Our world has become more connected in recent years thanks to technological and digital advancements, which have broken down international barriers and expanded the global workforce. Organisations are increasingly building remote, hybrid, and digitised workforces. These workforces allow businesses to enter new markets and access vast talent pools in other countries.
What is global mobility?
Global mobility is a relatively new term that describes the process of relocating to different countries or regions for job opportunities. A strong global mobility strategy allows employees to relocate from one location to another with minimal business disruptions and complications related to immigration, taxes, or pay. Global mobility includes other logistical and tactical issues that are frequently associated with international relocation.
Such as:
- Technology
- Legal compliance
- Ensure continuity
- Support for families and dependents
Global mobility programs are frequently led by HR executives responsible for strategic workforce strategy and talent development. These programs differ depending on the nature of the business, the company culture, and the type of work that an employee performs.
Global mobility programs enable businesses to expand their reach beyond their home countries to:
- Develop a more diverse workforce
- Expand into new locations
- Maintain business partnerships
Employees with global mobility may be on short- or long-term assignments, commute to another country on a regular basis, or travel to multiple countries frequently. Achieving true global mobility enables a company to more effectively navigate the critical aspects of international workforce management.
Why is global mobility important?
Developing a global mobility strategy ensures that you maximise the potential of your workforce. By assigning the right people to the right jobs and locations, you can help everyone perform at their peak and exceed customer expectations. Because digital transformation and global growth demand are increasing, your company may need to send teams to different locations in order to grow and succeed.
Companies no longer compete on a local or national level. Instead, organisational leaders compete for market share with competitors around the world. As a result, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your workforce can contribute to a significant competitive advantage. By implementing a global mobility program, your company can effectively manage international talent as it expands globally. This growth can assist you in developing a long-term strategy for your organisation. Global mobility will also allow your company to deploy its international workforce.
What is a global mobility strategy?
Global mobility encompasses a variety of scenarios that apply to a wide range of organisations. A global mobility strategy, on the other hand, is a one-of-a-kind plan for a single company. Implementing these strategies enables businesses to seamlessly transition employees who live in different countries or travel frequently.
Global mobility strategies provide a strong framework and comprehensive guidance for cross-border employee mobilisation. This strategy should be closely aligned with your business plan, workplace values, and corporate goals. Because no two global mobility strategies will be identical, you cannot use a template to apply to your organisation.
To ensure the success of your mobilisation strategy, include the following elements:
- Ensure that all important global mobility consultants and team leaders are regularly engaged in the planning process.
- Examine all critical factors for each employee.
- Create extremely comprehensive workflows.
Because global workforce mobility strategies include many complicated components, keep in mind that establishing and expanding abroad takes time. Even so, the advantages outweigh the drawbacks.
The benefits of a global mobility strategy
The combined cost, effort, and implementation required to develop a strong global mobility strategy might be scary for some firms. Though your organisation may face unique problems and pain points, you may create a program that fits your budget and allows for development. With the correct guidance, your company can create and implement a successful global mobility plan that benefits both your employees and the corporation as a whole.
Here are the top benefits of having a clear global mobility strategy:
Empowers flexibility
Global mobility benefits both you and your employees by increasing work flexibility. Even globally, virtual and remote work solutions can enhance productivity and creativity. According to research, employees in flexible job roles have a better work-life balance and can meet deadlines more efficiently. By offering global mobility chances, you enable your entire business to embrace the future and adapt to new working trends.
Allows organisations to enhance their existing talent
International staff retention is a significant priority for many firms. After all, high employee turnover is costly. Your company may also struggle to grow if staff members leave frequently. Global mobility methods can help your current employees improve their abilities while also providing them with new chances for growth and learning. These incentives can make employees happier with their positions and more likely to stay with your organisation.
Provides valuable data and insights
In the era of technology, organisations are discovering new ways to collect, store, exchange, and utilise critical data. Global mobility strategy planning enables you to use the right technologies and platforms to monitor trends, predict future outcomes, and budget based on your employees’ demands.
The challenges of global mobility
When establishing your global mobility strategy, keep in mind that international staff relocation has both advantages and disadvantages. Covering the following areas will help you avoid future global mobility issues while also streamlining processes for your HR team, administrative executives, and employees.
Immigration
Every country has a unique immigration policy, and some can be extremely complex. Your organisation must research and comprehend the regulations governing remote work visas and the prerequisites for residing temporarily or permanently in another nation.
Remember that immigration policies are continuously evolving. You must review them on a frequent basis to ascertain if anything has changed. Keep track of your employees’ locations, as well as the employment and residency requirements for each country. Determine what your organisation and its personnel are individually liable for during the relocation and immigration process.
Tax requirements and compliance
When working with international personnel, you must be aware of the employment requirements in both the home and destination countries. One of these main requirements is relocation tax. Employees working in another country, as well as your firm, may be legally required to pay income taxes.
Compensation
Determine how your firm will compensate overseas personnel and how they will differ from domestic ones.
You’ll have to consider:
- Exchange rates
- Salary changes for relocation
- Relocation bonuses
- Compensation packages
- Cost-of-living differences
Make sure your employees understand what to expect in terms of income so they can feel more at ease and prepared for their transfer.
Employee retention
Employees will be pleased about their new foreign employment chances, but moving is still a difficult affair. Employees who have spouses and children may experience much greater stress. When it comes time for them to go, your HR team should make the transfer as easy as possible by offering flexible options to ensure employee retention. After all, it might be costly to relocate an employee just to have them quit once they arrive at their new site. A solid global mobility plan, including employee acclimation services, can assist your employees and their families in adjusting to their new environment.
Companies like Bicortex offer valuable support in both cross-cultural training and language services, enhancing the global mobility experience for employees and their families.
How to create a global mobility strategy
Determine your reasoning
The first stage in developing a global mobility plan is to determine the program’s purpose, goals, and needs. Consider your primary goals, the challenges you wish to solve, and how the program will benefit your firm and its employees. When you understand the “why,” you can figure out the “how.” This initial stage will assist you in appropriately allocating your funds, resources, time, and teams.
Outline your strategic design
Once you’ve defined the aim of your global mobility program, you can begin creating it.
Consider the following aspects:
- Talent pool growth objectives
- Target countries or markets for growth
- Employee Benefits, Compensation, and Healthcare
- Travel and residential logistics
- Mobility policies
- Family support
- Professional development
- Communication
- Training needs
- Pricing and Budget
- Relocation incentives
After you’ve established the components you need to plan for, solicit feedback from your leadership team and update your policies as necessary.
Assemble your ideal team
Create your ideal team to carry out a successful and effective global mobility campaign. Determine which team members are specialists in their domains. Include any key stakeholders who should be included in the international growth process. Clearly communicate each team member’s tasks and responsibilities. Evaluate their and your mobile workforce’s demands. For example, if you want to expand into ten different nations, recruit in-country HR and administrative expertise to assist in providing a consistent experience.
Include employee well-being
Employee well-being is the number one priority in any firm. Success is more likely when your employees feel valued, supported, and prepared to take on new roles in your global mobility program. By incorporating employee well-being into your global mobility policies, you may improve the experience for them and their families, decrease the stress of relocation, and assure the long-term success of your program.
Consider employee support systems
Because your global mobility program causes significant life changes for employees, consider what additional help you may provide them. These global mobility services could include anything that enables people to be more productive, creative, and resilient, even when they are in a different area of the world. Establishing specific products can demonstrate to your employees that you understand the changes they are undergoing and help them succeed.
To make their transfer smoother, consider investing in the following global employee support services:
- Housing
- Health insurance
- Emotional wellness services
- Global banking
- Relocation and travel aid
- Household goods transport
- Cross-cultural and linguistic training
- School search assistance for dependents
- Airport transfers
- Reconciliation of forms and extension filings
Conclusion
Employee relocation plans have a lot of moving elements. To ensure that the relocation program advances your company’s plan, you must focus strategically on its business and finances.
Are you ready to streamline your global mobility strategy and empower your workforce? Let’s discuss how we can help your company easily navigate international expansion!
