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China lures expatriates but success hard: study
China is one of the easiest places for recruiters to lure expatriate executives, but is also one of the hardest places for them to succeed, according to a study released on Tuesday.
A survey of more than 140 international recruiters by executive recruitment firm Korn/Ferry International found other popular places for expatriate workers were Western Europe, especially Britain, and North America, as well as Southeast Asia, especially Singapore.
The firm's 10th quarterly executive recruiter index found that the most difficult places to attract expatriates to work included the non-Gulf Middle East, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and South America.
"High-growth emerging nations often offer the greatest opportunities for expatriates, but they can also come with the most challenges," Chris van Someren, president of Korn/Ferry for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.
Reasons that assignments failed included the lack of cultural fit, family or personal issues or a lack of direction from managers, the survey showed.
Things were toughest for expatriates in China, Japan and South Korea, the non-Gulf Middle East, and in Central and Eastern Europe, and South America, the poll found.
But 91 percent of the recruiters surveyed said executives with international experience were either extremely or somewhat desirable candidates.
"Expatriate assignments can be extremely beneficial for developing emerging leaders and for providing solutions for organizations undergoing significant growth or change - but expatriates are clearly not a substitute for local talent," said van Someren.
Recruiters said expatriate programs helped promote better cultural understanding, facilitated the opening of a new branch or office, and were good as a professional development tool.
But expatriate assignments were least effective for addressing local talent shortages, generating new business abroad and improving staff retention.
The poll found the average ideal length for an expatriate posting was about two-and-a-half years.
dacare This entry was posted on October 2nd, 2006 at 07:08:15 am by dacare and is filed under Living & Working in China, Recruiting & HR Tips and Practices, Candidates, Labor and Worker.