Is the threat of terrorism discouraging candidates from working overseas?

Nick Martindale

The devastating events in Paris last November, coupled with the foiled plot to detonate suicide bombs at two stations in Munich on New Year’s Eve, only served as a reminder of the dangers facing people looking to work in major cities overseas. The UK, of course, is also vulnerable, but in such a climate there is often a tendency to stay closer to home rather than move to new – and potentially dangerous – areas, and this can make it harder for both recruiters and clients to find the people they need.

So far, however, the impact has been limited. Graham Oates, chief executive of executive search and interim management provider Norrie Johnston Recruitment, which places candidates in countries including Pakistan, Algeria, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Bangladesh and Ghana, says there has been some additional reluctance to take on permanent posts in certain parts of the world, but this is not yet having a major impact.

“It is still possible to attract high quality candidates to work overseas despite the increasing geo-political instability,” he says. “It has always been the case that certain individuals are attracted to and comfortable in the ex-pat world whereas others are not.” Indeed, attacks in places such as Paris can also demonstrate that nowhere is entirely safe, he adds, and make people more likely to consider new places.

James Gherardi, director of supply chain and procurement at BIE Executive, says there are three types of international worker: those willing to work abroad but who commute back to the UK at weekends; those willing to relocate with their families; and those ready to base themselves in high-risk areas such as Afghanistan.

“For the first two groups, events such as the Paris attacks last year will certainly sharpen the mind,” he says. “However, the reality is that the risks present in Paris are just as germane in London, Madrid, Copenhagen, Brussels, Sydney or California. Even countries that have historically seen minimal attacks such as Switzerland are still threatened.” The third group are accepting of risk anyway, he adds, so the heightened activity will have little impact.

Alex Maher is currently senior account manager at Mango Marketing, but plans to head out to Paris to find work in the next two months, after deciding to relocate with her friend. “I’d only started properly looking for work in October, a matter of weeks before the attacks in Paris,” she says. “But as someone who has been living and working in London, I am used to living in the shadow of events such as the 7/7 bombings and, frankly, refuse to let my behaviour or decisions be influenced by that.” She does admit, however, that she was surprised by the number of people who expected her to change her mind in the wake of the attacks.

There are, however, particular sectors that are more likely to struggle to attract people overseas, particularly in the light of the current global climate. Those working in the oil sector have always faced risk, says Stephen Martin, recruitment director at Fircroft. “In the past ten years, these have intensified as the threat of kidnap or terrorist attacks increases in locations such as Africa or the Middle East,” he says. “When you ask if there is somewhere people would not go it tends to be the usual suspects: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Congo, Sudan and other Middle East or African locations where there is ongoing conflict.” Locations such as Tunisia and Algeria are also increasingly causing concern, he adds, again following high-profile terrorist activity.

There are measures recruiters – and their clients – can take to help minimise the risk and reassure potential candidates. Fircroft, for instance, has developed an onboarding programme which aims to make candidates aware of risks around issues such as disease, gangs, traffic and environment, and also insures workers against such threats. “We base our policy on Foreign Office advice and in some cases we have had to evacuate workers from dangerous locations,” says Martin. “For example, we had clients on the facility in Algeria when it was hijacked and worked closely with the authorities and our contractors to ensure everyone was safe.”

In the energy sector, Air Energi has also developed procedures to both protect workers and mitigate the impact of any unforeseen events. “These processes do not only cover acts of terrorism, but other scenarios including natural disasters and civil unrest, which can potentially affect candidates on assignment,” says Judith Goodwin, associate director, global mobility. “During the recent events in Paris, for example, our processes went into action to ensure all candidates in the vicinity were safe and kept up-to-date with the latest developments. No two global mobility projects are the same, so each case requires an individual approach to address any challenges that people may encounter when on assignment.”

In some cases, recruiters or clients can end up looking to implement additional security measures themselves. “Dependent on the environment and level of perceived threat, it may be appropriate for the employee to have a full-time security presence in form of close protection for them and their family,” says Brian Painter, managing director of Discreet Help. “Similarly, a specialist vehicle may be required. Working in a remote region with a standard saloon car may be fine until the rain comes and roads become dangerous or impassable without a suitable 4×4.” Individuals can also take part in hostile environment awareness training, which can see them put in mock situations and trained how to respond. “This format of training is very popular among the media and is gaining traction in the wider corporate world,” he adds.

Ultimately, though, any decision as to whether to travel or move overseas will have to remain that of the individual and their family, and there is a danger too that clients will decide certain assignments or even entire projects are just too risky. “Clients are acutely aware of the risks, particularly those operating in destabilising locations such as Russia,” says Gherardi. “I’m afraid that such assignments will be placed on hold or cancelled. All clients have stages of acceptable risk.”