Global Mobility Trends: Relocation has positive impact on employee...

Posted: 31/07/2017 Author: Santa Fe Relocation

Taking on an international assignment is an important rite of passage for many executives. And it's one that pays off - becoming globally mobile within a company gives you the chance to prove your abilities and develop your career.

That's the view of 929global mobilityprofessionals and business leaders who took part in the2017 Santa Fe Global Mobility Survey. The research discovered that 85% of business leaders, who between them manage more than 500,000 internationally mobile employees, believe that those employees achieve greater progression as a result of having international assignment experience.

The benefits of global employee mobility are not restricted to the individual level though. The workforce also experiences a positive impact from international assignments in several ways.

Growing diversity in the workforce

Demographic change is afoot - 47% of global mobility professionals believe that the workforce at their organisations will become more diverse over the next five years. Cultural diversity is the most likely form of change, according to 30% of those surveyed, with 27% expecting gender diversity to increase as well.

As people extend their working lives, age is also likely to become a more important factor, with up to five different generations of people working side by side in large organisations.

Proactive global mobility teams are best placed to deal with these changes, according to Peggy Smith, the president and CEO of Worldwide ERC.

'Organisations that are mindfully integrating greater diversity and inclusion are building cultures that show their candidates they have made talent recruiting and development a priority,' she said, 'and are creating opportunities for greater employee retention.'

Employee retention

One of the big prizes for organisations that embrace global mobility is the potential for greater employee retention. Some of the global mobility teams surveyed used talent metrics to calculate the return on investment of international assignments, and retention is a key element of these calculations. Data on assignee retention was the third most popular factor for global mobility teams who seek to demonstrate the value of international assignments to the rest of the business.

Often It's employees who express their motivation for international assignments and help drive retention.

David Schofield, the director of Murray Court Consulting, said: 'Individuals really want international development opportunities - so organisations which don't provide these opportunities will miss out on attracting and retaining key talent.'

Opportunities to nurture talent

It's not enough, however, to simply expect that development opportunities will appear simply because an employee is on international assignment. Nurturing talent means providing them with a good experience while overseas.

Too often, the drivers for creating international roles are tactical, business objectives in the short to medium term - things like business expansion or delivering specific projects. The survey showed that global mobility professionals tended to emphasise a more strategic view, looking to fill skills gaps and provide development opportunities.

One important method of creating a good employee experience involves investing in technology, according to both business leaders and global mobility teams, with 34% of business leaders improving the quality of assignments.

That also translates into establishing a duty of care policy for assignees, with 68% of global mobility teams saying they now had a policy in place - double the number 12 months ago.

The focus on nurturing talent was most obvious among global mobility teams who said they used best practice standards, with 38% of global mobility leaders saying they used key talent metrics to demonstrate their value, and 77% having invested in technology over the past three years.

This emphasis on data is one of the most important factors for the future, according to Santa Fe's chief people officer, Dr Barbara Zesik.

'In my discussions with HR peers and with our clients, it is evident that predictive analytics and the digital agenda are key initiatives and a continuous journey over the coming years,' she said. 'A key component to successful long-term planning is data.

'Make data work in your favour and present your business leaders with the positive impact mobility programmes and the mobility function are having on the bottom line.'

The key message from the survey is that businesses continue to recognise global mobility as a vital factor for their success. By adopting a strategic approach, investing in technology and focusing on talent, businesses can reap the rewards of international assignments to develop their workforce and talent pool. For further information about the survey or Santa Fe relocation services, visit ourcontactpage.