On the surface, the use of a candidate assessment program for a costly and resource-heavy endeavour such as an international relocation seems like a logical business move. However, the numbers indicate a glaring disconnect between the need for, and use of, formal selection programs.According to a Worldwide ERC study on Support and Retention Strategies, 54 per cent of companies cite “employee not a good fit for the assignment” as the top reason for a failed assignment, BUT 81 per cent of companies do not conduct assessment on either candidates or their accompanying families prior to sending them on assignment.Skimping on the behind-the-scenes processes, such as an adequate candidate assessment and coaching program, hardly makes sense when the consequences of a failed assignment can have significant consequences far beyond the mere cost of squandered financial resources. A failed assignment as a result of an inadequate candidate selection can also have a potentially negative impact on productivity, and company morale.Given that it is unlikely that anyone will fit the exact mould of the perfect candidate, it is important that your company has access to the necessary scope of resources that can assist in helping set them up for assignment success, such as cross-cultural training, coaching, mentorship programs and spousal services. These programs can go a long way towards sculpting a candidate into a well-prepared, empowered assignee, poised to succeed.

Talent management + global mobility

Traditionally, the candidate assessment process was performed behind the scenes; HR would select possible candidates from a talent pool, assess their suitability for an assignment, and then hand off the selected assignee to global mobility to begin the pre-departure training and administration.Of late, more companies are seeing the value in introducing global mobility earlier in the process, creating a collaborative approach that improves the chances of success, increasing the efficiency of the overall process. Global mobility professionals have the most comprehensive understanding of the classic assignee “red-flags”, and can help identify whether these barriers are surmountable, or can risk jeopardising the success of the assignment.The incorporation of successful candidate assessment strategies is not just applicable to relocation, but can have a positive spillover effect into other components of talent management, such as evaluating an employee’s overall capacity to develop within a company, which effects recruitment and business planning.

Assignment flexibility

Oftentimes, a candidate may not fit well within the pre-defined parameters of the assignment, but if this is discovered early on, it is worth discussing how flexible your company can be with the project structure. In instances where a best-fit and enthusiastic assignee can’t seem to bolster the same enthusiasm from his family when it comes to relocation, companies have successfully re-modelled short-term assignments into a commuter arrangement, or, in other cases, a split-family arrangement can be fashioned through multiple return-trips included within the assignment package.

Monetary assessment

An obvious, yet often overlooked, component of a comprehensive assessment strategy should be the cost; a company should assess the investment of a candidate from a financial standpoint, particular to each assignment. A candidate cost-assessment is typically based on the family size, background, housing status and position, as well as the cost of any preparatory coaching or services necessary to prepare the candidate for the assignment.The cost assessment of each candidate is then compared to the return on investment of the talent. While the financial return on investment is not always instantaneous or short term, as long as the numbers add up over the foreseeable future, then the move makes good business sense.Data Analytics tools are proving to be helpful in organising the spectrum of information regarding the candidate’s background, the assignment and host location to form detailed cost projections, which are effective when used as part of a broad candidate assessment system that accounts for other factors that may not have an assigned monetary value.

Outside the box

The following are innovative best practices for enhancing your candidate assessment program.

Re-assess assignment criteria

Jean Gamble, a recruitment specialist at Jean Gamble & Associates, explains in an interview with Dice, a technology talent solutions company, that too often poor hiring decisions are made because there is a disconnect between credentials, and what is really needed for the position. “The job definition and the criteria for the job are different, and often if you went to the people who actually perform the job, you’ll hear an entirely different description of what it takes to perform the necessary tasks than what’s posted in the job definition.”The same principles should be applied within global mobility through involving current or past assignees and transferees in mapping out the necessary strengths required to succeed, specific to the assignment and the destination location. This insider insight can help identify particular nuances that may not have been recognised by a hiring team in the home location.

Building robust pools!

Be proactive rather than reactive in your talent mobility strategy! Source a best-fit candidate pool of employees who are well suited for an international assignment, and capture this pool within a database.This may involve reaching out to various stakeholders within your company to help identify these candidates, such as business unit managers, who are better aware of who is well suited, qualified and interested in pursuing an international assignment. Involve global mobility early in the process to further advise on candidate suitability. This allows for a more efficient candidate selection process should an assignment opportunity arise.

Self-assessment tools

A self-assessment tool administered before the assignee accepts the assignment can help give inside insight in the most cost-effective manner, as well as empowering the assignee to be involved in the decision process early on. These tools allow employees to gain awareness of their particular strengths and areas of potential challenges when transitioning and adapting to life in a foreign environment.Some companies opt to administer these tools early on, to help the employee assess whether or not an international assignment should be included within their career development plans, empowering them to decide whether to opt-in to potential talent pools.Find out more about TheMIGroupSources^{4 Ways Pre-Employment Assessments Benefit Your Relocation Program, Molly Hammond, 19 May 2016.The Cost of Bad Hiring Decisions Runs High, Fred Yager, DHI Group, Inc.Ask the Workforce Mobility Experts: Candidate Assessment, Laura Levenson, 13 July 2013.Linking Expatriate Assessment and Selection with Talent Management Strategies, Brenda Bellon & Jennifer Rowe, Mobility Magazine.Support and Retention Strategies for Cross-Border Assignments, Worldwide ERC, Sponsored by IMPACT Group, 2012.}

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