Spouses may be provided with a lump sum, or reimbursed for a certain number of hours of career development support, or they may be given outplacement counseling. During the assignment, Human Resources can take the responsibility for maintaining contact with the expatriate by ensuring that he or she receives newsletters, is copied on key communications, and is linked via e-mail to the corporate intranet and Web site. Prior to relocation and repatriation, Human Resources can also ensure that the expatriate knows who will be responsible in the home or host country for his or her performance review. Human Resources can also develop orientation seminars for returning expatriates that can be scheduled to coincide with larger business meetings. One day prior to the meeting can be devoted to networking, or resume writing and interview skills.
Current expatriates can network among themselves to share information about job availability.
Former repatriates can also be invited to join this seminar to share their repatriation experiences and suggestions for managing the repatriation. Once expatriates return home, Human Resources can take responsibility for debriefing the expatriate about their experience. This may be a formal interview, an audiotaped or videotaped discussion, or a paper and pencil evaluation. This information can be made available to other expatriates who are planning international assignments to the same locations. Human Resources can also use this information in planning and structuring future assignments for other expatriates.