Gerard Osei Bonsu ; Global People Advisory Services Tax Leader at EY believes that with economic and labour market uncertainties, a reimagined mobile function is now a critical driver for achieving business and talent goals.
Q: I believe we should clarify our meaning when we discuss the race for talent or workforce mobility. Mobility may seem to many readers like an administrative function that manages employee travel. You clearly believe that there is more to mobility than just managing employee travel.
Yes, much more. The dangers of siloing mobility functions in operations have become apparent in recent years. Mobility is usually viewed as a compliance- and operations-based function. There is still a requirement to manage travel and relocations, but this has been expanded to include the needs of the employees and the market. You must be prepared to manage cross-jurisdictional risks in tax, legal compliance, and immigration if your workforce strategy demands remote or hybrid work arrangements. You need to manage the technological capabilities of this workforce, and build a culture of collaboration that thrives in both virtual and physical environments. Mobility functions are now able to handle many of these changes without integrating them into business and talent strategy. This is a risky approach and does not fit the reality of organisations. Mobility directly impacts employee experience and the sourcing and nurturing of talent in different places, at a moment when skills are becoming less relevant. Many organisations are missing out on this opportunity.
Q: Why have mobility functions not been more closely aligned with broader strategies in the past?
You touched on this in your first answer: workforce mobility is often seen as an outdated function – arranging visas, connecting with relocation services, or managing tax compliance. HR was also guilty of some outdated thinking in the past. They viewed a people function as a simple process of hiring, firing, and paying employees. This is not how most functions work. HR has a greater strategic focus and a prominent place at the table, because it’s impact on talent outcomes and business results can be quantified. We seek metrics that measure the importance of people, whether you are making widgets or trading bond. In the 2024 Mobility Reimagined survey, we found that mobility professionals had inconsistent views about the return on investment of the function. Most respondents track some. 64% collect metrics on performance rating, while 56% and 54% measure cost and impact of business revenues. Less than half of respondents measure employee retention rates. Fewer still track rates of career progression and promotion after cross-border assignment.
Organisations that do not measure mobility in relation to their talent goals will be unable to determine the impact of decisions and the opportunity costs they may incur. The survey shows some organizations are more successful in this environment.
Q: How can we distinguish the leaders and the followers in this new vision of mobility?
This is an important question. How can we tell who’s ‘getting it right’ in terms of mobility? We analyzed the results of the Reimagined Mobility Survey and mapped out five areas that have a high impact on talent and business outcomes. We also looked at how many employers focused in these areas. These are the five most important drivers for mobility functions: digital focus, flexibility, and external expertise. These ‘evolved functions’ were more likely to report that mobility helped secure organisational resilience. They also reported that their function helped them address talent shortages 1.5 times as often. This is a significant impact for a role that many people dismiss as merely ‘transactional.’
Q: What is the potential impact of this function on talent attraction and retention? Why do you believe that winning the talent race is now an opportunity for mobility to make a difference in today’s world?
It is not a zero-sum game. Talent pools are often not available where they are needed. You need to have a function that is legal, compliant and enhances the employee experience. This is because of the data. The Mobility Revealed Survey revealed that 64% of employees are more likely to remain with their employer following a long-term, cross-border assignment. An even higher 92% said an international experience was life-changing. It is important to realize that the assignment quality is key in retaining employees.
Mobility is used by employers in a variety of ways to develop the workforce. It can be done through assignments for top performers or development programs. We’re seeing that organisations must keep a “people-first” mindset by creating an exceptional experience and giving employees the opportunity to further develop their skills and relationships made through assignments. Mobility must be a part of broader talent strategies, adding colour to the larger workforce picture.
Q: It would be remiss of me not to ask how GenAI fits in all of this. Is GenAI’s increased focus on cost pressures, and its search for efficiency, in competition with the reimagined idea of mobility?
Generative AI (GenAI), is only as good as what humans can do with it. The Mobility Revealed Survey shows that most employers (79%) think GenAI will make a positive difference in areas like ways to work in the function, working flexible, employee experience, and creating new job opportunities. We’re shaping the future.
GenAI cannot be implemented alone. Organisations must be mindful of the needs and wants of their employees. How are people taught? How do you measure the confidence of your workforce and their sentiments about implementation? How are you measuring workforce confidence and sentiment around implementation?
GenAI can’t replace human-tohuman interactions or the experiences that help us build our skills and abilities through doing. Mobility can be a powerful way to get these kinds of experiences, alongside GenAI and not replace it.
This article reflects the views expressed by the author, and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of EY global organization or member firms.
