Singapore grabs 6th spot in world's top work relocation hub list

Here's how foreigners can survive in the Lion City.

According to Cartus Corporation's “Top 15 International Relocation Destinations & Intercultural Business Tips for Career Survival,” although multinational companies are increasingly transferring employees to the United States, the United Kingdom and China more than anywhere else in the world, many of those employees  are not fully prepared for their new assignment.

It reported that Singapore is world's top 6 relocation destination. 

"Don’t assume that all Singaporeans you meet professionally are very Westernized just because English is used for business practices and many social interactions.

Singapore is perceived to be mainly Western in outlook, but it is also Eastern in mindset, and hierarchy and not “losing face” are key drivers in business success," the report said noting some important career survival tips. The list was lead by the United States followed by the UK, China, Germany, and Switzerland respectively.

Data for the “Top 15 International Relocation Destinations & Intercultural Business Tips for Career Survival,” was culled from Cartus’ worldwide client base, which includes over 64 percent of the FORTUNE 50. Last year, Cartus relocated nearly 160,000 transferees into or out of approximately 165 countries. 

Just as important as documenting international relocation trends, Cartus data indicates that transferring employees can sometimes be unprepared to do business in their new destination country. As a result, they may find themselves making a career-damaging faux pas that a bit of advance intercultural awareness would have helped them avoid.

“Every location presents unique challenges in the areas of decision making, relationship building and preferred communication styles,” said Jenny Castelino, Director of Intercultural and Language Solutions for Cartus.

“Our research found that a full 75 percent of companies believe cross-cultural training is important not only for the transferee, but also for the transferee’s family.”