Main motivations for employees to accept international assignments

Taking a job is a hard decision, and moving to a different place is sometimes even harder. This is the reason why relocation candidates usually take a lot of aspects under consideration before settling in for a final decision.

We listed some of the primary aspects employees consider when taking a relocation position, specifically, an international one.

In general,  the assignee and their family also  can benefit from this unique and enriching experience! Let’s take a closer look at the motivations for why employees accept international assignments.

Personal development

With a stronger mental health and self-development mindset emerging, people often perform a self-check and look for areas in which they can improve their skills.

Improve/develop adaptation and problem-solving skills

The relocation process itself requires a lot of planning and replanning. On top of that, moving to a completely unfamiliar place enhances the skill of adaptation. 

Adjusting to a new city, country, or job position can be challenging, but this experience is surely worth it! Learning how to better adapt is  key for one’s success on a global assignment and is also a valuable lifelong tool.

When an employee moves, they are quite likely to face challenges and problems that require quick and wise decisions, and coping with that is another skill most employers or future bosses look for.

Improve communication and social skills

Shifting to another country, getting in touch with a relocation team, and meeting new colleagues, and new neighbors can be valuable though sometimes it requires people to leave their comfort zone for a while.

As time goes by, the associate will be acquainted with the people they encounter in their new international routine without any problems.

Once this adaptation is finished, transferees and their families can take advantage of this new enhancement in their social life.

Culture

Many people are attracted by the idea of getting to know a different culture than theirs. Experimenting with new foods, meeting people from completely different backgrounds, and visiting unknown places are some of the aspirations of relocation position candidates.

New language skills

Alongside the new culture, there is also the satisfying challenge of acquiring a new language or perfecting one.

Learning a new language is both a professional and personal milestone and can guarantee better future job posts and many other opportunities.

Greater responsibilities 

When we think of work relocation, we often assume a transferee has quite a bit of responsibility and that is definitely true. 

An assignee is often a representative of their home country in the company and is required to attend to specific and crucial procedures regarding the relationship between the units of the current and the home country. 

Great professional and personal responsibilities are crucial skills, to  incentivize many candidates to choose global mobility opportunities.

Quality of life

Some countries may attract applicants more than others due to the higher quality of life for the transferee and their family.

Many countries offer high-quality services such as health care and education. These factors can create one more benefit of relocation. 

Weather, security, and things that improve the assignee’s mental health can also be a factor when choosing to apply for an international assignment.

Good companies

Most international assignments are offered by either big multinationals or growing companies of different segments

This trait is particularly attractive to relocation applicants since this implies career growth opportunities may appear soon.

Final considerations

International relocations are highly valuable for the transferee, their family as well as the organization. Behind a couple of challenges, there is personal and professional growth for the employee and of course, the company.

Learn more about this topic:

International Hiring: 4 reasons why an employee would accept your job offer

https://www.allpointsrelocation.com/articles/international-hiring-four-reasons/embed/#?secret=TyQZrA2KaK#?secret=afI345Dv1p

5 Factors not to lose sight of during an International Relocation

https://www.allpointsrelocation.com/articles/5-factors-not-to-lose-sight-of-during-an-international-relocation/embed/#?secret=UTDke1EYKu#?secret=TaA9Kd5pCR
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/06/how-to-attract-international-talent-with-relocation-packages/amp/

Meta description 

Whether an employee goes through national or international relocation, they consider many aspects before choosing this career shift. We listed the main motivators of relocation for transferees.

Relocation expert

Michael Deane

Michael Deane

Helping companies relocate employees & recruits seamlessly, whether it is domestically, cross-border or globally.

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