04 May 3 Housewarming Tips To Make Your Assignees Feel at Home

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Guiding assignees to make a great career move is one thing, but making them feel at home in a new country is another.  But as a global mobility professional, you can give him the best of both worlds.

The assignee’s new accommodations cannot just be a place for him to stay and bunk in.   He must feel that his new housing accommodations are a part of him, and an extension of his lifestyle and the things, principles, and people he values.

You can make him feel part of the new neighborhood.  Here are 3 ways to make assignees feel at home:

  1. Make it casual and cozy.  

    A housewarming is that important moment where he can relax and chill while being introduced to the other VIP’s like his new boss, the ambassador of his country, or the administrator of the school where his children will go to.  Set dinner in the outdoor garden where the guests can sip wine and enjoy  their favorite finger foods as they watch the sun go down. Think barbeque cook-outs or Sunday brunch instead of cocktails.  Encourage your assignee and his guests to engage in conversation, the kind that leads to personal, and not just professional, bonding.

  2. Add elements from the assignee’s home country or region.  

    His favorite cuisine, a European ornament placed on the right wall, an exotic design that lights up what could just have been the familiar brick-and-marble room, flowers from the assignee’s home town planted and growing on his garden—these reminders will help him feel that he never really quite left his home town, or not all of it anyway.  These elements will also serve as a subtle introduction of his culture to his guests, and can even become a springboard for warm, interesting conversation.

  3. Welcome your assignee with a gift he can enjoy for a long time.

    Be as personal and as creative as you can be. Go beyond the usual; key chains and business  card holders. Give him a gift that will encourage him to go beyond the boundaries of his new digs and explore the area around him:  tickets without any expiration dates to an amusement park; courtside tickets to a sports game, or a bottle of the state’s best vintage, which would be a treat, especially if you are relocating your assignee to Northern California, capital of  the country’s most famous and highly-visited wineries.

 

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