As so much research has reported, and so much anecdotal data has been collected, no one would dispute the fact that selection of candidates for international assignment is one of the primary activities that needs to take place if an organization is going to support a successful international assignment. One of the major causes of failed overseas assignments is an inadequate selection process. Another is family problems.

It's not a surprise. Myriad difficulties await candidates and accompanying family members as they begin their life in another country. Recent surveys indicate that finding potential expatriates is one of the biggest challenges facing international organizations. Expatriates need to be adaptable and have interpersonal skills, but they also require technical expertise in order to effectively carry out their business missions.

Finding candidates who possess these skills is as important a business challenge as locating capital for business development. A company can thrive or fail depending on who it has in what positions, and whether these individuals -- and families -- are suited to living and working in another culture.

There are several online cultural adaptability tools that help people assess their own suitability for an expat assignment. They help examine personal risk factors, such as a candidate's own personal characteristics, as well as gather information about the family members that help candidates evaluate more effectively whether or not they can cope with the demands they'll face as expats.

This tool for international assignees focuses on the realities of expatriate life as well as many of the problems that soon-to-be expatriates will have to face. For example, separation issues are critical. If it is a dual-career couple going abroad, one person may have to leave a career for a while. How will that affect the furloughed spouse's sense of identity? If there's a teenager or an aging parent who must be left behind, that will cause anxiety. What will that do to the family?

Then, there's the day-to-day living situation in the new culture. Candidates who take online assessment tools learn about their ability to adapt and accept cultural values and beliefs, about specific differences they're likely to encounter, about the intercultural transition process. Then, candidates and their spouses evaluate themselves--and their partner--on a variety of topics.

In many of these online cultural assessment tools, candidates identify and evaluate their personal strengths that will help them handle the challenges ahead. They look at their weaknesses and the challenges of their home situation and how those are likely to affect the international assignment. They also clarify their values and discover strategies to deal with the new situation.

Because expatriates play such a key role in the globalization process, the pressure is intense to choose the right type of person for the job. Expatriates who possess technical skills but are not cross-culturally adept may actually cause more problems than those whose technical skills aren't quite as good but who possess cultural adaptability. The manager who lacks technical skills will know when to ask for help; but his colleague who isn't cross-culturally skilled may not even be aware that there's a problem. He continues to plow forward, wasting time and resources, while threatening to alienate those he comes into contact with. In so many of these cases, online cross-cultural training or face-to-face cultural training will be helpful after an adequate evaluation.

It's not easy, but helping oneself is a great way to establish your career and be sure to make the most of your international experience.