Expatriate Management Conference Video Series
Mercer held its 22nd Expatriate Management Conference in London on June 14-15, and the presentations were as exciting and informative as ever. A total of 116 global HR professionals gathered to discuss the present and the future of expatriate management, as well as the latest trends, practices, and developments related to the field.
While presenters and breakout sessions covered a wide range of topics, one recurring subject seemed to keep popping up over and over: that is, women in the expat workforce (or, more accurately, the lack thereof). This key topic was discussed most comprehensively on day two by L'Oreal's Stephanie Roche when she led the "Women on Expatriation" session. Facilitated by Mercer's Kate Bravery and Rob Baker, the session took a deep dive into how different companies around the world are attempting to foster greater gender parity at a managerial level so they’re better prepared for the future of expatriation.
As an employee and representative of L'Oréal, a company with a huge amount of female expats in their workforce, Stephanie Roche was the perfect candidate to discuss this pressing issue. Fortunately, both she and Kate Bravery had a moment after their presentation to share some of their key highlights and takeaways for those who couldn’t attend the conference.
Stephanie Roche – Head of International Mobility at L'Oréal
L'Oréal's Head of International Mobility, Stephanie Roche, caught up with Mercer shortly after her own presentation, Women on Expatriation. In this short video, she goes over some of the highlights of her talk, including how her own company, L'Oréal, has made impressively successful attempts to equalize gender parity throughout their own global workforce. Roche also talks about the importance of giving your female employees robust benefits that allow their families to assimilate into the host countries as well, which further decreases the disparity between male and female assignments.
Kate Bravery – Global Practices Leader, Talent Business at Mercer
Here, Kate Bravery, Mercer's Global Practice Leader and one of Stephanie’s co-presenters, goes over some of the highlights from her portion of the presentation. In particular, she highlights the changing face of the global workforce and ties it back into how talent mobility experts can plan ahead to stay ahead of the curve. More specifically, she reveals practical solutions to get more diversity into the typical expatriate assignment candidacy, noting how these international assignment roles often lead to senior leadership roles and other upper-tier career opportunities. As she points out, today’s female employees offer a massive pool of talent for global HR professionals to pull from, but global HR professionals have the right incentives in place if they want to successfully diversify their workforce for the future.
Want to Learn More About the Challenges Facing Women in the Workforce?
Want to learn more about this increasingly vital global HR issue? Expatriate Management: Women in the Workforce presents an even more in-depth look at the topic of Stephanie and Kate’s presentation. You’ll also uncover some valuable tips and advice for reducing barriers to gender parity within your own workforce so you be better prepared to build a diverse talent pool for the future.