The number of female expatriates continues increasing
The profile of expats continues changing and every day are more number of women that accept an international assignment.
According to various studies on international assignments and Global Mobility in different countries, the proportion of female expatriates has increased considerably in recent years.
In Europe, the percentage of female expatriates has increased by 15% and in Spain by 6%. In Asia-Pacific it has increased by 20%, especially in China. In North America, expatriates have increased by 10%. And the most significant change is still occurring in Latin America, where the number of expatriate professionals a few years ago was very low and now equals to North America, increasing by 10.
It should be noted that most companies do not differentiate between men and women in their expatriation policies, however, for difficult destinations such as Africa and the Middle East, 15% of companies do not send women to these destinations.
In respect to the forecasts, it is expected that the number of expatriates will continue to increase over the next few years. 65% of companies expect an increase, 40% believe that it will remain the same and only 2% believe that the number of female expatriates will decrease. Europe and Asia-Pacific stand out as the areas in which a considerable increase in the number of female expatriates is expected.
In terms of age, most are between 30-40 years old, 30% reach management positions, and receive 15% more net income.
As for reasons that would encourage women to accept an expatriation, they mention that they would be willing to move to have the opportunity to develop their international professional career, their skills and abilities.
Regarding the period of displacement, men are more inclined to move for longer periods of time (between three and five years, or even more), while women prefer projects that range from one to three years or less than six months. .
As for the different sectors, the most occupied by female expatriates are 25% in the chemical / pharmaceutical sector, 28% in professional services and 40% in consumer goods, banking and technology, in terms of the sectors with the lowest number of female expatriates, are the energy sector, engineering, industry and construction.
Most female expatriates leave their partners at home, since a large part of women accept transfers that do not involve a long period of time, which avoids having to displace the couple and family.
As for the female expatriates who have returned, 85% said that going abroad had boosted their professional career, 70% that their salary had increased considerably, and 95% had allowed them to develop the necessary skills to become better managers and leaders.
Many of the companies that have been surveyed have noticed that women are more than an emotional or cultural value, and that they fit better in international destinations, thanks to their excellent interpersonal skills to connect with others at a very human and authentic level.
And although most companies continue to seek candidates with high social skills, fluency in a second language, and good business skills, there are also more and more companies that take into account the interpersonal skills of women, so the number of hiring female expatriates will increase considerably in the coming years.
By Rossana Encina – Managing Director – Expat Advisors
Expat Advisors ©
Experts in Global Mobility
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