Solution
The solution consists of creating a situation in which expats and their families feel oriented, valued, supported and safe from the very beginning.
There is no standard solution for successful assignments.
Assignments fail because of people — and become successful because of people. Therefore, every assignment needs more than individual partial services. It needs targeted support for integration, orientation and security.
This is exactly what the Expatriate Protection and Integration Program, EPIP for short, was developed for.
EPIP accompanies the assignment in three phases — from preparation through integration on site to ongoing support during the entire assignment.
The EPIP consists of three phases
1
preparation
In the preparation phase, we speak with all parties involved in the assignment: management, HR department, legal department, Corporate Security and the first expats who are to be assigned. The aim is to understand expectations, requirements and personal needs at an early stage.
On this basis, we prepare the personal infrastructure in the host country: doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, emergency services, cafés, supermarkets, restaurants, sports facilities, veterinarians, dog-walking areas and other relevant points of contact. We clarify contact persons, locations and routes, develop suitable routes, integrate security measures and train local staff if required.
Existing structures of the company are included. Subsequent expats can be integrated into this basic structure; individual adjustments can be integrated quickly and specifically.
Why is this important?
An assignment is a joint task in which many departments are involved. At the same time, expats and their families in the host country often lack exactly what people need when they start somewhere new: a familiar infrastructure in which they can orient themselves and feel comfortable.
This infrastructure is the breeding ground on which satisfaction, security and performance grow. Building it by one’s own efforts often takes years — if it succeeds at all. The greater the cultural and structural differences in the host country, the higher the hurdles.
With this preparation, we lay the foundation for expats and their families to be able to develop orientation, satisfaction and performance in the host country.
The aim of the preparation phase is to take into account the requirements and needs of all parties involved — and to create the foundation for a new home in the host country for expats and their families.
2
INTEGRATION
In the integration phase, we personally accompany the arriving expats and their families into their new environment. We show them their infrastructure, security strategies and routes and bring them into contact with the relevant contact persons and networks on site.
Why is this important?
Integration does not arise in the seminar room. A new home must be experienced.
The aim of the integration phase is to familiarize expats and their families with their new environment — with an infrastructure in which they can orient themselves, move safely and feel comfortable from the very beginning.
3
SUPPORT
In the support phase, we accompany the assignment until the end. We keep an eye on the situation on site, adjust measures if required and are available to the expats regularly in person as well as at any time via an established hotline.
Why is this important?
During the course of an assignment, new situations, new stresses and new needs arise. Expats need reliable support, stability and security — until the end of the assignment.
The aim of the support phase is to reliably accompany expats until the end of the assignment and to give them stability, security and steadiness.
From the first contact until the end of the assignment, we remain the responsible contact person for all parties involved.
