Enhance international assignments with global mobility technology 

The need for top-tier mobility management technology is on the rise, thanks to a convergence of trends: More employees are expecting to work remotely, assignments are becoming more diverse and complex, and organizations are undergoing significant digital and HR transformations — all of which have been accelerated by the global health crisis.

Yet many organizations still lack a strategic vision for automation/digitalization of global mobility management.

Leading organizations are working to move that needle. Mobility management technology is no longer a nice-to-have for international HR teams trying to collaborate, exchange data, create a positive employee experience, deliver on ROI and assess compliance issues on a global scale. Instead, integrated mobility tools and platforms are becoming a lifeline, especially as HR teams are learning the importance of working effectively amid a crisis.

A new generation of technology solutions, designed to meet the needs of decentralized and international HR teams, has boosted the adoption of automation. These include calculators for building pay packages, comprehensive program management solutions, and educational tools that help international assignees succeed while working and living abroad.

Not only does mobility technology benefit organizations and HR; assignees also prefer — and are coming to expect — customized experiences at their fingertips. As consumers, we adopt new tools more quickly than ever, using technology to get things done with speed, ease and visibility. And international assignees are no exception. 

Today, we’re seeing long- and short-term assignments, permanent relocations (domestic and international), virtual assignments, business travel, locally hired foreign workers, employee-initiated moves, remote and flexible workers, and “nomads” who travel the world without returning to their home of origin. In the competitive quest for talent, and with a premium placed on the employee experience, organizations should cater to the new independence and flexibility that workers are demanding.

At the same time, a larger mobility population and more complex talent mobility patterns increase compliance and business risks. Even at its simplest, running a global mobility program is a complex undertaking. Mobility teams must manage many stakeholders, coordinating among assignees and their families, internal HR teams and line managers, corporate functions such as finance and IT, and external vendors like tax and immigration specialists.

Organizations manage their expatriate workforce in a variety of ways. Many still follow the traditional manual process, in which HR enters and calculates data via Excel spreadsheets and word-processed templates, emailing files back and forth between managers and assignees to gather information and approvals. But of course, this approach is time-consuming and prone to error.

Others are beginning to adopt piecemeal mobility technology without fully leveraging the power of a robust and integrated system. For example, they may retain some manual processes, or they may fail to connect their databases, calculators, employee websites and monitoring tools into a comprehensive suite that produces cohesive, aggregated data.

When do organizations move from labor-intensive manual processes to swift and efficient technology? Outside of overarching digitalization and transformation initiatives, change is often the catalyst for adopting mobility technology. For example, the global assignment workload may begin to outweigh staff available to handle it. An acquisition can significantly expand the pool of international employees. Or a new leader may come on board, bringing with them a greater willingness to adopt technology to manage this important part of the workforce.

Frederic Franchi is the Global Mobility Technology Solutions Leader for Europe and member of the Global Mobility Centre of Excellence. Frederic joined Mercer Information Solutions & Technology Solutions in June 2012. Frederic provides clients with in-depth knowledge on Mercer’s global mobility technology offering and how these can suit their current requirements so they can derive maximum benefits and enhance their international assignment management processes. Frederic is based in London, and you can reach him at frederic.franchi@xyschool.net.

Michael Nash is the Global Mobility Technology Solutions Leader for Europe, who rejoined Mercer in June 2019, following 12 years of absence in which he owned and was running his own manufacturing business. During that time, Mike became passionate about the positive effects of digitization and process automation, successfully implementing a variety of both on-premise and SAAS accounting, manufacturing and sales tools. He re-joined to form part of the Mobility Technology Leadership team, with his focus on Mercer Mobility Management Platform. Mike is based in London, and you can reach him at michael.nash@xyschool.net.