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Navigating Global Assignments: Insights and Key Challenges

As international markets become more interconnected, the need for sending employees and leaders across borders grows. But the path of a global assignment is rarely straightforward. In today’s fast-shifting business environment, international assignments play a rising strategic role for many organizations, serving as both a bridge to fill skills gaps and a lever for expanding business reach. However, these opportunities come tangled with their own set of challenges—some obvious, some lurking beneath the surface. Let’s work through those challenges together, step by uncertain step.

Understanding why global assignments matter more than ever

There’s a reason why companies are doubling down on cross-border talent moves. International assignments are not merely about sending someone to a new geography. They are a way to tap into new expertise, spread company culture, and anchor global teams closer. Companies with big ambitions, especially Series B or C startups or mature IT firms, see these assignments as central to their strategies for scaling—hardly an optional extra.

A recent ECA International survey found 95% of organizations now outsource at least one aspect of mobility, supporting broader goals such as addressing skill shortages and driving company growth. That’s a huge number—almost universal, really.

“International assignments build bridges between experience and opportunity.”

In projects at EWS Limited, we see this every week. Teams want growth, but they also want it fast—and with as few surprises as possible. As companies increasingly work without borders, their expectations of what mobility programs can deliver are growing.

Companies rely on global assignments for growth and resilience

Why do leaders see global assignments as so valuable? For one, they let businesses quickly respond to local market needs by bringing in the right expertise. If a region lacks AI developers, a company can send someone with those skills for a year or two. If a new product needs a launch abroad, trusted talent takes the reins.

But it’s not just tactical. There’s strategic thinking behind it. International experience helps to build future executives. Someone who has led a team in two or three countries is often better prepared for C-level roles later. Mobility assignments also support knowledge transfer, solution testing, and smoother acquisitions. It sounds simple, but the effects add up.

Still, ambition can run into real-world blockers. A recent survey from EY showed 75% of employers do not have a fully developed global mobility function. Despite the clear value, program setup and execution can lag behind intention.

Bridging the skills gap: the modern mobility push

Most companies, regardless of size, are struggling to find skilled people in key specialisms. The war for talent is very real in IT, cybersecurity, and other technical fields. Global assignments step in to plug these gaps.

According to recent research on multinational enterprises, over 70% face difficulty aligning mobility programs with complex labor laws, immigration requirements, and tax rules across different countries. These layers of compliance aren’t just paperwork—they influence how quickly a business can respond to market needs and where skilled workers can actually go and work.

At EWS Limited, our experience shows companies seek not just to send employees abroad, but to do it in a way that’s compliant, smooth, and predictable. Otherwise, you might solve a talent shortage on paper, but create new headaches with local regulations or payroll.

The unexpected disruptor: family-related assignment failures

Even the best mobility plan can be derailed by what seems, at first, like a personal concern. One of the most underappreciated reasons for assignment failure is family issues. These aren’t always dramatic—they can be small concerns that fester. Maybe a spouse finds it tough to adjust. Or children struggle with a new school. Or there’s just a sense of homesickness that grows over time.

Family concerns consistently rank as the number two reason why assignments fall apart, just behind professional or role-specific mismatches. In some studies, nearly a third of assignments that fail do so for family reasons. It’s not just old wisdom—reality confirms it year by year.

• Spouse or partner struggles with career interruption
• Children face education challenges or language barriers
• Cultural integration stress affects the whole family unit
• Health or support system gaps escalate over time

Why does this matter to a company? The cost is more than financial. An assignment that unravels means wasted opportunity. And unfortunately, some organizations are still slow to acknowledge the family factor, treating moves as solo projects. EWS Limited has learned, through practical experience, to look out for the wellbeing of assignees’ families as a fundamental part of success.

“The toughest problems often start at home.”

This brings in ambiguity. Sometimes, solving a company challenge means meeting a family need. That’s not always easy. It’s personal, emotional, and unpredictable—but ignoring it doesn’t work.

The high administrative costs of global mobility

If you picture international assignments as glamorous, the spreadsheets and bills might surprise you. The financial side is steadily climbing, quietly but relentlessly. Assignments come with direct and indirect administrative costs. Let’s run through the numbers:

• Long-term assignments: average annual admin costs are now around USD 9,800 (EUR 9,200)
• Short-term assignments: average annual admin costs are about USD 8,700 (EUR 8,200)

These figures cover time spent on compliance, tax filings, visa support, payroll, and general coordination. They don’t even capture intangible costs, like time lost when processes drag or mistakes are made. The pressure is higher on Series B and C startups, who must watch budgets closely yet still expand fast enough to satisfy new investors.

So how do companies keep budgets on track? The answer for most is outsourcing specific tasks—payroll, compliance, or tax filings. EWS Limited, for instance, frequently supports busy HR and finance leaders trying to handle expansions in parallel with business-as-usual back home. If you want to see more details about operational guidance in overseas settings, you might find this resource on managing overseas projects in 2023 helpful.

But the drive to control costs can create its own confusion. Sometimes companies cut corners, leading to compliance risks. Sometimes they over-invest, losing margin. Neither path is satisfying—balance is always tricky, and what works for one assignment might miss the mark for another.

Technology in global mobility: the slow road to digital transformation

If you expect technology to stitch these threads together easily, reality paints a more awkward picture. Despite all the talk about digital transformation, tech adoption in global mobility has lagged behind other HR fields. It isn’t that the spark is missing. Most leaders see tech as the solution, but few feel the promise has really been delivered.

A recent Mercer analysis found only 3% of companies report real satisfaction with their mobility tools. AI? Barely present. Most tech in this space is still onboarding, not revolutionizing. Many teams are caught between manual spreadsheets and tricky legacy systems, unable to automate the work that eats their time each week.

“Tech dreams, manual reality.”

• 67% of global mobility teams still rely on Excel or manual tracking for assignments, per industry research
• Integration with core HR and finance systems remains elusive
• Few robust solutions for tracking varying local regulations or tax rates
• AI potential largely untapped in this area

It’s odd. Technology is moving fast everywhere, but in global mobility, satisfaction levels are strikingly low. There’s hesitancy, sometimes even resistance—perhaps due to cost, or worries about data privacy. Sometimes tools are rolled out, only to fall back on old habits. Change, it turns out, rarely happens overnight.

Steps to better technology integration

1. Start by mapping current manual processes and pain points
2. Choose tech that can adapt to varied country requirements—not just one solution for every case
3. Ensure visible, ongoing training for staff (and keep it practical, not theoretical!)
4. Look for platforms that allow predictive analytics and compliance guardrails
5. Monitor results and tweak as you learn—don’t expect instant perfection

It might feel odd to lean into change, especially if spreadsheets have worked before. But standing still rarely solves today’s problems. If you need a nudge on why automation matters, our article on how to hire in the age of hybrid working has more on how digital tools support flexible global teams, including those on assignment.

Global compliance: the law beneath the assignment

Maybe compliance seems dry, but in the world of global mobility it’s a make-or-break layer. Each destination country comes with its own labor codes, tax schedules, and reporting timeframes. Sometimes a minor variance—one different local rule—can derail a whole plan.

As highlighted by industry research, over 70% of multinational organizations have trouble keeping their mobility programs compliant across all jurisdictions. It’s a big deal: a late tax payment, a visa oversight, or missed social security contributions can end up being more expensive than the salary itself.

If this feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many companies (especially among startups and IT firms without giant support teams) admit that compliance drains time and creates anxiety. EWS Limited supports clients in navigating these rules. Sometimes this means serving as the Employer of Record—a model discussed in more detail in our piece about the significance of an Employer of Record solution.

“The real risk isn’t just getting caught—it’s not knowing where you’re exposed.”

Companies must adapt with agility. Sometimes compliance is a box ticked at the end of an assignment planning meeting, when it really should be the first thing on the agenda.

Family needs, culture shock, and soft failures

Let me come back to something—cultural fit. If spreadsheets and laws run one side of mobility, the other side is more personal. Unexpected frictions can pop up anywhere. Maybe an employee doesn’t quite “click” in a new market. Or somewhere along the way, a small miscommunication blooms into months of confusion.

Culture shock isn’t just about language menus or strange groceries. It’s about finding new daily rhythms, making friends, feeling useful. Sometimes, leaders returning from an assignment chat quietly about the awkwardness of being neither local nor fully foreign. These “soft failures,” where the assignment continues but never brings hoped-for results, can slip through data reviews but still drag down the business.

Family again comes up. Support programs—language training, local guides, or regular check-ins—help, but never guarantee everything. Each family and employee is different, after all.

How organizations are changing their approach

Given all these angles—the opportunities, the costs, the soft and hard metrics—what are modern mobility leaders doing differently?

• Reframing assignment support to cover not only the assignee but the partner and children too
• Integrating feedback loops so problems are spotted early
• Prioritizing local compliance as a foundation, not an afterthought
• Beginning to automate the simplest admin tasks to free up strategic time
• Relying on partners (like EWS Limited) to solve for local complexity, allowing internal teams to focus on broader talent management

There’s also a new honesty about how hard this can be. The best international assignments are planned in layers, and with patience. Some companies now pilot shorter “test” postings. Others offer blended or hybrid assignments, balancing remote work with on-site time.

For readers seeking a playbook for setting up in a new market, our guide to the three steps to company formation abroad offers a practical entry point.

Credit and burden: the leader’s dilemma

Global assignments can be a professional highlight, but they also bring hidden burdens for both assignees and leaders. HR Directors, global mobility managers, IT vendors—no one escapes the trade-offs. There’s always a tension between empowering talent and safeguarding the business. Sometimes the right decision for the employee isn’t the easiest for the organization.

A hesitation comes in. Is this assignment worthwhile? Is the investment justified, the risk manageable, or the payoff likely? There’s no sure answer, and every company must find its equilibrium. The lessons from EWS Limited’s own client experience, and those reflected in why expanding your workforce globally is a recurring decision point, reveal that what works one year may need double-checking the next.

Conclusion: turning challenge into opportunity

Global assignments are both demanding and full of promise. Organizations may set out to address a skills gap or enable business expansion, but along the way, they encounter roadblocks—family challenges, rising administrative costs, compliance tangles, and slow tech progress. The trick is in constant adjustment.

Even as technology lags, and family variables resist planning, the payoff for thriving international assignments remains high. The secret isn’t just trusting plans, but adapting as you go. That means clearer support for families, smarter outsourcing, and honest conversations with your own teams.

“Real growth starts at the edge of comfort zones.”

At EWS Limited, we work at the intersection of possibility and challenge, helping clients move from uncertainty to progress—one assignment, one family, one expansion at a time. If you want to rethink your approach to global assignments, or simply talk through what’s possible for your company as it grows across borders, reach out to our team today. Every journey is different, and we’re ready to work with you on yours.

Frequently asked questions

What is a global assignment?

A global assignment is when a company sends an employee to work in another country for a specific period. This could be a short-term project or a longer relocation. The purpose is often to transfer expertise, support expansion, manage overseas operations, or develop leadership skills. It usually involves legal, cultural, and family considerations, as explored in the main article.

How to prepare for a global assignment?

Preparation starts with research and good planning. Companies and assignees should:

• Understand the host country’s labor laws, culture, and regulatory requirements
• Ensure compliance with visas, tax, and payroll arrangements
• Prepare the family—find out about schools, healthcare, and support networks
• Arrange cultural and language training
• Set clear goals and feedback checkpoints for the assignment

Many organizations partner with providers like EWS Limited to simplify this process and reduce surprises.What are common challenges in global assignments?

Some of the most cited obstacles include:

• Family-related assignment failures (second only to professional mismatches)
• Rising administrative and compliance costs
• Cultural differences and adjustment difficulties
• Managing local legal, tax, and payroll requirements
• Low adoption of effective technology to manage mobility

Projects often get derailed by a mix of personal and process-related issues, as the main article describes.Is it worth it to take global assignments?

For many employees and organizations, yes, global assignments can offer unique rewards—professional growth, broader outlook, career acceleration, and valuable experience. However, it’s not risk-free. There can be disruption to personal life, administrative headaches, or cultural stress. Every situation is unique. Careful planning and expecting bumps along the way helps maximize benefits.

How can I succeed in global assignments?

Success depends on:

• Strong preparation (legal, cultural, personal)
• Honest assessment of family’s ability to adapt
• Using support networks—both at work and outside
• Setting realistic, flexible assignment goals
• Ongoing feedback and willingness to adjust plans

No one path guarantees success, but companies like EWS Limited can help you get started on the right foot—and adjust if things change.