I have a friend who is on a year-long journey across the globe, and posts her thoughts and photos from her travels on a blog. Every couple weeks or so, I visit the blog to see where she’s been, what she’s done, who and what she’s seen.

Although in my own life I’ve never left the United States, through her, I’ve seen Japan, Uganda, Thailand, India and more.  Because of her travels, I feel more worldly and connected to the amazing people, animals and cultures that fill our globe. And even though she hasn’t held a full-time job (other than tourist and amateur photographer) in nearly a year, I have no doubt her experiences will make her an attractive candidate whenever she decides she’s ready to re-enter the workforce.

It made me think that maybe there’s more than goodwill at work among employers who allow top-performing and long-tenured workers to take lengthy sabbaticals or service missions abroad. It stands to reason that for employees who embark on such journeys are even better workers when they return and the benefit extends to their colleagues and company at large.

The reasoning seems to makes sense to IBM, Dow Corning, Pfizer and other employers that have sent top talent to developing nations across the globe to take part in what’s been dubbed a Corporate Peace Corps. With help from CDC Development Solutions, a 20-year-old nonprofit that leverages public, private and volunteer resources to strengthen local enterprises and empower economic development, employees sent to live and work in other nations through CDS’s International Corporate Volunteerism program “build professional skills that would otherwise take years to develop in the United States,” according to CDS.

“ICV is a life-changing experience for participants and their employers. An employee cannot return as the same type of employee he or she was when they once left,” the nonprofit relayed in a press release. “These future leaders return with a global perspective, better equipped to handle the challenges ahead. CDS’ ICV programs are shaping the lens through which these leaders view business decisions, which will have a broader, long-term effect on the way their companies conduct business.”

Earlier this month, CDS and more than 50 Fortune 500 companies gathered in Washington, D.C., to address this growing trend and to share best practices, design and implementation of ICV programs. Read more about the meeting here, and stay tuned for a report in the June 15 EBN about ICV programs.

Meantime, share your thoughts in the comments about whether an ICV program would be a feasible and valuable addition to your organization. Can such programs have lasting ripple effect on employee performance and business success overall? Or, could such an experience make returning to “regular” corporate life feel like a letdown by comparison?