Social media & global mobility :

essential tips to manage expats

September 2012

A red hot chili paper

by Tessy ROCOUR

www.feel-content.com

www.company.com

HR relocation specialists, you can gain time on international projects by using social media in a smart simple way.

What’s our white paper actually talking about ?

Through several experiences, you’ll see how global mobility professionals and expats are already using social media.

2. 1. What is social media ? Is it just Facebook ? Twitter ? LinkedIn ? Google+ ? You’re going to shortly discover how micro-blogging, GPS-tracked and audiovisual networks can also be useful in relocation management. 3.

After analyzing these interviews and confront them to statistics, we’ve extracted relevant methods and best practices for you !

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Why our social media roadbook is a must-have ?

In the world of today, every company needs to be open to international projects to develop its activity by exporting products and skills, recruiting talents, creating new branches or simply exploring new markets and get inspired.

HR divisions must be at the edge of it ! If you’re involved in global mobility, don’t pass your way !

Our white paper will help you understand how social media

can boost your business.

Because it’s a path lined by tips, based on concrete examples and fresh stats…

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HR, what’s the challenge ?

What is “social media” ?

We’re going to give you some social media tips to improve your work !

Managing people is the most sensitive point in the everyday life of a company. You have to know them, to set the rules, to be clear, understanding,… You also carry the responsibility to treat each case with the same attention and be efficient. So, building fast, adaptable and steady procedures is one of your most important tasks.

It’s about meeting people, working, sharing,... and getting info ! Social media are online tools (websites) that allow you to contact people (family, friends, coworkers,... strangers), share content and discuss about it. Everyone knows Facebook but it’s not the only one and it’s not just a personal data playground ! Most popular networks are different all over the world and changing every day. THE

CHALLENGE

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Enter the network…

As HR manager or HR officer, keep in mind social media

are tools, not toys !

Being social is having a vision, thinking a strategy !

• stop seeing it like a game

• use the most relevant media in each occasion

• share rich content

• trust the word-of-mouth info

• extend your network

• get testimonials

• grow your community

Social media are as useful as a pen and you’ll find out how to capitalize on it !

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Here’s (still) the most popular network. Surely, incoming expats have a Facebook account.

If they want to keep it private, you can create a group including all expats working in your company and invite them to share just what they want. This group could become the good place to learn from each other and spread news, tips and info for the trailing spouse.

Facebook

If people don’t catch the utility of this social media yet, brands have ! Here, you can recommend and share content from the web, follow people and brands, group them in circles, share these circles and discuss about business. You can follow famous brands and people to get inspired by some interesting visuals.

Google+

Here's a professional network where HR and expats are really proactive. You can't miss it ! Don't hesitate to join groups about global mobility and discuss with your pairs. Your profile is filled with pro data and you need to know a new contact before being connected, so, you can avoid a big part of useless info.

LinkedIn

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THE microblogging

Follow expat groups, HR news and other companies to get fresh info.

If you prefer links to articles from blogs and websites, choose Twitter. If you're more visual, choose Tumblr and you'll discover hundreds of pictures !

Be updated and write short crushing messages,

enter the #world !

Don't forget to create lists and to use the # (hashtag) !

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Twitter is the new black... It's easy to use, you can follow who you want and it's quite addictive.

This is the best place to get a quick answer from users to any question. « Hey @expats, #AirportTaxes in #Cairo #Egypt ? CC @HRcompany » With 140 characters including short links, abbreviations and weird symbols, you can spread specific info, catch scoops and keep watching...

Twitter

There are tumblr's about so much themes, it's like a jungle ! This is more a private compromise between photoblogging and microblogging but some companies have an account and blog « seriously ». The best thing to do first is to create a tumblr and share fun facts with your team (using well-picked hashtags). You can also follow some young bloggers' tumblr's to keep updated on how generation Z communicates.

Tumblr

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Share information

First, using audiovisual social media is more interactive, more creative and sometimes more suitable.

You can adapt your communication to people who don't speak your language, can't (wholly or partially) hear, talk or see because of a handicap or aging.

Everybody wants to gain time ! Use audiovisual content.

These rich media networks are also very intuitive and mobile optimized.

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A small picture is worth a thousand words...

Working mostly with women, maybe trailing spouses ? Pin beautiful, inspiring and funny pictures ! Stats say Pinterest is the girliest network.

Your corporate activity is about architecture, graphic arts, travels ? Take pics with your mobile and Instagram your company ! Adopt vintage and contextual filters, you’ll catch the attention of your collaborators.

Wanna share pictures and protect them ? Get pro on Flickr !

Open your eyes

The most viral way to share info ! You can use the network you want. The most important thing is to create a specific channel for your company and publish short videos (40 seconds for a teaser to 12 minutes max for a documentary). Professional videos will give credibility to your brand and fun videos should be use to get in touch with the expat’s family.

Video power

It’s all about ambiance. Spotify and Deezer can help you share cool playlists with expats to help them understand the culture of your country. Soundcloud allows you to upload sounds like conferences and other professional audio data.

Listen to learn

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Foursquare

Be there or be square ! In global mobility management, this network should be the first to use. Create an account for your company and put every physical branch on the map to allow collaborators to check-in ! You can leave tips to reach the place, like and comment expats’ activity. Rewarding the mayor of your company or create special badges can be a funny way to boost your community !

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The user experience

A focus group of 20 people responded to our survey in August 2012 :

• 5 HR specialists

• 3 expat network managers

• 2 online expat support platform leaders

• 10 expats

Discover how people like you, expats and other experts

use social media !

All results were collected via social media in less than one week ! Do you still doubt their usefulness ?

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Yes (18)

No (2)

Do the group have a professional use of social media ? Of course ! Only one person said (s)he has no access to social media at work and one expat doesn’t see the utility of it.

Connected ?

Tools for work

Wich social media do they use at work ? LinkedIn and Facebook are still the winners ! We thought Yammer (social intranet) could be relevant but we choose not to talk about it after analyzing results.

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Favorite one

What do they do with it ?

• 16 get professional info

• 15 get / keep in touch with upcoming or former coworkers

• 10 communicate in the name of the company

• 10 are linked to relatives and friends

• 8 relax

• 7 discuss with other HR / expats

• 5 work online on collaborative projects

• 4 talk with other members of the company

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Online tool of their dreams…

• The ideal online tool ? A combination of all social media and online identity (Tara Agacayak, expat)

• I’d like to read a blog about general HR practices,

not just in one country but comparative articles. As an expat, the most difficult is to understand things so common for people in the new country they’re simply not expressed at all (Lilian White, expat)

Global mobility needs to begin with simplicity and

be less specific !

What about building a big portal ? Great challenge !

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• A global talent pool with all info necessary, split down by countries

• A tool that allows you to keep track of your

files (attaching email, sharing info documents, etc.)

• Somewhere people can go to for information

about everything they need to know when relocating around the globe

• A network where pro and private data coexist

but are clearly separeted • A website that lists all procedures to respect

when arriving in Belgium • A forum / group for expats in the same

neighbourghood to share tips • A search engine that browse websites to get

info about events and activities around

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General tips from users

• Check confidentiality settings • Manage time spent on social media,

don’t waste it • Keep in mind all is virtual and nothing is

private on the web • Don’t say things you won’t say in real

life, think before writing

Complete articles

about each social media will be spread year round

on our blog !

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5 best practices to get info

1. Watch on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, expats and experts are there

2. Talk more about collaborators than yourself, comment and like, help people,…

3. Let others share your own professional info easily

4. Learn to say thank you

5. Don’t forget other media

Goodie ! Colorful infographic !

Download it for FREE

on our website !

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5 tips to get in touch

1. Ask for recommendations before contacting people

2. Stay professional, separate your private accounts

3. Be active in HR and expat groups

4. Share rich content about global mobility

5. Follow pages of companies like yours on LinkedIn

Goodie ! List of expat groups

on LinkedIn !

Find it for FREE on our website !

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5 strategies to build a community

1. Define the role of the mediator / facilitator

2. Interconnect your professional accounts and be mobile to stay present and gain time

3. Have a regular and targeted use, choose the right tools and build a media plan

4. Share info for your collaborators, not for you

5. Open and moderate discussions

Goodie ! Media plan !

Like and share our

Facebook page to get it !

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Tessy ROCOUR

I Feel Content! ... and that's my brand new activity! At Feel Content agency, we help companies build creative communication strategies including social media, website content, mailing, etc. Travel is a passion, a mindset, a way of life for me! In the tradition of the traveler, after visiting more than 130 destinations and being a community worker/hospitality manager for 10 years, now I want to share my experience by helping expats and HR via social media!

More social media www.feel-content.com

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Special thanks to

• Stéphanie Sellier, expat network manager

• Georges Bolle, expat network manager

• Lilian White, expat

• Tara Agacayak, expat

• Carmen Millan Jimenez, expat

… and all other people who responded to the survey and helped me build this guide !