newsletter - Net Expat

newsletter
Offices throughout America, Asia-Pacific and Europe
Issue 49
Contents
Page 1
High Tech, High Touch
Alain Verstandig, President,
NetExpat Group
The Journey of a Compensation
& Benefits Director in EMEA
Harry L. Wilson Jr., Europe Region
HR Compensation & Benefits
Director at UPS, is interviewed
by Sam Pinney, NetExpat Senior
Manager, Global Client Services
Page 2
Talent Management at the “Big Four”
Frank Hohns, Global Mobility Leader
at PwC is interviewed by
Dr. Winfried Guba, Director
NetExpat Germany
The Journey of a Compensation
& Benefits Director in EMEA
Second part
Page 3
Talent Management at the “Big Four”
Second part
Mobility Assistance for New Hires
in Cross-border Moves
Peggy Smith, SCRP, SGMS-T
Worldwide ERC® President & CEO
Page 4
The Lean Performance Approach
In International Mobility
Emmanuel Sander, International
Mobility & Compensation and
Benefits Director at Servier is
interviewed by Anne-Laure Budin,
Director NetExpat France
Learn more about NetExpat
www.netexpat.com
EDITORIAL
High Tech, High Touch
Alain Verstandig, President, NetExpat Group
You should have all heard about the PartnerJob Explorer™ by now: after 3 years of research and development,
the PartnerJob Explorer™ was released last year and has become the largest and most powerful job search
website in the world, providing over 200 million job opportunities to expat partners and all internationally
mobile employee partners. The PartnerJob Explorer™ is a prime example of constant technological
progression as it is a project we have pushed at NetExpat for over 10 years, but until recently, we lacked the
technology to make it possible. Screening 58 000 job sites, sorting job opportunities by language spoken,
location and industry, and all this in less than 3 seconds,
were some of the challenges we were facing. In early
2015, a few technological breakthroughs and a very skilled
team of computer engineers allowed us to redesign the
programing and release this technological beauty.
So, is this more proof that technology might replace us
all as human beings? On the contrary. A career expert, in
addition to the PartnerJob Explorer™, is absolutely essential
in assisting relocating partners to decipher job ads, provide
guidance on adapting their resume/CV, tailor application
letters, and above all, help build trust which is essential for
successful job interviews.
The PartnerJob Explorer™, paired with the expertise of a Job Search Consultant, is the perfect example
of the way technological breakthroughs are changing the lives and job expectations of thousands of
relocating partners!
CORPORATE VISION
The Journey of a Compensation & Benefits Director in EMEA
Harry L. Wilson Jr., Europe Region HR Compensation & Benefits Director at UPS,
is interviewed by Sam Pinney, NetExpat Senior Manager, Global Client Services
Sam Pinney: Harry, as one of the most senior HR officers
at UPS in the EMEA region can you start by telling us
your “UPS story”.
Harry Wilson: I started at UPS 26 years ago in
Philadelphia and I’ve worked my way up: I started
working part time in the UPS operations while studying,
then joined HR and relocated for the first time in 2006
from Philadelphia to Baltimore. This was a US domestic
move but it helped me grasp the nature of challenges
you face in these short but challenging moves as I hit
Baltimore and its high housing market. In 2010, I moved
to Nashville, Tennessee and in 2014 came here to
Brussels. I supervise a team responsible for all moves in
and out of Europe with all the associated talent aspects.
I have a wide range of responsibilities which connect me
to all my HR colleagues across Europe.
The Journey of a Compensation & Benefits Director in EMEA article continues on page 2
Ò
1
BEST PRACTICES
Talent Management at the “Big Four”
Frank Hohns, Global Mobility Leader at PwC
is interviewed by Dr. Winfried Guba, Director
NetExpat Germany
Winfried Guba: PwC is a major
player in consulting and one of
the Big Four auditors. Tell us
more about PWC and your global
presence?
PwC aims to provide our best
people with international
experience. But as no partner
likes to see their best people
go, it can take some time to
release our talents from their
client engagements for an
international assignment
Frank Hohns: PwC is a global
network of firms in 157 countries
with more than 208 000 people
in 756 locations worldwide. In
2015 PwC was rated as a leader in
strategy and business consulting
and ranked as one of the most
attractive employers worldwide.
At the moment we have more
than 2 200 people on long-term
international assignments. In terms
of organization, we strive for a
higher degree of regionalization.
In Europe we have established
PwC Europe with territories like
Germany, the Netherlands, Austria,
Belgium and Turkey working more
closely together. There are also
other regional networks.
WG: In a network of independent
firms, how do you ensure global
development, harmonization and
use of HR developments linked
to Global Mobility and Talent
Management?
FH: For Global Mobility we have
global processes in place, which are
binding for all regions and business
lines. We are currently reworking
our global policy and as project
leader I have to ensure coordination
with the numerous stakeholders.
We follow a step-by-step approach
with sounding boards consisting
of representatives from the most
important territories and regions
as well as the three service lines,
The Journey of a Compensation & Benefits Director in EMEA
continued from page 1
SP: What surprised you when you arrived in Europe?
HW: One of the first mazes I had to navigate was the medical coverage we
offer to our expats: coming from the US where things are expensive but
standardized, I have discovered countless medical coverage combinations
depending on the home and host locations of our mobile employees.
Alongside our traditional expats we see the emerging need
for more experienced senior expats close to retirement: our
businesses see tremendous expertise in them
This is not helped by the substantial disparities between national social
security systems within Europe. Some medical coverage included an
international plan, others offer it as a “top up”, and then there were those
that offered no more than the local country coverage. This variety is not
only a challenge to administer, but also induce differences of treatment
between our UPS expats which forces UPS to pick up the gaps and play
the role of reinsurer to guarantee good and equal medical coverage to
all of our European expats. My role is to normalize this situation, which
of course is not comfortable or appropriate for UPS.
Another eye opener was the configuration of allowances between low
and high inflation countries within Europe: UPS has a growing number
of expats coming from non-traditional countries in regions like Turkey,
where inflation rates can reach 8%. It is not always easy to explain
the negative impact of inflation to those expats whose income is not
protected against high inflation in their home country.
This variety in medical coverage is not only a challenge to
administer, but also induce differences of treatment between
our UPS expats which forces UPS to pick up the gaps
SP: Do you see an evolution in UPS international mobility within
Europe?
HW: Yes, I do. Alongside our traditional expats we see the emerging need
for more experienced senior expats close to retirement: our businesses
see tremendous expertise in them. We’re testing mobility packages for
them with flexible home leave allowances and flexible benefits to make
international mobility appealing to these senior talents, without costing
a fortune to UPS.
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We all know that mobile Gen Y employees expect quick
exposure, that work/life balance is important to them, as
is the career of their partner
A second emerging trend which is definitely not just impacting UPS is
at the other end of our age groups: our Gen Y are growing in numbers
including within our expat population. They are very keen to move
abroad but definitely need their package to be adapted. We all know that
mobile Gen Y employees expect quick exposure, that work/life balance
is important to them, as is the career of their partner. We would like to
validate all of these concerns with specific focus groups to understand
what will engage them in a mobile career and the type of support UPS
needs to put in place for them. I’m curious to see how diverse their
feedback will be across Europe.
International mobility is a wonderfully dynamic area: it can become a game
changer for those corporations that are doing the right thing. Our objective
at UPS is to continue to look for new and innovative ways to stimulate
successful mobility while keeping this central question in mind: “What do
we want to achieve when we send employees abroad?"
i.e. Insurances, Advisory and Tax.
Talent Management is a local
responsibility which is embedded
into a global competency model
(The PwC Professional). One of
the five attributes of the PwC
Professional is what we call “global
acumen”, i.e. competence to
operate and collaborate within a
One of the five attributes of
the PwC Professional is what
we call “global acumen”, i.e.
competence to operate and
collaborate within a mindset
that transcends geographic and
cultural boundaries
mindset that transcends geographic
and cultural boundaries. An
international assignment is a good
way to gain and increase global
acumen. Therefore, we work hand in
hand with our Talent Development
department in selecting candidates
for international assignments.
WG: Is international mobility easier
or more challenging for organizations
based on a partnership model as at
PWC?
FH: Actually, at times it can be
both. Partners in a partnership like
PwC are “owners” of the company
and they are responsible for the
success of their business unit and
for the success of PwC as a whole.
Their main interest is to provide
the best service to their clients
and they need the best people to
do the job. If there is an immediate
client need, international mobility
can happen very quickly. Beside
immediate business interests,
PwC aims to further develop our
best people and provide them
with international experience and
global acumen. But, as no partner
likes to see their best people go
- even if just for a limited time
period - it can take some time to
release our talents from their client
engagements for an international
assignment.
WG: How do you see the repatriation
and succession planning challenges?
FH: First of all the business is
responsible for this difficult
task. However, it is up to HR to
support the business by applicable
processes. At PwC, Global Mobility
tracks the status of the assignees’
repatriation, i.e. checking the
“Who”, “When” and “Where”.
This process starts twelve months
before the return and we share
NEW HIRES
Mobility Assistance for New Hires in Cross-border Moves
Peggy Smith, SCRP, SGMS-T Worldwide ERC® President & CEO
The headlines say it all: in today’s business
environment, a shortage of talent and skill
sets are a constant in global news. And while
HR is still very much in the drivers’ seat when
it comes to building a company’s workforce,
employers who understand the importance
of a strong workforce mobility strategy are
innovating the way they attract, recruit and
retain new talent.
In fact, in the 2015 Report on New Hire
Mobility Assistance from workforce mobility
association Worldwide ERC®, 85 percent of
the respondents noted that they find the
current global labor market quite challenging,
with nearly 60 percent indicating that they
are finding it increasingly difficult to hire the
talent they need. About one third took it a step
further, saying they are engaged in “an all-out
war for talent for certain jobs.”
The “war” that is raging is particularly true in
high-tech sectors, such as IT and engineering.
81 percent of companies reported difficulty
recruiting globally for executive-level technical
positions, and nearly three-quarters said they
struggled to
fill technical new hire spots. The main drivers
of challenges included competition among
companies for talent, an inadequate supply
of qualified candidates, cost-of-living/housing
considerations, and dual-career and/or family
issues.
One certain way to continue to build the
right workforce is for companies to integrate
effective new hire mobility practices and
strategy into their HR plans
There are a number of reasons that companies
move new hires across borders. Three of the
most often cited are shortages of particular
skills, to engage in knowledge transfer, or
for training and development. This is where
mobility is often woven into a company’s hiring
strategy: new hire mobility assistance is used
as a recruiting tool by 60 percent of employers
who responded to the new hire survey. Nearly
half of the new hires reflected in the survey
were classified as permanent moves; while
about one-third were long-term assignments
of a year or more. About 15 percent were
assignments of less than one year, and a small
number were rotational assignments.
The survey revealed that the most popular
type of global new hire mobility occurs with
permanent moves, and companies might use a
single or tiered policy approach in this instance.
35 percent of companies use a single policy
for all new hires, regardless of level, and 20
percent offer a menu-driven program, in which
hiring managers or new hires select various
forms of assistance from a list of options.
an overview with all service lines
including the added skills and
development of the returning
expats. This overview is featured by
a traffic light system, which means
we flag the returning expat with
red when the new position is still
unclear, with yellow when a new
position is under discussion, and in
green when everything is clear. A
large network like the PwC network
provides lots of opportunities.
Therefore, not every assignee
repatriates upon assignment
completion. Some decide to
localize at their host firm, others
may change sides to our clients.
Our objective is to keep at least 90
percent in the organization after
one year of return, 80 percent after
two years and 70 percent after
three years.
A tiered policy, most frequently differentiated by
salary grade or job level, is used by one-third of
respondents. Tiered policies are based on a list
of options provided for permanent moves, and
assistance can vary according to whether a new
hire is entry-level, experienced or executive.
Global assignments and moves are a significant
investment for a company, so in a dynamic
business environment, what happens when a
new hire leaves the organization after having
been moved? Nearly 80 percent of employers
require all new hires relocated across borders
to sign an agreement to pay back mobility
expenses, should they move on within a defined
period following the move (most commonly 24
months). More than half of companies prorate
the amount to be reimbursed, and only 23
percent of companies reported having had to
enforce their payback agreement in the past
two years.
The main challenges included competition
among companies for talent, an inadequate
supply of qualified candidates, cost-of-living
considerations, and dual-career and/or
family issues
Demographic shifts, an increasingly mobile
workforce, Baby Boomer departures from
the workforce, smaller generations of young
workers and low population replacement will
keep competition for talent at a problematic
level into the future. One certain way to
continue to build the right workforce is for
companies to integrate effective new hire
mobility practices and strategy into their HR
plans and programs, to remain competitive,
facilitate knowledge transfer and continue to
attract the skills and talent that help them grow
wherever they do business around the world.
3
Our Clients
3M
ACNielsen
Adeo Leroy Merlin
Air Liquide
Airbus
Alstom
Amadeus
AREVA
AstraZeneca
Auchan
AVIVA
AXA
Bacardi-Martini
BASF
Bayer
BD Biosciences Europe
BMW
BNP Paribas
Boehringer Ingelheim
Bosch
BP
Bristol-Myers Squibb
BSH
Capgemini
Cargill
Caterpillar
CGG Veritas
Colgate Palmolive
Continental AG
Corus Group plc
Credit Suisse
Danisco
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Deutsche Bank
Dexia
Diageo
DuPont
EDF
Egis
ENGIE (GDF Suez)
Essilor
Euroclear Bank
ExxonMobil
General Motors
Givaudan
GlaxoSmithKline
Glion IHE
Goodyear
Honeywell
ING
INSEAD
International Paper
Johnson & Johnson
Jungheinrich
Kraft Foods
Logica
L’Oréal
LVMH
Mars
MasterCard
MBDA France
Merck KGaA
Merck Sharp & Dohme
Munich Re
Nestlé
Newell Rubbermaid
Nissan Europe
Nyrstar
NYSE-Euronext
PerkinElmer
Pfizer
Philip Morris International
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Procter & Gamble
PSA Peugeot Citroen
Puratos
Reckitt Benckiser
Roche
Rolls-Royce
Saint Gobain
Sanofi
Schlumberger
Solvay
Sony
Standard Life
SWIFT
Tchibo
Thales
The Body Shop
TOTAL
UBS
UCB
Umicore
Unibail-Rodamco
Unilever
UPS
VALEO
Vallourec
Veolia Water Technologies
Voith
Whirlpool
IMPROVEMENT
The Lean Performance Approach In International Mobility
Emmanuel Sander, International Mobility & Compensation and Benefits Director
at Servier is interviewed by Anne-Laure Budin, Director NetExpat France
I involved my whole team to translate the Lean
performance approach into International Mobility
and Compensation & Benefits realities
ALB: You recently reorganized your department: tell us
more about this inspiring journey.
ES: International Mobility and Compensation &
Benefits department handles extremely complex
topics: we touch on a multitude of legal, tax, social,
and international issues, not to mention the human
side of managing mobile employees and their families.
In order to better serve our internal clients, Servier’s
expatriates and BU, I decided in 2014 to set up an
innovative performance approach within my team.
I’ve been very much inspired by the “Lean model” in
which the core idea is to maximize value for internal
clients while minimizing waste and improving
communication within my team. My performance
approach was inspired by the Industry Department
which, from 2009, had set up the SPI approach
(Servier Performance Improvement) on all industrial
sites, in 8 countries for 2300 employees. The aim of
the initiative was to "develop people and increase
competitiveness". Eric Dugué (former Deputy Director
of Industrial Performance and now Transformation
Project Manager in the Transformation Direction)
confirms that this initiative was first greeted with
uncertainty. Step by step it generated excitement
within the teams, because the approach has actually
led to lower inventory levels, a reduction in the time to
serve the customer and the production costs, a fall in
the number of accidents, eliminating non-value added
tasks, and improving the ergonomics of workstations
and workers by giving them more autonomy.
4
ALB: How did you implement the performance
approach in your department?
ES: I involved my whole team to translate the Lean
performance approach into International Mobility and
C&B realities, making
best use of the skills
of each member. For
example, we have set
up concrete tools like
a visual animation
performance tool to
share
information
better, closely follow
all
projects
and
actions, and focus on
results and clients’ satisfaction: this has led to tons of
improvements. We have introduced an expatriation
satisfaction survey and we have implemented an
action plan for each assignment including various
formal meetings: a “first appointment” with the
expatriate starts it all, immediately followed by a
report sent within 48 hours, and subsequent meetings
15 days, 3 months and 1 year after the beginning of
each assignment. The expatriate now systematically
receives tax advice before and after expatriation. We
have also strengthened the immigration and relocation
process: intercultural training and coaching for the
expat and the partner are automatically offered with
NetExpat. Communication has been improved, with
our employees now being informed via interactive
documents. At the very end of this entire process, a
satisfaction survey filled in by the employee validates
the level of our services and those of our selected
service providers.
This initiative has also brought us closer to our
assignees: in France, we invite each incoming expat
and his/her partner to a dinner to welcome them and
answer all their questions. We organize intercultural
breakfast sessions in small groups to stimulate their
integration and we have launched a nice newsletter
dedicated to expatriates.
We have been the first ones to implement the Lean
performance approach within the HR organization at
the Servier’s Head Office, which is now part of a wider
transformation project requested by our President.
This Lean performance approach has not only enabled
us to simplify our processes and provide a better service
to our internal customers, but it has also rejuvenated
our whole team!
Supported by
NetExpat is a global leader in
assessing, training and coaching
expatriates and their partners. We
provide expat partner support,
expat
coaching,
intercultural
training and expat assessment to
over 400 multinational corporations
in 70 countries where we have
a local presence. Our ultimate
goal is to assist corporations and
expats in achieving successful
international
assignments,
whether the move is for three
months, three years or on a
permanent basis.
Web site: www.netexpat.com
e-mail: [email protected]
Spring 2016– ISSUE 49- Responsible editor: Alain Verstandig, Avenue Louise 287/11, B 1050 Brussels - Office of deposal: Brussels X - P2A9744
Anne-Laure Budin: Emmanuel, who is Servier and
what are your responsibilities?
Emmanuel Sander: It was in 1954 that Jacques Servier,
Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Pharmacy, then
aged thirty-two, took over a tiny pharmaceutical
production company with nine employees, in
Orleans, France. Today, Servier is France’s leading
independent pharmaceutical company and the no.
2 French pharmaceutical company in the world, with
21 400 employees in 146 countries. I have been the
International Mobility & Compensation and Benefits
Director since 2005 with a team of 10 employees from
5 different nationalities.
Within our department we manage 145 international
assignees.