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I think most people in the HR and relocation industries would agree with me when I say that cultural adaptation can make or break a relocation – especially when we are working with transferees who are moving to a situation that is the polar opposite of where they are: countryside to city, first world to third world, English to Mandarin, democracy to theocracy, etc. So, it’s essential that we take the time to understand our transferees so that we can create a relocation program that will ease their transition. Of course, we need to know the basics about their financial situation, language versatility, family needs and home preferences, but why not go deeper than that?
I like to take a Jungian approach to learning about people. It helps me anticipate how they might react to different situations. Once we understand what makes people tick naturally, we can approach the relocation in a way they will feel most comfortable. Consider the Myers-Briggs paired categories below. Where do your transferees fit?
Preference Category One: Extrovert or Introvert?
|
Extrovert |
Introvert |
| Social | Territorial |
| Approachable | Focused |
| Group-oriented | Internal |
| Interactive | Deep |
| Speaks first, thinks later | Intense |
| Breadth | Close circle of friends |
Preference Category Two: Sensor or Intuitive?
|
Sensor |
Intuitive (N) |
| Sequential | Random |
| Realistic | Future-oriented |
| Practical | Conceptual |
| Specific | Inspirational |
| Results-oriented | Hates details |
| Lives in the present | Impulsive |
Preference Category Three: Thinker or Feeler?
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Thinker |
Feeler |
| Objective | Subjective |
| Stubborn | Wishy-washy |
| Rules and policy oriented | Persuasive |
| Fair | Helpful |
| Critical | Concerned |
| Detached | Emotional |
Preference Category Four: Judger or Perceiver?
|
Judger |
Perceiver |
| Organized and orderly | Explorers |
| Controlled | Distracted |
| Planner | Creative |
| No surprises | Spontaneous |
| Opinionated | Responsive |
| Responds to deadlines | Loves the last minute rush to meet deadlines |
If you have an idea about which categories are a fit for your employee, you can start to understand not only how t
hey might react to relocating, but also which benefits will be most important and what information would be most helpful. Take, for example, an introvert-sensing-thinking-judger (ISTJ). An ISTJ personality likes order, traditions and predictability. They can make tough decisions as long as they have enough information and they are comfortable in their routine. Often called worker bees, ISTJ’s are dependable and thorough. If you are relocating an ISTJ type, you will want to give them as much information as possible upfront – even before they decide to accept the relocation. You will also want to provide benefits that help them fall back into their routine more quickly. Instead of leaving them to explore a new city, show them where the school, grocery store, public transportation, etc. is so that they can plan ahead. Essentially, give them a means to create a controlled environment.
In a perfect world we would be able to identify each transferee with their innate preferences for more successful relocations. Click here for a sample test!
Do you take transferee personalities into account? What do you think about this method?
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Hi Nicole,
You are right we can see patterns emerge when we work with the people relocating. I notice the same things. My intentions are to raise awareness all around. This is not a candidate selection test, but a look into natural preferences from the people we work with.
I have found if I know the preferences of people I work with I can adjust my communications and presentations in such a manner that they would best understand and relate to. I agree that you need more sophisticated tools to look at the complete picture.
This is important for the company since they invest a lot of money but it is equally important for the transferee. If they have all the skills required for a job, but they are miserable in the new situation because of personal preferences that do not match the new position or location, then it is not going to work out. The same applies to the trailing spouse and children. Personally, I would be very happy if could take care of both ends to make a better match so that both the company and the transferee are successful. This approach would also help with employee retention.
In my previous role, I was an Account Manager onsite for a Fortune 500 company and managed their relocation program – so handled domestic as well as international moves. As I got to know some of my transferring associates, I could see the red flags start to fly immediately under stressful situations. The company I work for now, Select International, provides competency based assessment solutions to not only the Fortune 500 company that I used to sit onsite for, but many others as well. We are able to identify strengths in an individual as well as “derailers”. I realize this isn’t a psychometric conversation, but at the end of the day, my job is to make sure my clients are spending $100K on a relocation of an individual who won’t be able to tolerate stress and won’t be a strong “change agent” for the organization. A personality test will only get you so far and most people can “fake it” – we take a deeper dive and use more than one tool to get at the skeltons in one’s closet.
This is a topic I’m very passionate about and feel a marriage between relocation and what we do is a great value add to an organization.
Doris,
Thank you for your thorough comment. Given the topic of this blog and the readership we weren’t trying to delve into psychological concepts for their own sake but, instead, how we can use them in our business. The post was never intended to be a clinical diagnosis, but rather a thought on how personality types can influence the relocation process. I did not mean to suggest that people base hiring decisions on a free online questionnaire. The test at the end only served as a way for readers to have a little fun with the concept.
I think it’s a wonderful idea for people to be assessed by a certified practitioner. If HR managers are open to affording employees a full assessment by a professional, then this approach could pay off in spades during the relocation process, especially if benefits could be tweaked to make someone more comfortable as a result.
If you would like to discuss this further, or submit a blog post of your own on the topic, that would be great. Please feel free to email blog@xonex.com and we can set something up!
Kind regards,
Wilma
Hi Wilma,
I read your article with great interest and would like to offer some high-level clarification.
1. Everyone uses all eight attitudes and functions all the time, depending on context.
2. The MBTI(r) is a questionnaire to help clarify people’s preferences for one side of the dichotomy.
3. It is never a “test”, it does not measure skill, or predict performance, which is why it is not useful as a recruitment or selection tool.
4. It does not measure traits, but underlying cognitive process preferences. For example, Extraversion or Introversion looks at how we are energized, by paying attention to the outside or the inside world. Thinking and Feeling refers to the decision-making process, do we take an objective or a values-based approach. It is grossly unethical to call a person with Feeling preferences “wishy-washy” or saying a person with Intuiting preferences “hates details”.
5. Free online questionnaires do not have the backing of over 60 years of research and testing that the MBTI(r) does. Still, to arrive at your best-fit type, you should go through a debrief with a certified practitioner.
Based on Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung’s personality type theory, Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers saw the awareness of our “Gifts Differing” (that’s the name of Isabel’s book) as an opportunity to understand ourselves and one another better. The instrument offers non-judgmental language and an authentic appreciation of every type’s diversity and contribution. For more information, please visit http://www.myersbriggs.org/. Thank you.
Hi Eric,
Yes you are right there are a growing number of short term assignments. I do believe the same applies though! Not everyone will be happy when the partner, father or mother is constantly gone. Commuting as well as short term assignments also take their toll on the family. Often the traveling short termer has to build some kind of social life in the other city while the family members staying behind also start building other relationships. This does not always end well for the marriage and or the children. So even in these cases I personally would do the assessment to make sure the involved persons have the best chance to succeed
Wilma, do you think that is some of the impetus behind the increased use of short-term assignments by corporate enterprises where the employee is the only family member transferred?
Based on a number of forecasts by international relocation service providers, this seems to have become a growing trend in the last three years.
While the change was probably spurred by economic considerations after the world economy tanked, the increased use of short term assignments seems to have become quite effective at retaining key employees and keeping the entire immediate and extended family happy at the same time.
Great article, Wilma. FANTASTIC approach!
By accessing a prospective transferees unique personality traits, and individual strengths and weaknesses using some of the psychometric tools mentioned, is it possible to predict the effects of how those internal characteristics work within the dynamics of a larger family framework? If so, should HR specialists and hiring managers perform the same type of pre-move stress assessment on everyone being relocated to further reduce the potential for expensive failure of an unsuccessful job change?
In today’s mobile, global marketplace, it seems that the potential for complications that could occur during a long-term relocation could be multiplied by the number of family members or personal relationships involved in the move.
Thanks for posting, Eric! I imagine that this approach would benefit the entire family, providing that they were open to being more involved in the process. As we know to well, relocations have a tendency to fail when the family isn’t on the same page with each other, the company or the relocation services provider. Further, in many cases, the spouse is the point person on the move, not the transferee. Certainly, in those cases it would make total sense that HR specialists and relocation managers take the time to understand what makes that person tick and how they like to receive information. Overall, I believe that having frank discussions early on in the process, and going the extra mile to understand the personality of each person moving, would boost the chances for success in most cases.
Thanks Eric
Yes I think it would be a good way to approach any relocation keeping in mind we are not talking about strengths and weaknesses per say but about doing and experiencing things differently.
I belief that it can be a tool we use and yes I recommend using it however it is not an exact science. We can hire the most expensive companies to make a staff selection for us, but in the end if we do not look at who the people are and what makes them and their family member’s tic we will not get the best match. If the assignee has 5 family members they all have an influence on the outcome of the relocation. Their specific preferences and character will give us good indication of how successful they can/will be in the specific assignment.
I recommend the book “Type Talk” from Otto Kroeger and Janet M.Thuessen it gives great insight in this.