“International mobility makes you a better human”

Alla Serova joined Schneider Electric in France seven years ago and currently serves as Talent Management VP for the Energy Management business unit.

Alla joined Schneider Electric in France seven years ago and currently serves as Talent Management VP for the Energy Management business unit. In a company operating in more than 100 countries, international mobility is part of everyday life. Having lived in Asia and Europe, and worked across the globe, she brings a strong perspective on how international mobility has evolved — and what it takes to make it successful. How can you prepare for it? Why take the leap? We spoke with her about it.

What does international mobility bring?

First of all, it makes you a different person. It polishes you a lot. It makes you much more reflective, more attentive, and a better listener — a better human, I would say — because you really have to understand and adapt to a new environment. So I think adaptability, flexibility, and agility are the key characteristics that people develop through international mobility.

Is there a best time to pursue international mobility?

You can do international mobility as soon as you are ready, as soon as the company can add value in that environment with your skill set and your personality as well. But I think starting early is easier because you have fewer family obligations from a personal perspective. It’s much more affordable and simply easier. It’s easier to learn languages, new things, and to build connections.

A lot of people say, “I just had a child, so it’s probably not a good time for me.” I moved to Malaysia when my son was a year and a half old. And it was super rewarding, because it made him different. Even now, he says Asia is in my heart forever, because that’s where he grew up.

I think you can go at any point in life, but of course it’s a bit easier when you’re younger.

How can you make a success of international mobility?

Prepare yourself for that, build a network in advance, make your interest known in your company, because, once people know it, they will be much more open and ready to consider these individuals when there are opportunities.

Then, it’s important to make sure that even though you’re in a global world, a company is still delivering locally. And if you don’t have this local value creation, it will be very difficult to get a seat at the table. You can physically be there. But you won’t be integrated, you don’t know exactly what’s going on, you won’t learn enough. And those who don’t invest in localisation, in this integration and becoming one of them, I think at the end of the day, they won’t be successful. But I think it’s also important to make sure that when you’re on an international assignment, you should also prepare your future. Because you won’t be in this country forever. Sometimes you may be, it’s also possible. But sometimes you may not be. So you need to prepare how you’re going to come back. And for that, you need to make sure that you maintain your relationships with decision makers, who may change: people in your previous geography so that you have a place if and when you go back.

How does Schneider Electric prepare people to go abroad?

We try to follow a programmatic approach so that it is not random and that it is well managed. First of all, people go through the selection process. In Schneider, we believe in the power of human connections. We don’t leave people alone in a new environment. To ensure that they integrate well, we assign a local manager, and/or a buddy or a mentor. Our HR team is making sure they are surrounded by a supportive environment as much as possible. 

Is international mobility important for your company? 

You just have to take a look at our leaders and how they built their careers. All of our top leaders have international relocation experience. India, China, Dubai are good examples of their geographical exposure. It is expected in a global company, otherwise how can you serve the work if you only know one part of it?

What different formats of international assignments are available for employees?

There are different possibilities, long-term assignments which are typically 2 to 3 years, short-term assignments for 6 to 12 months for specific missions. Sometimes people decide to stay in their new country and move into permanent contracts. There is also what we call ‘guided business travel’ which is for learning, for development, for network building.

If you had to advise students today, where should they go and what kind of international experience should they seek?

In France, in particular, there are many ways to do that. There is V.I.E., Erasmus, and other programs allowing you to combine your studies in France with studies in another country. They provide interesting experiences, lots of exposure and build curiosity. Students often choose places others are going to, so that they can have a community. I would recommend either go to an English speaking country to boost your English fluency. Or to go to a country which can give you unique experiences and can help you to differentiate from others. I strongly believe that Asia shapes you well with different traditions, cultures, and communication styles. India, China, Singapore, Malaysia are among those that can provide  a very rewarding experience which will pay off when you start your professional life.

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