Often, they are used to maintain contact with the expatriate and to assist them with reassignment planning. The best mentors are people with higher positions, who have been expatriates themselves, willing to put time into their mentoring process and people who have clear understanding of the importance of creating a global talent pool for the company. Actively plan and implement a smooth reintegration of the expatriates into home base Involve expatriates in their own career planning process. Career planning for expatriates is most successful when all levels of the company are involved. Treat expatriates as investments.
Expatriates are expensive, sometimes costing three to four times base salary.
When they leave the organization, the money is lost. They state that according to a recent estimate, there are over 80,000 US expatriates working for their firms in more than 130 countries. According to the Center for International Briefing, 25-40 percent of American managers fail in their overseas assignments. Costs of failure include loss of time and business opportunities, damaged relations with foreign counterparts, and long-term negative impact, upon the firm's reputation in the regional area. Failing expatriates could suffer a major career setback and their personal lives might be put under considerable strain.