As companies strive to balance cost containment with developing both international markets and new global leader candidates, the use of short-term assignments will clearly become even more popular to accomplish these goals. Short-term assignments typically range from three-to-twelve months in length and are often taken on an un-accompanied status with home leave trips built in to the benefits. This reduces the disruption involved in uprooting the entire family including children in school, spouses or partners, elder dependents-even family pets. Unlike long-term assignments, "short-timers" don't have to necessarily address, manage and compensate for such issues as home country residence disposition or management, child education assistance, dual-career assistance, goods and service allowances, shipment and storage of household goods, auto disposition, etc.

Though not as costly or complex as a traditional one-to-five long-term assignment, they are more costly than extended business trips. Short-term assignments need to be well planned and supported to be successful. As such, developing a short-term assignment benefit plans might include consideration for the following benefits depending on one's unique corporate culture and business/assignment/location objectives:

Pre-Assignment Programs

• Candidate Assessment
• Language and Intercultural Training
• Medical Examinations and Inoculations
• Assignment Cost Estimate Projections
• Pre-Assignment Fact Finding Trip
• Tax Consultation/Work Permit/Visa/Passport Assistance
• Expatriate Briefing, Security Briefing and Letter of Assignment

As companies strive to balance lower costs and corporate objectives with retaining top-talent employees, these same employees in turn, strive to balance their own work/life/family issues. While not perfect, short-term assignments offer employees and families a workable alternative. For employers with international assignment opportunities, developing a short-term policy can create a cost-effective program for building a global, mobile labor force.

About the Author For 34 years, we have provided relocation solutions that have made us the outsourced team of approximately 800 clients worldwide. Prudential Relocation has on-the-ground employees in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., France, and Hong Kong. On April 14, 2003, we announced further expansion into Asia with our acquisition of Asian Relocation Management. (ARM). The acquisition of ARM gives Prudential Relocation a presence in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Tokyo. Our international presence has increased our ability to add value and maintain perspective on the overall expatriate administration arena, industry, trends, issues and environment. We believe our service model is a huge differentiator. As we see it, the benefit to our clients is our ability to centralize coordination on a global basis while offering local support to your relocating employees, regardless of where they are around the world.

First Published: Sep 02, 2003