Short on time? Here are the key takeaways.
When a relocation fails, the reason is not always professional. Sometimes it comes down to a family that has struggled to settle. Yet despite well-documented evidence linking assignment failure to family dissatisfaction, spousal and partner support remains one of the most underfunded and overlooked parts of global mobility programmes.
In this episode, Michali Henig (Head of Global Mobility and Travel at HelloFresh) and Jan Skroud (Founder and Managing Director of iNOMEE) unpack why that gap exists - and what organisations can do about it.
The "nice to have" problem
Many companies now operate core-flex relocation policies: assignees receive a budget and choose how to spend it. The result? Soft services - spousal support, cultural training, community-building routinely get deprioritised in favour of things that feel more tangible, like visa processing or tax filing. You can see a visa. You can't easily see the value of helping a spouse find their footing in a new country.
The guests argue that this framing is a false economy. The assignee heads straight into work, while their partner is left to navigate school systems, housing markets, job searches, and social isolation largely on their own. When that experience goes badly, it doesn't just affect the partner - it affects the whole assignment.
Why personalisation matters more than group programmes
Both guests are clear: generic, group-format support doesn't cut it. Job-hunting norms, school systems, and cultural expectations differ dramatically from market to market. While in the UK, Jan notes, it can take six to nine months to land a role without prior local experience. Cultural differences show up in interviews in ways that catch people completely off guard.
First-time relocators are especially vulnerable - they simply don't know what they don't know. Personalised, one-to-one support that accounts for individual goals, family circumstances, and the specific destination market produces measurably better outcomes.
The career and financial stakes for partners
Michali raises a point that often gets missed entirely: a partner who stops working during an assignment isn't just on pause. They're losing pension contributions, missing career progression, and potentially facing a much harder re-entry to employment when the assignment ends. The long-term financial consequences are significant - and they rarely feature in conversations about relocation ROI.
Even where paid work isn't immediately possible, staying active and finding purpose matters. Voluntary work, community involvement, and proactive networking all help partners maintain market relevance, build social connections, and preserve the confidence that makes re-employment easier down the line.
Start support before the move, not after
One of the strongest practical takeaways from the episode comes from Jan's work with a global bank: beginning spousal support three months before the relocation - roughly when the work visa application is filed- transforms outcomes. Arriving with a polished CV, cultural awareness, and even a first interview already booked is very different from landing in a new city and asking, "What now?"
Michali echoes this from her own experience running a relocation agency: preparation isn't just about logistics. It means joining expat communities online before you arrive, mapping out the first week of appointments, and making early connections so you're not starting from zero on day one.
Include the spouse from the very beginning
A telling insight from Michali: in cases where the assignee actively resisted involving their spouse in pre-relocation discussions, the assignment almost always fell through. The spouse is often the one managing most of the practical relocation work, apartment viewings, school registrations, utility contracts - so excluding them from conversations is both impractical and, in hindsight, a warning sign.
Where companies have in-house global mobility professionals who act as genuine trusted advisors (rather than simply handing cases to an agency), outcomes improve noticeably. The advisor can flag risks early, recommend the right support services, and keep both the assignee and their partner informed throughout.
Reframing relocation as an opportunity
The episode closes on a more hopeful note. Both guests describe their own relocations as transformative, a chance to rebuild, to take on new identities, to develop in ways that simply wouldn't have been possible at home. Jan calls it a growth mindset: relocating to a foreign country, with the right support, can make you a stronger and more rounded person.
Room for Thought is SilverDoor's new podcast series. There’s much more to come; keep your eyes peeled.
