Developed country ex pats and their employers :: Telegraph

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The findings showed that managers willing to go abroad were motivated by developing new skills and leadership qualities. Companies on the other hand placed heavy emphasis on assembling a financial package that made up for the loss of income from a wife or partner but children's education ranked as a more important factor for the expatriate.

Companies, the research report points out, "may be financially compensating where it may be unnecessary to do so. Understanding the personal issues and motivations that are unique to each family and directing measured support towards them should be a more effective approach." Employers also attach more importance to distance from home but expatriates are more focused on how they will adapt culturally.

The differences assume a new dimension when the expatriate returns home. Only 20pc of the companies surveyed acknowledged they handle re-integration well, while 75 per cent of expatriates thought it went badly. Lines of responsibility for returning managers are blurred and most are left to handle reintegration themselves. One in 10 suffered a demotion and only a third won promotion after returning. Only 27 per cent were guaranteed posts back home.

With 75 per cent of companies believing the turnover of ex-overseas managers is no higher than the average for all staff, the researchers question whether employers are "in denial" on the levels of disenchanted expatriates struggling in a new job on their return. "This may reflect both a lack of information on turnover figures for internationally mobile staff and a degree of denial about the impact of international assignment policies," the report said.

More details of the study can be found here.