The effectiveness of a global spousal support programme is strongly dependent on effective communication and strong collaboration between the assigning organisation and the service supplier.
Attractive to all parties
Expatriation can be a very enriching experience for the expat partner; effective support increases mobility; and, thanks to the ROI, providing concrete support is financially very attractive for the assigning organisation.
Communication and partnership
Ellen Jansma, interim global mobility manager with Booking.com, who successfully implemented global spousal support programmes with Heineken and Philips stated: “The two main success factors were communication, both internally and with our expat partners, and the partnership with Global Connection.”
Other positive examples
- Elizabeth Haefner of adidas, Manager International Mobility – Group Rewards at adidas Group, feels that the secret of a successful collaboration is trusting your supplier, so you dare to ‘let go’.
- Increasingly companies see the value in a partnership approach. IKEA Group (see this article) asked in its RFP what we, as the eventual supplier, would require from them to establish a good working relationship.
- One of our other clients empowered us to the extent they didn’t even notice their first 50 cases were already ‘up and running’.
- Another followed our advice to reinforce its communication channels to increase the uptake and effectiveness of its global programme.
On-going innovation
Although we are very happy to have the wind on our back, we never plan on sitting back. Our approach requires ongoing evaluations and experimentation, the exchange of best practices and the introduction of innovations. That’s why a partnership in which we can openly brainstorm ideas and possible improvements is a must.
