s annual rate of pay?   Compared to the US, you will find scant uniformity between countries as to when and how monies are paid to employees, and this diversity can lead to confusion, misreporting of data and the potential for internal equity squabbles.  It is especially a concern when a US Manager attempts to hire a foreign local national without being certain of country-specific pay practices.

To a US employer, the term “annual base wage” or “annual salary” is simply the cumulative amount of payroll dollars (regular paychecks) dispensed over a twelve month cycle.  However, in many parts of the international community, it’s a bit more complicated.

Numerous countries consider statutorily required or common practice holiday (vacation) pay and Christmas (December) payments as part of what they term “basic salary” – which they report as a monthly calculation.  So what is the annual salary?

Defining Your Terms

In the US, annual salary is a common reporting term, an identifier to the company and the employee of the value paid to each position. To quote an annual salary is common practice.

The trick when considering global practices is to remember the distinction between the two annual terms:

  • Base pay – the amount of non-incentive wages or salary paid out over a twelve month period for work performed
  • Basic pay – the amount of non-incentive wages or salary paid out over a twelve month period for work performed, but including additional payments (usually in monthly increments) not directly related to the work effort

Some US companies prefer not to deal with the issue, relying instead on the US model of quoting an annual salary – then dividing by the total number of monthly payments due in order to calculate the monthly gross paycheck.

A client of mine once insisted on offering a candidate 75,000 euro, but no more for a key position.  When informed that in Belgium an extra month (13th) is common, and in fact mandated in many collective agreements, the response was “fine, as long as the total base pay isn’t higher than 75,000 euro.”

That candidate did not accept the position.

Here are a few representative examples to illustrate the diversity of practices across the globe.

  • Singapore:  While a 13th month payment (Annual Wage Supplement) is not mandated, it is common practice.  Executives typically receive 1 to 2 months pay as an additional bonus.
  • Mexico:  Companies are mandated to give employees a Christmas bonus equal to 15 days pay.  Common practice is to grant 30 days.
  • Peru:  Employees are entitled to a 13th and 14th month bonus; the 1st extra month is paid in July and the 2nd in December
  • Italy:  In December, employees are paid a Christmas bonus equal to a month’s salary.  In many contracts a 14th month’s salary is included and is paid in June.

The extra payments are not rewarding work performance, but typically provide extra monies for either vacation time or Christmas.  These practices are not commonly followed in the US.

What to do

To avoid confusion when dealing with local national employees it is helpful to talk in terms of monthly pay, the term commonly used by the employees.  No matter how many monthly payments are made, for whatever reason, simply multiply the payments to reach the annual figure.  To your international employee that is considered an annual pay entitlement, though not an annual salary as practiced in the US.

When reading compensation surveys make sure to check the definitions used; oftentimes the survey will report both an annual salary and a “guaranteed annual cash” – the latter inclusive of holiday bonuses and extra month’s pay.

Avoid setting a US-style annual salary and then dividing by the number of required payments to derive a monthly pay.  Instead, determine what you will pay on a monthly basis and multiply those payments by country-specific statutory requirements and common practice to derive (build-up) the annual salary.  It’s a bit more confusing for US companies, but it will be more meaningful for your international employees and likely save you employee relations issues down the road.

More About Chuck:

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Posted in Compensation, International Employment Law, International Expertise

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Five Secrets to Reduce Benefits Cost, Part 2

Posted on December 18, 2009 by | Comments Off on Five Secrets to Reduce Benefits Cost, Part 2

Author:
George Bashaw – Atlas Global Benefits

I developed five secrets to lowering your benefits cost without changing your plan design or carrier. Out of the five, I am confident at least one will help you. I posted the first one last week.  Here is number two:

Secret Two:  Duplication of Coverage
Every year, I find a new plan that has duplication of coverage, where a company is  paying for a benefit more than once.  This is most common in very large companies, and ones that that have experienced multiple mergers.

Case Study: Duplication of Coverage
Last year I discovered that a new client had three  Employee Assistance Plans (EAPs).  Of the three, they only knew about two of them, and communicated only one to the employees.  One EAP plan was a rider attached to a long term disability contract.  Another was a rider attached to the international expatriate medical coverage.  The third was a standalone EAP plan.

We decided to scrap the standalone plan and keep the two riders.  We felt the rider on the expat plan served the international employees needs far better than the other two plans.  Further, we decided to keep the rider on the LTD plan.  Even thought it was a rider, it was a good plan and it was less expensive than the standalone plan.

Financial Impact
Cleaning up the duplication of benefits in the scenario above took about two hours to analyze and saved my client about $50,000.  Even though the savings was insignificant in comparison their total benefits cost, we would not have reached our goal ($500,000 of total savings) without eliminating the duplication of coverage.

Scour Your Plan Designs
Have someone take the time to look at all your plans and see if you can find a duplication of coverage.  Who knows, you may be paying for something two or three times.

I would love to here where you have found duplication of coverage.

More about George:

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Posted in Expatriates, Global HR Expertise, Insurance, International Benefits

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Ten Tax Tips for Twelve-Thirtyone: Year-End HR and Payroll Actions for Global Mobility

Posted on December 9, 2009 by | 4 comments

Author:
Claudia Howe – Global Mobility Tax, LLP

Wow!  Where did the year go?  Now that it’s almost over, HR and payroll professionals are working hard to finish out the year.  In the world of expatriate compensation and taxation, here is a reminder list of 10 things to do before December 31 (for our international readers, I realize this will be a bit US-centric, but hopefully useful nevertheless):

Tip #1: Pay all taxes due for jurisdictions that do not have a 12/31 year-end
Some countries have different year-ends, for example:  Australia = June 30,  Hong Kong = March 31,  New Zealand = March 31,  UK = April 5,  South Africa = February 28.

If taxes are not paid throughout the year or by 12/31 (especially in the first year of assignment), the employee or the company (for tax equalized assignees) may lose out on claiming important foreign tax credits on the US tax return and could have a nasty surprise at April 15.  This is due to the fact that the US only allows tax credits on the US return against taxes paid or accrued during the tax year.

For example:  Suppose you have an expat from the US in the UK since June 2009 and have not quite been able to get regular monthly UK tax payments set up.  If  UK taxes have not been remitted to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (aka UK tax authorities) before 12/31, they cannot be claimed as a credit on the US return, causing temporary (and potentially permanent) double taxation!

Tip #2:  Pay all US taxes due through payroll
Perhaps you are aware of a very large January bonus that was not withheld at the top marginal rate and on which a US tax payment  should be made to avoid the underpayment penalty.   What are the options to make the payment?

  • Option 1:  send a check in the mail to the IRS with an estimated tax payment voucher (1040-ES – Q4, due January 15).
  • Option 2:  make the payment through payroll before 12/31.

Best choice?  Option 2.  When making payment through withholding, the IRS will treat it as evenly paid throughout the year and this will minimize/eliminate estimated tax penalties that could otherwise apply.

Tip #3: Update your tax accruals
Year-end budgeting is in progress.  If there are liabilities out there – be it US or foreign tax liabilities that will come due, it is important to accrue for them so that the financials are correct and also to avoid surprises later on.

Tip #4: Review relocation Gross-ups
For folks that were relocated during the tax year but are not tax equalized, a relocation gross-up should be processed if the company promised to pick up the taxes on the taxable items such as temporary lodging, temporary transportation, etc.  Many major relocation companies will do this for you, or will at least give you the amounts to be grossed-up.  Tax professionals can also be useful here especially if you are relocating an executive with the expectation of no tax detriment:  your 25% supplemental rate would likely not cover that tax bill and you could end up with a disgruntled exec at tax time in April.

If you process gross-ups at year-end, don’t forget to send a courtesy email to the employee informing him/her why the last paystub or the W-2 looks so much higher all of the sudden.  And be sure to process the payments of withholding through payroll (see Tip #2, Option 2 above!).

Tip #5: Review expatriate compensation details for W-2 inclusion
The tricky part of expatriate compensation is that it is usually not delivered all from one location;  many items such as housing, children’s education, local tax payments, etc.  are paid from the host location and are not channeled back to US payroll for inclusion in the W-2 (which, of course is required by law:  all compensation no matter where or how paid must be reported to the IRS on the W-2).

It is especially at year-end that I am reminded that our colleagues in payroll are indeed the unsung heroes of corporate America:  they are expected to deliver correct payroll on-time with 100% accuracy all the time – talk about stress! And no-one stops by to say:  “Thanks, Andrea, for getting my W-2 right – I know it must have been a challenge”!

Tip #6: Review withholding on US bonus, commission and equity compensation payouts
For US expatriates on assignment in a foreign location, remaining on US payroll, usually federal (and sometimes state) withholding will be turned off.  In lieu of the actual withholding, a hypothetical tax withholding for tax equalized folks is implemented or a fixed withholding amount for the foreign jurisdiction is taken out of the pay.  Since oftentimes these are fixed dollar amounts per paycheck, the withholding on bonuses or commissions are easily overlooked. Better late than never – now is a good time to review and ascertain that the correct amount of withholding has been taken out of these type of payments to ensure that the employee does not owe the company or the governments any underwitheld amounts.

If actual federal/state taxes are withheld from executive or high-income taxpayer’s bonus and commission payments, and if the person is tax equalized, you will want to ensure that taxes were withheld at the highest marginal rates, not the 25% supplemental rate.

Tip #7: Finalize your Authorization List
Make sure to finalize the list of employees that are eligible for tax services and let your tax service provider know before 12/31.  Delays beyond that date could delay the kick-off for the tax season.  Then your employees could be left wondering if their taxes will be taken care of – or not?

Tip #8: Sign your Engagement Letters

Your tax firm may not be able to provide services until they get that signed engagement letter back from the company.  So better check with the person who signs the letter to make sure it get out and not hung up in legal or procurement.  Again, delays could cause problems for your employees.

Tip #9: Solicit the completed 2009 travel calendars from all assignees
This can be coordinated with the tax firm you are using; the travel calendar is one of the most important items in the tax preparation process.  Most will supply you with an automated calendar at the beginning of the year to make this process easy, but of course, your assignees have to use the tool!  Tax firms spend almost half of the tax preparation time on reporting compensation in the correct format and sourced to the correct jurisdiction.  The travel calendar is a key item needed for this exercise as well as to determine tax residency status, qualification for tax exclucsions, etc.  The earlier the tax professionals can get their hands on it, the better!

Tip #10: Don’t forget to enjoy the holidays!
We all tend to get very stressed at year-end – it is a hectic time, after all!  But sometimes we do have to remind ourselves that we need to take a deep breath, sit back, and relax…and enjoy the Season!

Happy Holidays!

More about Claudia:

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Posted in Expatriate Payroll, Expatriate Taxation, Expatriates

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Expat Selection: It’s Not Just Skills

Posted on December 2, 2009 by | 4 comments

Author:
Bruce Alan Johnson and R. William Ayres – Bruce Alan Johnson Associates (Pty) Ltd

Bruce Alan Johnson

Bruce Alan Johnson

Bill Ayres

[Editor’s Note:  We are happy to welcome Bruce Alan Johnson and Bill Ayres as Guest Authors.  Bruce and Bill have extensive experience working with companies to help understand how business is conducted in different cultures.  They are the co-authors of the book Carry a Chicken in Your Lap: Or Whatever It Takes to Globalize Your Business]

A large American corporation sent a senior executive to reside in an African country known for its wide religious tolerance, as the general manager of the company’s regional operations.  Managerially speaking, the man was qualified. But he brought with him a zealous sense of religious superiority that manifested itself as rigid intolerance.

In his first week on the job, he screamed at Muslims who were in a corner observing one of the five prayer times of the day, and then at Sikhs whose heads were traditionally wrapped.  By the next week, more than a hundred employees had walked off the job.  Some of them brought in government authorities to the site.  In the meeting that followed, the executive said that he would accept crosses as jewelry and pins, but no other expression of religious identity!  Even though the officials tried to explain the supreme importance of religious diversity in their country, the response was an arrogant assertion of “rights” that the executive claimed he had.

Of course he had no such rights, and a week later the government informed the American corporate headquarters that this executive would have to be removed at once, or all government contracts with that company would be canceled and official hearings would be held for the aggrieved workers.  He was recalled, another casualty of the mistakes companies make in sending the wrong people overseas.

Cultural Fit is Important in Expat Selection
Every time we talk to an audience about sending people overseas, we start with one fundamental point: not everybody can do this. Not everybody will be successful in Copenhagen just because he or she did well in Cleveland or Calgary. Furthermore, no magic, single thing guarantees success. The world is a complex place. It would be surprising if we didn’t need complex abilities to deal with it.

But what if you’re coming the other direction—sending people to the United States?  Over the years it has become quite plain that the most costly mistake made by companies sending people to the US has been the blind belief that there are dollar signs instead of “S’s” in the name United $tate$.  The second error lies in believing that a country as stunningly diverse as America is in fact an homogenous market.  America is not just 50 states—it spans 11 time zones, from the westernmost tip of Alaska to eastern tip of Maine.  And its people are so diverse in culture and outlook that domestic companies usually take great care to make sure that the right Americans are matched to the appropriate areas of the country for sales and marketing.  A person who sells successfully in Mississippi will almost certainly be rejected by the more harried residents of New York.

Recently a Middle Eastern company of considerable wealth sent a two-member team to New York City to head their American office.  Not only had neither member of the team ever been to America—both made vehement anti-Semitic remarks almost every day.  Needles to say, they were strongly resented by most New Yorkers, and failed completely.  They were recalled at considerable expense, the company’s reputation in the States tattered.

HR Should Take the Lead!
When it comes to finding the right people—and avoiding the wrong ones—human resources needs to play a critical role.  The reason is simple. Understanding the keys to choosing the people most qualified for overseas assignments is something that most line managers aren’t well equipped to do. Managers’ primary purpose is to get the job done.  Often, this does involve deciding who’s going to do what.  But in the international arena, those decisions are not based on how well you know the technical field or the business goals. They’re based on what you know about your people.

This is where HR can and should play a key role. Arnold Kanarick, who headed HR at The Limited and Bear Stearns, pointed out, “HR isn’t about being a do-gooder. It’s about how do you get the best and brightest people and raise the value of the firm.” Good HR offices are staffed with trained professionals who know how to evaluate aspects of a company’s people to assist tremendously in choosing the right people to send overseas.

To do that requires recognizing a fundamental reality: the world is a very complex place that does not lend itself to packaged solutions.  The primary challenge is finding people who can deal with differences—but what kinds of differences vary widely, depending on where your organization wants to go and what it wants to do.  There are no simple tests or easy systems for scanning personnel files.

So what should you be looking for?  Here’s a profile of what a potentially successful overseas assignee should look like.  Key characteristics include:

  • Matching demographic characteristics (gender, race, religion) to the place they’re being sent.  Different cultures react differently to different sorts of people.
  • Open-mindedness toward difference.  Can the people you’re sending work well with others who are different?
  • Language facility.  People who have no facility whatsoever for learning foreign languages—or, worse still, who actively resist even a modest attempt—should not be sent overseas.
  • Language assumptions.  Anyone who thinks the world speaks English (or their native language), or that the world ought to speak English, should stay at home.
  • Acceptance of the world as you find it.  Anyone infected with the desire to change other parts of the world to be more like their home will definitely do a poor job of representing your business.
  • Tolerance of different ways of doing business.  Just because you didn’t think of it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
  • Time-change tolerance.  The more difficult it is for people to adjust to jet lag, the effects of travel, and time-zone differences, the less they probably ought to do it.
  • Cultural-time Flexibility.  People who understand that different cultures think differently about time, and who can adapt themselves to those cultural differences, will do much better overseas than those who don’t.

So how do you find employees who fit this profile?  There are two keys here: know what you’re sending them into, and know your people.  Choosing people to send overseas can’t be done with a one-size-fits-all checklist.  But a good HR department that does know the firm’s employees, and that does its homework, can make a tremendous contribution in helping companies get the right people in the right places overseas.

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Bruce Alan Johnson Associates

Carry a Chicken in Your Lap: Or Whatever It Takes to Globalize Your Business

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Posted in Cross Cultural Insights, Expatriates, Global HR Expertise, International Expertise, Relocation

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Creating A Global Benefits Strategy

Posted on November 25, 2009 by | 3 comments

Author:
David Bryan – Norfolk Mobility Benefits

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to welcome David Bryan as a Guest Author.  David has extensive experience in international employee benefits, and is currently a Marketing Consultant for Norfolk Mobility Benefits in Naperville, IL.

Change is constant, particularly in the realm of international employee benefits. There is a social time bomb ticking — the number of employees paying into various social security systems around the world is diminishing while the number of recipients is increasing. To defuse this situation, many governments are reducing benefits while raising taxes, thereby shifting the burden to the employer.

Today’s multinational employer is evolving into the transnational of tomorrow as corporations do away with defined headquarters and instead move to regional centers of operations. To meet these and other changes, benefits professionals are implementing global benefits strategies (GBS).  Yet, in recent surveys in which I have participated, nearly 78% of multinational firms have no formal international employee benefits strategy!

Designing Your Strategy
There appears to be more centralization of core corporate functions in light of the global economy.  While authority for certain functions may be retained on a local or regional level, strategy setting is still at HQ.  In the end, as long as the global corporate benefit strategy is being deployed, certain aspects, for example the selection of vendors/contracts, can be left to the local operations.

A Global Benefits Strategy will provide for some of the following benefits:

  • A blueprint of your company’s decisions describing what employee benefit strategies should be deployed for the enterprise.  It is a living, breathing document that needs to be adaptable to change.
  • Agreed-upon policies to create universal understanding and, hopefully, support from the local subsidiaries.
  • A framework for future benefits changes and enhancements.
  • A written strategy which allows employees to see how certain benefits decisions were made, and is very helpful when new stakeholders are brought into the process.
  • Strategies to manage costs; global benefit costs are substantial.
  • An organization-wide reference when trying to understand or drive employee benefits decisions and planning.

Key Elements of a Global Benefits Strategy
Global benefits strategies can take many forms, and range in length and depth, but most successful strategies will include many of the following elements:

  • Global Benefits Committee – This team should consist of representatives from HR, legal, treasury/finance, risk management and, when possible, various global business units. Initially, the committee should meet frequently and agree upon a system of review and evaluation for the work as it progresses. Remember: the more senior the committee representation, the stronger the strategy’s influence on upper management.
  • Statement of Objectives – The team should develop a written, agreed-upon statement or set of statements that defines the overall objectives of the GBS. Some statements try to benchmark by using outside data from consultants (e.g., having benefits at or above the 50th percentile). While data may be readily available in some countries, it may not be in others. Benchmarking can be a useful measurement tool, but benefits professionals need to be aware of the need to obtain consistent criteria across countries.
  • Policy Guidelines – Policy guidelines provide specifics about the various benefits and levels of benefits that support and are tied to the GBS statements. For example, life, accident, disability, medical, retirement and savings plans are outlined with target levels of coverage; and integration with social plans is detailed. Keep in mind, though, that too much detail can lead to guidelines that cannot be applied globally. With medical plans, for example, specific co-insurance percentages may not apply when a supplemental medical plan in a particular country is based on a schedule of fees.
  • Implementation and Review – After agreeing on its strategies and supporting guidelines, the GBS committee must put certain processes in place to activate the plan. Typically, an announcement from a senior-level executive to key, local employees helps gain attention and buy-in. Local buy-in should be targeted to management, HR and, in many countries, should include the Works Councils or unions. This step is critical to successful implementation of any global benefits strategy.

Reaping the Rewards
After the announcement of the new global benefits strategy, a benefits audit is often conducted to educate the central benefits staff about what plans are in place.  For a new company, implementing a GBS is easier than for a well-established firm that must harmonize many plans to create a unified and consistent global benefits strategy. The benefits professional’s role is essential at this stage. Many consultants and insurers offer software packages to assist in this process, although many corporations devise their own audit form to meet their specific needs.

Set procedures need to be in place to implement, review and enhance local plans. Usually, one individual has a certain dollar amount of approval authority to exercise any latitude permitted by HQ (for new and/or enhanced benefits). The more senior the individual, the more authority. Local benefit needs — and wants — must be measured against predetermined criteria. This authority can be with corporate, local or both, as set forth in the GBS.

Along with these approval procedures, established communication chains must be followed. In cases of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, reliable benefits data (pension reserve, for example) must be readily available. Pre-established lines of communication will help in this type of scenario.

In most instances, resources are scarce, resulting in a decentralized approach.  In spite of this, there have been more than a few “ideal” GBS roll-outs.  An announcement, then an audit, followed by site visits from benefits staff to bring the local plans into compliance with the new philosophy is a typical, effective approach.

Taking the First Step
While global benefits strategies can be similar, each company must tailor one to fit within its industry and corporate HR philosophy. The first step in this process is creating a shared vision for a GBS that is flexible, simple, legal and tax compliant. Further, it should integrate governmental social plans with new or existing supplemental plans provided by the company.

A multinational enterprise must look after its global employee benefit plans.  We all are under the budget microscope.  However, a well-articulated global benefits strategy will enable HR to manage benefits resources globally and ensure a compliant and competitive benefits approach in every country.

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Preparing Your Company for a Global Pandemic

Posted on November 23, 2009 by | 2 comments

Author:
Mariana Villa da Costa – Littler Mendelson

Over the last decades, we have seen new infectious diseases appear, some of which could kill millions of people within days: mad cow disease, bird flu, SARS, Hantavirus, Ebola, dengue fever, and most recently, spread of the H1N1 “swine” flu.  In 2009, the World Health Organization declared H1N1 a pandemic.  As of November 15, WHO reports that H1N1 is present in over 206 countries and territories globally, and over 500,000 cases have been documented.  The pandemic raises many HR issues, especially for global employers.  Why?

The workplace is an ideal place for spreading disease, from the common cold to the serious swine flu, as people are in a close daily contact, sharing printers, telephones, eating together in the office’s kitchen, and, most of the time, breathing the same, re-circulating air.  Every company strives to keep its employees healthy and safe, not only for their own benefit, but also to ensure its operations continue full force.  Let’s highlight a few of the issues companies need consider when preparing a plan to address a global pandemic:

Go global, but do not forget local!

Companies can draft a global, standard pandemic plan, but you still need to account for different laws and regulations in the specific countries or regions where you operate. So make sure your company reviews any local employment and health laws before implementing the plan, in order to avoid potential legal issues and liabilities.

What’s in the plan?

Every global pandemic plan must address at least these issues:

  • Communication – Procedures on how an employee must inform their employer of a disease and steps the company needs to take to ensure immediate safety for the sick employee and the other employees.
  • Discipline – How the company should deal with employees who refuse to go to work for fear of getting sick, and measures for abusive and unfounded absences.
  • Privacy – How the information about a sick employee or a sick family member must be managed, including required government reporting.
  • Shut Down – If a shutdown of the company facility becomes necessary because of the spread of a contagious disease, the company needs to define, according to domestic laws, how employees will be paid and alternative ways to keep the employees working.
  • Travel issues – Your plan should address issues related to employees traveling for work to risky locations.  The plan should cover the conditions when travel should be deferred or suspended. It should also address how employees traveling for personal reasons should deal with a potential contagious disease in order to protect the rest of your workforce.

Adapt, adapt and adapt!

Once you have your broad global pandemic plan, consult a local or international lawyer to draft specific provisions and re-write any conflicting ones, just like most companies do for their other global policies, such as Codes of Conduct, discrimination and harassment policies.

Tell your employees!

Communication is key.  Make employees aware of the implementation of a global plan by preparing presentations and/or training on the issues addressed by the plan. Use simple, common language to make sure employees understand the plan and are not alarmed by it.  Be sure to communicate the plan in all the common local languages in each country.  Encourage employees to take the information home and share it with their families.

Get Involved Now!

HR staff plays a key role in creating and implementing a plan to respond to a pandemic.  In addition to helping draft the plan and organizing implementation of it, Global HR must also focus on:

  • Education – Develop plans to educate employees in the prevention and spread of contagious and potential pandemic diseases in the workplace – signs, training, providing hand sanitizing, etc.
  • Partnership with the Community – Work closely with local health departments and other officials to take advantage of their resources, and secure a role for your company in community prevention efforts.
  • Awareness – Make employees aware of the resources available to them for prevention and cure under the company’s health care plan or clinic, national health insurance, and other resources.
  • Policy Updates – Review and update sick leave policies to address a pandemic situation (for the employee and to take care of sick family members).

As you can see, there are many things to consider in developing a plan to address a global pandemic.  I hope this article provides you with a good start in developing a plan for your company.  Don’t forget that any global plan must be carefully prepared and reviewed by local or international counsel to avoid any liabilities for the company and risks for the employees.

Have you already developed a plan for responding to a pandemic?  Share your comments to enrich the information in this post!

More About Mariana

Mariana Villa da Costa

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Littler Mendelson

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Posted in Benefits, General, Global HR Expertise, Insurance, International Benefits, International Employment Law

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