HACIÉNDOME EL SUECO

In previous posts we have discussed the importance of obtaining the immigration visa, the relocation process, the expat letter, taxation and other preliminary topics. Once we arrive in our country of destination, there are some questions that can help us in our landing to make it as smooth as posible. It is important to ensure your family adapts to the new country and culture. Family: Nothing helps you more than knowing that your family is adapting nicely to the new environment so you can focus on your job. In this context, companies do very well taking care of your family and investing in anything that can facilitate their landing. However, it is essential that, for at least the first few weeks you devote time to your family. Do activities with them over the weekend and spend the first moments together. Also, do not be shy and ask your manager or contacts in the destination country to introduce you to other expatriates. In many cases, your...

La entrevista de trabajo es el momento clave en la mayoría de los procesos de selección. Desde el punto de vista del entrevistador los objetivos básicos son saber si el candidato PUEDE y QUIERE, es decir: Saber si el candidato tiene las capacidades y competencias para realizar el puesto de trabajo (PUEDE) Conocer si tiene interés en el proyecto y desarrollo profesional que la empresa le puede ofrecer (QUIERE) Cuando se cumplen estas dos premisas, se suele decir que el candidato encaja. Es importante tener en mente que el proceso de selección es un proceso de encaje. Si las capacidades o intereses del candidato son distintas de las requeridas, no será seleccionado, y este hecho no tiene nada que ver con la valía profesional de cada uno. El entrevistador suele tener experiencia en procesos de selección, y además normalmente ha preparado la entrevista a conciencia ya que ha invertido tiempo en describir la necesidad (perfil y puesto de trabajo), seleccionar los CV y ...

It is advisable to start preparing your return a few months before the end of your assignment. In most cases, the Expatriation is agreed for a maximum of 2 or 3 years. Then, you may be offered an extension but the total length is normally 5 years or less. T alk to your bosses and find out what they have in mind before you start planning for your return. If you are asked to stay and you reach an agreement to continue the assignment, all you have to do is make the necessary arrangements to extend your stay: Sign an addendum to the Assignment letter Confirm the validity of the visa during the extended period Notify the landlord of the lengthening of the rental, register your kids in the following school year,   etc. Once the extension has been ruled out, the time is ripe to plan for the return.   In regards to personal and family matters, remember: Giving advance notice to your landlord and preparing for you...

I was reading a very interesting article in Los Angeles Times about  the new U.S. administration's  initiative to close the gender salary gap, the so called Equal Pay Pledge - Click here to see the full LA Times article. According to this commitment, each company will conduct a yearly analysis of its pay practices, review hiring and promotion procedures and adopt practices aimed at closing the pay gap between men and women. IKEA, Facebook, Apple, Linkedin and Microsoft are amongst the companies that have already signed the pledge. Currently, women make up nearly half the U.S. labor force, "yet in 2014, a woman working full-time year-round in America earned only 79% of what the typical man earned". In the  European Commission website  you find that equal pay for equal work is one of the founding principles of the European Union embedded in the Treaties since 1957. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that ...

I was impressed with the title of an article I discovered in the Huffington post: Here’s What It’s Like To Have ‘Unlimited’ Paternity Leave At Netflix . Reading the article, I discovered Netflix has announced that employees — men and women — can take up to a year off after they have a kid. It does not apply to all employees, but  still it is a courageous initiative. The article mentions they have a similar approach to vacation. This tells a lot about the relationship the company wants to establish with their workers. We could say that Top US companies are offering around 16-20 weeks paternity leave, so the Netflix program is far beyond the benchmark. In Spain, Paternity Leave  lasts 16 weeks. This period can be shared between the mother and the father, except for the first 6 weeks. Good luck Netflix with this brave initiative!

Can you imagine a cash-free society? Few countries are moving so fast in this direction as Sweden. I enjoyed the recent article in the NY Times about this matter, In Sweden, a Cash-Free Future Nears .   The article highlights that "Bills and coins now represent just 2% of Sweden’s economy, compared with 7.7% in the United States and 10% in the Euro-area" "We are cash-free", as I saw in a Hotel in Sweden Although many people speak in favor of electronic payments, they are not free from risks such as privacy concerns, potencial Internet crimes and difficulties for older people to adapt to the new methods of payment. It is funny, at the very end of the article, an example is given about somebody who stops at a hot-dog stand and the card reader does not work. I experienced exactly the same situation this summer in hot-dog stand in Stockholm. I was lucky to have some cash with me...

I like the idea of involving men in the gender diversity iniciatives as the HeForShe  movement does. As I watched the speech of Emma Watson  presenting this program in the United Nations, I was thinking that she is fully right when she says that "we need everyone on board". If you want to join the movement, it is simple, you just have to click on "I am HeForShe ", then enter your name, email and country. Afterwards you can share if you feel like it.