short term assignment example

Short-Term Assignments: Key Considerations and Essential Information

By Tracy Langlois, CRP, GMS

Short-term work assignments have been steadily increasing over the years and certain factors like the pandemic have shined a light on vulnerabilities within numerous industries. For instance, the demand for travel nurses has never been higher, as certain staffing agencies need to fill voids and provide additional support at hospitals all over the US. Other companies are asking employees to train new hires at different locations or attend workshop programs and conferences out of state. Those working in media may need to spend days, weeks, or months in different locations covering news stories. HR representatives are focusing on talent mobility, which may require employees to take on short-term work assignments for specialized training and upward growth within a company.

No matter the industry or reason, employers are recognizing the value of short-term assignments, as well as the logistical steps required to smoothly transition their employees from point A to B. With that in mind, CapRelo put together an overview of short-term assignments, so your company knows what is needed to assist your employee during the hectic transition of a short-term assignment.

What is a Short-Term Assignment?

A temporary assignment is defined as a work stint lasting for one year or less. A short-term assignment can be a series of shorter rotational assignments or an assignment that requires an employee to stay in one place for the entire duration. Similar to temporary duty assignments in the military, short-term assignments are not permanent and are meant to carry out a specific purpose. Companies may send one employee or a whole team out on temporary assignments, depending on the industry and work goal.

What is the Purpose of a Short-Term Assignment?

There are plenty of different reasons why companies would send their staff out on short-term assignments. For instance, an employee may need to assist a branch that’s struggling to perform and help them to increase their sales numbers. It’s also not uncommon for staff to oversee different departments during a company merger, requiring temporary assignments to ensure company policies are being carried out consistently across the board. Perhaps limited resources have prevented staff at different locations from being properly cross-trained, necessitating the need for temporary work trips.

Whether three weeks or three months long, short-term assignments typically require companies to cover lodging, food, transportation, and other travel-related expenses with stipends.

Benefits and Challenges of Short-Term Assignments

While short-term assignments sound like a breeze, they can pose some serious challenges for both the employee and the company itself. International short-term assignments can pose tax and immigration issues if companies don’t comply with the laws and regulations in each country. Secondly, some countries have turbulent landscapes, which could potentially put staff at risk. Employees may also get stranded in the assignment country due to canceled flights or COVID-related concerns, further implicating the company when temporary assignments do not go according to plan.

On the flip side, a company can create a robust talent mobility strategy with initiatives that reward current and new hires willing to take on short-term assignments. For instance, paying employees during travel time can lead to higher retention rates. Companies can also train staff across locations to improve their skills, eliminating any consistency errors. A change of scenery might help employees to improve productivity as well, especially in locations that offer plenty of sunshine and warm weather for post-work relaxation.

Short-Term Assignment FAQs

Are Short-Term Assignments International? Short-term assignments can be either domestic (within a country) or international (across country borders). Certain companies like Amazon, FedEx, and Apple are known for leading the way with the most corporate travel, requiring employees to rack up airline miles to fulfill their job duties.
How Does the IRS Define Short-Term Assignments? The IRS defines short-term assignments as work in one location that can be reasonably completed in one year or less (and is). Employees typically file taxes with their home state. If a work assignment lasts for longer than a year then it is considered an indefinite assignment, prompting an employee’s tax home to change.
What is Relocation Tax Assistance? Before 2018, any moving-related payments or reimbursements to employees were not included in their annual reportable wages. These expenses did not require withholding taxes and would have been paid by the employee and later deducted. The Tax Cuts and Job Act of 2017 changed the way payroll handled relocation expenses. Nowadays, employers can offer relocation tax assistance or tax gross-ups. A tax gross-up simply means that a company provides a larger payment sum to the employee to compensate for the taxes that will be withheld from their payment if that employee is relocating somewhere new.
Do Family Members Join Employees on Short-Term Assignments? When it comes to temporary assignments, most companies do not assist families to join the employee in the new location if the assignment is expected to have a duration of six months or less. Assignments greater than six months may include company support for family accompaniment. Some companies will offer to pay for visits home after a certain amount of time has passed for employees who are not accompanied. This could be anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks after the start of the assignment but depends on the company’s unique policies.

How Can Companies Assist Employees?

Companies should have well-defined relocation policies in place before sending employees out on temporary assignments. The policy should include details on the relocation services and benefits which will be provided to employees and who will be assisting them with these services. It is important to note for international cases that proper immigration documentation is required before the start of the assignment. Letters of assignment (LOA)s should also be created for employee and company signature and should include specifics on the location and duration of the assignment and specific benefits. Companies should have a dedicated budget in place to assist with short-term assignment relocation expenditures; a comprehensive cost estimate including tax costs can be prepared in advance to ensure appropriate approvals can be obtained. A survey of HR professionals conducted in partnership with CapRelo found that 33% of participants stated their relocation policies have been updated to accommodate employees’ mental health and well-being, which is another factor that should be taken into consideration to help employees cope better with their new surroundings.

Do You Need a Relocation Program?

So, you’re ready to send your employees out on short-term assignments, but don’t know where to start? Whether you need help transferring one employee intra-country, or flying a whole team across the globe for specialized training, we can help.

At CapRelo , we provide relocation solutions for companies that need them, covering a host of services including cost estimate preparation, corporate housing, auto shipment, property management, travel services, immigration coordination, and much more.

Our team specializes in seamless transfer operations and sorts out all of the logistical steps before your employee’s short-term assignment so you can have peace of mind knowing that they are in the best of hands. Allow us to take one more thing off your plate and contact our highly qualified team at CapRelo today to get started.

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Short-term assignments 2022 report: 10 takeaways

Short-term assignments (STAs) continue to be a popular option for global mobility and are quickly evolving into an ED&I Mobility vehicle. These opportunities have the potential to allow more diverse employee populations to gain experiences that will enhance career paths and diversify an organization’s leadership pipeline. This makes it more important than ever to ensure STA policy lines up with typical practices.

68% of policies are from EMEA-based companies. This predominance reflects the use of STAs globally. Given the geography of the EMEA region (vs North America), STAs are a realistic option for many reasons that companies transfer employees (e.g., skill development, filling a position gap, etc.).
Half of the policies specify that STAs are unaccompanied, typically attributed to the limited assignment duration, which most commonly ranges from three (62%) – twelve (83%) months.
Immigration assistance (addressed in 89% of STA and LTA policies).
Travel to the host location (87% of STA policies vs 92% of LTA policies).
Cultural training (61% STA vs 67% LTA).
Language training (61% STA vs 78% LTA). Just as in LTA policy, the use of cultural and language training typically requires approval.
90% of policies address health insurance for short-term assignees. It is becoming common to provide an international program for short-term assignees, as stated in 41% of policies (55% use this approach for LTAs).
34% of STA policies address settling-in assistance, compared to 46% of LTA policies. Assistance typically focuses on single assignees who are in country for a limited duration that might require: assistance with establishing a bank account, locating shopping facilities, public transportation, local services, religious institutions, and social opportunities.
Home leave is addressed in 84% of STA policies (vs 90% of LTA policies). The major difference is the timing of the trips. For STAs, the most common frequency is one trip every three months (33%). Though many policies vary frequency based on assignment circumstances such as duration, accompaniment status, or distance between the home and host country.

STA policy rarely includes the shipment of household goods; rather, most (52%) assist with an air shipment of personal effects or excess baggage charges only (30%).
Few (23%) provide a pre-move trip. Primarily because most (72%) provide furnished accommodations rather than have the employee find their own housing.
Fewer (47%) provide temporary living for STAs than the 98% that address it in LTA policies.
It is not as common to provide a hardship allowance for STAs (32%) as it is for LTAs (53%).
Use of a relocation allowance is not as common for STAs as it is for LTAs: 47% vs. 84%, respectively.
Most companies (63%) retain employees on their home country compensation and provide a per diem or reimbursement for daily living expenses while on an STA.

The lower cost profile of short-term assignments – due to single status, shorter duration, simpler support – continues to contribute to the popularity of this move type. For companies reviewing their STA policies, it can be very beneficial to see what the typical practices are and how they differ from their LTA counterparts.

Five common myths about short-term assignments

Myth #1: an sta is pretty much the same as an lta – just shorter..

Fact: The differences between these two assignment types are notable and significant. Long-term assignments are typically investments in the future. Their considerable use of resources (people and money) makes them worthwhile for business-building initiatives such as leadership training, market expansion, management roles where local candidates are not available and new product development. These are all goals that require a long term to complete. Short-term assignments are better suited to initiatives that can be completed in under a year. Global exposure, filling a job gap, short-term projects and skill building are examples of realistic STA assignment objectives.

Myth #2: Employees on short-term assignments need less support than those on long-term assignments.

Fact: Replace “less” with “some of the same but also different” and you would be correct! For example, short-term assignees need assistance with some of the same things as long-term assignees (immigration and tax compliance, travel, arranging housing, becoming familiar with the assignment location, etc.). But they also need different things, given that most short-term assignees remain on home-country compensation and retain many home-country expenses. For example, they need a per diem to cover daily living costs in the host location. Since many STAs are single-status, employees may have left immediate family in the home location. Therefore, trips home are a greater need for STAs than they are for LTAs.

Myth #3: It sounds like an STA is really just a glorified business trip.

Fact: Aside from the primary distinction that a business trip is typically no more than a month and an STA is typically 3-12 months, the business objectives are different, too. This is a key issue.

Myth #4: Short-term assignees don’t need the same cultural or language training as long-term assignees.

Fact: The fact that short-term assignees need to quickly get up and running, live in the local area and succeed in the business environment often dictates that they require the same or similar training as long-term assignees. Of course, there are times when a short-term assignee is needed for work that is primarily solitary and does not require local language skills. In this case, more condensed training may be sufficient.

Myth #5: We should be more concerned about the challenges of long-term vs. short-term assignments, given their bigger goals, longer time in the host country and greater cost to the company.

Fact: STAs may impact a more diverse pool of employees than LTAs do. Companies may not recognize the challenges different demographics may encounter on STAs as they do for LTAs. For example, an employee may turn down an LTA because a same-sex partner cannot accompany but that employee may undertake an STA single-status. However, that employee still needs to be successful in the local environment. Similar ED&I considerations may be necessary for many populations (women, younger employees, older employees, etc.). It is important to address the same factors for these employees on STAs as one would if they were embarking on an LTA.

To benchmark your STA policy and discover more emerging trends, download our 2022 expert report here .

If you have any questions regarding this article or would like to find out more about other services, please contact Lisa Johnson (Global Practice Leader, Consulting Services) at [email protected] .

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Make the Most of a Short-Term Assignment

Short-term assignments, transfers, or rotation programs can have big advantages: You’re exposed to new geographies, functions, cultures, and people. But these temporary positions often come with little or no training, so it’s your responsibility to get up to speed fast. Here are three ways to make sure you’re getting the most from a short-term assignment: […]

Source: Adapted from “Maximize Your Learning in Short-Term Assignments,” by John Coleman

Partner Center

Short-Term Assignments: The Challenge to Do More Faster

Introduction: why short-term assignments.

Deployment of talent on short-term international assignments is one of many trends that global companies are accelerating to cope with the global financial crisis. Short-term assignments were already on the rise due to changing workforce demographics, the need to offset recruiting gaps, increased focus on strategic global projects, and the desire to provide greater flexibility to employees. Assignees are sent to one or more key global locations to implement a particular set of tasks without the large investment of time or expense associated with a full-fledged global assignment. Other changes that have recently impacted more traditional global assignments include limiting the number of expatriates worldwide while focusing on highly strategic roles, accelerating the development of local leadership, and moving some expatriates to “local hire” status. Given the heightened significance of short-term assignments in these difficult times, it is worth looking at best practices that can help to ensure the success of projects vital to growth and effective operations in key world markets.

Potential Challenges

Just because an assignment is shorter in duration does not mean that it is easier. In fact, a strong case could be made that a short term international assignment is actually more fraught with potential pitfalls than assignments of three or more years. With a tight timeframe in which to get the job done, short-term assignees are under pressure to hit the ground running and to accomplish a lot in a hurry. They do not have the time to take their first few months on assignment to get settled in a new environment, listen and learn, recover from early mistakes, and gradually build effective working relationships with their local colleagues. Due to time constraints, they may not have the full support of a short term international assignment management strategy. Indeed, the conventional wisdom that employees become fully engaged and effective during their second year abroad is unacceptable for short-term assignees, as their assignments may be over within a fraction of a year.

Short-term assignees, with their aggressive goals and deadlines, are possibly more susceptible to common expatriate mistakes such as failing to build key relationships to gain support and ownership for new initiatives, introducing headquarters practices with insufficient knowledge of local circumstances, and alienating local colleagues and counterparts by pushing too hard and too fast. Yet, they are afforded less time to recoup from such missteps.

The expatriate nemesis known as “culture shock” also affects short-term assignees. People living in a very different environment can begin to feel isolated and ineffective in the absence of a personal support network, sufficient language skills, or access to local resources. Many short-term assignees make the move solo, leaving behind close family members and/or significant others. They also tend to live in sterile hotel rooms or other temporary accommodations. For these reasons, they are missing the immediacy of personal ties and comforts of home that can help longer-term expatriates find the resilience and resourcefulness to cope with temporary lows. The temptation to spend free time working may curtail the short-term assignee’s participation in informal social events that would otherwise enable him or her to forge new relationships and learn cultural lessons.

Preparing Short-Term Assignees: Ten Key Questions

A good global mobility strategy for short-term expats is important for ensuring positive initial contact and for ensuring expats have the resources they need to thrive during their assignments. A range of global mobility solutions for short term assignments are available to give expats the freedom and ability to interact meaningfully with global colleagues.

Consideration of the following ten questions is a good starting point for assignees who want to overcome the obstacles and best leverage the investment that both they and their companies are making:

1. What can you do to develop your personal network in advance?

Regardless of where you are located, there are often contacts available that allow you to start building a personal network in your destination country and to acquire relevant knowledge before leaving home. Sources for such contacts might include:

Assignees from your future host country who are residing in your current location;
Former expatriates who lived in that country and can provide introductions;
Residents of the broader community in which you live (there are large foreign contingents from many parts of the world in most major urban areas);
Alumni associations; or,
Web-based platforms such as LinkedIn.

2. Are you being introduced in the right way?

The way that you are introduced to new colleagues is crucial. For instance, in some cultures hierarchy and group affiliation — “whom you know” — are valued over “what you know.” In these environments, your credibility and the importance of your project can be underscored through an introduction by a high-status individual whose views carry weight in the host culture, or undermined by a haphazard or unmediated introduction that does not position you appropriately in the eyes of host nationals.

3. What is the level of local input and support for your agenda?

There is a big difference between a project that has been planned and driven primarily or entirely from headquarters and one with local involvement and strategic contributions from the beginning. What was the origin of the effort with which you are involved? Is it new to your host country colleagues, or has their input been incorporated already? Depending upon the answers to these questions, you may need to take a different road towards implementation. In the case of a headquarters-driven initiative, you will probably have to work harder to provide a rationale for going forward that makes sense in the context of local business circumstances, and modify the project as you proceed. Neglecting to do this invites outright rejection or feigned compliance – in the case of a short-term assignee, local colleagues do not have to wait very long for the foreign “typhoon” (that is, you!) to pass.

4. Do you understand the perspectives of local stakeholders?

Try to identify and meet with a group of local stakeholders who can provide input and advice. What do they want from your stay in their country? How aligned are your goals with theirs? What advice and insights do they have about local customer needs, employee capabilities, and organizational priorities? If you can engage such key stakeholders early on, you are more likely to establish targets and adopt implementation methods that fit their business context.

5. Are your fellow team members ready and willing to participate?

For many team or project leaders, especially temporary assignees, matrix reporting relationships are a fact of life. If your team is essentially rented out from other managers, do you have the buy-in of those managers for your initiative, and are they encouraging your team members who report to them to participate fully? Misunderstandings and dysfunctional team behaviors occur most often when participants on the same team are driven in divergent directions by conflicting metrics, priorities, and leadership demands.

6. Is your role clear to everyone involved?

You may have a perception of your role on assignment that is not shared by your new colleagues. Are you a team leader, a project coordinator, a liaison with headquarters, or an individual contributor? What is your role in making decisions that will impact other team members? What is the project timeline, and what are the key objectives that you seek to achieve? At the outset of your assignment, it is useful to share your understanding of your role with fellow team members and to hear their understanding of both your role and theirs at the same time. Any gaps in expectations are best addressed sooner rather than later, and could require consultation with key stakeholders and/or higher management in order to avoid having team members work at cross-purposes and blame misunderstandings on one another.

7. Can you relax and learn about the local culture at the same time?

Every culture has rules and assumptions that are not immediately visible or articulated. For example, how is true agreement expressed? Is information commonly shared on the basis of one’s function or through long-standing personal ties? Should feedback be given and received in more direct or more indirect ways? How should one demonstrate respect for persons in executive roles? Who needs to be consulted when major changes are proposed?

By spending time with colleagues in informal social settings, you have the chance to see them in a different context and listen to their views about questions like these. They may feel freer to offer advice in such an environment, and by taking part in cultural events — dinners, entertainment, ceremonies, festivals, sporting contests, etc. — you will gain insights into workplace interactions. At the very least, the camaraderie generated in these settings usually makes your host country colleagues more inclined to cooperate with you and your agenda, especially in relationship-oriented cultures.

8. Have you allowed sufficient time for any knowledge transfer that must occur?

If there is a significant body of knowledge to be transferred to the new location, the most prudent strategy is to take the time you would normally expect to invest in this transfer and double it. A host of issues can affect the smooth movement of knowledge between one location and another. Factors that it may be necessary to consider are fear of job loss on the part of those in the host location conveying the knowledge and a related hesitation to share information; problems in linking IT platforms; different or insufficient technical backgrounds on the part of trainees that require recalibration of materials and methods; learning styles that call for extensive “hands-on” involvement of the trainer; and the need for spoken and written translations into other languages.

9. How will you maintain your own personal support system?

Although your assignment may be just a few months in duration, it is not a good idea to go it alone. Simple steps, such as setting up a web-cam connection that allows you to see loved ones as you speak with them, or arranging in advance to have others visit while you are on assignment, can provide you with sources of enjoyment, support, perspective, stress release, and a “sanity check” when work becomes difficult. Investing energy in making new friends and acquaintances through common interest groups will also give you the foundation for a local support network and ways to learn about your host country. These kinds of personal experiences can turn out to be as valuable in many ways as your professional ones.

10. Do you have a local partner who can carry on your work after you’re gone?

Being in a rush to complete assignment tasks successfully comes with the territory during a short-term stay. However, a critical error that many assignees make is that they neglect to identify and groom local owners for their initiative. The result is that when the assignee leaves, the initiative loses momentum and fades away. It is essential to identify local partners at an early stage and bring them into projects in a manner that allows them to identify with the progress to date and take responsibility for the next steps. The ideal outcome is for them to champion your initiative to the extent that you are no longer needed. Without this, a short-term assignment loses its meaning, either because it has to be extended or because its impact does not live on beyond the assignment itself, an outcome that is not optimal for the assignee, the host organization, or the company as a whole.

Effectively managing short term international assignments can help firms that are trying to grow their business in key global markets while simultaneously reducing costs. Assignees who prepare themselves by taking steps such as those outlined here will be better able to overcome the inherent hazards of trying to get a lot done in a hurry in a new environment, and will increase the chances of completing their assignments successfully. Companies can help by offering support and comprehensive short term assignment policies.

If you’d like to help your team succeed on short-term and long-term assignments, our Global Mobility solutions. We offer a wide range of solutions for companies and teams requiring the skills and global intelligence needed for international work assignments. We’re proud to have supported over 16,000 individuals and their families in developing the tools they needed before, during, and after assignment. We look forward to being part of your success story.

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International Short-Term Assignments

International short-term assignments are a useful global mobility tool, that provide companies with a resource to support critical strategic needs while mitigating mobility program costs. Short-term assignments may also be used in a developmental capacity providing high potential employees an opportunity to grow in their career. Short-term assignments commonly range from 3 to 12 months in duration.

One of the biggest challenges of global mobility is compliance with applicable immigration, tax, employment, and permanent establishment laws. Laws that change quickly and vary from country to country can take companies by surprise. A carefully crafted short-term assignment program and comprehensive policy can help avoid potential hazards. Having a consistent program with clearly defined parameters will allow the focus to remain on compliance.

Program Development

As with all mobility programs, short-term assignments can be structured as a single policy applicable to all, tiered based on factors such as business need or job level, or as a structured core/flex program. When developing a short-term assignment program, whether for the first time or revising an existing policy, these initial steps are recommended:

Consider the overall company culture, mobility philosophy, business objectives of the international short-term assignment program, and common assignment objectives.
Identify employee job levels and demographics.
Reflect on the importance of the employee experience as well as how the assignment policy can support DEI initiatives.
Determine the most common assignment durations and locations, if possible, to estimate the anticipated cost of the benefits under consideration.

These initial steps will, in turn, help the company determine the desired parameters of the program. A common example of how a company’s overall company culture influences mobility policy can be seen in eligibility of family members under a short-term assignment. Some companies may decide that short-term assignees may not be accompanied by families and reflect that in policy eligibility language. Some companies will not support families going on the assignment, but do not expressly reject families from accompanying at their own expense. While others with a more family focused culture will allow accompaniment and provide some supporting benefits.

Assignment duration is also a key factor in short-term assignment program design. These assignments can have varying ranges from as short as 30 days or up to 18 months. They are most commonly defined as longer than 90 days or up to one year. However, knowing company intentions regarding durations helps in determining parameters and components. For example, if assignments are typically shorter in duration, the policy may not include parameters for home leave. If the assignments are typically the full year, the company may decide to include a home leave. If there is a possibility that the assignment may extend beyond 1 year, the company should be prepared to address whether benefits change or the employee transitions to another type of mobility policy. If short-term assignments are a new phenomenon and assignment durations are unknown at the time of program development, it will be important to revisit the policy as the assignment program matures.

A brief description of the components commonly found in international short-term assignment programs follows. It is important to note that note every component has to be included in order to have a successful program, and regional variances/culture may also dictate which components are included. There may also be variations on the inclusions and descriptions below as these descriptions are based on an unaccompanied employee.

International Short Term Assignment Program Components

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Managing Short-term Assignments

Like all areas of the working world, global mobility is evolving. Businesses are providing employees with increased flexibility by offering different forms of international assignment. Where once expat assignments lasted three to five years, now assignments vary in range.

A short-term assignment can be a more cost effective way of achieving specific goals in another market without disrupting an employee’s life too much.

What is a short-term assignment?

A short-term assignment (STA) is an international project that usually lasts between 3 and 12 months. They allow organisations to transfer resources, knowledge and skills cost effectively and quickly providing fast response to business needs. For some companies short-term assignments are becoming more popular than their long-term equivalent due to changing workforce demographics, skills shortages and the need to provide more flexibility to employees.
Just because employees are away for less time does not make STA’s easier. In fact, short-term assignments may be more difficult as there is a need to hit the ground running and accomplish a lot quickly.
When it comes to short-term assignments, thorough preparation is more important. Potential pitfalls that can cause problems for professionals in an overseas office for a short period include:
Failure to build key relationships
Culture shock
Alienating local colleagues
When planning an STA pre-departure training is important but pre-departure preparation is essential.

Preparing short-term assignees before assignment

Preparing for a short-term assignment is challenging. It may need to go further than providing the soon to be expat with clear understanding of their role or overview of the local culture. Short-term assignees with aggressive deadlines may fall into a common expat error of trying to introduce initiatives without sufficient knowledge of local circumstances or alienating colleagues.

For these kinds of assignments pre-departure preparation must go much further than training on what to expect, it should allow the soon to be expat to begin their assignment before they leave.

Developing personal network in advance

Help employees prepare in advance for life in their temporary home by doing everything possible to acquire relevant information about life there:

Arrange meetings with employees from the host country that are working in your current location
Encourage the employee to join groups from that country in your city
Make the most of web-based platforms like LinkedIn or Meetup to enable future expats to become more aware of life and work etiquette before they leave

Virtual introductions to colleagues

Gauge local support and understand perspective, supporting short term assignees on assignment, are the team willing to participate, is their role clear.

At the outset of the assignment it is important for the expat to share:

The assignment goals
The expat’s role
Expectations for employees

This does not have to be completed on day one but may be useful within a few weeks of the assignment starting. This way, any gaps in expectation or issues that arise can be ironed out quickly to provide the assignment with the best chance of success.

Maintaining their personal support system

Even though short-term assignees are not going to be overseas for long, having a support network outside of work still matters. This is where the groundwork put in before the assignee arrived should pay dividends. Help expats find work life balance by continuing a hobby they have at home, locally, from yoga to rock climbing, hopefully there’ll be a group or venue where they can let off some steam after a busy day in the office.

It is also important STA’s remain connected to colleagues in head office particularly if the medium term plan is they return to a role there. Arranging intermittent virtual check ins is a great way to ensure there are no surprises when they return to head office.

Achieving Short term assignment goals

Sufficient time for knowledge transfer, local owners of the initiative .

The last thing your business wants is to spend all that time and money on an STA only for everything to revert to how it was previously as soon as that person leaves. Key to long-term implementation is ensuring there are local owners of the initiative who will continue to grow the programme once the assignment is over.

Ultimately any global mobility practice should aim to create solutions that are employee centric while also being relevant and cost effective ways to achieve company goals. Although there is likely to always be place for longer term assignments, their short-term counterparts may be the right solution in certain scenarios.

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July 18, 2022

Short-term Assignments Can Give High-Potential Employees a Reason to Stay

Counter the “great resignation” by offering short-term assignments to your high-potential employees and build engagement.

Short-term assignments, whether in the same country or abroad, have been a major trend in relocation over the last few years and we believe this trend will continue in the years to come. Short-term assignments, which are typically less than 12 months, can be a way to attract and retain talent by offering interesting challenges as the employee gains new skills, experiences, and builds a network of colleagues.

While there are clear benefits to utilizing this policy type – especially instead of a long-term assignment that can be quite costly – corporations must maintain compliance with respect to payroll, taxation, and immigration if the assignment is overseas.

In the U.S., a short-term assignment must have a clear start and end date and must be less than 12 months to claim some expenses tax-free for the employer, and in many cases, international short-term assignments can avoid host country taxes if there is a totalization agreement between the home and host country and the employee spends less than 183 days there.

Whether it’s for finite projects, developmental job positions, new business or branch openings, there are many reasons and benefits for sending an employee on a short-term assignment. Instead of tradeoffs, we often see synergy across different priorities, such as when productivity is maintained, headcount is not increased, and high-potential employees are given an opportunity to build leadership qualities.

Benefits of Short-Term Assignments

A short-term assignment costs less than permanently relocating an employee Short-term assignments can be more cost-effective than a long-term assignment (typically 1 to 3 years) or permanently relocating the employee. In fact, it allows company initiatives to proceed without the costs of selling a house and asking members of an assignee’s family to relocate with them.

A short-term move is less stressful on employees than a permanent move Unlike long-term assignments or permanent relocation, employees do not typically move with their families during a short-term assignment. Whereas this eliminates some added challenges that could arise from searching for adequate housing, enrolling children in a new school, or a spouse looking for employment, we recognize that living apart from family can be stressful and therefore recommend regular home leave to ensure a successful assignment.

Short-term assignments are great opportunities for employees to grow Short-term assignments can give your staff opportunities to learn additional skills and gain new perspectives, helping to create a more diverse and inclusive organization. Knowledge sharing upon their return to the origin location is a bonus to going on short-term assignment, benefiting the employee, colleagues, and the company.

Most short-term assignments range between 3 and 12 months; assignments that are shorter tend to be considered Extended Business Travel with some different considerations to keep in mind. There are employers that allow accompanying family members on an assignment that is less than 1 year; other organizations consider any assignment under 2 years as short-term.

Setting up your Employee for a Successful Short-Term Assignment

While the needs of employees will vary, it’s important for companies to have a standard program that allows some flexibility. Setting clear expectations and communicating those to the employee helps achieve success.

Here’s our key advice for employers to consider when creating a short-term assignment policy.

Help employees find short-term housing Short-term rental agreements with corporate housing specialty companies are often the best option because they are fully furnished and typically offer a variety of amenities to help renters feel at home.

Some of these organizations own properties while others source properties and fill with furniture, and if your organization frequently sends people to the same location, they can set up rotational agreements whereby the accommodations are maintained for your organization and employees can rotate in and out as necessary. This can eliminate the hassle of searching for new housing each time an employee is relocated for a short time. Alternative housing options can include extended-stay hotels or vacation-type rentals such as Airbnb.

Cover all host-location expenses A short-term assignee retains their home property while on assignment, therefore, the employer assumes responsibility for most expenses, including but not limited to housing, utilities, parking fees, as well as travel expenses in the host location and for home leave visits.

In addition, most employers will provide an allowance to offset the cost of meals and incidentals, sometimes in the form of a cost of living adjustment (COLA) or per diem.* This decision is typically based on the expected duration of the assignment.

Provide benefits that will help employees adjust Family separation during a short-term assignment is one of the most common challenges for employees, making the power of continued connection critical. Therefore, taking home leave on a regularly scheduled basis throughout the duration of the assignment promotes closeness, and many companies allow family members to visit the host location in lieu of the employee travelling home. We also suggest offering self-directed online cross-cultural training if the assignment is overseas.

Offer resources to help employees acclimate Whether the assignment is in-country or abroad, Sterling Lexicon recommends providing at least a ½ day orientation tour to ensure your valued employee feels comfortable in the host location.

Employees will appreciate knowing how to navigate in the host location, knowing the location of medical facilities, and knowing how to go about their daily life in a different environment helps people adapt more quickly.

Choose the right relocation management company (RMC) for your relocation and assignment needs Whether relocating permanently or going on a short-term assignment, the right counseling can help mitigate worry while providing an exceptional employee experience. The right RMC can help develop equitable policies and should have an extensive supplier network to identify appropriate corporate housing within budgetary requirements, Destination Services Providers to manage an orientation to the host location, and online tools to support their stay. Additionally, an RMC like Sterling Lexicon can manage the entire expense process from start to assignment completion.

*There are distinct differences between a per diem and COLA, and are usually applied to different global mobility policy types:

Per Diem: a per day payment structure that is designed specifically for employees on assignment lasting from 1 month to 1 year. A per diem is intended to provide a fixed daily living allowance that is equitable to all assignees in the same host location, regardless of salary level or home country.

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): a payment structure that is designed to protect assignees from the increased costs of goods and services at the host location by supplementing their salaries. The calculation also takes into account the longer-term nature of living and working in a host location while reflecting the expatriate’s spending patterns. Data providers offer multiple index options and the ability to customize according to company policies.

Leah Johnson

Leah Johnson is Sterling Lexicon’s Director, Client Solutions, and has worked in the global mobility industry for more than 20 years. She has held management positions in business development, operations, account management, and consulting, and had the opportunity to live and work in Tokyo and Hong Kong for six years. She initiated destination services in Hong Kong for a relocation management company and directed global mobility for Goldman Sachs in the APAC region. She graduated from Colgate University, earned an MBA from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and maintains a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) certification from SHRM.

Short-Term Work Assignments: Maximizing Benefits, Mitigating Risks

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Short-Term Work Assignments: Maximizing Benefits, Mitigating Risks

This article was updated on September 3, 2018.

Short-term work assignments — typically less than a year — offer a wide array of benefits for both businesses and employees. It's no wonder such assignments have been increasing. According to Mercer , "Companies are using a more varied range of assignments in order to respond to evolving business needs and changing patterns in the global workforce." These short-term work assignments allow businesses to mobilize skills and grow their organization while developing employees at the same time.

Here, we'll examine some of the benefits and risks.

The organization fills a skills gap by relocating an employee where their capabilities are needed. Also, the employee can train others and help close the skills gap.
The organization increases productivity and avoids adding to its headcount by not having to hire from the outside.
The reassigned employee gains invaluable experience. They expand their network and learn how the business operates in a different place. Even more, the challenges of adapting to a new location will draw out leadership qualities. In fact, many businesses explicitly use short-term assignments as a development tool for employees with high leadership potential.
The employee's morale increases after being recognized for their expertise.
The organization attracts candidates who are adventurous and eager for a challenge.
The employee has to adapt to a new city, state or country. They also have to adapt to a new team and space, which will take patience and emotional intelligence. It's here HR can help by supporting integration.
The employee may be left with unclear goals. This can be avoided by laying out organizational and individual goals in advance. HR and the employee can discuss how to track these along the way.
The organization must deal with any compliance complexities that come up. However, HR simply needs to integrate the employee into its labor-related compliance system. While reassignments will likely increase compliance risks, having the right systems in place to accommodate reassigned employees will best manage and mitigate those risks.

Clear communication between HR and reassigned employees will be a critical success factor. HR systems must be in place that support the needs of short-term assignments, in terms of tracking employee performance, facilitating a smooth transition and ensuring compliance needs are met no matter where the assignment occurs.

Having a powerful technology platform in place to accommodate employee reassignments, such as time and labor management (TLM) systems as well as other vital HCM systems, will serve as a firm foundation upon which you can build success for any reassignment.

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Short-term assignments are the new normal, but compliance remains a challenge

Are short-term international assignments the future of global mobility? Once considered an ‘alternative’ assignment type, they are now an established and essential means of moving talent around the world for many companies. ECA’s recently published Short-term Assignments Survey found that almost three quarters of companies expect their numbers of short-term assignees to increase in the next three years, a more significant rise than predicted for long-term assignees, international commuters or permanent transfers.

The suitability of short-term assignments for achieving a range of objectives contributes to their increasing popularity. Not only are they ideal for fulfilling temporary project needs but companies also commonly use them for career development purposes. In fact, short-term assignment policies are used to govern rotator and graduate assignments, extended business trips and even commuter assignments by many companies. Where companies have yet to find time to implement stand-alone policies for these types of assignments, or perhaps want to avoid the complexity of operating too many policies, short-term assignment policies may provide a suitable framework to use.

The use of short-term assignments for developmental purposes helps to explain the younger age profile of short-term assignees compared to their long-term counterparts. 45% of the average company’s short-term population is aged under 35, compared to just 21% of the average long-term population. The youthful nature of short-term assignees is reflected to some extent by the seniority levels of staff sent on these assignments, with very few senior managers or executives represented and assignees more likely to be working in professional or technical roles.

Best practice in pay and benefits for short-term assignments is well established, with little having changed over the last five years, but the challenges they present are also unchanged, and include tax compliance, cost control and exception management. As short-term assignments increasingly become the norm rather than the exception in the next few years, we expect to see companies focus on improved policy, governance and processes to make sure they deliver the best value for their business. Some highlights from the survey are shown below.

To benchmark and review your short-term assignments policy based on best practice in the industry, you can purchase a copy of the survey results from the Surveys area of our website.

Our experienced consultancy team can help you to design global mobility policies , whether you are creating them for the first time or reviewing existing approaches. Contact us to find out more.

Over 80% of companies cover day-to-day living expenses for their short-term assignees, most commonly through a per diem or living allowance. Subscribe to ECA’s Short-term Allowance Calculator to calculate cost-effective essentials allowances for all your short-term assignees, or contact our Consultancy & Advisory team for individual calculations .

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Taking Another Look at Short Term Assignments and Talent Mobility

Corporate Relocation , Domestic Relocation , Employee Relocation , Talent Mobility

The Covid pandemic has spurred companies and employees to reassess work models and locations, and to consider more flexible, cost-effective ways to achieve business objectives. While not new, short-term assignments can be an effective workaround to current obstacles to employee relocation —from reluctance to relocate to a frenzied real estate market and global restrictions.

Short-term assignments are a “lite” form of talent mobility, enabling businesses to achieve specific, finite project objectives with less expense and disruption. International short term assignments have a longer history, arising as a relatively inexpensive alternative to global relocation . Domestic short-term assignments became more popular over the past 15 years, as the U.S. recovered from the Great Recession.

Objective of Short-Term Assignments

Companies originally devised short-term assignments as a developmental opportunity for high potential, junior-level employees. The employee had the opportunity to meet and work with employees in a different company location, master new skills and hone leadership abilities. This opportunity can increase the employee’s job satisfaction and loyalty and help the company to retain a promising employee. Employees who shine in STAs can be candidates for promotion and future STAs or possibly a traditional global assignment.

Short-term assignments also can be an effective way for more experienced employees to share their expertise with other parts of the organization. A company might deploy a manager to oversee the opening of a new company location, lead a merger or acquisition or bring specific IT or other technical expertise to another company location. In these examples, permanent relocation might not be necessary, but a brief business trip wouldn’t be enough.

Tax Implications of Short Term Assignment Jobs

The IRS treats short-term assignments more like business travel than relocation expenses . Relocation expenses are employee benefits and must be reported on the relocating employee’s W-2 for the year. Most companies gross many of these expenses up to cover the tax obligation, creating another expense for the company.

The IRS definition of a short-term assignment is very precise: the company must expect it to last for less than one year and it must actually last for less than one year. In this case, the IRS considers travel, lodging and certain other expenses to be business expenses that are deductible for the employer and not W-2 benefits to the employee.

Assignments can change in scope or length once underway, and this can influence the tax treatment. The minute an employer determines the assignment is going to extend longer than a year, the reimbursed expenses from that point forward become a taxable benefit to the employee. This applies whether the company reimburses the employee directly or pays expenses on his/her behalf.

So short-term assignments can last longer than a year (this is particularly common with rotational assignments), but the company will sacrifice some of the cost-savings of shorter-length assignments. The scope of work will be one consideration in deciding whether a short-term assignment or relocation makes better business sense.

Learn More About Short Term Assignments

Within the mobility arena, short-term developmental assignments are gaining traction with companies looking to support business growth and employee development while controlling costs. This creative strategy allows businesses to deploy talent where needed without making the financial commitment inherent in a permanent domestic relocation or a long-term international assignment, but not without careful consideration. Download the Short Term Assignments White Paper

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Pros and Cons of Different Assignment Structures for Mobility Programs

As companies adjust to the new reality of work and reassess their mobility programs, there is an opportunity for them to examine the costs associated with running their mobility programs and explore innovative solutions. We are witnessing a renewed interest in mobility as companies seek to adopt the best structure for their business and employees. While non-traditional forms such as remote and hybrid work are becoming more prevalent, there is also renewed interest in both short and long-term assignments.

This innovation has already been reflected in the evolution of new mobility policies supporting employees working from outside of their usual office locations, including “ Work from Anywhere ” or “Virtual Assignment” policies. Many companies have also increased their use of non-traditional assignment types such as business travelers or short-term rotations.

Download part one of our "Future of Mobility Survey: Remote Work" to discover how HR and mobility managers are creating policies that tackle the unique challenges posed by a remote workforce.

Based on these evolving trends, it may be easy for organizations to overlook the use of more traditional mobility arrangements to support their business growth and talent management goals. However, long-term assignments, short-term assignments, and permanent transfers each have attributes that warrant consideration when determining the most appropriate way to meet the objectives for your company and employees.

As mobility programs continue to evolve, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of traditional assignment types and permanent transfers. Let's take a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks of these options.

Traditional assignment types – long-term and short-term assignments

One of the most commonly used relocation types is an “assignment.” An assignment is the relocation of an employee from one country to another for a specific period of time. A long-term assignment will generally exceed one year, where a short-term assignment will generally be shorter than one year. Below we have outlined some of the benefits and drawbacks for these assignment types.

Benefits and drawbacks of long-term assignments

Long-term or expatriate assignments have long been a popular option for companies who need to transfer or obtain expertise, set up new entities/markets, or provide career development opportunities, especially for future global leaders within the organization. Here, the longer-term nature of the assignment lends itself to building better long-term relationships and in-depth knowledge that can be invaluable to your organization.

From an employee perspective, another benefit of a long-term assignment is the possibility of remaining on their Home country payroll. In this way, employees can often:

Receive compensation in their Home country currency, avoiding the need to convert Host country currency in order to pay Home country expenses such as student loans or mortgages.
Participate in the Home country benefit plans. For example, a US citizen/resident employee on a 3-year assignment to the UK can continue contributing to the Home country 401(k), flexible spending plans, and will remain covered by Home country incentive compensation plans.
Continue participation in Home country social security. In this way, there will be no break in the required time period to meet the coverage requirement for receiving the social security payments upon retirement. For employees at a later stage in their career, continued participation in Home country social security may be a deal-breaker.

Despite these benefits, a major drawback of the long-term assignment is often cost. Assignments can be more expensive to the company due to several factors, including:

Providing additional allowances and benefits for the assignee. Common examples of these additional compensation elements include cost-of-living adjustments, hardship allowances, Host country housing, and moving expenses.
Meeting additional compliance requirements. Employees may now have Home and Host country tax filings. And your organization may have Home and Host country reporting and withholding obligations, including related administration expenses such as the cost of establishing and running a shadow payroll.
Implementing a tax reimbursement policy for your assignee. Tax equalization remains the most common policy for long-term assignments.
Handling on-going costs incurred for immigration, tax planning, budgeting, internal administration, etc.
Failing to benefit from the expertise gained by your assignees by not retaining them as employees or finding a suitable position to use their new skills upon repatriation.

It is important to note that proper planning and policies can help to reduce or eliminate many of these drawbacks.

As many factors, including employment, tax, and immigration law, and the availability of bilateral tax and social security agreements can impact the tax and payroll requirements for an assignment, it is important to consult with your mobility tax and legal advisors to make sure the long-term assignment is structured in an appropriate way.

Benefits and drawbacks of short-term assignments

Short-term assignments may allow companies to achieve several of the same benefits as longer-term scenarios, while also addressing several of the challenges. Benefits to the company of using short-term international assignments include:

Like long-term assignments, an employee on a short-term assignment will often continue to receive compensation in the Home country payroll, seeing the same benefits as described above.
The company may be able to offer a more modest compensation and allowance package to the employee, helping to reduce the overall tax and assignment costs to the company.
For US tax purposes, certain reimbursements such as temporary lodging and per diems may be paid tax-free for certain temporary assignments of one year or less. Other countries may have similar rules for temporary assignments.
Depending on the availability of income tax treaties and social security agreements, Host country taxes may be avoided or limited. For example, an employee on a 5-month assignment from the US to the UK may be able to avoid UK income tax if they will spend less than 183 days in the UK during a 12-month period, remain on the US payroll, and have their compensation expenses continue to be borne by the US entity. The availability of a social security totalization agreement would also provide for the ability to continue on US rather than UK social security through obtainment of a certificate of coverage from the US Social Security Administration.
Short-term international assignments could result in a larger pool of potential employees for the international assignment program.

Despite these additional benefits, the shorter duration of the assignment may ultimately not provide enough time to allow the organization and assignee to accomplish all the objectives of the assignment. Additionally, the employee may not have enough time to fully “settle in” and develop relationships with the Host country office and clients.

Short-term assignments, as compared to a long-term or expatriate assignment, typically (but not always) result in a lower tax and assignment cost to the company. However, it is important to consider factors that may lead to additional cost, such as:

Depending on location and the scenario, paying an employee under the expatriate policy may be less costly than providing a per diem and reimbursement of expenses.
Administering a short-term international assignment may take more time than a long-term assignment. This could happen due to the length of the short-term assignment changing and requiring more constant support by the program administrator and/or tax services provider (e.g., monitoring the assignment).
There are certain exclusions (e.g., Foreign Earned Income, Housing) and foreign tax credits available on a qualifying employee’s US federal individual income tax return that help alleviate double taxation that might occur as a result of an international assignment. These exclusions and credits may result in a lower tax cost to the company if the assignment is just over one year, rather than short-term.
An employee on an expatriate assignment will often break state residency during the assignment period; an employee on a short-term international assignment generally will not break state residency. Thus, the state tax cost for the company will often be higher for the short-term international assignment.

Benefits and drawbacks of permanent transfers

Another commonly used relocation type is a permanent transfer or “transfer.” A transfer is a one-way relocation of an employee to a Host country for an indefinite period. In a typical transfer scenario, the individual will become an employee of the Host country entity, with Host country payroll and benefits.

Transferees will typically receive less company support than assignees. For example, instead of receiving allowances designed to keep an individual in a neutral purchasing position in comparison to their Home location (i.e., through provision of housing, cost-of-living, and other allowances), a transferee may receive a local pay package with limited or no allowances. Instead of tax equalization, they may only receive limited tax compliance assistance such as tax return preparation in the Home and Host countries for the year of transfer. Due to reduced support, transfer cases may initially have lower overall costs for the company than assignments.

Permanent transfers are often considered in scenarios where specific skills are needed/not available in the Host location, where the cost of an assignment is considered too high, or for employee-initiated moves . Because of the transfer to local payroll, administrative costs and complexities may also be reduced as the Host country entity would handle any reporting or withholding obligations. In addition, the risk of creating a taxable presence for the Home country entity (e.g., permanent establishment) is also reduced as the individual has severed employment ties in the Home country. However, despite these potential benefits, a transferred employee will likely receive compensation in Host country currency, and Host country benefits may differ from Home country benefits. Transferees are generally not eligible to contribute to Home country retirement/benefit plans such as the 401(k) plan for US employees, or contribute to Home country social security, which may be a significant drawback for those that are at senior or executive level or those approaching retirement. Additionally, employees take on exchange rate risk, potential cost-of-living issues, and potentially higher taxes.

From a talent management perspective, it may also be more difficult or costly to later relocate an employee who has been transferred rather than assigned to a location. A transferee will now be tied to a pay package and cost-of-living in the Host location, which will create a new point of reference for future moves.

What is the best relocation type for your company?

As has been shown, the type of relocation best suited for a given employee and your organization will be based on many factors. Key questions to consider include:

Why is the employee moving? Is the move initiated by the individual or needed by the organization?
What are the organizational goals relating to the move? Is the timeline for the proposed relocation reasonable to achieve these objectives?
Does the employee’s career and personal goals align with the proposed scenario?
Does the scenario support the longer-term career development objectives for the employee—e.g., will there be ongoing support to make sure the investment in the employee is not lost due to not having an appropriate repatriation plan?

Effective management of cross-border assignments can help firms that are trying to grow their business in key global markets while simultaneously reducing costs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, hence, every assignment type and policy should be closely reviewed by the company based on the specific assignment objectives.

If you have questions about different assignment structures or how they could impact your global mobility program, schedule a free consultation with our team. We are happy to discuss your specific situation.

Author Mark Tirpak

6900 Wedgwood Rd N, Ste 400

Maple Grove, MN 55311

+1.888.486.2695 | [email protected]

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Short-term assignments

Short-term international assignments usually last between 3 and 12 months, and allow companies to transfer skills, knowledge and resources quickly and cost effectively, providing a quick response to business needs.

However, living costs for short-term assignees are different from other categories of mobile workers. Mercer’s technology and data solutions can help you handle the related issues with efficiency and ease.

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Short Term Travel Cost Report

Forecast the cost of short-term assignments, commuter assignments or extended business travels with ease and accuracy. The report accounts for the costs of airfares, accommodation, car rental as well as per diem allowances, providing data in up to 3 currencies.

Per Diem Allowance Calculator 2.0

Determine fair and cost-efficient per diem rates suitable for short-term assignees and business travelers.

Alternative International Assignments (AIA) Survey

Benchmark your policies with our latest data gathered from 200+ multinational organizations worldwide. The survey explores the use of international assignments other than long-term expatriate assignments: short-term assignments , permanent moves / one-way transfers , and commuter assignments .

Contact your consultant or use our form to discuss available options and order data.

Assignment segmentation As managing a globally mobile workforce grows more complicated, assignment policy segmentation offers more flexibility and a broader range of solutions.

Business travel allowances Looking for daily allowances for business travellers?

More tech solutions See what other tools Mercer offers that streamline the work of building assignment compensation packages.

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Get a free quote for your move

Short-term assignments

A short period, planned long beforehand

Short-term assignments are becoming more popular for staff as a viable alternative to a long period of time abroad. Highly qualified employees are sent abroad for a limited period of time. But just because the period of time spent abroad is short, it does not mean that the process is easy. There is no time for an acclimatisation period - the assignee has to get working straight away.

The advantages of short-term assignments

A move abroad for a short period brings a range of advantages for the assignee, the family and the company:

A complete move is not necessary in most cases

The existing house or apartment can be kept

No need to deregister with the authorities

There is no change in the existing job or position. On return, the old job is continued.

Legal issues like employment law, taxation and social security are less complicated than longer stays abroad

Special features of short-term assignments

Good preparation is important, even if the stay abroad is short.

What do assignees need to watch out for if they decide on a short-term assignment?

Does a transfer policy exist?

What are the terms of the assignment contract? Are mutual rights and obligations defined?

Does the company cover the costs for the hotel, temporary housing, intercultural and language training? What about a visa? Who looks after what?

What are the country's entry requirements and what documents are needed? How long does it take to get these documents?

Where are taxes on salary paid? Must any taxes be paid where the work takes place? How are these paid?

What personal legal obligations do expats have in the country of destination?

Are there any legal possibilities to minimise the tax burden (e.g. salary split, deferred compensation)? Can the company provide information, or is a tax consultant required?

From a legal point of view, the company has to look after many more factors than the assignee needs to know about. It can pay to know about these, too.

Tailor-made Short-Term Assignment Program - STAP

We at Henk International provide support before, during and after the short-term assignment. We have developed a special programme (STAP) to support assignees quickly and easily.

Our programme includes the following services:

Fast-track customs clearance, transport and delivery / priority check-in and check-out

Support for the "pack it yourself" option

Search for temporary housing

Quick orientation support

Additional services

10 tips for planning your move abroad

When moving abroad, it really pays to plan your move carefully and thoroughly.

Long-term assignments

For you as an employee, a long-term assignment is normally both a massive change and a great opportunity. A long-term move abroad involves a whole range of changes and adjustments for you and your [...]

Lump sum moves

Is your company giving you a lump sum to cover the costs of your move? In some countries like the USA, these sorts of arrangements have been around for a while, and in Europe, they are becoming more [...]

Moving abroad for your company

Are you moving abroad for your company? Assignments like these are always exciting and stimulating. To keep it this way, we look after the whole organisation of your move and look after everything, from the planning right through to setting up the last item in your new [...]

We don’t just want to meet your expectations, we want to exceed them

We are Henk International, a family moving company Düsseldorf.

We specialise in providing integrated moving services with a single point of contact. With Henk International you always receive an end-to-end solution, no matter what services you require: office moving or speciality moves for businesses , expat management or typical services for private moves within Germany or abroad.

Our aim is not just to meet your expectations, but to exceed them. Our standards ensure that the planning, organisation and handling of our services dovetail seamlessly, in conjunction with the monitoring of the whole moving process.

Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Contributing Writer

Work Futurist

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Principal Writer

Don’t underestimate the outsized impact of short-term goals

If long-term goals are the destination, short-term goals are the roadmap.

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Whether you realize it or not, you probably already set quite a few short-term goals for yourself.

You want to sort your to-do list before your morning meeting. You want to go for a walk over lunch at least three days this week. You want to land five speaking opportunities this quarter.

Throughout your day, week, month, or year, you set small-in-scope, attainable finish lines that give you a little boost of forward momentum. Those are short-term goals. But what exactly makes these bite-sized objectives so helpful?

Let’s explore the power behind short-term goal-setting – and how you can hack these goals to boost your own motivation and sense of satisfaction.

What is a short-term goal?

A short-term goal is exactly what it sounds like: it’s something that you want to accomplish in the relatively near future.

Simple enough, but it’s worth digging a little further into the mechanics of this type of goal. A short-term goal:

Can be accomplished in a short timeframe (most experts say within a year or less)
Details a specific action to take or target to accomplish
Supports a broader vision for your career or life

Here are a few short-term goals – both personal and professional – to get your own wheels turning:

Short-term career goal examples

Complete company’s three-month leadership training program
Lead a cross-functional project this quarter
Provide praise and positive feedback to at least one employee per week this month

Short-term personal goal examples

Stretch every day this week
Read two books this month
Pay off car loan by the end of the year

Long-term goals vs. short-term goals: What’s the difference?

So how do short-term goals stack up against long-term counterparts? It’s easy to think about them in terms of duration – short-term goals impact the near future and long-term goals look further out. But to get a more nuanced handle on the difference between short-term and long-term goals, it’s better to think about their intent :

Long-term goals reflect your overall values, beliefs, and desires.
Short-term goals are the specific actions you take to pursue those broader ambitions.

If your short-term goal is to complete your company’s leadership training program, that might feed your long-term goal of moving into a management position. Or your short-term goal might be to pay off your car loan because your long-term goal is to be debt-free.

Why bother setting short-term goals?

If you have your sights set on a faraway finish line anyway (whether that’s a promotion, financial independence, or something else), what’s the point of making pit stops along the way? Short-term goal setting is beneficial for a few important reasons.

1. Short-term goals are more motivating

Use motivation theory to inspire your team’s best work

Anybody who’s ever set a New Year’s resolution (and then kissed it goodbye come February) will admit that it’s tough to muster the gumption to actually achieve a goal. Fortunately, short-term ambitions can give your motivation a much-needed boost.

You can thank the neurotransmitter dopamine for that. While it’s typically thought of as the feel-good brain chemical that’s released in response to a reward, research shows that it’s actually closely tied to motivation too. Dopamine is what pushes us to seek the reward in the first place.

Your brain knows that it feels good to accomplish things – it wants to cross that finish line. So, you’ll not only get a dopamine spike when you set the goal, but also when you’re close to achieving it .

Basically, your brain would much prefer an immediate celebration over delayed gratification, and short-term goals offer a more instant reward.

2. Short-term goals make the process feel more manageable

What feels easier? Going for a 30-minute walk today or training for an entire marathon? Even elite runners will likely admit that the walk requires a lot less sweat (both literally and figuratively).

Pursuing our goals often requires changing our behavior , whether that’s in big or small ways. And even on a good day, altering our habits, attitudes, and actions is tough. Short-term goals make it all feel a little more doable, not by changing your lofty and intimidating goals, but by dividing them into more attainable guideposts.

3. Short-term goals give you an action plan

It’s easy to figure out where you want to go – getting there is the hard part. While setting a long-term goal pinpoints the target, it doesn’t actually fuel your journey.

That’s why you need short-term goals too. They detail the smaller behaviors and actions you need to take to move toward your long-term objectives.

If long-term goals are the destination, short-term goals are the roadmap.

4. Short-term goals allow for regular reflection and adjustments

Much like your desires and values, your goals will change over time. In addition to short-term goals serving as milestones when you can celebrate your progress, they also provide an opportunity for reflection.

How do you feel accomplishing this goal? Is it as rewarding as you thought it would be? Why or why not? Does it still align with your overarching vision?

That’s not to say you need to sit yourself down for in-depth self-analysis every time you check something off your list. Sometimes it’s just a gut check that occurs naturally.

If you finish that leadership program and feel drained rather than energized? That’s an indicator that you should reevaluate if you want to move into a management position at all, or if perhaps your aspirations have shifted somewhere along the way.

Better to change course now than when you’re at the end of the road.

How to set motivating short-term goals

How to write SMART goals

Short-term goals are more action-oriented than your longer-term objectives. But then what separates them from all of the tasks that you frantically scribble on your daily to-do list? Short-term goal setting requires a little more thought and intentionality than jotting down every task you need to check off that day. One of the best ways to ensure you’re investing the right amount of planning is by using the SMART goal framework .

In case you haven’t heard of SMART before, it’s an acronym to help you remember that your goals should be:

Specific: Be clear about what exactly needs to be accomplished. In the case of short-term goals, this should be an explicit action you want to take.
Measurable: Include a quantifiable benchmark so you’ll know when you’re successful.
Achievable: Especially since your short-term goals don’t stretch on forever, you need to confirm that they’re realistically attainable in a shorter time frame.
Relevant: Remember that your short-term goals are intended to support something bigger, so they need to be relevant to your overall vision.
Time-bound: Every goal needs a deadline—and that’s especially true for short-term goals. What’s the end date for when you need to take that action?

Most of the short-term goal examples we listed above already incorporate elements of the SMART framework, but we can expand on them further to provide more helpful details. Here’s what that could look like:

SMART short-term career goal examples

Complete company’s three-month leadership training program this May
Kick off a cross-functional project involving at least three teams by the end of the quarter
Provide praise and positive feedback in-person or in writing to at least one employee per week this month

SMART short-term personal goal examples

Stretch for at least 10 minutes every day this week
Read two books (one fiction and one non-fiction) by the end of the month
Pay off remaining $4,000 balance on car loan by the end of the year

Short-term goals might not look years down the line, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of some careful thought and planning. The SMART goal framework will help you set meaningful targets, rather than hollow or trivial to-dos.

Short-term goals: So much more than quick wins

Yes, short-term goals are objectives you set for the near future – but they’re so much more than low-hanging fruit you can grab for some instant gratification and a quick hit of dopamine.

Short-term goals give you a detailed action plan to realize your bigger ambitions and values. And they give you plenty of opportunities to reflect on whether the path you’re on is the one you actually want to stay on.

That’s a pretty big impact for a supposedly small goal.

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The importance of setting short-term go ...

The importance of setting short-term goals (with examples)

Goals help you take action on larger ideas or visions. Short-term goals specifically help you to plan and take action on tasks that can be completed in the near future. In this article, get two strategies to help you create short-term goals more effectively. Then, check out some examples of short-term goals, plus how to track and use them so they have the highest impact.

Whether it’s launching a new product with your team, building your dream house, or achieving your big hairy audacious goals (BHAGs) , it's easy to feel overwhelmed when your goal is a large, ambiguous idea. Setting short-term goals can help you reach larger objectives and make progress towards your desired outcome.

What is a short-term goal?

A short-term goal is a goal that you want to complete in the near future, such as within the next week or the next month. These are often stepping stones towards larger goals, though not always. You can also use short-term goals to take action on smaller projects or ideas. As a result, short-term goals tend to be easier to achieve.

20 examples of short-term goals

10 short-term professional goals examples:

Manage the next quarterly project from start to finish in Q3.

Get certified in a project management tool by EOY.

Increase net promoter score by five points this quarter.

Build social reach with five LinkedIn posts a day for the next 30 days.

Schedule three networking lunches this month.

Call 50 new prospects this quarter.

Log off at 6:00 PM every day this week.

Reduce creative requests backlog by 10% in Q1.

Publish six new blog posts in the next 60 days.

Update portfolio with new designs by end of next month.

10 personal short-term goals examples:

Put 5% of your monthly income into a savings account starting next month.

Eat meat-free dinners one day a week starting today.

Read two books this month.

Reduce screen time daily average by 15 minutes this week.

Track spending for 30 days.

Call a friend every Saturday morning this month.

Walk for 15 minutes every day starting next week.

Practice daily deep breathing for the next 60 days.

Journal for 20 minutes every Sunday starting next month.

Play with your kids for 30 minutes every night starting today.

Notice that ‌these goals all have a specific time frame assigned to them. This makes your goal more actionable by connecting those actions to a specific amount of time.

What are the benefits of setting short term goals?

Short-term goals can be used to break down larger, more general goals. They don’t replace these big, overarching goals, but rather give you a path to achieve them.

Setting and working on short-term goals helps you:

Realize what you can accomplish today and take action

Get quick feedback

Get started faster

Define deadlines

Manage and prioritize tasks

The difference between short-term goals and long-term goals

A long-term goal is your North Star. It’s the bigger objective that you want to achieve. Short-term goals are different. They focus on a smaller portion of work in a shorter time frame. By breaking a larger, long-term goal into many short-term goals, you can prevent procrastination and stay focused on the task at hand.

Let's look at an example of a long-term goal that has smaller short-term goals built into the action plan .

Long term goal: A sales team is looking to close $500,000 in new sales in the next year.

Short term goal: The small- and medium-sized sales team wants to close $50,000 in new sales in Q1.

You could then break the short-term goal down into even smaller, more specific goals assigned to each sales representative. For example, Areej will aim to close $8,000 in new sales during each month of the quarter.

Strategies for setting short-term goals

Being strategic about how you set your goals can help focus them—which will ultimately make it more likely that your goals pay off. Try these strategies to get more specific, actionable short-term goals:

SMART Goals

SMART goals are a common goal setting technique. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

Ensuring that your goals contain every facet of a SMART goal can help you get clear on what you want to accomplish, how you’re going to do it, and when it needs to be done.

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

When setting short-term goals, it's important to connect specific actions to your goals. By creating actionable stepping stones, you can set up a strong roadmap towards achieving your goals—both short-term and long-term ones.

You can see this approach in action with OKRs, or objectives and key results . The objective is the goal you want to achieve. The key results are the metrics by which you'll measure progress towards those goals.

Goals can be used in conjunction with OKRs to help you make progress on key results. Think about what actions you need to take to achieve the desired key results and use those to set your goals.

Example of how to set short-term goals

Let’s say your social media team's OKR is to increase your social media following by 400% this fiscal year.

There's no clear plan for how to get to that 400%, so the team gets together to brainstorm actionable steps they can take to increase their social media following. One team member suggests hosting giveaways twice a quarter to increase follower counts. Another team member suggests using paid ads to increase awareness. Another suggests working with different influencers every week to promote their brand.

All three of these ideas are good options, and all of them can be set as short-term goals to achieve the main OKR. Here's what those three goals would look like written out:

Host a giveaway two times a quarter.

Gain 250 followers through paid advertisements every quarter.

Promote each account through an influencer channel once a week.

Each of these shorter goals focuses specifically on a task that contributes to a longer-term company goal. Aligning tasks with smaller team goals, and bigger company objectives is a central aspect of building a pyramid of clarity. With the pyramid of clarity, you can connect your day-to-day work to your short-term goals. That way, your entire team is working towards the same objective, bringing your organization closer to achieving it.

Tracking goal progress

Whether it’s a long-term career goal or a short-term personal one, goal tracking is essential to ensure that you’re making progress.

According to a recent survey by Asana , only 26% of knowledge workers have a very clear understanding of how their work contributes to company goals. If your team members don’t know what goals they're contributing to, they might not be producing work that impacts those big picture company goals.

Goal tracking helps you see if the work your team is doing contributes towards a bigger goal. But how do you ensure that your team is regularly working towards those goals? Here are a few strategies:

Communicate progress clearly: When everybody sees how work is progressing, there's no confusion as to whether or not the work is contributing to the goal.

Create (and celebrate!) project milestones : As your team progresses, it's important to celebrate incremental progress so they don't get discouraged halfway through or lose focus.

Manage goals with software: Connect your team's work with your company's goals all in one place. By using work management software like Asana , your team will have one source of truth for all work.

One of the major benefits of goal tracking is that it gives you visibility into whether your strategies are working. If you're actively monitoring your key results and not seeing the desired outcomes, you can dig further to discover what’s missing. Does one of your team members have too much on their plate? Is one of your strategies not as effective as you thought it would be?

Monitoring your goals gives you the opportunity to pivot your strategy when things aren’t going according to plan.

Using short-term goals for professional development

You might not be able to control everything about your professional life, but setting goals helps you take advantage of those you can control. Whether it’s prepping for a review six months away, taking an online course, or a complete career change, these short-term goals will help you zero in on how to move the needle in your professional life.

Managing team goals to become an effective manager

As a manager, it could be challenging to create your own personal goals without first looking at your team’s individual goals. Great managers help unblock contributors so that goal-achieving tasks can get done.

Before setting personal goals as a manager, look at your team’s goals. Base your goals on the work your team is contributing to so that everyone is aligned and making progress.

Monitoring personal professional development with short-term goals

In addition to using short-term career goals to monitor your team’s or company's progress, you can monitor short-term goals to track your own—or a team member’s—personal development. If you’re developing new skills or taking on new responsibilities, track how those skills are helping you achieve your goals.

Let’s look at an example.

Taylor is a sales development representative at a SaaS company. They don’t particularly enjoy spending time on sales calls, but they’ve found several tools to help them create an automated email flow to reach out to their prospects.

Taylor’s manager notices that they are not making the recommended number of sales calls, but they’re still hitting their sales goals because of how well their prospect emails convert.

Taylor’s manager sees this as an opportunity for growth, and asks Taylor if they would like to transition to a role that allows them to further create email marketing opportunities for other SDRs on the team. By monitoring how Taylor was progressing towards their goals, Taylor’s manager was able to create an opportunity for them to grow into a position that was a strong fit for their skillset.

Setting goals for your own personal development

Goals can be used to help your personal development as well. If you have long-term life goals, you can set up short-term personal goals as you would professional ones. Set measurable goals to serve as small stepping stones for your progress.

You can use short-term personal goals for a variety of different aspirations. For example, you can set up short-term financial goals to hit a bigger goal of reducing credit card debt. Or, maybe you use weekly goals to develop a fitness or morning routine. These shorter, targeted goals can have a big impact on your daily life.

Here’s an example of how you can break down a personal goal:

Long-term personal goal: Run a half marathon within 6 months

Short-term goals :

Be able to run a mile without stopping by end of week 2

Run a 5K by the end of month 1 in under 35 minutes

Run a 10K by the end of month 2 in under an hour

As you can see, the short-term goals are incremental, but they all work together to achieve the big goal at the end—running a marathon.

Track short-term goals more effectively

Looking for a way to effectively track your goals, both short-term and long-term? Tracking your goals using work management software like Asana can help you break your goals into actionable tasks.

Related resources

Unmanaged business goals don’t work. Here’s what does.

How Asana uses work management to effectively manage goals

Beat thrash for good: 4 organizational planning challenges and solutions

Use critical success factors to support your strategic plan

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Unlocking Short-Term Assignments: Insights and Guidance
A temporary assignment is defined as a work stint lasting for one year or less. A short-term assignment can be a series of shorter rotational assignments or an assignment that requires an employee to stay in one place for the entire duration. Similar to temporary duty assignments in the military, short-term assignments are not permanent and are ...
Short-term assignments 2022 report: 10 takeaways
Short-term assignments are better suited to initiatives that can be completed in under a year. Global exposure, filling a job gap, short-term projects and skill building are examples of realistic STA assignment objectives. Myth #2: Employees on short-term assignments need less support than those on long-term assignments.
Maximize Your Learning in Short-Term Assignments
The number of short-term assignments in companies has been increasing, and the trend is expected to continue. Within large corporations, secondments, short-term transfers, and functional or ...
Make the Most of a Short-Term Assignment
Here are three ways to make sure you're getting the most from a short-term assignment: Short-term assignments, transfers, or rotation programs can have big advantages: You're exposed to new ...
Short-Term Assignments: The Challenge to Do More Faster
The expatriate nemesis known as "culture shock" also affects short-term assignees. People living in a very different environment can begin to feel isolated and ineffective in the absence of a personal support network, sufficient language skills, or access to local resources. Many short-term assignees make the move solo, leaving behind close ...
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Short-term assignments (STAs) are a common way for professionals to gain international exposure, learn new skills, and expand their network. ... This is a space to share examples, stories, or ...
Short-term international assignments: How to achieve consistency
For example, there is a distinction between an employee sent to Japan for business travel and one sent under a secondment arrangement. An employee 'seconded' on a short-term assignment to Japan cannot exempt income from taxation under the 183-day rule, whereas a 'business traveller' or 'visitor' can potentially do so based on facts ...
International Short-Term Assignments
Assignment duration is also a key factor in short-term assignment program design. These assignments can have varying ranges from as short as 30 days or up to 18 months. They are most commonly defined as longer than 90 days or up to one year. However, knowing company intentions regarding durations helps in determining parameters and components.
Pack your bags
A new business trend is reshaping both the workplace and the home: short-term assignments. This article explores the pros and the cons of accepting short-term assignments, describing the key reasons for accepting such assignments and the major challenges--particularly, the personal and the familial--that accepting such assignments can cause.
Managing Short-term Assignments
A short-term assignment (STA) is an international project that usually lasts between 3 and 12 months. They allow organisations to transfer resources, knowledge and skills cost effectively and quickly providing fast response to business needs. For some companies short-term assignments are becoming more popular than their long-term equivalent due ...
Short-term Assignments Can Give High-Potential Employees a Reason to Stay
Short-term assignments are great opportunities for employees to grow. Short-term assignments can give your staff opportunities to learn additional skills and gain new perspectives, helping to create a more diverse and inclusive organization. Knowledge sharing upon their return to the origin location is a bonus to going on short-term assignment ...
Short-Term Work Assignments: Maximizing Benefits, Mitigating Risks
These short-term work assignments allow businesses to mobilize skills and grow their organization while developing employees at the same time. Here, we'll examine some of the benefits and risks. Benefits. The organization fills a skills gap by relocating an employee where their capabilities are needed. Also, the employee can train others and ...
Short-term assignments are the new normal, but compliance remains a
In fact, short-term assignment policies are used to govern rotator and graduate assignments, extended business trips and even commuter assignments by many companies. Where companies have yet to find time to implement stand-alone policies for these types of assignments, or perhaps want to avoid the complexity of operating too many policies ...
5 Types of Global Assignments
Short-Term Assignment. A short-term international assignment usually lasts for a year or less. Employers generally have a specific goal for the employees they send on short-term assignments, such as facilitating training, completing a particular project, or temporarily filling a vacancy. Many short-term assignments are single-status, whereby ...
Taking Another Look at Short Term Assignments and Talent Mobility
In these examples, permanent relocation might not be necessary, but a brief business trip wouldn't be enough. Tax Implications of Short Term Assignment Jobs. The IRS treats short-term assignments more like business travel than relocation expenses. Relocation expenses are employee benefits and must be reported on the relocating employee's W ...
Pros and Cons of Different Assignment Structures for Mobility ...
Like long-term assignments, an employee on a short-term assignment will often continue to receive compensation in the Home country payroll, seeing the same benefits as described above. The company may be able to offer a more modest compensation and allowance package to the employee, helping to reduce the overall tax and assignment costs to the ...
Paying Employees on Short-term International Assignments
Short-term assignments. Short-term international assignments usually last between 3 and 12 months, and allow companies to transfer skills, knowledge and resources quickly and cost effectively, providing a quick response to business needs. However, living costs for short-term assignees are different from other categories of mobile workers.
Short-term assignments
Short-term assignments A short period, planned long beforehand . Short-term assignments are becoming more popular for staff as a viable alternative to a long period of time abroad. Highly qualified employees are sent abroad for a limited period of time. But just because the period of time spent abroad is short, it does not mean that the process ...
How and Why to Set Short-Term Goals (+ Examples)
That's why you need short-term goals too. They detail the smaller behaviors and actions you need to take to move toward your long-term objectives. If long-term goals are the destination, short-term goals are the roadmap. 4. Short-term goals allow for regular reflection and adjustments. Much like your desires and values, your goals will change ...
The importance of setting short-term goals (with examples)
10 short-term professional goals examples: Manage the next quarterly project from start to finish in Q3. Get certified in a project management tool by EOY. Increase net promoter score by five points this quarter. Build social reach with five LinkedIn posts a day for the next 30 days.
Challenges for Today's Short-Term Assignments
Short-term Assignments are more aligned to business needs with a few exceptions ... Per Diem Allowance Examples Depending on company policies and practices, the per diem definition and composition may vary greatly to include meals costs at restaurants and meals at home, laundry and dry cleaning costs, entertainment and ...
14 Short-Term Goals to Improve Your Career Today
14 examples of short-term goals for work. Here are examples of some of the most relevant professional short-term objectives: 1. Earn a new certificate or degree. Virtually all professional fields gradually change, with new technology and new ways of doing things. This is why constant learning is an important short-term goal.

Short-Term Assignments: Key Considerations and Essential Information

What is a Short-Term Assignment?

What is the Purpose of a Short-Term Assignment?

Benefits and Challenges of Short-Term Assignments

Short-Term Assignment FAQs

How Can Companies Assist Employees?

Do You Need a Relocation Program?

Insights + Resources

Short-term assignments 2022 report: 10 takeaways

Five common myths about short-term assignments

Myth #2: Employees on short-term assignments need less support than those on long-term assignments.

Myth #3: It sounds like an STA is really just a glorified business trip.

Myth #4: Short-term assignees don’t need the same cultural or language training as long-term assignees.

Myth #5: We should be more concerned about the challenges of long-term vs. short-term assignments, given their bigger goals, longer time in the host country and greater cost to the company.

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