[HR challenges – large enterprise]

Adapting international mobility to the new international context

Interview with Emilie Ledan, Mobility and Expatriates Manager, Groupe Seb.

Tell us about your experience in HR…

I graduated from the École des Avocats Rhône-Alpes in 2007. I joined a firm in Lyon, then in 2009 I joined Taj, a Deloitte network entity, in the Global Employer Services team. I stayed for 9 years and worked my way up to Senior Manager.
How did you come to move from a consultancy to an in-house role?
After 11 years in a law firm, I decided that it would be good to get experience of the other side, to have an operational role and be able to see the real impact of the recommendations that I made as a lawyer. In 2018 I had the opportunity to join Groupe SEB, a well-known French group whose strong values I identified with.
I work with Aurore Morel Queron, who manages the logistical aspects of mobility. My role is to draft contracts, calculate packages and make recommendations in the areas of immigration and social security. I am also responsible for building and leading our international mobility policies.

How did you manage to position the IM department as a business partner?

The IM department’s position, in the management and organizations section of the business, helped emphasize the fact that IM has a role to play in the group’s strategy for the attraction, retention and development of talent. The technical aspects of IM can be used for more effective talent management. I work in direct collaboration with the Talent Leaders, which allows me to share my technical expertise as well as helping to shape talent management. My role as business partner is also to make the lives of our local HR teams easier. I support them as much as I can, we are there to help them. 

What are the challenges in terms of remote working at Groupe SEB? What is your position on the subject?

Generally, Groupe SEB does not make use of virtual assignments (international remote working at the employer’s request) for two main reasons. First, there are legal and technical questions which make this a blurry area and therefore a risk for the group. Second (and most importantly!), because expatriation is above all a human experience! To manage teams and understand local and intercultural issues, it is necessary to be there. International remote working is not seen as a long-term way of working, but more as a fallback when, because of constraints and because we are forced to, we can’t do otherwise. In this case our message is clear: the situation is temporary. 
The Covid-19 crisis has generated new demands within the group, such as going abroad alone and an emphasis on rotational assignments. These topics were already underlying, but the Covid-19 crisis has brought them to the foreground. Also, for 3 years, I have been trying hard to adapt the international mobility offer as best I can to the issues facing both the business and talent management. We have gone from three policies in 2018 to six in 2021. Segmentation allows us to address diverse personal issues while establishing a clear, effective and secure framework for assistance. 

What are your current or upcoming projects?

I am currently benchmarking the assistance offered in our policies. I particularly want to push spouse assistance. Our strong family values have made us realize that a departure for expatriation is not just a significant professional engagement, it is also a significant family project. We owe it to ourselves to support our employees and their families as best we can. I have talked about this a lot with members of the Cercle Magellan, to find out about their practices. 
The other issue is the return from expatriation. We have 3-year expatriation cycles, and we can see that the return to the home country is not as easy as you might think. The world changes, and quickly. The return to the home country should not be underestimated as it can be a real challenge in terms of re-acculturation. And this is all the more important when expatriated employees do multiple international assignments!
I am working to make IM part of Groupe SEB’s employer brand. I want employees to be happy and proud of going abroad with high-quality support.  The human is at the heart of my IM strategy. Over a year, I have regular telephone conversations with future expatriates as we prepare their move, then I contact them one month after as well as at the end of the first year. This enables me to spot any warning signs.

How would you define your job?

Like an iceberg! Lots of technical aspects with cross-impacts that depend on the options taken. I also see myself as a sort of orchestra conductor: the IM function is at the center of a diverse ecosystem which includes HRIS, personnel administration, pay, C&B, managers, external service providers and more, and with each movement we try to perform a great symphony that benefits the group’s expatriates.
It is a wonderful job, very demanding, and sometimes underestimated. Every day you learn something new. There is an extremely private component, touching on significant personal issues, and that is where we must give high-quality support to enable expatriates to make this experience a success. Beyond the technical aspects, international mobility is eminently human.