Talking Point: Effective migration policies aid in expat management

In spite of all the pluses and the attractiveness of working in India, a person of non-Indian origin faces challenges when their stay in India is for a long term.

Right from designing an employment contract, visa formalities, travel and stay until the accommodation is finalised, relocation of the family, education, healthcare facilities, support systems such as a transport, post-work activities and social circles to finding provisions and driving, the challenges are many for an expatriate. Given the number of expats living in major Indian cities, several agencies have come up in the last decade who provide professional help in mobility and migration of the expats and their families.

It is important to have a clear contract which governs the work of the expat in India. Important aspects include wages, taxation, tenure, provisions of cutting short the tenure and financial support. Also, the terms of contract must be clear about the repatriation process.

The focus should be on mainstreaming the expat employee. Often, lack of clarity about the purpose of getting an expat to work in the team and lack of communication around the responsibilities and any changes which happen as a result of induction of the expat in the team leads to stress at work and drop in productivity in the team. The situation becomes more sensitive than usual, given the differences in culture and norms existing in the company and what the expat employee is exposed to. Hence, the senior folks in the organisation have to organise adequate amount of immersion for the teams so that the new norms get established clearly.

At times, people tend to calculate the cost of expatriation and calculate the returns on the investment. I am not sure if it is easy to calculate! Most often, using an expat employee is for a strategic cause and for the long-term. Hence, it is important that the investments are done well!