Are Expats More Devoted to Company Goals? What the Research Shows
Research on mobile employees consistently shows higher engagement, satisfaction, and productivity among staff who take on international assignments.
Nestlers Group Editorial Team
Global Mobility Advisory Team
Research into mobile employees has consistently found that staff who take on foreign assignments display higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and productivity than colleagues who remain in their home country. The US Employee Benefit Trends Study, based on a sample of 5,000 employers and employees, found that expats were twice as likely to be dedicated to their job and more likely to recommend their organization as a positive place to work.
What the numbers show
In the same study, 91 percent of expat employees reported being satisfied with their job, compared to 73 percent of colleagues who had not taken on a global assignment. The mobile workforce also showed noticeably stronger alignment with company goals than employees who built their careers exclusively in their home country.
Why the benefits package matters
These results depend heavily on employers getting the fundamentals right. Mobile employees need a benefits package tailored to their circumstances and a smooth transition into their host country to sustain that higher level of engagement. Employers who customize support around each employee's needs tend to see stronger outcomes on a global assignment. That support can include:
- Intercultural training to help employees adapt to a new working environment
- House hunting assistance so employees can settle into a property that suits them
- Support in relocating family members
- Healthcare management in the host country
Each of these factors plays a real role in keeping a relocated employee motivated and satisfied with their decision to take on the assignment.
Why this matters
Global mobility programs carry real upside for employers, and a workforce that is increasingly open to international experience is also increasingly willing to commit to company goals while abroad. Getting the supporting structure right, from benefits to relocation logistics, is what turns that openness into lasting engagement.
Sources: US Employee Benefit Trends Study
Talk to Nestlers Group
Planning to hire foreign workers in Romania?
We'll map the right work-authorization route, document checklist and realistic timeline for your hires — typically within 24 hours.
Talk to an advisorContinue reading
Posting Employees Into Serbia: Social Security Totalization Agreements and the Equivalent of an A1 Certificate
Serbia is not an EU member, so an A1 certificate in the EU sense does not apply here. Employers posting staff from Romania or elsewhere instead rely on a network of bilateral social security agreements, each with its own rules on how long home-country coverage holds.
Nestlers Group Expands Cross-Border Compliance Tracking Across Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Germany
Nestlers Group is extending the case management and compliance tracking technology it operates with its partner xpath.global to cover immigration, tax and relocation casework across all four of its core markets.
Intra-Corporate Transfer Permits in Bulgaria: An Employer Compliance Guide
A practical guide for multinational employers on how Bulgaria's Intra-Corporate Transfer permit route moves managers, specialists and trainees into a Bulgarian group entity faster than the standard work permit process.