Expatriate Training and Development – Don’t Skip The Soft Skills!
Last Updated on October 26, 2023 / Training & Development
HR Question:
What are the essentials to include in our expatriate training and development efforts?
HR Answer:
There are many things that companies could do to enhance ex-pats’ productivity and quality of life during their overseas assignments with carefully planned training and development activities.
There are two types of training that expatriates need: hard skills and soft skills training. Hard skills are technical areas that are specific to one’s job, such as the level of expertise with computer programs like PowerPoint or Excel. While these are certainly important, the “soft skills” training for expatriates can be even more critical.
In preparation for designing a training initiative for expatriates, you should consider the adopted country’s:
- Language (formal, conversational, and regional differences)
- Cultural mores such as food, dress, and observance of holidays
- Professional expectations such as interactions with high-level staff
- Currency and exchange rates
Language Competency
In advance of an employee actually moving to another country, the employee should learn at least the basics of the other country’s language. Conversational Spanish, for example, will take a person a long way in building a comfort level socially and professionally in South America. Native citizens definitely appreciate a visitor’s attempt to learn to converse in the country’s native tongue.
Navigating Cultural Norms
Expatriates should also be educated about their adopted country’s culture and mores, both socially and professionally. For example, when a colleague first moved to Japan she went to a native islander’s funeral and wore a black suit. She noticed several attendees at the funeral staring and pointing at her! She later discovered that white is the appropriate color to demonstrate mourning…black signifies joy in their culture! She was embarrassed and was sure she offended the deceased’s family.
Professionally, it will be important to prepare your ex-pats to understand and follow good business acumen while working abroad. For example, in some countries, it is customary to get to know potential customers first and to build a relationship before business is ever discussed. In some areas of the world, one does not approach the top person in the organization to discuss a business deal. The business conversation is handled by lower-level managers. Understanding and navigating through these business social norms will be important to your ex-pats’ success.
Understanding Money Matters
The expatriate (and his or her family) also will need to have some education about exchange rates and the currency of their adopted country.
Be sure to include spouses in at least some of the training. A large percentage of expatriate assignments are unsuccessful because the wife or husband is not happy in the adopted country!
Shopping is different in many areas of the world than it is in the U.S. While most shoppers in the U.S. see a sticker price and expect that’s the price they’ll pay, in many countries the stated price is merely a starting point for negotiation. Vendors are offended if the potential buyer doesn’t engage in “haggling” before purchase.
To summarize, it is obviously important for your employees to be trained in the necessary hard skills to do their jobs effectively. However, don’t underestimate the importance of developing and strengthening critical soft skills in your expatriate training and development initiatives to help your ex-pats acclimate to their new work and life experience. As you fine-tune your ex-pat training experience, you may find the Society for Human Resource Management’s best practices to be helpful.
Get your Training and Development program off to the right start by asking Strategic HR to help. We have the expertise to conduct a Needs Assessment and/or recommend training options for your staff. Visit our Training & Development page to learn how we can help you train your employees.
