Have you ever been an expat and decided one day to leave your company before your assignment was up? Up to 36% of expats think of or consider leaving their company during their assignment. This, according to a study done by international human resources management expert Yvonne McNuity, is an emerging trend. The study shows that repatriation is not the goal for most expats, but rather re-assignments.

But what's the reason behind this trend? For one, lack of career planning during an assignment can contribute to this downward shift in loyalty as shown with expats preferring to be re-assigned. Perhaps the focus could be placed on having a mobile career rather than on having just one assignment.

As HR managers, you want your domestic employees to be more loyal, as this will reduce the costs associated with using expats. And most companies desire a long-term retention of expats as well. The study revealed that most firms believe that financial incentives will keep expats staying around longer, but that is not the case. What is important to expats is personal gain and career development, and if they can't get it with the company they are with, they will go elsehwere. Companies are struggling to keep up with the changing nature of expatriation. The strategies they use to curb costs ironically are the ones that are reducing expat loyalty.

As we all know, the concept of job security no longer exists and so we need to treat our careers like running a business. We need to have an entrepreneurial mind, positioning ourselves for future opportunities by building a personal brand. Having a personal brand will increase opportunities and make the transition from one assignment to another run much more smoothly.

Are you an expatriate who has faced the situation of wanting to be reassigned instead of being repatriated? Do share your thoughts.