G
NETWORK MOVES
Locallevel
Preparing for the future
Travelling light
different way in which my new col
leagues communicated with each other
and with their Managers. I was used to
a different office culture but my col
leagues in Hong Kong and Singapore
were very helpful, and it didn't take too
long to settle in and adapt to the way
they did things.'
The experience opened Morgan's eyes
to how the same Rabobank processes
mean different things in different count-
ries. 'Essentially a loan is a loan wher-
ever you are in the world,' he says. 'But
what you don't realize until you are
involved on a local level is the varying
ways in which they have to be
processed, and more importantly, re-
ported. I wasn't aware of the crucial
role the Central Bank (HKMA) played
for the Hong Kong office either - if the
HKMA had not approved the imple-
mentation, the project I worked on
could not have gone ahead. These are
things one just doesn't know until
becoming familiar with the local busi
ness culture.' The experience outside the
office was, to him, as important as the
experience inside the office. 'Being im-
mersed in a different culture - especially
in a place with so much history - was
fascinating,' he elaborates. 'Luckily for
me, as a soccer fan, I was also able to
travel to Korea for one of the World
Cup 2002 matches.'
While professional development is one
of the most obvious bonuses, develop-
ing a professional network is another.
Morgan says, 'I hope my international
experience has put me on the radar as
someone willing and capable of work-
ing in a multicultural, cross-border
environment. 1'm currently studying to
obtain my MBA in Management and
Pm sure my overseas experience played
a part in earning me a place in this
particular program. Once my degree is
finished, I'd jump at the chance to go
somewhere else.' H
oing on an overseas posting can he a daunting experience which is why
Rabobank has a team dedicated to ensuring everything runs smoothly.
'We advise expats, HR colleagues and managers worldwide about all aspects of
expatriation,' explains Expatriate Advice Services Team Manager Karen
Vermeer. 'We also organize international assignment contracts and deal with
the practical things - house removals, flight tickets, legal and fiscal issues - so
that the expat can concentrate on settling into their new home and Rabobank
office. Language and cultural training, where necessary, is arranged and this is
also available to spouses.These days, the dual career factor comes into play
regularly and Rabobank has devised ways to enable an expat's partner to con
tinue his or her career development. By providing a 'career development' allow-
ance for spouses, agents can be enlisted to find suitable jobs or educational
courses, such as MBA, can be followed. Vermeer and her team are also cur
rently implementing a new international assignment policy and are organizing
presentations to introducé new concepts - such as the above mentioned allow-
ance - to expats. The policy is in the form of a manual, distributed to every new
expat and HR manager, and applies to all Rabobankers working overseas. It
explains all aspects of what being an expat involves, what individuals are enti-
tled to and what procedures must be followed. The new policy is immediately
applicable to those taking up new postings. Existing expats will be transferred
once their contracts are renewed.
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