Want to Retain Agency Staffers? Consider an International Desk Swap

Offering valuable employees a raise in an effort to keep them from leaving is a common retention strategy. But sending them overseas for an extended stay? Far less common, but it's a tool that Chicago-based promotions agency the Marketing Store has discovered works wonders. It all started with the idea of a global desk swap, a program launched about five years ago, said Dave Jaski, global human resources lead for the Marketing Store. The agency has 12 offices globally -- including in Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City and Sao Paulo -- and counts McDonald's among its biggest clients, along with Walgreens, Coca-Cola and General Mills. The program was initially devised by the creative department so that employees could have, say, three-month stints in Brazil or Hong Kong to, as Mr. Jaski said, "help transfer knowledge, intellectual property and client experiences" on a temporary basis in lieu of hiring freelancers. In the early days of the program, for example, one office may have been short on talent in one discipline, like digital design, and looked within the network to have employees go to another office temporarily, often for a specific client project. The program was temporary in part because the logistics of transferring employees can be complicated and expensive given labor laws and visa restrictions. As originally designed, the desk swap was a way for the company to easily transfer expertise within the network while also offering professional development. Since then, however, the program has "evolved to a different place," Mr. Jaski said. The agency now does 10 to 15 swaps a year, and somewhere along the way, he said the shop realized how valuable it was in keeping employees around. "We had high-potential associates who were burned out and wanted to do something else. People we could have lost are now staying with the company because of new opportunities." One of those employees was Taylor Host, who is now senior global director and head of mobile platforms in Asia for the Marketing Store. Mr. Jaski said that Mr. Host, who was a promising digital employee in the Chicago office working on clients like McDonald's, was being courted by other employers, including video-game companies. But the Marketing Store felt it couldn't afford to lose him. "We said, 'We need you, what can we do?'" Mr. Jaski said Mr. Host asked to go to Hong Kong to launch that office's digital operation. The Hong Kong office's managing director put Mr. Host into the desk-swap program so he could build out a digital capability in Asia. A year and a half later, things have gone so well that Mr. Host works permanently in Hong Kong. "We're retaining people, we can expand our business, and in the end, it's a competitive advantage," said Mr. Jaski. Getting agency management on board in the first place took some convincing. For one, Mr. Jaski had to lay out a case for why sending an employee overseas for three months -- including paying for flights and handling living arrangements -- was more beneficial than taking on local freelancers, which also cost a premium. He argued it was much more worthwhile for the agency to have an employee relocate on a short-term basis than to hire freelance talent that would leave a few months later. His pitch was that it didn't cost much more to offer an employee a perk like a desk swap, and it kept the talent internal while also lending a fresh perspective to different agency offices. The added benefit, he said, is that it also serves as a professional development program by giving employees hard-to-come-by global expertise. "Promotional marketing is different in the U.S. than it is in Brazil," he said. "How we work with clients varies in different locations." The phrase "desk swap" implies that two offices would swap employees, and in some cases, that has happened. But in other cases, Mr. Jaski said, some offices will just take in an employee without swapping an employee out if there's a specific client need or large program that requires extra hands. Those that join the program must meet some requirements. Participants are required to blog about the experience and what they learned, as well as produce video at the end of the program chronicling highlights. And just so the participants don't feel lonely, the host office provides an employee buddy that acts as a city guide for those participating in the desk swap. The guides show them neighborhoods, restaurants and other cultural activities. Today is my last day of work in Hong Kong, after a seven-month stay. It has been a hectic week, finalizing details before my return back home. I will also be squeezing in one last journey to Singapore, and Indonesia, beginning immediately after work today. It seems like I have constantly been busy throughout this experience. Mainly due to the expectations I put on myself, to make the most out of the opportunity which was provided to me. I am sure that when I return home, I will feel completely worn out, mentally drained, yet absolutely fulfilled. The experience here has accelerated my growth, both personally and professionally. On the professional side, I split work time between Hong Kong and China. I learned a lot about Asian business culture during my time here. I also spent time in many factories, working on the "not so glamorous" side of toy design and manufacturing. I worked with some great people and gained a wealth of knowledge here, which I will carry with me throughout the rest of my career. On the personal side, I got to visit Asia for the first time! From my home base in Hong Kong, I took opportunities to visit Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Shanghai, Beijing, central China, and will soon cover Singapore and Indonesia. Throughout these travels, I had many great memories but also some bad ones. I fully expected the good and the bad experiences before I set out on my journeys. I have come to realize that the moments of most rapid growth in life occur during the extremes. The highs and the lows. There were times where I really feared for my safety. There were times when I felt stranded, with no idea how to get myself out of a situation, and nobody who I could effectively communicate with. But I believe that without stepping outside your comfort zone and facing challenging situations, it is hard to continue to evolve. I am thankful for all of the emotional extremes I experienced and learned from during these times. There were so many people in the TMS community who supported my trip here and who took care of the details to make it all possible. I am truly grateful for all of the work that went into my Desk Swap assignment. I can confidently say that it has been the best experience in my life so far.

Want to Retain Agency Staffers? Consider an International Desk Swap

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