Part One of a Two-Part Series on Short-Term Global Assignments
In an increasingly borderless world of work, companies face growing pressure to operate seamlessly across geographies, respond to global business demands in real time, and develop future-ready leaders. Long-term international assignments have traditionally played a central role in achieving these goals. However, short-term global assignments (STAs) have gained significant traction recently as a more agile, cost-effective, and targeted talent mobility strategy.
In this post, we explore when short-term assignments are the right choice, their key advantages and challenges, and what HR and mobility leaders need to know to manage them successfully.
What Is a Short-Term International Assignment?
Short-term global assignments typically involve temporarily relocating an employee to a foreign location for three to twelve months to accomplish a specific business objective, such as supporting a project, filling a temporary skill gap, or developing leadership capabilities. These assignments generally exclude the relocation of accompanying family members and do not include the full suite of long-term expatriate benefits.
This leaner structure allows companies to respond to business needs in real time while minimizing costs and limiting disruption to employees’ personal lives. However, managing short-term assignments effectively requires a well-defined strategy, compliance expertise, and the right level of support to ensure a successful outcome for both the employee and the organization.
Unlike long-term expatriate assignments (which exceed a year and include full relocation benefits), STAs:
- Are intended to meet a defined business need
- Are typically unaccompanied (no family relocation)
- Do not require a full suite of relocation benefits
- Utilize temporary housing
- Require less disruption to the employee’s life
In some cases, STAs are part of a rotational or developmental program, but they are more often used as a practical and cost-efficient alternative to full expatriation.
When Are STAs the Right Choice?
Understanding when to deploy an STA is essential for mobility managers. These assignments are most effective when the business need is clear, temporary, and location-specific.
Common scenarios include:
- Project-Based Needs: Assignments to support facility openings, product launches, audits, M&A integration, or system implementations. STAs enable rapid deployment without long-term financial or legal commitments.
- Skill Transfer: When technical expertise or institutional knowledge is needed in another location, short-term assignments can help train new employees or teams, establish operational best practices, or support upskilling initiatives in emerging markets. For example, a senior engineer from a U.S. headquarters might spend six months in Singapore to train a new R&D team.
- Market Development: Before investing heavily in new markets, businesses can use STAs to deploy experts to evaluate the opportunity and build local partnerships.
- Interim Leadership: Organizations often use short-term assignments to temporarily fill leadership or technical roles during leaves of absence, turnover, or organizational transitions.
- Talent Development: STAs are also a low-risk tool for developing high-potential employees by exposing them to global markets, cross-cultural collaboration, and strategic business environments. They offer a broadened perspective, leadership development, and international experience without a significant lifestyle disruption.
What’s Typically Included in a Short-Term Assignment Policy?
While short-term assignments don’t offer the full relocation suite provided to long-term expatriates, they still require a well-structured benefits policy to support the employee and reduce distractions from their assignment. The assignee maintains home country compensation and benefit plans.
Before benefits begin, companies should have assignees sign a repayment agreement covering voluntary and for-cause terminations. This protects the company’s investment and should remain in effect through the assignment and for two years after repatriation or localization.
Here are typical elements of an STA benefits package:
Visa and Immigration Support
- Visa and work permit coordination
- Renewal tracking and compliance management
Travel and Housing
- Round-trip economy or business-class airfare at the start and end of the assignment
- A small (500 lbs.) air shipment of essential personal items or coverage of excess baggage
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Temporary housing for the duration of the assignment (often fully furnished serviced apartments with a kitchen)
- A minimum of one home leave trip per quarter, as the assignee is unaccompanied
Allowances
- Per diem allowance for meals and incidental expenses
- Hardship allowance if the location has difficult living and working conditions
- Miscellaneous allowance (typically one month’s salary) to cover incidentals
- Transportation allowance (depending on the assignment location)
Tax Assistance and Equalization
- A pre-assignment tax briefing
- Tax equalization as applicable to ensure the employee pays no more (and no less) than they would at home
- Tax preparation services for home and host countries
Medical and Emergency Coverage
- Pre-assignment medical exams and immunizations as required
- International health insurance with access to local care
- Emergency medical evacuation and crisis response services
- Assistance during illness, political instability, or natural disasters
- Emergency leave (medical or family emergencies)
Assignment Services
- Cultural briefing or local orientation (often virtual or self-directed)
- Ongoing check-ins with a global mobility counselor
- Expense reimbursement or pre-loaded corporate travel card
Optional Add-Ons:
- Security briefing as appropriate
- Language training
- Cross-cultural training
- Extended business travel insurance
Benefits of Short-Term Assignments
Short-term assignments offer several compelling advantages for employers and employees alike:
- Cost Savings
STAs typically exclude family relocation, home sales or purchases, and long-term allowances, making them a significantly less expensive option. Their shorter duration also lowers the total spend. Mobility teams can typically deliver two or three STAs for the cost of one long-term assignment.
- Speed and Flexibility
Because they don’t require extensive policy setup or family relocation, STAs can often be initiated and executed in a matter of weeks. This allows faster business response, better project alignment, and more agile talent deployment.
- Reduced Family and Lifestyle Disruption
Since STAs are typically single-status, employees do not face challenges around spousal employment, schooling, and long-term integration. This can reduce assignment resistance, increase candidate acceptance, and simplify return logistics.
- Developmental Value
Employees gain exposure to global operations, cross-cultural teams, and high-stakes projects—valuable experience that enhances leadership readiness. Companies can evaluate talent in global settings without long-term commitment.
- Lower Repatriation Risk
Because STAs are time-bound and goal-specific, returning employees typically have a defined role to return to. This avoids the “repatriation blues” often accompanying long-term relocations, where employees frequently are unsure how they will fit into the organization.
