A company's expatriate population may benefit from a website that caters to their specific needs. Tangible benefits to the company include a significant reduction in time spent on administrative costs. Employees will feel more empowered, as they can log onto a website and obtain information without dealing with time zone differences, national holidays, or work schedules.

The first step in establishing a website is to determine which resources are best accessed online. This article suggests starting with things like policy, contact lists, PowerPoint presentations, and FAQs. It is important to keep the site current so that employees will want to visit it.

Additional content might include links to appropriate third party websites, employee self-service elements, workflow tracking systems, vendor management resources, and online forms and surveys. This kind of information requires strong security management. You should integrate the site, if possible, into the company's central security system.

Designing the website in a modular fashion will allow for easier additions. Make sure you can easily add new content and update the site. Determine whether you want to build and host the site in-house or hire an outside company (an ASP). Both have advantages and disadvantages. Using a consultant to develop the site combines the control of an in-house development team with the convenience and cost-effectiveness of an ASP.

Above all, the website should complement your HR processes, not dictate or replace them.