How Mobility Leaders Stay Ahead of the Curve
AIRINC
In this period of transition and reinvention, many companies are reorganizing their Mobility functions to address changes to their business or talent environments. We recently interviewed 6 Mobility leaders to learn how they are optimizing their Mobility functions. Everyone agreed that an optimized Mobility function is one that adds value to the organization by offering customers the right balance of skillsets and resources. They all are working to improve the Mobility experience for the business and/or employees, with the common goal of company success. However, each leader described their ideal program differently. Variables like company culture, business models, and market competition drive these differences. Personal experience - what they’ve done and seen work elsewhere – is a contributing factor. Subsequently the vision and plans for change differs by leader and can include acquiring new technology, new skillsets, or additional headcount. We appreciate these experienced Mobility leaders sharing their short-term and long-term strategies with us so we can showcase insights and inspiration for professionals embarking on their own Mobility optimization journey.
Mobility Attracts and Retains Talent
Deb is the Global Mobility Director for an athletic company. She believes that Mobility should serve her organization’s talent agenda. For her, Mobility is a valuable resource in attracting and retaining talent. Though she is an experienced Mobility leader, Deb’s organization is new to relocating talent. Therefore, she’s currently busy building the foundation of the program. She’s creating her vendor network to whom she plans to outsource compliance and day-to-day tasks so she can focus on advising the business. She likes to own her vendor contracts because, in her experience, that yields a better employee experience which is important if Mobility is positioned to attract and retain talent. She’ll expand her team by hiring a tax specialist and a vendor management expert. Her goal is for the Mobility team to add value to the organization by partnering with the business to make compelling and purposeful relocation offers.
Mobility Fuels Organizational Growth
Guilherme leads Mobility Operations for a large pharmaceutical company. While a COE counterpart oversees policy and governance, Guilherme focuses on compliance and operational excellence. He believes that Mobility is optimized when process is simplified through automation and technology. He also points out that the dual COE and Operations model of his Mobility function requires constant communication and realignment to ensure the program runs smoothly. Guilherme’s company is growing through acquisition which is driving demand for Mobility. The Mobility operations team recently added headcount to meet rising demand within Europe and Asia. Furthering his goals for process automation, the team released a Mobility guide to help Talent Acquisition and HRBPs navigate their policy and package options. The guide is part of a self-service initiation workflow which begins from the company’s HR portal. From there, users are directed to the RMC’s portal to complete the initiation. Being fully outsourced has allowed Guilherme’s team to achieve great scalability with limited Mobility headcount.
Mobility Leads the Future of Work
Stephanie runs Mobility Operations for a large tech company. To her, an optimal program leverages technology to create a seamless experience. Her organization is fully embracing a globally distributed workforce and with their compliance expertise, Stephanie’s team is well-positioned to lead the charge. They’re considering technology options that will help administer and advertise the program including market solutions and internal development. The goal is to inform employees of remote work possibilities and conditions and help them navigate through the request process. Simultaneously, Stephanie is auditioning assignment management technology with multiple outcomes in mind. Her ideal platform will minimize duplicate record keeping and manual work and allow the team to mine for data insights that can help the business make talent decisions.
Mobility Delivers Return on Investment by Advancing Careers
Susan believes that Mobility adds value as a purposeful tool for career planning and advancement. She leads the Global Mobility function at a pharmaceutical company, an industry with considerable competition for specialized talent. Susan’s thought process is that moves which are purposeful deliver better return on investment because they are more likely to succeed. To her, success means that the employee completes a move or assignment, grows from that experience, and reinvests that energy back into the company. She recently revised eligibility criteria and communications to highlight how moves which are part of a greater development plan benefit the business and the organization. This success of this long-term strategy relies on her team’s influencing skills and capability to nurture business partnerships. She started by establishing credibility, delivering excellent service and advice to the business. Once trust was established, she was able to engage her stakeholders and secure buy-in on the new moves-with-purpose approach.
Mobility is a Business and Business Never Sleeps
Vini is the new Mobility leader at a logistics/delivery company. He inherited a team model where business units are supported by Mobility managers and specialists within their region. Today, process and sometimes vendors vary by region. However, Vini believes that Mobility could add more value by streamlining operations and increasing access to support. His plan is to streamline vendors and processes as much as possible and also train team members so they can support all global business units. He’s effectively creating a 24-hour Mobility function which aligns to his industry’s business model. Instead of regional immigration and tax specialists, Mobility will become a team of generalists, all savvy on compliance, with a focus on serving the business in a timely, efficient manner.
Mobility Delivers Value by Keeping Costs Down
For Jackie, the Mobility leader at a global retailer, cost effectiveness is key. Every function in her organization, including Mobility, is expected to operate with value in mind and deliver positive business results. This business-focused mindset informs Jackie’s process and programs decisions. The company’s self-service HR model flows through to Mobility which means she invests in more technology than organizations with a high-touch model. Her program intentionally stives for a high employee to Mobility headcount ratio. They are able to sustain their lean team structure by outsourcing daily tasks including interactions with the business and employees. With their global partners administering the program, the Mobility team focuses on function strategy including staying current on available technology and actively managing vendor contracts to ensure services deliver maximum value.
