The number of professionals willing to work abroad has more than doubled over the past five years to 35% currently. Experienced professionals expect international experience as part of their career progression. Nearly two-thirds of respondents had already worked abroad or were currently doing so, showing a maturing market of mobile talent. Professionals are willing to spend longer periods, up to five years, working overseas in search of career opportunities rather than being restricted to one country. Companies recognize the value of international experience and are increasing global opportunities.

1. 1
Global
professionals
on the move
—2014
fifth edition

2. 2
01 Competition for global talent is growing
02 A maturing market of experienced professionals
03 Why work abroad?
04 Fewer barriers today
05 Top world destinations
06 Building a better understanding of BRICS
07 Language proves no barrier
08 When paperwork is a problem
09 Return homers: an untapped resource
10 What’s changed in the last five years
11 Recruiters still preferred over social networks

3. 2
Executive summary
Entering its fifth year, the annual
‘Global professionals on the move’
report is, for the first time, able to
identify wider trends, influences and
shifts in perceptions, drawn from five
years of financial recession.
Over this period the number of
professionals who are currently
working abroad, have already moved or
are interested in relocating overseas,
now stands at an estimated 235 million.
The results of five years of our survey
show that the percentage of people
who are willing to work abroad has
risen, more than doubling from 16%
to 35% for this period and 40% of re-
spondents working abroad state there
are now no barriers to working abroad.
As companies adjust operationally
and strategically to the new global
economy, professionals are expected
to be geographically more flexible with
almost three quarters stipulating that
international experience is important
for their company.
This year’s report identifies that the
genre of professionals attracted to
work overseas has broadened. Only
17% of people in 2014 working abroad
held a professional qualification over
and above a first degree level compared
to 30% in 2010. The experience whilst
abroad has also improved; close to half
(48%) noted that they were more likely
to move to a new country as opposed
to returning home.
This edition places a special focus on
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa (BRICS) identifying that although
the balance of economic power may be
shifting from West to East, the majority
of professionals still prefer to work
in the English speaking countries of
the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and
Singapore and it will take time for the
emerging countries to be seen as first
choice destinations. The US remains
the preferred country destination; the
UK however is fast closing the gap.
This year London came out on top
as the favoured city chosen for
relocation by respondents.
Chief executives across the world
agree that having the right talent in
the right place is critical to business
growth. Nearly three quarters (71%) of
the professionals surveyed identified
that employers value international
experience and a quarter stated that
international work experience
improved career prospects.
Interestingly only 18% of respondents,
compared to 30% in 2010, found their
job abroad through an advert.
This report provides companies looking
to attract the right professionals to
the right locations, with a valuable
insight into understanding exactly
what motivates top talent. While for
candidates, it identifies both the career
and personal benefits that an overseas
opportunity can bring.
Hydrogen
— May 2014
Global professionals on the move
Fifth edition 2014

4. 3
Multinational companies
The percentage of companies
intending to increase international
assignments over the coming year
FTSE 100 index
Market capitalisation 2008 -2014
Figures courtesy of Towers Watson
45%
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
2008
2014
Despite, or perhaps as a result of, the
recent worldwide economic crisis,
more companies than ever before
are recognising the value of hiring
international talent and a growing
number of professionals are now
willing to work abroad.
Alev Kilic, the tutor at ESCP Europe
supervising the research on which
the report is based, explains: “The
current economic climate has proved
less of an obstacle and more of an
opportunity to gaining international
experience. As companies speed up
expansion into new geographies and
markets, the demand for qualified
and experienced professionals
is intensifying. Companies are
increasingly taking a global outlook and
they need people with international
experience to spearhead market
expansion. These individuals can
bring the right vision and cultural
understanding to an organisation and
will be betterequipped to cope
in new environments.”
Traditional expatriates willing to go
abroad for a couple of years are being
replaced by global citizens, who are
prepared to travel the world in search
of personal and professional fulfilment.
Global professionals acknowledge
that international experience is often
essential for career progression and
most company boardrooms contain
individuals who have headed up
overseas operations at some point
in their career.
Reflecting this, the number of
survey respondents who have always
wanted to work abroad has doubled
from 16% to 35% in the past five
years, with 83% of those currently
working abroad saying they believe
international experience is important
to their company.
This is supported by a Global HR
Director in the telecommunications
industry: “Undoubtedly there is value
in having people rotate internationally
in the organisation. It brings benefits
such as increased collaboration, and
an understanding of different ways of
working, and exposes the employee
to many different challenges than
they would face if they remained in
their home country. It also gives the
opportunity to share practices which
could be adopted to have even
greater business impact.”
Almost all survey respondents who had
worked abroad would do it again, and
would recommend it to others.
Competition for
global talent is growing
Chapter one

5. 4
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The number of
professionals who
want to work abroad has
more than doubled since
2010, from 16% to 35%
Professionals abroad
Experienced professionals expect to
work abroad as part of their career
progression and have the appetite
to travel the world to find the right
opportunity. This willingness to work
abroad gives companies a far greater
prospect of hiring the right overseas
talent for the right opportunity.
Mike Tan moved from Malaysia to New
Zealand for an opportunity in the oil
and gas sector: “The move has given me
the opportunity to work on the projects
I wanted to and a chance to expand
my personal experience.
In terms of financial remuneration, it is
a downgrade from my previous job,
but the experience has been more
than worth it.”
As the economic forecast looks set to
improve and with many international
companies saying that they intend
to increase global opportunities, the
demand for those professionals willing
to work abroad will rise and companies
will need to act quickly to secure the
best talent. They will need to focus on
how to nurture and retain this talent in
the places they need it.
At every upturn of the
economic cycle, there is
a moment of imbalance
between the client and
the candidate. Clients
take longer to emerge
from the mindset of
retrenchment whereas
candidates quickly
see they are more in
demand and seek out
the companies that
will offer them the
best opportunity. The
companies that are
aware of this change
and are able to act on
it will win the war for
international talent.
Tim Smeaton,
Hydrogen CEO
“
”

6. 190195
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305
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320
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330
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340 345 35
This year, our survey revealed that
almost two thirds of respondents
had already or were currently
working abroad. That means
there is a wealth of experienced
and highly-skilled professionals
willing to work internationally.
Gaining international experience
is not a box ticking exercise. Many
respondents felt it was part of their
long-term career development plans,
with 83% of those already abroad
anticipating they would stay longer
than initially planned, and more than
three quarters were interested
in moving to another country rather
than returning home.
Panos Beretsos works in Life Sciences
and moved from Greece to Switzerland
for his dream job: “I’ve worked abroad
before and have been exposed
to a multi-national professional
environment, which means I’ve always
focused on international career
opportunities, rather than limit myself
to what is available in one place or
with one company.
“Career wise my current role has been
a great step forward offering me the
opportunity to develop a number of
skills and competencies and take
on greater responsibility.”
Talented professionals are less and
less restricted by country borders.
Many are willing to travel the globe
in search of the next exciting career
A maturing market of
experienced professionals
opportunity. Almost all respondents
who had returned home from an
overseas opportunity would do
it again. Likewise, the length of
time spent gaining international
experience has gradually increased
with more professionals spending
up to five years working abroad. This
is reflected in the expectations of
those seeking new opportunities,
with 60% of those who would like to
or are considering working abroad
prepared to go for up to five years.
“We are seeing the creation of an
international talent pool that is
willing to move from one location to
the next across the world in search
of the next best career opportunity,”
explains Tim Smeaton, Hydrogen CEO.
And those opportunities appear to
be on the rise, perhaps a sign of the
recovery in the global economy. This
year the number of respondents citing
insufficient job opportunities has
almost halved from 44% to 24%
five years ago.
Gone are the days when a company
sent an executive overseas for a six
month secondment as a standard
training exercise. Today companies
are using their resource budgets
wisely to maximise the returns on
any overseas opportunity in terms of
business growth and profit, as well
as fostering a mobile, internationally
experienced workforce.
I’ve worked abroad
before and have been
exposed to a multi-
national professional
environment, which
means I’ve always
focused on international
career opportunities,
rather than limit myself
to what is available
in one place or with
one company.
Panos Beretsos, Life Sciences
Greece to Switzerland
“
”
5
Chapter two

7. 5 10 15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
7580859095100105
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145
150
155
160165170175180185
50 355 0
Respondents were working
or had worked abroad already
98%
62%
Plan to stay longer
than three years
72%
83%
Of those already abroad are willing
to stay longer than initially planned
Of those who have worked
abroad would recommend it
One of the benefits to
international experience
is seeing how people
are able to flex their own
style to fit into the local
way of working. This
doesn’t mean they have
to lose their authentic
self, but rather adapt
just enough to be able
to operate in the new
environment. I have
personally seen the
benefit of this, and it’s
reciprocated. This for
me shows how much
emotional intelligence a
leader or specialist has,
which is increasingly
important in today’s
business world.
Global HR Director
“
”
6

8. 7
Earning
potential
Career
prospects
New experiences
Benefits
Top three benefits to those
already working abroad
Career prospects
Professionals said moving abroad
improved their career prospects
2014
25%
2010
17%
The reasons a professional may
choose to work abroad rarely mirror
the reasons a company may need
its top talent to move overseas.
In a recent report 87% of companies
gave business expansion as the main
reason for creating international
opportunities, followed by knowledge
transfer to local employees. Less
than half the companies cited career
development.* Added to this, a number
of reports for business have put cost
as the overriding deterrent to placing
valuable employees overseas.
Yet for our survey respondents, career
prospects, new experiences, and a
greater earnings potential have been
the top three motivators for working
abroad for the past five years.
Denise McAnulty, COO EMEA and US,
at Hydrogen explains this anomaly:
“Companies want to expand quickly
into new markets but they struggle to
identify the level of experience they
need, and the length of time required
to get operations up and running or
to transfer knowledge and skills.
Rather than deciding purely on costs,
employers need to take a longer-term
view. A professional with international
experience is a valuable asset since
skills, such as adapting to new work
environments, can be applied in other
overseas opportunities.”
When we looked more closely at
those already abroad, we found that
three quarters said that the move
had a positive impact on their career
prospects and 78% said they had
seen a financial benefit to moving
abroad. Those who were already
abroad or had returned home also
earned more on average than those
still seeking to work overseas.
Sandra Silva who works in the
technology sector and moved from
Portugal to London is an example of
this: “The experience has definitely had
an impact on my career. There are more
interesting and high profile projects
in London. Financial remuneration is
also an important factor. The base
salaries in Portugal are small compared
with those in the UK, so it’s an
opportunity to develop skills but also
take advantage of better benefits.”
—
*Source:Towers Watson / Worldwide ERC
2012 Global Talent Mobility Study
Why work abroad?
Chapter three

9. 8
78% said they
had seen a financial
benefit to moving
abroad
Financial benefits

10. 9
No barriers to relocating
Those already abroad
40%
Strikingly, respondents in this year’s
survey had the most positive attitude
towards international experience of
the last five years, with 40% of those
already abroad citing no barriers
to relocating. This suggests an
increasingly positive approach among
global professionals, and companies
should harness this optimistic
attitude for their own benefit.
This decline in perceived barriers
may also be a result of employers
becoming more flexible in their
attitudes to softer issues such as
family relocation or the need to cover
the costs of commuting back and
forth from their home country.
“We have an internal team who ease
the process as much as possible and
who partner with external companies
who have specific knowledge of the
country or city our employee is moving
to,” comments one Global HR Director.
Despite a decrease in barriers, moving
abroad for work can still be a big
decision and often one not taken alone
– with family and partners having to
commit to move to a new country or
cope with staying at home alone.
Once again, the survey highlighted
the biggest barrier to relocating was
family, friends and relationships. But
a willingness to overcome this
obstacle exists.
Panos Beretsos explains: “Every
change has its difficulties. In
our case these were minimised
by the assistance my company
provides to all newcomers, but also
because of the positive attitude
my family had in such a change.”
Although many companies have
done more to improve relocation
packages and provide language and
cross-cultural training for partners
and families, family circumstances
may still not be high up enough on the
agenda to guarantee the best talent, or
ensure the success of an opportunity.
According to Denise McAnulty,
Hydrogen COO EMEA and US: “Very
few companies think that family
circumstances or the ability to
adapt to a host country’s culture are
important when seeking candidates.
The common view is that the career
experience, coupled with an increased
salary will be incentive enough. And
yet a high percentage of international
appointments fail to work and the
professional returns home early,
simply because of these two issues.”
Surprisingly our survey found that
traditional barriers such as culture
and language are not seen as such
big issues in today’s world. Of those
already working abroad, 88% said it
was easy to adapt to the culture of
the host country. This might reflect
the high proportion of respondents
who wanted to go to English speaking
countries with similar cultural
backgrounds, or the fact that even
where professionals and their families
need to adapt to cultural differences,
English is the business language used
in the workplace.
Fewer barriers today
Chapter four
If you are moving to a
new city it’s important to
have an open mind and
be willing to absorb
the local culture.
Ade Bakre, Technology
UK to Amsterdam
“
”

11. 10
Professionals with no overseas experience
Professional that are already abroad
39%
Job
opportunities
24%
Job opportunities /
Work permits and Visas
16%
Economic
climate
34%
Relocation packages /
Work permits
and Visas
Ade Bakre works in the technology
sector and moved from the UK to
Amsterdam. His experiences support
this view: “Amsterdam is a very
multi-cultural city and most people
are fluent in English, but if you are
moving to a new city it’s important
to have an open mind and be willing
to absorb the local culture.”
While those already abroad reaped the
benefits of being there, those who had
returned home and those who wanted
to go abroad put insufficient job
opportunities and relocation packages
high up on their list of barriers to
moving abroad. Companies need to
manage their cost base, but also
ensure that they don’t lose experienced
professionals or switch off new
talent simply through an assumption
about lack of opportunities. Equally,
employers should promote the benefits
in terms of career progression and
personal experience that international
opportunities afford, as these may
often outweigh the financial benefits
of an overseas appointment.
Top barriers to finding a job abroad

12. 11
USA 01
UK 02
Australia 03
Switzerland 04
Canada 05
Germany 06
Singapore 07
UAE 08
France 09
Spain 10
Hong Kong 11
China 12
Norway 13
Belgium 14
Netherlands 15
Relocation countries 2014
Top 15 relocation countries
Attractions for working abroad
Top three attractions for those
wanting to work abroad
Prospects
Australia
USA
UK
Lifestyle
Culture
Top countries past five years
Consistently in the top three
Year on year the top destinations
for most professionals remain
unchanged, with English speaking
countries dominating the top five.
This is unsurprising given that the
top three attractions to a country
for those wanting to work abroad
are lifestyle (31%), prospects
(21%) and culture (17%).
The US, the UK and Australia were the
top three destinations for both those
already abroad and those who wanted
to work abroad.
However, this year the UK made
headway against the US to be almost
equal as the top destination for those
wanting to work overseas.
Alev Kilic from ESCP Europe comments
on the closing of this gap: “The UK and
the US markets are both improving,
and given the current economic climate
in the US, the UK is seen as a strong
alternative for professionals in similar
sectors seeking to relocate.”
However, where people want to work
does not always correspond to the
countries experiencing the greatest
talent gaps. At present, the five
countries having the most difficulty
filling jobs are Japan, Brazil, India,
Turkey and Hong Kong, but only Hong
Kong made it into the survey’s
top 15 destinations.
Equally, despite the demand for talent
in BRICS, Brazil this year disappeared
from the top 15 desirable destinations,
and both Hong Kong and China have
slipped down the rankings to 11th and
12th place respectively, suggesting
that although there is an understanding
Top world
destinations
that these emerging markets are
important, cultural barriers, coupled
with a perceived ‘distance’ from home,
may make them less appealing. The
lack of emerging countries in the
preferred destinations list means that
companies will have to work hard to
attract the international talent that
they need in these places.
Quite often it isn’t a country but a city
that we picture ourselves working
in. Professionals can be interested
in social, cultural and even natural
attractions and equally turned off by
cities that may appear dangerous
or politically unstable.
Ade Bakre was very taken with
Amsterdam: “I went there on a tourist
trip and I loved the look of the city and
the simplicity of the Dutch lifestyle so
much I decided to work there.”
However, the survey found that one in
five respondents had no city preference
and were willing to go where the job
opportunities existed. This suggests
that the desire to be in one particular
location is secondary to gaining
the right international role,
wherever it may be.
Where city preferences were given,
these tended to be the capital cities,
or well known technology and financial
hubs in the top ten countries, with the
exception of Hong Kong. London was
the most preferred city, ranked
number one by 14% of professionals,
twice as many as New York City,
which ranked second.
A more detailed analysis of favourable
city locations by sector showed that
Chapter five

13. 12
MELBOURNE
MEL
2%
Melbourne
Australia
2%
Hong Kong
China
HKGHONGKONG
10
09
YVRVANCOUVER08
2%
Vancouver
Canada
LONDON
CDG
PARIS
07
2%
Paris
France
ZÜRICH//SWITZERLAND
ZRH
3%
Zürich
Switzerland
06
SINSINGAPORE
05
3%
Singapore
Singapore
SANFRANCISCO
SFO
3%
San Francisco
USA
04
LONDON
Sydney
Australia
4%
SYD
SYDNEY
03NEWYORK
NYC
New York
USA
7%
02
LONLONDON
01
14%
London
United Kingdom
preferred destinations reflected
major sector hubs. Hence established
oil and gas hubs such as Houston,
Dubai and Abu Dhabi were ranked
highly by oil and gas respondents.
Professionals prepared to work abroad
are naturally drawn to those cities seen
as sector leading as they offer the best
opportunities for career development.
Danny Holderman spent five years in
Germany before recently returning to
the US: “The oil and gas industry is a
global one, so any experience you can
gain interacting with different cultures,
being confronted with different
geologic and technical challenges
and understanding difference socio-
economic drivers for different regions
of the world, will enhance both your
career development and professional
skills. If you are able to commit to
developing a full life – both work and
personal – in a new city, country and
culture; then international career
opportunities can be very rewarding.”
For finance professionals, London, New
York City, San Francisco and Hong Kong
were the favoured city destinations,
and within the technology sector, 41%
of overseas respondents were already
working in London.
Juan Puig, who works in the technology
sector, moved from Spain to London:
“I chose London because it has the
greatest number of high quality IT
opportunities, and because I wanted
to learn English and understand a
bit more about British culture. It’s an
expensive city but it’s a great place to
live and work.”
Tim Smeaton, Hydrogen’s CEO explains
the attraction of the UK’s capital:
“A combination of lower corporation
tax and positive GDP growth makes
London an appealing place for major
international companies to establish
European headquarters. This in turn
drives hiring in those industries. Add
to this the enduring afterglow of the
Olympics, a multicultural society and
good education opportunities and
London becomes a very attractive
option for talented professionals
from across the world.”
Cities professionals relocate to
top 10 relocation cities
12

14. 13
Specialist sectors
People that relocate to BRICS
BRICS relocation obstacles
Top three concerns
Reasons to relocate to BRICS
Top reasons for relocating
Family
Security
Language
88%
82%
71%
49%
41%LifeSciences
Finance
Technology
OilGas
Power
Personal
growth
Career
BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa, and their growth
potential have long been the subject of
academic and business debate. Over
the last decade many have reduced
poverty, incorporating millions into
their middle classes, and relaxing
social and political laws as well as
economic barriers to foreign trade.
As a result BRICS are attracting
companies from all over the world.
Personal growth opportunities are
the biggest draw, and this is not
surprising given it is predicted that
in a few decades some of the world’s
largest economies will be what we
call “emerging” economies today.
Despite the fact that China and Brazil
both dropped down the preferred
countries list, more than two thirds of
respondents were willing to relocate
to BRICS at some point, rising to
80% among those who had returned
from working abroad. In addition to
personal growth potential, career
opportunities was considered another
leading benefit of working in BRICS.
Joe Kelly, Communications Director
with a telecommunications company,
moved to Shenzhen in China with his
family in late 2012 on a three year
contract: “I believe my employment
value will be enhanced by my
experience here. There are relatively
few senior global communicators
with direct experience of how things
work in China or South East Asia.
Given that China with its sheer
scale and rising affluent population
is a key target market for most
global organisations, I think it’s an
advantage to my career portfolio.”
China is now home to some of the
world’s largest banking, telecoms
and oil companies by market
capitalisation, and according to recent
research 40% of US companies and
60% of Asian ones were transferring
professionals to China to meet the
demand of their business operations
in the region.* This is reflected in
our own findings with 87% of Indian
nationals and 86% of US nationals
most open to moving to BRICS.
Although companies recognise the
opportunities these countries afford to
them, many are experiencing difficulty
in finding the right professionals in
the local labour market and will look
to international talent to fill the gap
in the short term. However, despite
expressing willingness to move to
BRICS countries, many of the survey’s
respondents have preconceived
views on what it is like to live and
work in these countries that will need
to be overcome.
Strikingly, 29% of respondents saw
security concerns, language and
distance from home or families as
the main obstacles to relocating
to BRICS. Given that the top three
countries to work in – the US, the
UK and Australia, are thousands of
Building a better
understanding of BRICS
Chapter six

15. 14
SA
CHINA
INDIARUSSIA
2.7% GDP
Brazil
1.1% GDP
Russia
7.5% GDP
India
9.2% GDP
China
1.9% GDP
South Africa
miles apart, it may be that ‘perceived’
distance, perhaps due to a lack of
internal infrastructure or affordable
international travel, might add weight
to views on distance from home.
If an experienced professional can
overcome these worries or alter their
perceptions, BRICS hold some great
opportunities for both personal
and career development.
“I don’t speak much Chinese, but
that’s no barrier at work, and if I need
to there’s always Google Translate,”
says Joe Kelly, adding: “Professionals
thinking of coming to China need to
have a sense of adventure. Much of
life is the same here once you look
beyond the surface which can appear
alien. But those who want life to
be exactly the same as home may
not be able to adapt. There are 1.35
billion Chinese and only a handful of
expatriates, so it’s better if we adapt.”
His views on the overall experience are
positive: “China is home to a fifth of
the world’s population and is making
the transition from communism to red-
blooded capitalism. It’s a fascinating
moment in time which you won’t
appreciate from a TV documentary.
My children are ten and eight years
old – just the right age to appreciate
and understand what is around them.
This experience has widened their
life perspective as well as mine.”
—
*Source:Towers Watson / Worldwide ERC
2012 Global Talent Mobility Study
BRICS average annual GDP growth
2009 -2012

16. 15
Language fluency
Percentage of people who stay
longer in a country despite not
being fluent in the language
English
Mandarin
(Chinese)
French
Languages used in business
Top three languages
90%
Source: Bloomberg
Aside from being cited as a disincentive
to work in BRICS, this year’s survey
results suggest that language is no
longer perceived as a barrier for many
professionals seeking to work abroad.
Only 16% of respondents gave it as a
reason not to work abroad.
In part this can be explained by the fact
that English is now almost exclusively
the global business language in many
industries such as technology, finance
and life sciences, as well as English
speaking countries often being seen as
more desirable destinations, even by
professionals for whom English is
a second language.
The other explanation is that
professionals who want to go abroad
are more open to learning a language
– accepting it is an important skill
required for a global career, and
perhaps companies themselves
are providing more support to their
international employees and families to
learn the local language either before
or upon arrival.
“Language is an important aspect
of moving abroad. It requires a
willingness and dedication to learn,”
says Panos Beretsos, adding: “I
believe that over time anyone working
abroad will eventually learn the
local language, particularly if their
children are learning it at school.”
This open approach to language is
reflected by the fact that more than
three quarters of those currently
abroad were fluent prior to moving. We
also found that 62% of return homers
had previously or were currently
taking a language course and nearly
half were fluent in the language of
their most recent secondment.
Nor did language fluency prior to arrival
dictate how long a professional stayed
overseas. 35% of those currently
working abroad had been in their
chosen country for ten years or more,
despite not being fluent on arrival, and
90% of those who were not fluent on
arrival said they were likely to stay in
the country longer than expected.
Professionals gave ‘new experiences’
as the second main reason for wanting
to work abroad and not seeing language
as a barrier to relocating encapsulates
the readiness to embrace all the
different aspects that a role in a new
country has to offer.
Language proves
no barrier
Chapter seven
15

17. 16
PUERTA
10
WELCOME
BIENVENUE
WILLKOMMEN
WELCOME
BIENVENUE
WILLKOMMEN
WELCOME
BIENVENUE
WILLKOMMEN
58% of professionals
fluent in country’s native
language
On arrival
16

18. 17
Visa and permit restrictions
Countries with tightest restrictions
USA
Russia
Global business borders may be more
fluid as companies increasingly source
talent from across the world, but visa
restrictions and work permits persist
as a problem both for professionals
and the companies they work for.
This is a reality rather than a
perception, since those who had
returned home from working abroad
saw work permits and visas as a bigger
barrier to international experience than
those who had not yet worked abroad.
Indeed 24% of those currently working
overseas had experienced difficulties
with work permit and visa requirements
either for themselves or their families.
It appears in our high tech and
globalised societies that companies
may have adapted to a global economy
but governments have not. In fact,
in some countries, governments
are putting in place policies that
actively protect their domestic
assets and workforce. In 2010 only
1% of professionals saw visas and
work permits as a restriction to
gaining international experience. In
the 2014 survey, this number is now
14%. This may reflect rising country
restrictions on work permits but
may also be the result of an increase
in international opportunities in
new territories and markets, where
governments have yet to adapt visa
and work permit restrictions.
When paperwork
is a problem
While some countries such as Canada
and New Zealand are relaxing their
work permit restrictions for specific
skills and talent, many remain tough
on this matter. The US and Russia
are anecdotally among the top ten
countries for which it is hardest to get
a visa. Amongst other countries, the UK
and Australia are both in the process
of tightening up their immigration
and work visa processes, with more
emphasis on national programmes to
retrain the local labour market to join
skilled professions in short supply.
Clearly companies looking to expand
operations into new markets need to
assess if they can recruit locally, or if
they will need to transfer knowledge
internationally. If they need to bring
in experienced professionals from
overseas, companies will have to work
with countries and governments to
ensure that quotas limiting the number
of expatriates will not jeopardise
the success of their operations.
Denise McAnulty, Hydrogen COO EMEA
and US explains: “Some of the best
oil and mining opportunities are in
regions like Africa, and we work hard
with companies and governments
to get the right balance of foreign
experience with local talent.”
Chapter eight
We work hard with
companies and
governments to get
the right balance of
foreign experience and
promoting local talent.
Denise McAnulty
Hydrogen COO EMEA and US
“
”

19. 18
BOARDING PASS
PASSENGER TICKET AND BAGGAGE CHECKNAME
FROM
FLIGHT
DATE
TIME
GATE
BOARDING
SEAT
TO名稱/Name/Nom
地址/Address/Adresse
護照號碼/Passportnumber/Numérodepasseport
項目詳細資料/ Entrydetails
/Détailsdel'entrée
IMMIGRATION CARD
中国移民
只有正式使用/Officialuseonly/L'usageofficiel 日期/Date/Date
標誌/Sign/Signature
到期日/Expirydate/Dated'expiration
航班號/Flightnumber/Numéroduvol
只有正式使用/Officialuseonly/L'usageofficiel
逗留時間/Lengthofstay
/Duréeduséjour
工作/ Business
/Entreprise
旅遊/ Tourism
/Tourisme
In 2010 only 1% of
professionals saw visas
and work permits as a
restriction. In the 2014
survey, this number
is now 14%.
Visas and permits

20. 19
Experience of working abroad
Willing to work abroad again
Return homers
Main reasons for returning home
Secondment
endedBetter job
opportunities
at home
Family reasons
96%
This year, for the first time, the
survey separated out those currently
working abroad from those who had
returned home from an international
opportunity. 27% of respondents
categorised themselves as
‘return homers’.
71% of respondents in this category
were aged between 30 to 60 years. One
in five stated they were not working,
and perhaps likely to have retired. Many
felt there were still insufficient job
opportunities for further international
experience, with 20% believing there
were better job opportunities in
their home market.
Interestingly, a number had returned
home due to visa and work permit
restrictions and the application of
national quotas elsewhere, once
they had transferred their skills and
knowledge to the local workforce.
“Return homers are an interesting
segment as they have excellent
overseas market experience which they
can bring back home,” explains Simon
Walker, COO APAC, at Hydrogen. “For
a company, return homers are both
strategically and financially important.
Their experience is fundamental to
organisational learning, and their
intercultural skills make them great
role models for others seeking to gain
overseas experience in the future.”
However, once they return to their
native country, the transition back
to the lifestyle can be difficult
and almost one in eight leave their
employer within the first few years of
repatriation, taking with them valuable
company experience. Alev Kilic, tutor
at ESCP comments: “I’ve conducted
specific research on what happens to
repatriates. A number find it difficult
to adapt back into their home country
culture having spent several years
overseas. Many had autonomous jobs
and high living standards so felt their
international appointment gave them
more weight within the company. Once
back in domestic operations, they felt
organisations often did not value their
international experience and could
not provide a new role that capitalised
on that experience.”
This sets a challenge to companies
to find a way to show they value
this national talent with overseas
experience, particularly in terms
of career planning and support, to
adjust back into the culture and
work environment at home. If done
successfully, the return homers
will transition easily and companies
will benefit.
Danny Holderman recently returned
to the US after working for five years
in Germany: “The transition back to
the States was not hard at all. I was
working for an American company while
overseas. Though there was a small
cultural difference between the two
offices, it wasn’t such a big change to
cause a problem adjusting back to the
culture in the States. Actually changing
companies rather than locations has
required a bigger cultural adjustment.”
The return homers are not just valuable
to companies; recently countries
have also begun to realise the worth
of this group. Some countries who
have experienced decades of ‘brain
drain’, or who are employing high
numbers of expatriates, have begun
to redress this imbalance explicitly
Return homers:an
untapped resource
Chapter nine
19

21. 20
27% catergorised
themselves as
‘return homers’
Return homers
by attracting back return homers. A
number of Asian governments have
put in place programmes, such as
TalentCorp Malaysia’s ‘Returning
Expert Programme’, or tax breaks to
encourage highly skilled and qualified
nationals to return home, while the UAE
embassy in London recently held its
first career forum designed to attract
back home Emirati graduates with
UK university degrees.
A combination of visa restrictions and
an emphasis on hiring nationals has
meant that companies and countries
are more and more identifying the
value of this hybrid solution to talent
shortages, looking to retain nationals
with international experience to help
develop local economies and stem the
over-reliance on expatriates.
However, despite the recognised value
of this group of professionals, both
countries and companies may need
to work hard to retain return homers.
96% of this group said they were willing
to work abroad again and it was this
segment that was the most willing to
work in the emerging markets of Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa
where there are clear talent shortages.
20

22. 21
Already abroad
Would move to a new country
rather than return home
48%
2014
2010
38%
Five years ago the world had entered
one of the worst economic recessions
for decades. In 2014 the path to
recovery appears clearer but growth
levels in developed countries remain
marginal at 1-2%. Emerging economies
have accounted for more than three
quarters of total growth since 2009.
In light of this, the International
Monetary Fund has called for greater
international collaboration to stabilise
the world economy. Already in some
developed markets, more company
profits are derived from overseas
operations than domestic ones.
In these conditions, unsurprisingly,
the need to capitalise on global
talent has become pivotal to many
international businesses, even
those managing their cost bases
closely. Almost all chief executives
agree that recruiting the right talent
is critical to business growth.
Talented, highly qualified
professionals also realise the
benefits of international experience
to their career prospects and earnings
potential. Marrying experience of
emerging market operations with
home country knowledge raises their
marketability. Hence we have seen a
steady growth over the past five years
in the number of respondents who
are currently working abroad, have
already worked overseas or who are
interested in moving abroad for work,
which now stands at almost 100%.
There has been an increase over the
five year period in the number of
professionals who think their company
values international experience,
growing from 63% to 71%. And for those
already working abroad, we have seen
an 8% increase from 17% in 2010 to
25% in 2014 in the number who think
their career prospects have improved
as a result of international experience.
Over the same period the barriers
have steadily reduced. Five years
ago, almost half of professionals
cited insufficient job opportunities
as a major barrier and one in five felt
relocation packages were insufficient.
Today these figures stand at 24% and
12% respectively, suggesting that
employers have done a great deal
to grow international opportunities
for talented professionals and
develop remuneration packages
that satisfy expectations.
Family, friends and relationships
are still considered the biggest
barriers to working abroad, but 24%
of respondents cited this as a barrier
in 2014 compared to 40% in 2010, a
decrease of 16%. Again, companies
are tackling this barrier with more
than remuneration, many offering
language and cross-cultural training
programmes for partners and children.
Another trend the survey revealed was
a change in the level of qualifications
of those currently working abroad
and those who had returned home. In
2014, 44% of those currently abroad
and 56% of return homers were
educated to Bachelor or Masters level.
However, far fewer individuals than
previously had gained professional
qualifications and MBAs, only 17%
this year compared to 30% in 2010.
What’s changed
in the last five years
We have seen a steady
growth over the last five
years in the number
of respondents who
have experienced or
are interested in
working abroad and
the figure now stands
at almost 100%
“
”
Chapter ten
21

23. 22


C A R E E R P R O S P E C T SC A R E E R P R O S P E C T S


J O B O P P O R T U N I T I E SJ O B O P P O R T U N I T I E S


R E L O C A T I O N P A C K A G E SR E L O C A T I O N P A C K A G E S


Q U A L I F I C A T I O N SQ U A L I F I C A T I O N S
WHAT’S CHANGED IN FIVE YEARS
The number of professionals who think their career
prospects have improved as a result of international
experience in the last five years has risen from 17% to 25%
The number of job opportunities over the
past five years has increased from 24% to 44%
Number of attractive relocation packages has
increased in the last five years from 12% to 21%
Percentage relocating with professional qualifications has
significantly dropped in the last five years from 30% to 17%
We believe in part this is due to the
escalating costs both to companies
and individuals of undertaking MBAs
and professional qualifications,
perhaps with no clear financial
benefits attached to attaining them.
It would also suggest that in line with
the younger generation who want
to gain international experience
within the first ten years of work,
professionals are heading overseas
earlier in their careers before they
have necessarily reached a senior
level that requires such qualifications,
highlighting that global mobility is no
longer confined to an elite group.
While the number of women currently
working abroad has seen a gradual
decrease over the past five years,
the number of younger women
aged 21-30 seeking international
experience has grown. This is good
news for the technology and oil and
gas sectors in particular, both of
which are actively encouraging the
recruitment of talented women.
Companies can be lauded for the
good work they have done to ease
the transition for those relocating
overseas. In coming years there
will need to be a focus on the rise
across all segments in concerns over
visas and work permits. For future
growth, employers must capitalise
on the younger generation of talent
that is keen to gain international
experience, and ensure they
maximise the return on investment
from mature professionals returning
home with a wealth of experience.
22

24. 23
Finding a job abroad
Professionals that find their job
in less than five months
75%
While companies recognise the
importance of global talent to their
growth strategies, attracting the right
professionals will become harder as
the global economy bounces back.
More than a third of businesses across
the world are currently finding it hard
to source essential talent, and more
than one in five say this is having a high
impact on their organisation’s ability to
meet its clients’ needs.*
Of those already working abroad,
an increasing number used social
and professional networks to find
their current role, and 25% got their
international opportunity through
their current employer. But a third still
relied on recruitment consultancies
to help them achieve their career
ambitions. This figure increases
dramatically when we look at those who
want to move abroad. Almost 80% had
spoken to a recruitment agency, with
only 20% approaching their employer.
This may suggest that high calibre
candidates are not prepared to wait for
their current employer to make them
an offer if they feel their talent is
in demand elsewhere.
That’s where specialist global
recruitment consultants and
headhunters can be invaluable.
They can match a candidate to an
employer’s requirements quickly
and efficiently, taking the burden
out of applying for numerous jobs or
screening large amounts of candidates
to find the right company or person.
“This is my second career move with
Hydrogen,” says Mike Tan, an oil and
gas professional who moved from
Malaysia to New Zealand, adding: “I am
always impressed by their skills and
the fact that they are proactive.”
For some specialised roles, candidates
do not respond to advertisements
even if they are online, preferring to
be approached with a bespoke career
opportunity from someone who knows
what motivates them and understands
their desired career path.
Tim Smeaton, Hydrogen CEO explains:
“As a specialist global recruiter we
are here to find the right job for each
individual, wherever the opportunity
may be. We broker the deal between
the candidate and the client and make
sure their relationship is given a good
foundation. On top of that we will offer
the candidate advice on matters like
cross border negotiations, taxation,
where to live and schooling; all areas
that can be daunting when looking
to move to a new country. It is these
additional services that we can offer
which make an international placement
as easy as possible.”
Our research shows that three quarters
of those currently working abroad
found their job within five months and
of those, almost 40% found it in less
than a month.
Specialist recruiters work hard to
understand the next career move a
professional wants to make, exposing
them to opportunities that can’t be
Recruiters still preferred
over social networks
Chapter eleven
I was headhunted
from a FTSE 100
company for both my
communications skills
and knowledge of the
telecoms industry.
It took less than five
months from the first
conversation for me
and my family to
physically relocate.
Joe Kelly
London to China
“
”

25. 24
helppoint
Recruitment
consultants
and headhunters
Current
employer
Friend /
colleague
Advertisements
LinkedIn
found through other channels, helping
them negotiate remuneration and
relocation packages based on an
insight into the specific sector or niche
profession, as well as the particular
personal needs of an individual.
While social and professional networks
can help shape a candidates’ views on a
next career move, they cannot provide
the in-depth knowledge and experience
that a recruitment consultancy can. A
professional network database can use
technology to match online CVs with
potential job roles, but it won’t know
the specific preferences of a
candidate or a company.
Sandra Silva who moved from Portugal
to London says: “There are lots of
opportunities in the technology
sector and every day recruiters look
for candidates on LinkedIn and social
networks. I wasn’t actively searching
when Hydrogen contacted me. But
they scheduled all the interviews and
covered all the negotiations once I got
the job, which allowed me to move to
London without any problems.”
—
*Source Manpower Talent Shortage Survey 2013
How professionals found their role abroad

26. 25
16% Middle Manager
13% Senior Manager
8% Director
2% Board Level
9% Junior Manager
29% Employee
17% Consultant
6% Self Employed
Professional level
The Hydrogen ‘Global
professionals on the
move’ report 2014 is
based on the results of a
major online survey that
ran during November
2013 and attracted
2,444 responses from
professionals in 99
different countries
working largely across
business transformation,
finance, life sciences,
oil and gas, power,
sales and marketing,
technology, and trading
and advisory sectors.
The online survey
was distributed
using business social
networking sites,
databases from
Hydrogen and alumni
of ESCP Europe.
The survey was
conducted by a
consultancy project
team from ESCP
Europe and examined
the opportunities
and motivations of
highly qualified, high
earning professionals
working abroad.
21% of the respondents
were from the UK, with
the remainder from a
fairly even spread of
countries in Europe,
Australasia, North
America, Middle East
and Asia.
The respondents ranged
from professional
employees to senior
levels earning an average
of USD126,639.02. 96%
had a bachelor degree
(equivalent) or above.
83% were aged between
20-50 years old.
The gender breakdown of
the respondents was 71%
male and 29% female.
35% of respondents were
already overseas and
27% had returned from
working abroad.
Survey breakdown
Appendix

27. 26
Less than $25k
$26k - $75k
$76k - $125k
$126k - $175k
$176k - $225k
Greater than $226k
Declined to comment
Under 20yrs
21 - 30yrs
31 - 40yrs
41 - 50 yrs
51 - 60yrs
61+ yrs
High school
Bachelor degree
Masters degree
MBA
PhD
Other professional qualification
6.1%
0.1%
4.0%
26.0%
37.0%
9.0%
7.0%
17.0%
26.9%
32.9%
23.4%
12.4%
4.3%
27.7%
21.7%
14.2%
9.4%
9.7%
11.2%
Gross annual income level (USD)
Age
Education

28. 27
Hydrogen is a global recruiter solving
the talent shortages of some of the
world’s leading organisations. We make
it our business to understand our clients
and their markets, advising them on
their resourcing needs, whether for
a highly specialised role or to meet
large scale requirements arising from
a project within their business.
Hydrogen’s success is built on the
ability of our consultants to find
experienced, high quality professionals
no matter where they are in the world.
We form lasting relationships with
our candidates, having a positive
impact throughout their career.
www.hydrogengroup.com
ESCP Europe, established in 1819,
is the world’s first business school,
educating generations of leaders,
thinkers and entrepreneurs. With five
campuses in Paris, London, Berlin,
Madrid and Torino, ESCP Europe
offers a unique style of cross-border,
multi-cultural business education,
combined with a global perspective on
international management issues.
www.escpeurope.eu
With thanks to the ESCP Europe project
team who conducted the survey;
Alev Kilic (project tutor), Jeremy
Wauters, Robin Villar, Riccardo Di Grigoli,
Florian Neu, and Eva Surowiecki.
—
For more information please contact
Alex Bigland at Hydrogen
alexandrabigland@hydrogengroup.com
or +44 (0)20 7090 7739
27

29. 28
Twitter: @hydrogengroup
Google+: +hydrogengroup
LinkedIn: hydrogen group
Website: www.hydrogengroup.com
Visit our blog:
www.news.hydrogengroup.com
for more insights and content on the
fifth annual Global professionals on
the move report.

30. 29
# G P M 2 0 1 4
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