Research has shown that many employers are considering mobility as an approach to address global talent shortages. This is just as employers have also planned to sustain or increase their organisation’s mobility scope over the next three years.

 
According to research conducted by EY, a survey of more than 1,000 Human Resource (HR) and mobility professionals and mobile employees across 16 countries also revealed that companies are seeing the worth of mobility in their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) objectives, with two-thirds (61 per cent) saying it enables development and succession opportunities for underrepresented groups.
 
A senior resourcing and inclusion adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Claire McCartney, said that a combination of employees seeking “greater work-life balance” and global skills shortages had created an opportunity for employers to reinvent their talent programmes. 
 
She said it was paramount that as skills shortages continue to be experienced globally, it makes sense for international organisations to develop mobility programmes to develop skills across their organisations and upskill employees.  She said it is important that talent mobility programmes are aligned with business objectives and strategic workforce plans and gaps. 
 
According to her, despite three-quarters (74 per cent) of employers considering mobility crucial for business continuity, less than half (47 per cent) said they have a globally consistent mobility policy geared towards options such as relocation, hybrid mobility, or even temporary placements.
 
Global mobility market leader at EY, Rachel D’Argenio, said knowing and managing the inherent complexities and risks of cross-border movement was “critical” to any organisation’s mobility strategy. 
 
“Even though we have seen the authorities around the world increase their leverage of technology to identify cross-border activity, we see many organisations struggle to obtain cross-functional alignment on the management of risks,” she said.  
 
According to the EY survey, the most significant risks employers face in launching international mobility programmes are cyber risk (83 per cent), loss of management oversight (79 per cent) and data privacy (78 per cent), and the ability to place employees in a new position upon their return (78 per cent). Copeland, HR business partner at WorkNest, pointed out that firms may need to use a payroll bureau in the country of residence for the employee, and that engaging agencies overseas may be beneficial.