ALIGNING MOBILITY POLICY WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY

Peter Hawthorne, Senior Consultant, NetExpat • March 6, 2019

In a recent survey only 10% of companies believe their Global Mobility policies were aligned with the strategic agenda of their organization. The remainder provided operational and administrative support for relocating staff.

When speaking to a group of Global Mobility professionals recently, none had reviewed their organization’s strategic workforce plan to see if their policies and processes aligned. If Global Mobility professionals wish to elevate their standing in their organization, the first task is to align their policies with the business strategy by asking these simple questions. What will be the key factors to identify? Who is considered Key Talent in the organization? How does that talent contribute to the success of their organization? What is the culture and capabilities required to best drive organizational improvement? How does leadership integrate the talent within the organization?

From there, start to engage your Talent and Leadership Development colleagues to discuss how Global Mobility can support their agenda. For instance:

  1. Overcome the challenges of a lack of intercultural awareness and its impact on the performance of the individuals involved
  2. Improve female acceptance of global assignments by offering Relocating Partner Support
  3. Identify the unique capability development acquired through cross border work e.g. cognitive complexity, which then requires building into the next role of the individual

Ultimately, by starting the debate with your HR colleagues and line managers, Global Mobility professionals are able to identify where cross border work of key talent adds value for their specific business.

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