Going Global: The Dual-Career Dilemma

 
The Global Dual-Career Dilemma*
By Charlene Marmer Solomon
Executive Vice President, RW³ (rw-3.com)  

From the beginning, Terry Paule, an administrative law judge, had a plan. Relocating with her husband (a corporate attorney) and children to Hong Kong, she was eager to launch into this new phase of her life and optimistic about the opportunities that awaited her. She was also aware of the statistics showing that accompanying spouses who relocate globally with their partners, rarely get jobs. But, Paule had a strategy and was hopeful that she would be one of the lucky few. She took time to settle her two daughters into school, set up house, make friends, and then she would pursue job options.

However, Paule wasn’t aware how difficult it would be to work overseas, even in Hong Kong, which is one of the few countries where foreigners can obtain work visas. She landed a position in a legal recruiter  firm, but quickly discovered that the typical schedule–ten-hour-days six-days-a-week–was impossible given the fervent pace of her husband’s work schedule and her parenting responsibilities. This, coupled with his travel schedule, the kids’ long school vacations and home leave back to the States for six-to-eight weeks during the summer, made a full-time job impossible to maintain. Surprised, Paule joined the ranks of other global "trailing" partners in dual-career couples who could not work.

"Having worked my way up in the States to an ideal work schedule, I was astounded by the work culture of Hong Kong—long hours are the expectation. I was not prepared for the cultural difference with the work environment and it didn’t mesh well with a dual-career family situation. Someone had to hold down the family fort, and it had to be me. Even in the reverse situation, I knew several men who had to be the house spouse, rather than have a dual career family with its enormous pressures.

The spouse career is becoming more and more an impediment to overseas relocations," says Marjorie Shorrock, president of Cleveland-based Resource Careers, Inc.  "It is more difficult internationally for a spouse to be able to continue a career in the new location, and this is a greater challenge than ever before."

Take a look at the numbers. The 1999 Global Relocation Trends Survey by Windham International GMAC GRS, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and the International Institute of Human Resources (IIHR) reveals that 69 percent of expatriates are married, with spouses accompanying 77 percent of the time. Of those spouses, 49 percent were employed before an assignment and only 11 percent were employed during an assignment. And, if you don’t think this is a negative factor in relocation, think again. The most common reason listed for assignment failure is lack of partner satisfaction (27 percent), which is directly tied to work.  The situation is only getting worse. 1998 Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that women were 46 percent of the labor force and 53 percent of all married couples with children were dual-earner families. This is * percentage higher than 10 years ago.

Talk to global HR managers, and they’ll tell you this is the top reason first-choice candidates refuse to accept an international assignment. They decline because they can’t afford to lose their spouse’s income or they worry that it may derail the spouse’s career entirely if he or she is out of the workforce for a few years. In most cases, paid work is not available; but as Paule illustrates, it is more complicated than simply the availability of jobs. Relocating dual-career spouses face challenges with cultural differences, lack of support networks to help them with child care needs, language barriers, and even local national supervisors who see expats as transient and don’t want to make the investment in them.

When paid work is not an option, other challenges abound as well. For individuals who want to continue on their career path, it’s tough to follow-through in an unfamiliar place without guidance. Moreover, it’s difficult to unearth volunteer and educational opportunities when you have no network through which to find them.

So, what are companies doing?

Not enough. About 37 percent provide education assistance to spouses; 36 percent establish spouse networks; 21 percent reimburse educational expenses; 20 percent assist with career planning, and 20 percent help to find jobs when possible. Yet 30 percent provide no spouse assistance at all.

However, some companies are taking action. New York-based Pfizer Inc., the pharmaceutical firm is one of them. "We are in such a tight labor market that whatever we can possibly do to ensure a success story, we’ll do." Their program provides a $10,000 allowance to spouses that can be used in many ways. There is also a local person who assists the partner with professional development and locating the types of resources he or she needs. "It is very important to us that the spouse be happy," says Randy Decker Senior Employee Resource Manager for Corporate employee Resources. "You find that if the spouse is not happy, sometimes the assignment itself does not go very well." In countries where the spouse is allowed to work, Pfizer tries to find them a position within the company. Whatever the location, the firm provides career counseling,  and the counselor keeps in touch as needed for a year.

Pfizer also provides cross-cultural counseling and language assistance. To help families deal with the social isolation inherent in international relocation, the company also tries to connect the family with the expatriate community in the destination. 

As daunting as the challenge may seem, companies and their global HR managers know it’s critical to tackle these issues. Some organizations are beginning to consider shorter assignments so they are less disruptive, and some European firms are considering international commuter marriages as alternatives.

Others, like Pfizer, are constructing programs that offer a combination of programs and financial assistance. Some of the ways in which they’re providing assistance are: Helping  them identify transferable skills that will assist their adaptation in the destination; encouraging career development discussions before relocation; assisting with resume preparation; paying for visas when work is a possibility; telling them about volunteer and educational opportunities that will further their career; counseling them about possibilities such as taking a leave-of-absence and returning to the job for specified periods of time during the assignment; providing long-term career counseling and development support; providing names of local spouse centers and counseling facilities; and even exploring collaborations with other global firms for job possibilities.

The dual-career dilemma may be a difficult one, but it is clearly not impossible to solve. HR can have a tremendous impact if it recognizes the importance of the spouse issue and appreciates the spouse’s contribution as an ally in the business process. To be sure, it is not simple. Indeed, it may be one of the thorniest aspects of expatriation. But, the needs of the accompanying spouse must be adequately addressed or there may be no assignment at all.

#Adapted from story in Workforce Magazine.

Sidebar 1: Identifying Career Goals
Gina Teague, interculturalist and Director, Client Services Asia Pacific for RW³,  counsels accompanying partners to take time to assess their career goals before they transfer. Designing a plan includes personal, as well as professional issues.
The components of the plan are to envision your life, identify the multiple roles you play, assess your values, determine your interests, identify your career type, and evaluate your skills.


 Start with the assessment (which is helpful if written down). As Teague puts it, "Self assessment involves examining your past professional background, educational qualifications and other significant life experiences."  Self-assessment tools can then help identify your preferred lifestyle, values, interests, skills and job specifications.


 Here are few key suggestions to start:

• Envision your life as you would ideally like it. Include all aspects of your personal and professional life. Ask yourself, what would your family be like, what part of the world would you live in, what type of job would you have?
• Then, focus on the specific career goals for the immediate future. Be as exact and detailed as you can be.
• Next, concentrate on your goals for the next one-year, three years, five years. Again, if you have a particular job in mind, include that; if it is a type of work, that is good, too.
• Think about what you want to achieve in this ideal future. What education and professional development will you need in the near future? What will you need in the next year or three years? Can you find that in the new location or will you need to study from a distance?
• What are some of your personal goals? Would you like to learn the language where you are living? Would you like to learn some of the indigenous art forms or local recipes? Are there interests you’ve always wanted to pursue but have been unable to do before and now have the time?

After you’ve finished this basic assessment, look at the alternatives, including paid work, volunteer positions, part-time work, and educational opportunities.

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Sidebar 2: Resources for Dual-Career Couples
Worldwide Organizations and Websites:

Expat Exchange–One of the largest online communities for English-speaking expatriates provides support for expats during all phases of the expatriation and repatriation process. Extensive bulletin boards and marketplace. http://www.expatexchange.com/

Federation of Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO)–FAWCO, an international network of 73 independent clubs, serves as a support network for American women living and working abroad and is particularly active in the fields of U.S. citizens’ concerns, education, environmental protection, and women’s and children’s rights. http://www.fawco.org/

FOCUS Information Services– FOCUS is a clearinghouse of information and helps expatriates and their partners in the United Kingdom. A non-profit membership organization run by and for international residents of all nations, FOCUS offers a variety of services, publications and programs on living and working in the UK. http://www.focus-info.org/  FOCUS Information Services, 13 Prince of Wales Terrace, London W85PG

www.permitsfoundation.com – Major international companies organized to change the work permit situation
www.partnerjob.com – Non-profit association set up by consortium of companies to help spouse/partners find jobs or develop careers
www.outpostexpat.nl/ — Help for Shell spouse/partners as well as non-Shell employees
www.netexpat.com – Website devoted to expat issues
www.expatica.com – Online newspaper/ newsletter for expats

Books and Guides:

Career Issues
Bastress, Frances. Relocating Spouse’s Guide to Employment.
Bolles, Richard.  The Three Boxes of Life, Ten Speed Press, 1978.

Bolles, Richard.  What Color Is Your Parachute?  Ten Speed Press, 1999.

Krannich, Ronald.  Change Your Job, Change Your Life.  Impact Publications, 1999.

Landes, Michael.  The Back Door Guide to Short Term Job Adventures: Internships, Extraordinary Experiences, Seasonal Jobs, Volunteering, Work Abroad.  Ten Speed Press, 1997.

Peterson’s.  The Independent Study Catalog.  7th ed., Peterson’s Guides, 1998.

Peterson’s University Continuing Education Association.  Peterson’s Guide to Distance Learning Programs, 2000.  4th ed., Peterson’s Guides, 1999,

Phillips, Vicky, and Cindy Yager.  The Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools: Earning Your Degree Without Leaving Home.  Princeton Review, 1998.

Pybus, Victoria and Whetter, Louise.  The International Directory of Voluntary Work.7th ed.,  Vacation-Work, 2000.

WorldWide Classroom.  International Study Telecom Directory.  WorldWide Classroom, 1999.
Relocation Issues
Kohls, Richard.  Survival Kit for Overseas Living: For Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad.  Intercultural Press, 1996.

Rabe, Monica.  Culture Shock!: Living and Working Abroad.  Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, 1997.

Schell, Michael S. and Charlene Marmer Solomon, Capitalizing on the Global Workforce: A Guide to Expatriate Management. McGraw-Hill, 1997.

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Sidebar 3: What can companies do? (Adapted from Capitalizing on the Global Workforce, Michael S. Schell and Charlene Marmer Solomon, McGraw-Hill, 1997.)

• Include the partner in the selection process. Listen to her/his input and concerns.
• Provide as much information as possible about the country, community and company.
• Offer predeparture cross-cultural counseling to the entire family.
• Provide language training — and time for language acquisition.
• Help the partner and family identify community members who will be possible resources.
• Consider company policies regarding the accompanying spouse. How will they further the business objectives and help ensure assignment success?
• Offer professional help with settling into the new location.
• Provide information about local resources and community networks that employee and family and family can access.
• Consider creating a clearinghouse of information and resources for the partners
• Set up a conference room and phone line for spouses or a small room to serve as a resource library with materials on the local community
• Create a directory of expatriates (especially those who would be willing to speak with newly arrived expatriates).
• Consider creating a consortium of companies and pool resources for project-based jobs.
• Assist with acquiring work permits and offering career counseling.
• Finally, take stock of what the company is currently offering and get feedback from expatriates about what is helpful. Review your policies. Do they give the spouse a chance for success?

*Originally published in Workforce Magazine