Using Cultural Intelligence as a Predictor of Global Assignment Success

International assignments remain one of the most complex and costly talent investments organizations make. Despite their strategic importance, failure rates remain stubbornly high, with as many as 40% ending prematurely. For HR leaders, the challenge is not simply identifying high performers but determining who can translate that capability across vastly different cultural contexts.

That distinction is where cultural intelligence (CQ) is emerging as a critical, and often overlooked, differentiator.

“When organizations are making decisions about who to relocate, the decision is usually based on high performance,” said Trish Butera, an expert in global mobility and expatriate coaching and director at 60ZONE Pty Ltd., based in Sydney, Australia. “Quite often that home-based judgment call is enough to send somebody overseas. But when we’re talking about success in a new cultural environment, there are differences to consider,” she said, speaking at SHRM Talent 2026 in Dallas.

Event: SHRM 2026

Rethinking Traditional Selection Criteria

Most global mobility decisions still rely on familiar indicators: technical expertise, leadership potential, performance history, and willingness to relocate. While these factors signal capability, they are not reliable predictors of success abroad, Butera said.

“The issue behind a failed assignment may not be the people being sent, but the predictors being used in deciding who to send,” she said.

Organizations often prioritize performance at home and assume it will transfer seamlessly. Some may factor in prior international exposure or make informal judgments about “fit.” Cultural readiness, when considered, is frequently addressed too late, through pre-departure training or post-arrival support.

This downstream approach misses a critical opportunity, Butera explained. By the time cultural challenges surface, the assignment — and the employee’s engagement in the role and at the organization — may already be at risk.

Sample Policy: International Assignment Management

Why Assignments Fail

Contrary to common assumptions, most failed international assignments are not the result of poor job performance, Butera said. Instead, breakdowns occur in the subtleties of day-to-day interaction.

“Culture shows up in the small things,” she said. “It shows up in habits, expectations, language, nonverbal cues, and perception — not only what we perceive, but how others perceive us.”

Even in countries that share a common language, misalignment is common. “English is a shared language, but that does not mean a shared understanding,” she noted. “The same words can carry different meanings and expectations.”

These differences become especially pronounced in moments that require nuance: delivering feedback, navigating disagreement, building trust, or motivating teams. Communication styles vary widely, with some cultures valuing directness, while others rely on indirect cues. Leadership expectations, decision-making processes, and perceptions of authority can differ just as dramatically.

“Most management theory comes from a Western perspective,” Butera said. “It’s a particular style, and not all people respond well to that.”

For expatriates, these gaps can create friction not only at work, but at home. Language barriers, social integration challenges, employment and family adjustment issues — including the experiences of trailing spouses and children — compound the difficulty. Over time, these pressures can erode engagement and effectiveness, even among top performers.

“It’s not the big things that trip up most expats,” Butera said. “It’s the small, everyday moments.”

Cultural Intelligence as a Predictor of Success

To improve outcomes, organizations should shift from selecting for competence to selecting for adaptability. Cultural intelligence provides a practical framework for doing so.

Butera defined CQ as the ability to understand, interpret, and adapt effectively across cultural contexts. It is not about mastering every cultural norm, but about developing the capability to navigate unfamiliar environments with awareness and flexibility, she said.

“It starts with motivation,” Butera explained. “A genuine curiosity to understand differences. Then comes the ability to interpret cultural cues before making judgment calls, and the behavioral flexibility to adapt in the moment.”

These capabilities help explain why some employees thrive abroad while others struggle, even when their technical qualifications are comparable.

Importantly, CQ is not an innate trait reserved for a select few. It can be assessed, developed, and integrated into talent strategies without significant new infrastructure.

“There’s no need for fancy new tools,” Butera said. “Cultural intelligence assessments are already widely available.”

For HR leaders, the opportunity lies in moving CQ upstream, embedding it into nomination and selection decisions rather than treating it as a secondary consideration.

That begins with reframing the core question: not just “Who performs best?” but “Who adapts best?”

Butera outlined practical steps to include incorporating CQ assessments into candidate evaluations, alongside traditional performance metrics. She added that HR teams can also examine how a candidate’s work style aligns with the cultural context of the destination, considering factors such as communication preferences, leadership approach, and tolerance for ambiguity.

Equally important is preparing employees before departure. Targeted coaching, cultural briefings, and scenario-based learning can build awareness and equip assignees with tools to navigate early challenges. Structured support should continue throughout the assignment and extend into repatriation, ensuring that both the employee and the organization capture long-term value from the experience.

“Most support currently happens downstream,” Butera noted. “Training happens sometimes, often too late.”

Given the scale of overseas assignment investment, improving success rates is not just a talent issue, it’s a business imperative, Butera said.