During this phase of the process, the core team should seek positive examples of
the expatriate process by interviewing past expatriates who are still with the organization
at this time. Repatriates who have advanced in their careers with the same organization
should also be of particular interest to the team. Any individuals who have
been involved with the integration of expatriates will also be knowledgeable of successful
practices used in the organization. Benchmarking various countries’ repatriation
practices of the MNC/TNC will also expose positive practices already in place.
Though adaptations from country to country may be necessary (Wood & El Mansour,
2010), aligning repatriation processes and practices throughout the organization will
allow for a central strategic initiative for repatriation to be developed for organizational
effectiveness.
A variety of methods can be used to gather data during this phase of the process.
Questionnaires can be used with a large audience of employees with expatriate experience.
This method allows for broad themes to be realized in an unobtrusive way that
promotes utmost truthfulness. Interviews will also need to take place to enrich the data
collection. Interviewing past expatriates, those about to repatriate, managers who have
experienced a repatriate joining his or her team, and team members who have gained
a repatriate colleague should all be consulted. The interviewer should explain the purpose
of the interview and their desire to understand the positive experiences the individual
encountered in relation to repatriation