Characteristics of a Successful Expat

Lin Luo | June 1, 2018

Moving to a uniquely different culture can be difficult for anyone, and individual/family happiness of expat employees directly impacts their ability to be effective at work. So what should you look for in an employee you are assigning overseas? These characteristics serve an expat well in adjusting in their new country.

1. Self Aware: It’s important for expats to continually monitor their own behaviour and have the ability to self-correct themselves in the moment.
2. Open Minded: Expats who are open-minded and curious about other cultures are much more likely to immerse themselves in their new surroundings and their colleagues. They are also more likely to adapt to different foods, cultural expectations and daily routines. Employees with aversions to change are less likely to be able to adapt to a different culture.
3. Confident & Emotionally Intelligent: With differing expectations and language barriers, global companies can often experience misunderstandings that can be solved easily or even avoided with open communication. Expats who are self-confident and emotionally intelligent are more likely to brush off potential insults or irritations once they have been cleared up.
4. Empathetic: Empathy is critical for an expat to successfully integrate into their new culture. The desire to put yourself in another’s shoes is critical to adjusting and overcoming all of the hurdles that come with living in a new environment.
5. Patient & Driven: Perseverance and patience are critical to success as an expat. Different cultures move at different speeds and you cannot expect your host country to operate the way your home country operates. Adjusting to differences in your new environment also takes considerable drive and resilience. A good balance of these two traits is actually best.
6. Willingness to Learn the Language: Learning and speaking the language of your new country will greatly increase your ability to assimilate and feel more at home. Even international European and Chinese cities will have portions of the population that will not speak English. Attempting to speak in your host country’s language demonstrates genuine interest towards the local people and their culture. Even if you are not fluent- you will experience generally warmer encounters than if you do not attempt to learn the language at all.