Performance Feedback
Providing Feedback
One of the most interesting things about performance feedback in an international setting is that
it is clearly a two-way street. Although the home-country and host-country superiors may tell an
expatriate how well he or she is doing, it is also important for expatriates to provide feedback
regarding the support they are receiving, the obstacles they face, and the suggestions they have
about the assignment. More than in most any other job, expatriates are in the very best position to
evaluate their own performance.
In addition to ongoing feedback, an expatriate should have a debriefing interview
immediately upon returning home from an international assignment. These repatriation
interviews serve several purposes. First, they help an expatriate reestablish old ties with the home
organization and may prove to be important for setting new career paths. Second, the interview
can address technical issues related to the job assignment itself. Third, the interview may address
general issues regarding the company’s overseas commitments, such as how relationships
between the home and host countries should be handled. Finally, the interview can be very useful
for documenting insights an individual has about the region. These insights can then be
incorporated into training programs for future expatriates.
