Most, but not all expatriates know prior to relocation who will be making decisions about their salary increases or promotions, and who will provide them with their annual review. Beyond that, responsibility may become somewhat confused. Clear identification of the roles of Human Resources and line management can provide tremendous support to the expatriate. Sometimes, mentors can play vital roles in assisting the expatriate in coming home, but too often, mentor relationships are unsuccessful. Typically, it is most productive for the Human Resources department to have responsibility for general communication with the expatriate relating to expatriate issues and organizational change.
Line management is responsible for monitoring the expatriate's technical or management performance.
The Role of Human Resources General communication by Human Resources with the expatriate includes assuring that visas are renewed, if necessary, and that documents relating to immigration status are kept in order. Prior to repatriation, Human Resources managers can review what the expatriate needs to do to sell furniture that was purchased while abroad, how to close up the home, and issues related to rental deposits. For those expatriates who have purchased a home, Human Resources managers can review some of the tax issues involved in selling a home and repatriating. The Human Resources department can also develop an expatriate and repatriate newsletter to share stories and experiences that might help other expatriates or repatriates avoid similar problems. One significant difficulty that many expatriates, and particularly those who have been abroad for a significant length of time, experience is planning for their living expenses when they come home.