Expatriates are very important for firms having international operations. Hence it is necessary that expatriate recruitment and selection procedure should be done by a well-structured mechanism that could analyze their cultural understanding and adjustment skills. Many experts have ominously agreed to the fact that the selection of proper expatriates is half work done at designated locations done for firms operating
internationally. Proper selection helps to minimize the premature return of the expatriate and loss of reputation and finance. Hence the recruitment process should approach a systematic mechanism that analyzes various skills of expatriates such as quick adaptability, quick learning, and good interpersonal skills along with cognitive abilities.
Expatriates personal characteristics such as readiness to learn new things, adapt to the new environments quickly and understand and respect new cultures with appreciating it are important. This also helps in overcoming frustration and challenges. Extroversion is a trait that should be utilized according to culture however it is necessary for any culture. Expatriates should have high emotional stability as they face problems of low anxiety due to culture shock.
Interpersonal skills are also necessary to communicate and deal with subordinates, clients, and people. Skills such as negotiation and communication are important for dealing with clients and staff respectively. However this needs proper understanding of culture and sensitive issues. Good knowledge of expatriate related to business on global scale and opportunities foreseen in cross border market. Linguistic skills are also one of the most important skills. Not only they help establish an instant connection with local staff but they also help in smooth operations at the organization level. Apart from this entire skills expatriate should have stress dealing abilities related to work.