As corporations continue to navigate the waters of an ever evolving global workforce, one of the hottest topics today revolves around the newest generation to enter the job market. Generation Y, also known as Millennials, are loosely defined as individuals born between the early 1980’s and early 2000’s (1). Today, Generation Y is estimated to make up close to 50% of the total expat population and by 2025 should represent 75% of the global workforce (2).

Why, you may ask, are these young adults creating such a buzz? Since Gen Y’s were born around the time of the dotcom boom, they tend to be deemed tech native, and have a completely different outlook on their lives and careers than any generation before. Individuals from Generation Y generally place a high value on work-life balance, are eager to learn, and expect to achieve results quickly. They are also well-traveled and widely open to the world, but tend to be largely suspicious of corporations. As PwC estimates a 50% growth in assignments from 2010 to 2020 (3), corporations will need Gen Y’s more than ever to fill their globally mobile roles. Chris Tice, Senior Consultant at The Boeing Company understands the importance of coming to terms with Gen Y’s paradigm, “As companies, we need to understand what they see and what they want from international mobility - that will be the biggest challenge”. Many Gen Y’s are welcoming overseas assignments as a rite of passage with 80% (3) saying that working abroad is important to both their personal and professional development (3). But while past generations, such as the Baby Boomers and Generation Xers, were motivated to accept international assignments mainly based on financial incentives, Gen Y’s key drivers are clearly not just financial. Susanne Ahlf, HC Global Mobility Services for PwC Germany has experienced this firsthand within her organization, “Gen Y’s want to go on assignment earlier in their career than past generations. They come to us very early on, sometimes even before they have started with PwC, inquiring about opportunities abroad because they know it is important to them.” As a result of this change in outlook, corporations will see a fundamental change in the way they will move their Gen Y talent.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE ABOVE ALL One of the most defining features of Generation Y is their desire to enjoy life, spend time with their loved ones, and hold an identity outside of their career. We spoke to Guillaume Lancrenon, a Gen Y with international experience as a Field Engineer for Schlumberger. When asked the most important aspect of accepting an international assignment, Guillaume’s answer is clear, “The first thing is location. I want to enjoy my life and practice my hobbies.” As global corporations need employees in locations throughout the world, and unfortunately not only in fun places, companies should be ready to offer attractive packages for this selective Generation. Ira Hildebrandt, Consultant International Assignments for Continental AG shares with us, “As a member of the generation I can understand them very well but [it] doesn’t necessarily make it easier for me. They [Gen Y’s] have huge expectations and would like to have individual planning and flexibility as well as work-life balance. On the other hand, they have new challenges related to their international assignment, such as to perform in a new position in an unknown cultural environment. Work-life balance has also turned out to be essential in our Continental Student Survey.” Chris Tice, Boeing, adds: “Outside of the US, Boeing is located in some high risk locations such as Afghanistan or Iraq. We find [in general] that these locations are very unpopular for Gen Y’s. When the older generations move on, it is not always easy to fill these gaps”. HAPPY FAMILY, HAPPY GEN Y When it comes to partners and family, Gen Y’s also want their families to be happy when considering an assignment abroad. Ira Hildebrandt, Continental, confirms: “In our Continental Student Survey you can see that for the majority of young people the main reasons to reject an international assignment are family, partner, and/or friends. Because of this, it is really important for Gen Y’s to involve their partner in the assignment process because they take care of their partner’s needs. It is essential for their assignment’s success that the partner is happy and has satisfying responsibilities, such as an appropriate job.”

White Paper May 2015

Are Your Global Mobility Policies “Gen Y Ready”?

And with about 89%(5) of expat partners working before expatriation, it is no surprise that 71%(5) of corporations have included dual career support as part of their mobility benefits. “The dual career issue is clearly an important matter for Gen Y when it comes to contemplating an international assignment” says Wim De Paepe, Associate Director, HR, Procter & Gamble. Susanne Ahlf, PwC Germany, adds “Gen Y’s are showing some different traditions than in past generations when it comes to family and the importance of dual career couples. We see that it is very important for expats to ensure their partners have the same rights, opportunities and experiences available to them.”

It will go a long way when your Gen Y’s realize that you, as an employer, not only have their best interests at heart, but also the needs of their family. I WANT RESPONSIBILITES … QUICKLY PLEASE! Gen Y’s have grown up multi-tasking and easily get bored in life and in their careers if they feel as though things are stagnant. With Gen Y’s placing more value on interest and opportunity rather than monetary compensation, they are quick to change employers if their desires are not met. In addition to this, the mentality that they can have anything they put their mind to leads many Gen Y’s to believe they should be given a great deal of responsibility early on in their careers. “Not only are Gen Y’s very mobile as far as where they work and how long they stay, but they have also a different view of being upwardly mobile. Traditionally you would work with Boeing for many years, advance, and get recognized as you work for the company your entire career. Gen Y’s want to make a quick impact, be recognized, and go on to see and experience new exciting things.” says Chris Tice, Boeing. “What’s in it for me is a central question for Gen Y. Money is not a main driver so we find other elements [that appeal to Gen Y].” International mobility is a great way to quickly open the world to Gen Y’s while satisfying their appetite for new experiences, but make sure the assignment length is to their taste. Although Gen Y’s have a high desire to live abroad, they see assignments over 3 years as too long to live in one place, and be in one role. Guillaume Lancrenon, Schlumberger, has already lived in several countries throughout the world but states that “before I have actually lived somewhere and know if I am going to like it, I would say the perfect length for an assignment is one to three years. Anything more than that is too long.” Wim De Paepe, Procter & Gamble, highlights the value of these shorter type of assignments: “Because Gen Y’s are eager to learn, in search of quick achievements, and open to lighter expatriation packages; short term assignments are a natural fit for them. These shorter term assignments provide us with somewhat of an assessment to determine if a Gen Y employee will function well later in a management role abroad or not” A DO IT YOURSELF GENERATION Gen Y’s, sometimes deemed tech-dependent or tech-native, have grown up with the World Wide Web. With 24/7 access to

information and social networks at their fingertips, Gen Y is more connected, well-traveled, and open minded than any generation ever before. As it pertains to global mobility, this coming of age with the internet spurs a series of paradoxes. With so much information one might think Gen Y would be more prepared than ever before for what to expect on a global assignment. Ira Hildebrand, Continental says, “Gen Y expats tend to be very proactive and have a strong focus on social media and the internet. In this regard they are able to get a huge variety of information very quickly, for example on visa and immigration. Nevertheless, it is important that there is a central relocation support from the employer or an external provider for the entire process steering to ensure compliance and a smooth relocation when living abroad.” This might also lead many Gen Y’s to overestimate their understanding of people’s dynamics across cultures and countries as some choose to skip fundamental intercultural training for information found on message boards and twitter. As a well-traveled generation, many Gen Y’s have had the opportunity to study abroad but are sometimes still ill-prepared for their reality when living abroad for a work assignment. “We are finding there is somewhat of a paradox because most Gen Y’s have traveled or lived abroad as students but they are not necessarily prepared for what it is like to live abroad with their partner or family.” notes Wim De Paepe, Procter & Gamble. Instead of a one-size fits all mobility policy, Gen Y expats love to choose customized support packages around a set of core benefits while selecting additional benefits they will use, and exclude those they will not. Allowing Gen Y’s the option to customize their package provides them with a sense of empowerment and the feeling that they can set some of their own terms for their assignment package. Because Gen Y’s are not driven primarily by money, this can be achieved by dropping old fashioned hardship and mobility premiums to ultimately decrease your overall cost of mobility.

CONCLUSION Many corporations may want to resist the call for change and simply stick to the best practices that have worked for them in the past, asking why this new Gen Y generation can’t just accept the way things have always been. While this may seem like the easy approach, eventually, your company will quickly fall behind. “We are going to see a lot more differentiation in the ways that employees can work internationally.” predicts Chris Tice, Boeing. Gen Y’s know what they want and are not afraid to leave a position in search of one that makes them happier. It is the corporations who act now to proactively change and adapt their global mobility policies who will win the bid for top Gen Y talent in the future.

Sources (1)Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 by William Strauss & Neil Howe (2)The Deloitte Millennial Survey January 2014 Executive Summary (3)PWC – Talent Mobility 2020 (4)Atlas 2014 Corporate Relocation Survey (5) Permits Foundation – Enabling Dual Careers in the Global Workforce 2013