Relocation and advice for German repatriates
Your employee will return to Germany (with or without the family), after spending two to four years as an expatriate overseas. A lot may have changed here, and he faces the challenge to integrate and get used to the local circumstances. This is not always easy:
The majority of returnees will be in between two cultures. Overseas they have learnt and appreciated new cultural values, beliefs and behaviours, which deviate from those in Germany. Leading from that, problems could develop in the professional and private life. There are not only different working habits overseas, but the local business culture may have changed as well.
The new experiences overseas have led to changes and new development stages for the returnee, however the local social circle may not have changed. Therefore relationships and friends have to be built up again or modified.
The returnee often perceives the new position in the company as a lost status symbol. The high ranking position overseas has been lost and the responsibilities and independent control has been reduced. The returnee cannot utilize his new qualifications - this leads to frustrations.