Our modern workforce is made up of globe trotters and remote contractors who don’t want to stay in one place. Millennials and Gen Zs, who represent the majority of employees, want full-time remote opportunities. 85% of Millennials say they’re happier working out of the office.
If your remote employees live in the same time zone, a work-from-home setup is manageable, but you’ll need to adopt a global mobility strategy when you’re dealing with different countries.
Why Adopt a Global Mobility Strategy?
The pandemic, and the economic changes that came with it, resulted in fundamental market, immigration, and budgetary shifts for many industries. Businesses were forced to adopt technology that allowed them to speak with their remote employees, wherever they were.
What was once a privilege to upper management, global mobility is now a possibility for whole businesses. An international workforce will be necessary if companies wish to compete.
Here are ten benefits to creating a global mobility program for your company:
- A Global mobilities strategy allows your company to enter new markets first.
- A Global mobilities strategy plan can keep international relocation costs low.
- A Global mobilities strategy reduces law, compliance, and immigration risks.
- A Global mobilities strategy reduces risks associated with assignment failures.
- A Global mobilities strategy gives you access to more talented employees.
Executives are aware of these benefits, but they may be reluctant to adopt a global mobility strategy due to cost or compliance issues. Global mobility and relocation companies, like ARC Relocation, can make this transition easy thanks to their qualified, knowledgeable staff.
5 Tips You’ll Need to Create a Sound Global Mobility Strategy
A global mobility strategy isn’t one-size-fits-all; it has to suit the needs of your company. By using the following tips, you can start growing your international workforce right away.
1. Prioritize Essential Policy Elements
Your mobility program should have an end goal, but to get to that end goal, you need to set your priorities. If your business objective is to sell your products in Asia, ask yourself what you need to make this happen. Only focus on the essentials, like legal requirements and duty of care.
Duty of care is especially important because employers are expected to thoroughly address issues related to social security as well as any other special health or safety concerns.
Companies must address the needs of their employees, provided they’re reasonable and in line with business requirements. Remember that your employees expect competitive support packages, which can be facilitated through market benchmarking and competitive research.
2. Don’t Operate Your Regions in Bubbles
Sending the wrong person could be as detrimental to your global mobility strategy as not sending anyone. Instead of asking your employees to network with foreign diplomats, hire a team in the area you’re expanding to. It’ll be easier to develop a trusting team this way.
At the same time, you should treat your international team as an extension to your home team. The whole organization needs to communicate effectively to establish an inclusive culture.
3. Establish Clear Guidelines for Expansion
Your global mobility strategy policy should reflect the requirements of the company. When it’s clear, it’s easier for your business to position itself against its market peers. After establishing your position, you can create clear guidelines that will drive international HR management.
All stakeholders, which may include your business representatives, HR partners, and talent management, should understand why you created your program and what your goals are.
Make sure you get all of this information in writing, as it prevents stakeholders from thinking you said something. Transparency is incredibly important for any global mobility strategy. Otherwise, you’ll have to review known policy items, like compensation and relocation support.
4. Have a Structured, Yet Flexible Schedule
While you should set clear guidelines, you have to keep your policies somewhat malleable. For example, an individual who moves to a different time-zone may have a hard time adjusting to a 9 to 5. A flexible work schedule is optimal to help them ease into their new environment.
However, you also need structure and reliability for some of your assignees. We recommend using a standard work location as a baseline, then adjusting work schedules slowly.
5. Get Ahead of Culture Shock
30% of relocations fail for three reasons: family stress, culture shock, and language-learning troubles. Before your employees leave abroad, they need to be placed in culture and language training. Employees should be competent enough in the language to live comfortably.
While culture shock is inevitable, it can be reduced by sending your employees over for a “test run.” If your employees know they can leave at any time, they’re less likely to feel trapped.
However, all the language and culture training in the world won’t prevent a failed assignment if family stress is a major concern. Employers must offer support to the assignee’s family for the length of their assignment. By being diligent, you can offer proactive care before it gets worse.