Getting a life

A new city is an exciting prospect for most business travellers. And when newcomers relocate to Singapore or other Asian business centres, the first thing on their agendas is often a walking tour of their new environment. After that, it’s common to check out local recommendations for the best or most unique dining or nightspots.

But while helping newly-arrived expats and their families to familiarise themselves with their new home, this ritual often lacks one important aspect. Expatriate networking and peer-to-peer social meetings often don’t happen until much later after their arrival – but experts warn employers need to ensure their foreign staff are mixing with colleagues, locals and peers from almost as soon as they step off the plane. This gives the expatriate, and their family, the best opportunity to settle down in the new city. By extension, it also creates the best opportunity to make a real success of an expatriate assignment.

Integrating at work …

Fortunately, very few employers still leave things to chance in this regard. Particularly in the home office, most hirers of international talent will work hard to ensure their borderless recruits integrate quickly and effectively with their new colleagues. A number of HR strategies are used to get a new arrival’s social life up to speed.

Certainly, it’s important to ensure the new staff member is introduced to all colleagues but these can often be awkward or routine if not done with any further context. To counter this, workplaces will often host a small welcome event for the incoming recruit. This gives them the chance to chat informally with at least their immediate team and managers; interacting much more than a simple introduction of name and job title could ever allow. Other employers will work to schedule regular out-of-office social events to coincide with an expatriate’s arrival. Family days, visits to live theatre or comedy, or even formal team-building events can help to accelerate the socialising process, ensuring the expatriate can concentrate quickly on their specific work assignment and its outcomes.

… And at home

Of course, ensuring your new recruit is mixing and getting along with colleagues at the office is only one part of their social acclimatisation. Newly-arrived expatriates also need to build a life outside of their work and professional networks. Employers can’t play a direct role in this, but accommodation providers often also do their part. Serviced apartments in particular, can create an immediate community for foreign talent and their families, something many residences promote as a key selling point.

“Settling down in a new city is always tough,” Tonya Khong, General Manager, Fraser Hospitality, says. “In Singapore, first and foremost, it’s necessary to assure residents of their safety.” That’s a fairly easy thing to do in what is regarded as one of the cleanest and safest business centres in the world, but Khong says it’s an important step regardless. “We provide 24-hour assistance to all our guests,” she adds.

Raphael Saw, Chief Operating Officer, Far East Hospitality, agrees. “Our team and concierge is often the first point of contact when guests need assistance,” he says. Both providers will also help residents to actively plan their new lives, with useful information on public transport routes, international and local schools, and supermarkets.

Serviced apartment operators often also go far beyond these simple courtesies. In particular, they work hard to create a welcoming atmosphere that helps newly-arrived expatriates to find friends, activity partners and business contacts right from the start of their international assignment.

Most operators often use their local knowledge to help the guests integrate with the local culture. Ong Kee Leng, Country Manager for Singapore, The Ascott Limited says “At Ascott, we understand expatriates’ relocation needs. We have become their preferred accommodation as we aim to provide a home-away-from-home experience. We help residents settle in quickly through residents’ programmes which include city tours and get-togethers to celebrate local festivals. Such programmes are held regularly and enable residents to make friends with other guests.”

Fraser Hospitality encourages its guests to join its monthly get-together or theme party. “These events help guests to feel at home straight away,” Khong says. Importantly, the events are sometimes spread across all four Fraser properties in Singapore, giving guests the opportunity to meet and greet with guests from outside their particular building.

Khong says that according to Fraser customer feedback reports, “more than 80% of residents directly appreciate the community environment (it) provides”.

Bringing families together

Of course, expatriate workers are not the only ones in need of social interaction. Most professional-level international workers will also bring the families with them. The needs of children and partners should not be overlooked; since if either has an unhappy time in the new location, it can put added stress on the worker themselves – and also lead to an early end to the assignment.

Once again, serviced apartments are well-placed to assist. The major providers in Singapore will offer a full calendar of group activities for both trailing spouses and children of all ages.

Khong says Fraser takes particular interest in developing social activities for these groups, and has a fulltime events coordinator in place. “It’s necessary to understand our residents’ needs,” she points out.