13208. PREPARING EMPLOYEES FOR EXPATRIATE ASSIGNMENTS. This essay argues that the high failure rate of expatriate assignments demands that organizations - both for the sake of the company and for the sake of the employee - take steps to comprehensively prepare the expatriate and his/her family for the overseas posting. Taking the hypothetical case of an individual and his family of four (spouse, 8-year-old son and 10 year old daughter) who are being asked to move to a non-English speaking foreign country, the analysis identifies and discusses the five most critical areas (cross-cultural training, language training, management & organization training, assistance in tools of everyday living, and assistance in family-related issues) in which they should be assisted. KEYWORDS: expatriate workers hrm employee training assistance foreign postings. 5 pages, 19 footnotes, 11 bibliographic sources.