There’s no escaping the fact that the world of global mobility is one of shifting sands. Nowhere is that clearer than in the offices and meeting rooms of the HR team designated to make it happen. Caught in the crossfire from management, budgets, recruiters, assignees and legislation, there are a lot of needs to meet and requirements to balance.
'Establishing a Global Mobility Policy which has the latitude to be customised and adjusted is crucial to attracting the best people for your teams.'
The number of stakeholders has created an industry in near constant change, a state which has only accelerated and deepened since the end of the global pandemic. Thankfully, the modern HR professional is more than up to the challenge! But that doesn’t mean you don’t need any help, and that’s what we’re here to do, give you some hints of what your team needs to be on top of the relocation world.
As ever, 2025 will see changes in Global Mobility, so here are the areas you think you should keep your eye on in the year ahead…
Flexibility is Key
Recent years have seen a move away from standardised offers and packages to customised offers built on the needs and expectations of the assignee. This isn’t just necessary to attract the best talent, but also to, in some cases, make the move possible.
Whether it’s related to family, the increase in cost of relocation, or accessibility issues, there are many issues which can block the right candidate from the roles which needs them.
Establishing a Global Mobility Policy which has the latitude to be customised and adjusted is crucial to attracting the best people for your teams.
Partnering with Talent Management
With the speed at which business need for new recruits can evolve, it’s never been more important to ensure that the HR and Talent Management teams are completely aligned.
Ensuring that the team recruiting assignees has a full and detailed understanding of current policy and best practice is crucial to manage expectations on all fronts. By ensuring that HR is delivering on the promises made during recruitment, a positive experience for the new team member is assured and potential confusion avoided.
Family Support
The days where a mobility policy needed to only consider the assignee, and a one-off payment are long gone. Most will, if they have family, expect for them to be included as part of your policy and contract.
A modern mobility policy will need to consider not just relocation, but settlement of the family as well. With support in the short and medium term with finding schools, setting up their lives, potentially help for the spouse and developing a social network.
This is where relocation agents can really help. From day one, they can support, in person, with finding a home, getting a feel for the new city, language and navigating life.
If you’d like to read more about current expectations for dependents, check out our article here.
Cross-cultural Training
There are many challenges when moving to a new country, but one of the unspoken ones is “the things everyone knows”. That set of knowledge, standard behaviours, and good manners which locals take for granted but new arrivals may find bewildering.
Leaving these types of issue unaddressed, can greatly reduce the success of a relocation. That’s why many businesses are undertaking cross-cultural training, not just for the new arrival, but the team they will be working with too.
This is a short programme of questions, assessment and discussion which can help the assignee understand and appreciate the people who they will now be living and working with. And, for the team they will be joining, prime them to understand and empathise with the new person in their team.
Sustainability
The ecological impact has never been more important for a company, forming the backbone of ESG and sustainability policy, companywide. But the benefits which can be gained from team relocations are often ignored. By building expectations and processes for new assignees into a relocation policy, it is possible to gain benefits towards company sustainability targets. For example, stating and facilitating that new hires take an electric vehicle if needed, or utilise available recycling or low-carbon power options in their home.
A recent whitepaper showed that relocation is the perfect time to undertake this sort of change. Implementing these new behaviours in a new city can lead to a long-term change in behaviour for the assignee.
Ask for Feedback
Though much can be seen from metrics and data, ultimately the best way to gauge the success of your policy is to speak to those involved. Establishing a robust process to, at specific points, gather, assess, and act on feedback is crucial.
It is important that this is done with all stakeholders, including the family of the assignee, team members and the person themselves. By take a look at the whole picture, areas for improvement can be identified and undertaken.
By considering and including these points in your mobility policy, you will not only stay on top of current trends and best practices but maximise the chance of a successful placement. Ultimately, getting the right person first time who stays and completes their terms is in the interests of all involved, saving both time and money.
If you’d like more support or insight into the help which relocation agents can offer for your company and assignees, feel free to reach out to the ABRA team and we’ll be happy to put you in contact with one of our members.
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