INTERNATIONAL REWARD
More females being sent on international assignments
More females are being sent on international assignments than ever before, but they are far less likely to be accompanied by a partner than male assignees, according to a new survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
Companies in Asia-Pacific said they have 16 times more females on assignment than they did in 2001. Their counterparts in North America have nearly four times as many, while those in Europe have over twice as many.
While 57% of the companies surveyed said a partner accompanies the majority of their male assignees, just 16% said most of their female expatriates are.
“The huge growth in the number of females sent on assignment by Asia-Pacific companies reflects the fact that businesses in this region, particularly in China, are becoming increasingly global,” said Yvonne Sonsino, principal at Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
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Growth set to continue
More than half of the companies (55%) expect the number of female assignees to continue to increase steadily over the next five years, while 35% believe the number will remain the same. Just 4% expect it to decline.
“Going on expatriate placements can be an important step on the career ladder, and women are increasingly interested in taking these assignments. Yet many companies’ policies are outdated and do not reflect the changing profile of their expatriates, so assignees’ requirements are dealt with on a case-by-case basis,” said Sonsino.
Though the companies surveyed generally do not have separate policies for female expatriates, the study found some differentiation in the treatment of male and female assignees. For example, 15% of companies said they would not send women to hardship locations such as the Middle East.
Want to know more?
Title: International Assignments Survey 2005/06, Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
Survey sample: The survey covered 104 multinational companies with nearly 17,000 male and female international assignees.
Availability: To purchase a copy of the report from Mercer visit www.mercerhr.com/summary.jhtml;jsessionid=OXMU0L5RI1PIACTGOUFCHPQKMZ0QUJLW?idContent=1087120
Read the press release online at www.mercerhr.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1246090
Mercer Human Resource Consulting is a “global leader for HR and related financial advice and services”. It has more than 15,000 employees serving clients in more than 180 cities and 40 countries and territories worldwide. To find out more visit www.mercerhr.com
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