Martine Ruiz:

Pierre Mure, project manager at Merial, an expatriate for more than 3 years in Botswana

ActuEnquête “The crisis has not really caused the number of expatriations to decline. However, I experienced a period where anyone who volunteered went. Today, there is a real selection process,” explains Pascale Berthiet, former international mobility manager at bioMérieux and international DHR of the Casino group, and currently a professor at EM Lyon business school. At bioMérieux, which currently has 75 expatriate workers worldwide including some thirty French citizens, “their number increased by 20 to 30% over the last three years as a result of international development possibilities,” explains Anne Winckler, compensation and benefits manager in charge of international mobility. Whether in order to transfer skills, to supervise or coordinate subsidiaries or to allow employees to develop their potential, the companies of the Rhône region established abroad, like others, are thus continuing to make strategic use of employee expatriation. “It makes it possible to inculcate the group’s spirit locally,” confides Laurent Balme, international mobility manager at Rhodia. At present, the chemical group has 59 French employees – 24 of whom left Lyon – on assignment around the world. “Six or seven of them are training managers and/or operators in China where a manufacturing plant is being built.” Of course, an expatriate generally represents a high cost for a company. At Rhodia, the additional cost is around 0 to 200% depending on the expatriation policy from which the employee benefits. At bioMérieux, “depending on the contract and the destination, un expatriate employee costs from two to three times more than a ‘local’ employee,” says Anne Winckler. This is why housing, moving costs, schooling, roundtrip travel for the family, etc., are no longer necessarily assumed in full by companies. These companies are trying to maintain the expatriate’s purchasing power without necessarily promising him more. However, even if “golden packages” are a thing of the past and you can no longer double your salary if you accept an expatriate assignment, many employees are seizing this opportunity to give their careers a boost. “In addition to saying that this will enhance their resume, many are convinced that, even if they find themselves back in the same job when they return, this experience will act as a career accelerator in three or four years,” confirms Pascale Berthiet, who is working on a doctoral thesis on the topic of the return in international mobility. A subject that is far from trivial, since the issue of the return can become the source of the disillusions that expatriates are likely to face. “The main risk is becoming accustomed to pleasant living conditions and finding, when they return to the company in France, that this company has changed too much,” explains the professor at EM Lyon business school. This is why HR divisions are more and more vigilant regarding this point and why companies are beginning to establish rules, requiring, for example, that an expatriation not exceed five or eight yeas. There can also be problems when, upon his return, the employee “cannot necessarily find a job suited to the experience he as acquired abroad,” adds an HR manager with a large company headquartered near Lyon. It is thus better “to negotiate the conditions of the employee’s return when the employee leaves, whether in terms of job advancement or pay raises,” advises Régis Durand, an attorney and member of the Lyon bar, clarifying, nevertheless, that this type of agreement “is not an obligation for management.” Based on her experience in human resources, Pascale Berthiet strongly suggests that companies lay their cards on the table. “They need to make employees understand that a promotion is not automatic, particularly in the case of a transfer of expertise” Fabien Randanne

“The transition phase is hard”

An employee at Mérial, I returned two months ago from Botswana after being an expatriate for more than three years. Since 1978, Merial has been working in partnership with the Botswana Vaccine Institute, which essentially manufactures vaccines for hoof-and-mouth disease intended for customers in Southern Africa; My position was technical director. My wife and my four children aged 7 to 13 were part of the adventure. When I was offered this job, nine months before the departure date, my wife and I made the decision together. We told our children six months before our scheduled departure date. Concerning adaptation, when you arrive, you first have to let go, to mourn your life in France, as it were. Then comes the transition phase, which is often hard, particularly for the children who had to take their first classes entirely in English. As for my wife, she did volunteer work for associations. The return is also an important time, but if you keep in mind that you are going to be gone for three years and that this story has an end, that makes things easier. In Botswana, a French salary remains high. So you have to remember that you will inevitably not have the same lifestyle once you return to France. Fewer than half of expatriates take on more responsibilities when they return, but a position of this kind also has to be available at that time. In my case, I am now a project manager in the industrial field; this is a position that suits me for the time being.” J.B.

“All occupations are concerned”

“How many expatriates does Renault Trucks send around the world each year? We currently have 50 employees in expatriate positions and 10 impatriates. These impatriates are essentially Americans, Swedes, Japanese, etc. Our expatriates are spread over five continents. In Europe, they primarily go to Sweden and England. In Asia, they tend to go to Japan, China and India. As for Africa, the countries that host our employees include Morocco, Algeria and South Africa. One of our employees is even supposed to go to Oceania, more specifically Papoyasie, New Guinea.” What skills are sought? Expatriation involves all fields: engineers, shop managers and, of course, the sale reps who bring the Renault Trucks brand to the entire world. As a general rule, expatriation lasts 2 to 3 years. Some expatriates are regulars and go to another country as soon as their assignment ends. But the end goal is still to come back to live in France.” What is the goal of expatriation? It offers international exposure for our brand. But it is above all a means for our employees to export their know-how while acquiring new work methods. Expatriation is also an excellent way to gain cultural enrichment.” What does it cost? It is difficult to answer this type of question. Expatriation is a package. We turn to “relocation” companies that handle all the requirements related to helping the employee and his family, if he has one, settle in. The employee and his family may, for example, make a two or three-day preliminary trip to the country in question in order to get acquainted with the city, find housing, enroll the children in school, etc. Comments gathered by Julia Beaumet

The Lyon business focused on expatriates

With 900 companies with foreign capital and 1,500 decision centers (Seb Group, Sanofi Aventis, etc.) established in the region, it is not surprising that the Greater Lyon area hosts some 50,000 expatriates (Insee, 2006). A cosmopolitan dimension that the 15,000 foreign students enrolled in the urban area merely reinforce. They all represent consumers with specific demands, and certain companies have understood this.
Beginning with “relocation” companies (English pronunciation), which offer to handle an expatriate’s move to Lyon from A to Z, or almost. Many companies thus seek out their services, when expatriates aren’t contacting them directly themselves. Many companies of this type have set up shop in the urban area; MRI Relocation (Lyon 6th district, 7 employees), founded in 1987 by Martine Ruiz, is one of the oldest. It has built its notoriety on “the human dimension.” “Last year, we took care of 250 families,” she explains, remaining discrete with respect to sales revenues. The services cost a minimum of 1,500 euros and increase based on the services requested (housing, move, schooling, etc.). Thanks to the support of a Parisian partner, MRI Relocation has been able to expand its territory. A necessary process, since competition in the sector is fierce. Martine Ruiz, who confides that she is in the process of “working on a big contract,” is optimistic about 2011.
The pub restaurant à KGB (Lyon’s 7th district) is also wooing expatriates. Every Thursday, beginning on October 7, the establishment will launch an “international” after-work event aimed primarily at these new Lyon residents to allow them to talk, preferably in a language other than French, with other expatriates, tourists or natives of Lyon. “That promotes network building in a festive, open and international context,” says Pierre Chambon, co-creator of the location. To popularize this concept, à KGB will propose that company directors offer packages priced at 24 euros each – including two drinks and a tapas plate – to their expatriate employees to try out these evening events. Avowed objective: attracting 300 to 500 people every Thursday evening. F.R. 4 The third Expatriates Exhibition will take place at the Hilton Hotel (Cité Internationale, Lyon’s 6th district), on Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm

The keys to understanding Expatriation