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Although attrition is generally viewed as negative, sometimes it can be good for the organization. Here are some reasons why: It helps streamline the organization. When you ask an employee to leave, this also sends a necessary message to the other employees that there is no place for incompetence, which will help improve productivity of those who remain. When less productive employees (or those that are not a good fit) leave voluntarily, this can be beneficial in various ways. For example, this opens up space for entry of new employees, who bring fresh skills, talent and new ideas with them, helping the organization remain vibrant and grow. It is better to rid the ...

Landing an expatriate assignment is like a feather in your cap. When sending you on an overseas assignment, your company is demonstrating its confidence in your abilities and rewarding you for your performance. However, on the personal front this move can be rather challenging. After all, you are leaving familiar surroundings, friends and family behind to live in a place where customs, work habits, food, language, and people are probably radically different from everything you are used to. I find that such circumstances tend to draw families closer together. If you begin your new life with an open mind, eager to embrace the novelty of your experiences, and aware that you are going to be view...

Most organizations offer expatriate roles to people who are perceived to be high-talent and to have high value for the organization. Corporations end up spending a lot on expatriates, often to the tune of up to twice their base salaries; therefore any individual who is offered such a role is, in a sense, being rewarded for high performance. Besides the obvious recognition of your talent and achievements, the work experience that this role gives you is a great addition to your resume. Your leadership and communication skills will increase dramatically; working in a different culture will give your thought processes a certain flexibility that will stand you in good stead wherever you work. Oth...

If you strike up a conversation with the businessperson sitting next to you on a flight or whom you meet at a hotel, and ask where they come from and where they are going, you realize that the number of expatriates that consciously opt to live and work outside their place of birth is increasing daily. In Kenexa, ten years ago we had none, five years ago there were maybe two or three, and now they number about thirty or more. The other change has been that where once the expatriates were usually from among the senior management of a company, now people from all levels and job descriptions are being offered such assignments. In my opinion, it is very desirable for people just starting out in ...