The Battle for Female Talent in Brazil - Center for Work-Life Policy

Silva, Anand, and Gomez early feedback on the program’s impact. The mentees
were particularly positive, noting that just being tapped for the program was an
important affirmation of their worth. One participant said it changed her vision
of what was possible in her career at Sodexo: “Before, I didn’t know where I was
going, but now I feel I can identify goals and act on them.” The mentors reported
feeling they’d learned a lot in coaching their mentees, but wished they had
ongoing training—and more time to devote to the relationship. Finding time for
face-to-face meetings continues to be a challenge, according to Gomez. “In our
culture, it’s very important to have eye contact, and a personal approach,” she
explains. “A videoconference or telephone call just doesn’t feel as effective.”
But the executives may not be the best judges of their own efficacy. Two-thirds
of the way into the program, Gomez’s mentee was promoted: he now oversees
eight client contracts where he used to be in charge of one. “The mentors must
be doing a great job,” she says, “because the mentees are definitely seeing great
results.”
dealing with Pulls and Pushes
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Boehringer Ingelheim: Extended Business Trips
Gaining international experience and visibility can be a challenge to both men and
women in multinational corporations. Knowing this, Boehringer Ingelheim created
a short-term assignment program to augment its long-term offerings and allow its
less-mobile employees to gain international exposure.
Boehringer offers two different types of international assignments. The first
requires employees to spend one to eight years on assignment. Families are
expected to come along on these traditional longer-term postings. Within the last
few years, Boehringer has also implemented a short-term assignment program
called the “Extended Business Trip.”
Extended Business Trips are regulated by tax laws, which limit employees’
time in the country to 183 days (6 months). These “trips” range between three
and six months. In addition to providing development opportunities, Extended
Business Trips allow for knowledge transfer on a short-term basis. In one case, a
woman from Germany was brought into the U.S. to provide coverage for a U.S.based
employee who was out on maternity leave. Extended Business Trips are
offered around the globe, with the focus currently on the Americas. Participants
are all high-potentials ranging in level from director to senior manager. Boehringer
provides participants with housing and transportation in the host country.
In 2008 Boehringer refined the guidelines for the program in order to better
accommodate participants with family obligations. “We’ve become much more
flexible in terms of how we address family issues, both with the Extended Business
Trips and with our long-term assignments,” says Gwendolyn Doden, recently
retired corporate vice president of Human Resources for the Americas.
To that end, the company now provides support for the family members of
participants on Extended Business Trips. In the case of dual-career couples, the
partner usually stays home; however, the company provides for monthly visits
between the home and host countries. Visits may last for up to 90 days, although
they are generally for a much shorter period. “Separation is difficult, but it’s a lot
less stressful than having to uproot your entire family, especially if you’re only going
for a year,” Doden says.
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