The added value of hiring internationals is usually vague to employers. To clear the air around the subject, a recent study has shown that team diversity strengthens the workforce in general but only under the condition of effective integration of mobile workers – or migrants – the backbone of our work here at ELM.

The word ‘migrant’ leaves a lot of Europeans uneasy: even though internal labour mobility is actively promoted and exercised in the EU, currently the term can have rather negative undertones. The refugee situation aside, for businesses, migrant workers are usually associated with burdensome legal procedures and cultural barriers. The Hague Process on Refugees and Migration (THP) in cooperation with the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) have taken on the herculean task to reveal the costs and benefits associated with international workers for businesses: they interviewed 28 companies across 8 countries to address migration related challenges. [blockquote align=”left”]Integrated migrants are more motivated, more productive and less likely to be absent than their non-integrated counterparts.[/blockquote]

In a nutshell, the findings of the study* showed that the short term costs of migrant integration initiatives result in a huge range of return on investment (ROI) in the long term. The businesses reported that their ROI can vary from -20% to 706%**! In other words, if businesses invest in making their international employees more comfortable within their organization and the host country, they are likely to reap huge benefits in the future. According to the study, integrated migrants are more motivated, more productive and less likely to be absent than their non-integrated counterparts.

It is good news for us here at ELM because for years we’ve been repeating that cultural differences matter and that the key to success in international teams is the ability to communicate and understand each other. The fact that someone says ‘Yes!’ to your request at the office doesn’t necessarily mean that they give a positive confirmation – sometimes it’s just not common in a culture to give a negative answer to your superior and that creates a lot of frustration from both sides… For this reason, we’ve polished our workshops for expats to feel welcome in the Netherlands and to understand what’s required of them in the local business settings. Likewise, we consult the host teams to manage their expectations and to encourage them to be open-minded 🙂 Unfortunately, for many companies such integration efforts qualify as “luxury goods” – nice but definitely not necessary. That’s why having a number – a ROI of 706 % – helps a lot in changing the mind of even the most stubborn skeptics.

Time is money and budgets are tight, we get it. However, if an integration workshop is not an option in your organisation, at least take your international colleague out for dinner – because whatever the financial benefit it may have for your business, you cannot put a number on the happiness of a person who has moved to a new country.

“What Makes the Dutch Dutch?” on June 16 is our most popular expat workshop but have a look at them all to see if something suits your business.

*You can find the full study as well as the highlights here.
**706% ROI means that for every 100 USD invested in integration, the profits measure up to 706 USD.

Veronika Norvaisaite,
ELM team

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