Family, cultural, and social support gaps drive early end to international assignments: Study

• More than half of assignees reported mental health challenges within their first three months abroad.
  
• One in three expect family relocation support from their employer.
  
• Disconnects exist between support provided by employers and what assignees recognise.

As cross-border hiring accelerates in an increasingly mobile world – where 73% of HR decision-makers anticipate more digital nomadism in their workforce over the next five years – gaps in family, cultural, and social support are causing nearly half of international assignments to be cut short, according to new research from AXA Global Healthcare.

The study, which surveyed 689 HR decision-makers and 641 international assignees across 10 markets and three continents over eight years, identified the top three reasons employees ended their assignments early:

• family concerns (49%)
• cultural adjustment (47%), and
• social isolation (47%)

When asked, only one in five (20%) assignees said their family received help with relocation services for their current assignment, yet one in three (33%) expect this type of support from their employer for future placements.

Demand for cultural preparation has also increased by 24%, however actual adaptation support is lagging behind expectations – falling short by nearly 20%. Language training support, for example, was underdelivered, trailing expectations by 12.5%.

Social isolation is another critical barrier, with more than half (54%) of assignees experiencing mental health challenges within their first three months abroad. Many value access to expat forums (27%) and support groups (23%) as tools to ease this transition.

“When we think about mobility strategies, the focus should not only be on business outcomes but on how well we prepare people, and their loved ones, for change,” said Ellen Hughes, Chief People Officer, AXA Health Business.

However, the research highlighted a major awareness gap: employers are providing more support than assignees recognise across all three above-mentioned areas. While only 19% of assignees cited access to language preparation, 36% of HR leaders reported providing it. A similar disconnect appeared in cultural preparation (17% vs 34%), mentoring and buddy systems (28% vs 46%), and expatriate support groups (24% vs 45%).

The report concluded that clearer communication from employers and greater engagement from assignees will be essential to closing these gaps and improving assignment success rates.

“Businesses should design mobility strategies which recognise the full experience of relocation, and individuals must actively engage with the support available to them. By strengthening preparation at every level, we can create the conditions for mobility to deliver on its promise: growth for our organisations and meaningful opportunities and experiences for our people,” added Hughes.