If you were sitting with the strategic business leaders, what is one thing you’d want them to take away about mobility? You are at the table—now what do you say?
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While leading organizations have long understood the need to support international growth objectives by mobilizing key employees, global mobility programs are often an overlooked and undervalued solution for talent acquisition.
Major shifts in labor trends have disrupted talent recruiting strategies. Workforce demographics, in particular, have transformed and millennials are now the most employed generation. This cohort understands their advantageous position within a tight labor market where demand for highly skilled candidates far outstrips supply. Millennials are therefore selective and expect career experiences that align with their soft needs, such as opportunities to learn and grow and have a higher purpose in their work.
Companies have the chance to respond to talent shortage with the compelling benefits of global assignments; which align to the needs of young talents that have the motivation to explore the world and see this as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. When given the opportunity to speak with strategic business leaders, mobility champions need to promote global mobility as a strategic component of talent management. Best-in-class firms we work with understand mobility programs are differentiators for recruitment and this would be a recommended focus during conversations with upper management.
If strategic business leaders already appreciate the value global mobility brings to talent acquisition, it’s important to impart that younger generations’ needs from a mobility perspective may look significantly different than workers in the past. Meaning, younger generations tend to be a more sensitive talent pool and companies have to develop and be able to execute mobility processes that keep the employee experience as the top priority. While global assignments may be seen as a strong employee benefit, a poorly structured mobility program can lead to disappointing relocation experiences and will negatively influence millennials’ perceptions of the company and its willingness to invest in its employees and their experiences. Companies can’t afford to treat global mobility as an improvised activity that requires special handling. This is self-defeating in using global mobility as a recruitment strategy.
Strategic business leaders need to know they play an active role in mobility implementation. If senior management prioritizes mobility as an important way to support talent goals, the needed resources will be accessible to put policies and procedures in place. Which will ensure positive employee experiences at every touchpoint in the mobility process.
In summary, when mobility leaders are consulting with strategic business leaders they should communicate the importance mobility has with recruiting today’s talent pool as well as the need for management to stay involved with mobility projects to ensure the development of a well-structured program.
Which of these two points is more pertinent will depend on the level of buy-in your company currently has from its strategic business leaders.
Good Luck!