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Social Responsibility, the Business Factor That’s Here to Stay In a global and interconnected world, companies see the great potential of an international market with increasingly demanding consumers, who are more aware and better informed about the products they buy or the services they contract. The European Commission defines Corporate Social Responsibility as the impact that companies have on society. As the same organization explains, companies are socially responsible by complying with the law, but also by integrating the social, environmental, ethical concerns of consumers and human rights into their business strategies. In the past, and to a lesser extent, CSR was also present. Companies allocated part of their profits to socially responsible activities. However, the concept we understand today as CSR goes further. It has expanded and is more profound, as it must address a more demanding social demand. More and more companies are integrating CSR policies into their value chain. The change that has already taken place is not only driven by social pressure, which excludes those who are not socially responsible, but also because, as time goes by, awareness of this reality increases. Concern for the social impacts of a company lies within every person within it. Thus, it is determined that CSR must be led by the company, with its primary objective being to contribute to sustainable development. For it to be effective, it must originate from within and align with all the values ​​that represent it. It must be taken into account that Social Responsibility involves three stakeholders: The company itself, which achieves benefits in terms of risk management, cost savings, access to capital, stakeholder relations, human resource management, increased innovation capacity, etc.Various committees are involved. Social Responsibility makes companies more sustainable and innovative, which contributes to a more sustainable economy. Society itself provides a set of values ​​upon which a more connected community is built and gives rise to a more sustainable economic system.Understanding each party involved in the production process is essential and encompasses everything from the most general to the most specific. Thus, Social Responsibility influences the determination of competitive advantage, reputation, relationships with other companies in the sector, the country’s government, the media, the ability to attract and retain workers, maintaining and boosting motivation, as well as the productivity and commitment of all parties involved. The first six principles of the United Nations Global Compact focus on the social dimension of corporate sustainability, with human rights as the cornerstone. Companies must be committed to avoiding harm to human rights and addressing any adverse impacts that may be related to their activities. This is why the UN considers the quality of a company’s relationships and commitment to its stakeholders to be fundamental. Directly or indirectly, companies affect their environment. CSR isn’t a passing fad; it’s an activity that creates value both inside and outside the company, and it’s here to stay. Por Carlota Flores – HR Department – Expat Advisors

Dear Expat, we close the year with the best of energy. Our company’s greatest wish is that you have a happy Christmas holiday season with all your loved ones. On behalf of everyone at Expat Advisors, we wish youMerry Christmas and a prosperous 2019! Work-related expatriation: challenges and opportunities:When a company considers the expatriation of one of its employees to international destinations, it is to carry out a project or open new markets. We tell you what factors companies and employees must take into account for a successful mission. By Ana Ochoa – Global Mobility Manager Beckham Law and tax benefits for expatriates in Spain: Spain joins the European Parliament’s initiative, introducing important changes so that foreign students can apply for job search or business projects. By Armando Hernández – Global Immigration Consultant Managing Expatriate Expectations: How to manage an expat’s doubts and concerns? An international assignment can generate high expectations for their life plans, but it also entails a series of dilemmas that could lead them to decline the offer. The work of the Human Resources Department is essential. By Rossana Encina – Managing Director Expatriation to a Remote Destination: The Keys to Success: It’s not difficult to think about expatriating to the world’s major capitals. However, more and more multinationals are venturing into projects in lesser-known destinations. We’ll share the keys to successful internationalization projects in remote locations. By Ana Ochoa – Global Mobility Director The Most Useful Apps for Your Expat Experience: Beyond Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp, or Google Maps, there are a series of digital tools to use on a daily basis that will boost your expat experience. We present them below. By Diego Santos – Marketing and Digital Manager

Third International Mobility Congress The Association of International Mobility Experts (AIAL) held its Third Congress under the title «Spain: A Hub of Talent Attraction through International Mobility» at the Banco Sabadell Auditorium in Madrid on November 30th. The event featured a series of roundtables, talks, and discussions with the main objective of understanding the keys to making Spain a hub of talent attraction through International Mobility. Expat Advisors appreciates the invitation and the valuable experience of sharing knowledge on support and management for international talent mobility. We offer our most sincere congratulations to the event organizers.

Job Growth for This Holiday Season The consumer goods and e-commerce sectors are the ones with the most job opportunities at the end of the year. It is estimated that there are more than 25,000 job openings in the final stretch of 2018, primarily to strengthen the workforces of companies that respond to peak consumption ahead of the holiday season. This time of year is one of the best opportunities to access temporary employment. It represents an opportunity for those looking to land their first job or re-enter the labor market, even for young people seeking new experiences abroad, as national and international companies need to strengthen their workforces in response to the temporary increase resulting from increased consumption. It should be noted that approximately 40% of permanent contracts are temporary, so this type of hiring is often a bridge to stable employment and an ideal tool for providing companies with flexibility. In recent years, digitalization and the development of new technologies have changed consumer habits and, therefore, the needs of the labor market. The growth in e-commerce has influenced the demands of companies, which are seeking profiles with digital skills to fill their vacancies. However, companies also need to fill other positions such as packers, logistics staff, warehouse staff, transporters, and customer service (both online and by phone), among others. In addition to mass consumption and e-commerce, growth is also being seen in the hospitality, transportation, tourism, and logistics sectors. There is also an increase in demand for services related to social events such as dinners, lunches, and meetings; bars, restaurants, and venues need to hire new staff. Some companies in Spain that have announced hiring are: Correos: Correos has announced that it will strengthen its workforce by 3,000 workers to face the season and the peak period of the year. This represents the largest logistics reinforcement in recent years. SEUR: SEUR already has 8,000 employees but will expand its workforce with more than 2,500 new hires during the campaign. A period in which the company expects a 10% increase in sales volume compared to the same period last year, surpassing 13 million shipments. TOYS R US: The American toy company is strengthening its workforce with 1,688 jobs in Spain for the season. TOY PLANET: It will hire 600 people for the holiday season. The company will strengthen the workforce at its more than 200 stores and warehouses across the country. La Sirena: The supermarket chain plans to hire nearly 300 employees to support its 250 stores across the country during the holiday season. INDITEX: The textile giant will also strengthen its workforce for the Christmas and sales campaigns, although the company has not announced how many new hires it will make. It has already begun recruiting new employees for its Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Bershka stores, among others. Corte Ingles: Spain’s largest retail group is one of the largest employers for the Christmas campaigns. Although it has not released hiring figures, it is already open for recruitment processes in its various businesses. Amazon: The online retail giant will strengthen its workforce with new employees who will be responsible for various logistics and distribution processes. Job openings for Christmas have increased by up to 13.5% compared to last year’s campaign. However, it should be noted that this situation is not only experienced in Spain; other countries in the European Union also have similar needs and are leading to international hiring, making it an important opportunity to gain expat experience.

The Effectiveness and Validity of a Foreign Document in Spain Before applying for a visa and/or work and residence permit, it is necessary to consider the requirements and formalities that the destination country imposes regarding the documentation required by the applicant. Given the new professional and personal challenge that a new move or assignment to a new destination country represents for an expatriate, another concern is preparing all the necessary documentation for processing a visa and/or work and residence permit. Throughout our experience, we have found that many immigration processes requiring visa and/or work permit applications require not only the Hague Apostille (a procedure that grants validity and effectiveness to a document, provided that the issuing country is a signatory to the Twelfth Hague Convention of October 1961, and so is the destination country) or legalization of a document (a longer procedure than the Hague Apostille, which involves the authentication or legitimization of signatures by various public authorities depending on the nature of the document, whose final destination will be the Consulate of the country where we want the document in question to be valid), but also the translation of the documents into the official language of the destination country. Specifically, in most cases, the requested translation of these documents will be sworn, that is, by a sworn translator recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC). Their role is to certify the translation of any document into another language through their signature and seal, authenticating its content. Thus, any document sworn translated by a sworn translator will be valid and fully recognized in the destination country. On the other hand, another requirement for documents to be valid and admissible in immigration processes for applying for a specific visa and/or work and residence permit is the validity period. Generally, this is usually three months from the date of issue of the document. For all these reasons, before applying for a visa and/or work and residence permit, it will be necessary to take into account the requirements and formalities that the destination country imposes regarding the documentation required by the applicant, in order for it to be recognized and valid for the purpose for which the application is being processed. Por Shiela Bathan – Global Immigration Consultant – Expat Advisors

Cultural Intelligence: One of the Challenges of Expatriation Choosing the right profile for an expatriation is not always easy, as there are many factors to consider. Hearing about globalization these days is nothing new; it’s a phenomenon that has been occurring since the arrival of the internet and companies’ interest in broadening their horizons and expanding into other markets. Globalization also gives rise to global mobility, which not only involves companies establishing themselves in other cities or countries, but also bringing with them their most important resource: human labor. However, choosing the right profile for this task is not always easy, as there are many factors to consider, in addition to those previously believed. Nowadays, it’s not enough to simply assess an employee’s years of seniority and experience; there are many more skills that human resources departments sometimes overlook. During an expatriation process, two or more cultures will always come into contact, which can lead to confrontation rather than understanding. This phenomenon is described as culture shock and occurs when a person moves from a familiar culture to an unfamiliar one. This often results in confusion and anxiety for those experiencing it, and can even lead to resistance to change due to having to adapt to an unfamiliar social environment or a foreign language. One of the most important challenges for human resources during expatriations is the ability to identify the most suitable profile for international assignments. Those who not only have the required knowledge but also possess a certain degree of cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is the ability to understand, accept, and adapt to unfamiliar environments. Experts assure that we all possess this type of intelligence, although some are more developed than others. Ignoring cultural differences or not knowing how to manage them can make an expatriation unsuccessful. The first thing we recommend is to thoroughly understand the host culture, as through its customs, experiences, beliefs, and rules we can understand how its people interact. Knowing the culture will also provide a better understanding of why its people think or act in certain ways. To minimize this impact as much as possible, many companies choose to integrate intercultural training into their relocation packages, which provide a comprehensive view of the culture of the country to which the transfer is made. Although it may seem obvious, sometimes expatriations occur without the assignee having complete command of the language of the host country, or even English, which is considered a global language. It is important that, in addition to taking technical skills into consideration, the employee’s ability to communicate effectively in the host country is also assessed.A high capacity for adaptation plays a crucial role, as it largely determines the success of the assignment and the employee’s future attitude toward accepting the environment and differences they will face. Today, the challenge for human resources departments is ever greater, as when selecting talent for internationalization, they must evaluate more than just technical skills. Por Sonia Feliz- Global Relocation Consultant – Expat Advisors

Expatriation Trends for 2019 Defining expatriation trends for 2019 is complex and depends on several factors. Many economies have seen significant growth in their markets, opening the doors to multinationals and internationalization. Added to this is a new generation of expats, with new knowledge, much more skilled in new technologies, and eager to cross borders to develop their professional careers. Some important aspects to consider, in addition to the growth of the international market, are the increase in employment, immigration and foreign relations policies, quality of life, and the need to fill new positions with specialists in innovative professions, among others. According to a recent analysis by the Institute for Economic Studies (IEE). Significant job growth is expected in the following countries in 2019: Turkey Luxembourg Ireland Spain Israel Australia Netherlands Greece New Zealand Slovenia The growth of these economies could drive significant corporate relocations, especially in emerging professions such as the following: Nanotechnology experts and developers Cybersecurity experts Home automation developers and technicians Recycling engineers Data management specialist, data analyst, GDPR officer, and Big Data expert Software developers Renewable or alternative energy technicians and experts Industrial designers, architects, and 3D and augmented reality experts Specialists in programming, design, supervision, and maintenance of robotic systems and artificial intelligence IT Professionals Economics and business experts in Asia and the Middle East Biological scientists, physicians, and pharmacists Another aspect to consider is the country’s openness to foreigners, opportunities for professional growth, and domestic policies. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs highlights the following countries as offering significant opportunities for foreign markets: Germany Canada Australia United Arab Emirates Colombia Spain Mexico United States and United Kingdom (although these two have tightened their immigration policies, and it remains to be seen whether they will make any significant changes in 2019). Previously, the dominant markets with the greatest growth and economic power were construction, the automotive industry, and finance. However, today, this ranking is dominated by Information and Communications Technology and the consumer market, with companies such as Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Alibaba at the top of the list. Without a doubt, we have an interesting 2019 ahead of us, as we await the evolution of new e-commerce and startups, with a clear rise in female leadership, as we await the adoption of new technologies in companies, and with a much more globalized generation with a greater capacity to adapt to the cultural challenges of expatriation. Por Diego Santos – Marketing and Digital Manager – Expat Advisors

Important News for Foreign Students in Spain The amendment made on September 4, 2018, by the Spanish government to Law 14/2013, also known as the Entrepreneurs Law, introduces important changes for foreign university students in Spain. It establishes a new residence permit, allowing them to reside in Spain once they have completed their studies to seek employment or pursue a business project. This residence permit will have a maximum, non-renewable duration of 12 months and does not entail a work permit. The purpose of this permit is to provide foreign students who have completed their studies in Spain with sufficient time to search for employment appropriate to their level of education or to launch a business project. The amendment to support entrepreneurs and their internationalization aims to incorporate aspects of Directive 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, internships, volunteering, student exchange programs, or educational projects. The objective of this Directive is to improve the European Union’s position in the global competition to attract talent and promote the EU as a global center of excellence for studies and training by removing migration barriers and improving mobility and employment opportunities. What are the requirements to qualify for this permit? The regulations establish that the applicant must prove that they have obtained a degree with a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree, have sufficient financial resources, and have health insurance. When can the application be submitted? The application can be submitted within 60 calendar days prior to the expiration date of the study permit and within 90 calendar days after the date on which the aforementioned study permit would have expired. Submitting the application will extend the validity of the study permit until the procedure is resolved. What should the interested party do if, during the validity of the residence permit, they receive a job offer? Once the residence permit holder has a firm job offer, they must apply for the corresponding residence and work permit, either among those provided for in Organic Law 4/2000 (general regime) or in Law 14/2013 (Entrepreneurs Law). What is the status of the family members of the residence permit holder? During the validity of the residence permit for job search, the holder may be accompanied by family members as long as they have already accompanied them during their study stay. Por Armando Hernández – Global Immigration Consultant – Expat Advisors

Expat Advisors was present at the Worldwide ERC© Global Workforce Symposium in Seattle, Washington. Our Director, Rossana Encina, and our Sales Manager, Abraham Díaz, represented us on October 17, 18, and 19 at the event organized by Worldwide ERC©, where more than 50 countries represented by over 1,800 attendees enjoyed one of the most important International Mobility events of the year. We share some images of our experience:

Cultural diversity in companies: Expat factor Free trade agreements, expatriation, the opening of international projects, the advancement of technologies and the need for new young talent have been some of the main factors that have been demanded not only from countries, but also from companies to adopt new standards that protect and respect the variety of tastes, customs and cultures. More and more companies are betting on the internalization of their businesses and transactions between countries. There are numerous studies and examples that support that one of the best ways to grow in a globalized market is to have a cultural diversity within the same company. Apart from multiculturalism, which aims to unite a work team with different ideas, different ways of thinking and different values are exchanged. Their heterogeneous composition, being formed by people from different countries, cultures, experiences, languages, age groups and genders, requires new forms of cooperation, including in the field of conflict management. Several studies highlight the benefits of managing cultural diversity, which can be grouped into: Strengthening the culture of the organization. Improvement of the reputation of the company. Contribution in attracting and retaining talent. Increase in motivation, commitment and, therefore, the efficiency of the workforce. Increase in innovation and creativity throughout the organization. Agility in international projects. However, cultural diversity should not be considered exclusively as a means to achieve such valuable benefits, but must emanate from a genuine interest on the part of the organization to create a diverse organizational environment where different personalities are valued, such as end in itself. What is the function of Human Resources? As we have commented in other posts, the mission of this department is to implement and manage new models of recruitment and talent management, in a way that benefits both the staff and the company and it is important to know how to manage it to generate new ones employees can adapt to the company and that the rest of the staff can integrate these new team members. Another alternative to hire young talents is through student exchange programs, higher education abroad. Companies must consider that this group of workers want to face challenges and learn something new every day and that is achieved largely by having the opportunity to interact with colleagues from different backgrounds. When generating a dynamic work environment, gamification techniques are usually very productive. In the case of an expatriation, it is highly valued that the displaced employee has prior intercultural training and during their stay to achieve adequate integration. Multiculturalism is a competitive advantage and favors global leadership in companies. Por Ana Ochoa – Global Mobility Director – Expat Advisors