Diverging Trends in Global Mobility and its Impact on Employee Experience

Alain Verstandig • September 21, 2021

 


Global Mobility Fit to Serve One of its Main Future Drivers?

Global Mobility leaders are increasingly relating to the topic of Employee Experience (EX), or People Experience – to encapsulate what mobile talent will encounter over the complex course of their international journey. As we are (hopefully) gradually exiting the Covid-19 pandemic, EX is anticipated to become foundational within talent management for a simple reason: organizations increasingly recognize people as their greatest assets, which is especially true for their international talent who will need high-touch care and reassurance to move in post-Covid times. As global talent shortages emerge across many sectors, investing in talent and especially mobile talent has never been a more critical component of a Global Mobility strategy.

This will be a challenging balancing act in a post-Covid world: how to provide mobile talent with an impactful customized experience, combined with choice that aligns with global mobility policies, duty of care, minimal exceptions, all delivered and managed at scale?

So, as this challenge emerges, what does EX mean for Global Mobility and how is leadership embracing the opportunity it presents?

 

The Rise of EX in Global Mobility and the Danger of Misreading It

Global Mobility can be a highly disruptive yet exciting experience, touching employees and their loved ones in all aspects of their private and professional lives. EX in Global Mobility therefore needs a more caring, holistic and multifaceted approach when compared to other employee benefits.  


EX is more than a nice-looking user portal: easy digital access to service and resources is seen as standard by mobile employees, not as “the” EX itself. 68% of leading Tech organizations global mobility leaders see technology as a given, while the human touch will make the ultimate difference. The sentiment from Tech leadership is that simply providing access to flexible benefits via cool looking Apps with no direction is a “hands-off, low touch” approach and not supportive of the EX-experience. EX starts with effortless access to support via an app-friendly user interface, but EX must include “high touch”, personalized and valued support during one of the most disruptive times of someone’s life. As a result, low touch “cash only” policies are reaching their limits. Cash allowances offer empowerment and flexibility but completely miss the point: current mobile talent want Global Mobility departments to listen to them, to be flexible to their needs, to indulge them, but also to take care of all the hassle related to their move!

Does this resonate with you? Indeed, a great EX is rarely synonymous with self-service. Mobile talent today want everything and much more as part of their EX.

 

Automation and Cost Savings

When the Covid-19 pandemic recedes, organizations will rely mostly on lean inhouse mobility teams, on shared-service centers or outsourcing models. All these models are anchored on simple key principles: grouped expertise, cost savings and efficient large scale service delivery operations usually from low-cost labor markets.

Except for very few industries like the Pharma and the Tech, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought heavier cost pressure on all these operating models, resulting in a reduction in capabilities and staffing levels. The way forward for most of these shared-service centers and outsourcing providers seem to accelerate their race towards automation. Clever bots and embryonic Artificial Intelligence are exciting and valuable as part of the overall service solution, however, will inevitably lead towards less human touch.

 

So, are we going to expose our most precious global talent to the challenges of the leanest customer experience, whereas the ultimate privilege is to be heard by another human?

 

Our Question to You

As we see mobility resume, now is a pivotal point in the future of Global Mobility.

How as HR professionals do we answer the call for a better EX, with a supporting operating model under cost-pressure, and racing towards automation and lower touch? How should we best support our global talent and remobilize them?

 

This is perhaps an opportunity for inhouse mobility teams, shared-service centers, and outsourcing providers to play a catalyst role within organizations to “challenge the norm” and to step-up their games together.


Join us for more discussions on this topic during one of our events, and to discover how some successful global mobility departments have found their way to reconcile these diverging trends – click here 

.

Share this post

How Culture Shapes the Success of Business Change

By NetExpat Account • June 16, 2026
Whether driven by mergers, digital transformation, geopolitical shifts, or evolving market demands, change affects every corner of a global organization. And without the right support, teams can suffer, along with morale and alignment. Profit losses, decreased productivity, attrition and reputational damage are very real risks, and often signs that an organization’s change strategy failed to account for cultural context—both the organization’s internal culture and the cultural identities of its employees. Change is universal, but how we deal with it is deeply cultural. Even the most well-designed initiative can falter if it overlooks one critical factor: how people experience change. In global teams, that experience isn’t just shaped by roles, responsibilities, and team dynamics. It’s also shaped by the cultural norms, values, and perspectives each person brings to the workplace. And when leaders assume their teams will respond to change the same way they do, communications and processes can quietly unravel—sometimes under the radar and long before the negative impacts are fully recognized. To lead and address change effectively, business leaders need to understand the cultural lenses that shape how change is perceived, processed, and embraced (or rejected).

Dual-Career Couples: Navigating Relocation Together

By NetExpat Community • June 10, 2026
This blog post offers a glimpse into the exclusive content available to members of the NetExpat Community —designed specifically for the partners and spouses of transferees. From curated resources to peer-driven insights, this sample reflects the kind of meaningful support that helps partners/spouses feel seen, connected, and empowered.

Team Spotlight: Pawel Mika

By NetExpat Account • May 13, 2026
Meet Pawl Mika, a globally minded leader at NetExpat whose international career and personal relocation experience shape his people-first approach to global mobility, client success, and team collaboration.
Car racing into sunrise

Running Lean, Running Global: The Cultural Factor Automotive Leaders Can’t Ignore

By NetExpat Account • May 13, 2026
Navigating ambiguity in the automotive industry requires more than technical expertise. Discover how intercultural capability helps global teams improve communication, align priorities, and stay competitive under pressure.

Team Spotlight: Gabriela Weglowska

By NetExpat Account • May 5, 2026
Gabi brings a thoughtful, human‑centered approach to her work at NetExpat, shaped by a background in intercultural communication and international collaboration. With a strong belief that cultural competence is built through awareness, adaptability, and reflection, she designs practical, evidence‑based learning experiences that help people navigate complexity with confidence. Passionate about how adults learn and change, Gabi is motivated by creating solutions that make a real difference in how individuals and organisations work, connect, and thrive across cultures.

Duty of Care, Redefined

By Alain Verstandig • April 13, 2026
Duty of care has long been central to global mobility—but its scope is widening. As organizations face new workforce expectations, diverse family profiles, and increasingly global teams, the question becomes: What does meaningful care look like today?

Rethinking Global Mobility Policies: Industry Lessons from a Head of Global Mobility Policy

By NetExpat Account • April 7, 2026
In a recent conversation with NetExpat, Mark Vaughan, Head of Global Mobility Policy at Maersk, offered a candid look at what it takes to modernize mobility policies in a way that is practical, inclusive, and aligned with today’s workforce realities.

Team Spotlight: Sam Pinney

By NetExpat Account • March 6, 2026
Sam combines a bilingual, multicultural upbringing with deep global mobility experience. Born in Belgium to a British father and Belgian mother, she began her career in education—later moving into consultancy and, in 2003, into international mobility. At NetExpat since 2009, Sam blends operational excellence with advisory insight, working directly with clients and assignees to design people‑centered solutions. She thrives on building trusted relationships across cultures and supporting family wellbeing, partner careers, and sustainable assignments. Her practical, empathetic approach turns complex mobility challenges into positive outcomes for organizations and the people they move.

Repatriation That Pays Off: KPMG’s Playbook with Adeline Ong

By NetExpat Account • March 6, 2026
Insights from Adeline Ong on how KPMG prioritizes repatriation.

2026 Relocating Family Support Survey: What Today’s Mobility Leaders Need to Know

By NetExpat Account • March 2, 2026
For nearly a decade, the Relocating Family Support Survey —developed in partnership between NetExpat and EY—has served as the industry’s most comprehensive benchmark on the experience of relocating partners and families. Since its launch in 2018, the survey has captured insights from more than 4,400 participants worldwide, helping organizations understand the realities facing globally mobile families and the policies that most effectively support them. The 2026 edition builds on this foundation with input from over 340 respondents across 50 countries, offering a timely view into how mobility expectations, workforce demographics, and business priorities continue to evolve.
Show More