Picture this: you’re a global technology company based in the USA. Your main goal is to rapidly expand your operations worldwide, especially in Europe. To do this, you need new sites, so you send a team of experts over to Europe where they can use their knowledge and experience to help set up these sites and train the local teams. Your specialist Global Mobility department prepared the appropriate support accordingly. Your team arrived in Europe, rented apartments and applied for work permits with no issues.
But a problem arises. You notice the expansion isn’t going entirely to plan. The company is falling short of its potential. So you conduct an internal analysis, which reveals your company is not visible in the market.
Why?
Despite your global mobility department, you still hold a very national, instead of global, mindset. There are very few cross-national HR processes to aid international expansion. This leads to difficulties in recruiting and retaining talent, as well as in implementing processes. Furthermore, the expert team faces intercultural challenges when their American approach reaches its limitations.
You need a new approach to global mobility. A holistic approach.
This comprehensive guide is designed to provide in-depth answers to all your queries regarding global mobility, ensuring you gain valuable insights and actionable information.
What is Global Mobility?
Global Mobility is where strategic planning and seamless execution pave the way for your international success. Whether you want to expand your operations, seize new business opportunities, bridge staffing gaps or nurture employee growth, Global Mobility is the operational process that helps you achieve those goals.
By implementing specialised Global Mobility programmes, you can deploy your workforce across different regions and companies with ease. These programmes empower your teams to train local workers, promote cultural diversity and foster international relationships.
There are a number of different types of Global Mobility programmes you can implement, from short-term international assignments, business trips and training programmes to long-term expatriate initiatives and permanent transfers.
In many large, international companies, there is a dedicated Global Mobility Management department. This team of seasoned experts are responsible for all international Global Mobility issues. These specialists diligently organize and implement employee assignments, ensuring meticulous preparation and resolution of legal complexities.
A successful global mobility program hinges upon meticulous planning. There can be no room for uncertainties. This includes clarifying roles, establishing responsibilities, selecting the ideal candidates, and providing a strong support network. When these things are well planned and implemented, Global Mobility enables a smooth transition of employees to new countries, as well as providing the opportunity for personal and professional growth.
A successful, well-structured Global Mobility department deals with the following issues:
- Labour law, wage taxes and social security obligations (including contract processing and letters of secondment).
- Pensions and other social benefits.
- Immigration, including work and residence permits/visas.
- Global payroll and country-specific compensation, including what is needed for split or shadow payroll, what the tax reductions should be and the reporting requirements.
- Relocation logistics.
- Global talent management.
- Career development programmes.
- Cultural adjustment.
- Knowledge of local business customs.
- Repatriation programme.
- The mindset to collaborate with other business functions, like finance, taxes, IT, purchasing, works councils, employee branding and employee development.
What is a Global Mobility Strategy?
If you want to develop global mobility programmes for your company, you first need an internationalisation strategy and a well thought-out Global Mobility structure. This unique concept consists of knowledge and expertise from different specialists and teams including tax advisors, lawyers, recruitment, employer branding, payroll, compensation & benefit, learning & development.
A successful global mobility strategy is always customised to meet the specific needs of employees and align with the corporate culture. It serves as a guiding framework for the seamless global mobilisation of employees. The strategy should also closely and carefully align itself with the company’s overarching goals and mission. Therefore, it necessitates the involvement of all relevant experts, a detailed review and adaptation of work processes, as well as thorough identification and mitigation of potential risks.
In order to achieve a truly comprehensive global mobility strategy, you must take an individualised approach. It is not a simple copy and paste job from a generic template.
Legal Aspects of a Global Mobility Strategy – Navigating the Legal Landscape for Seamless Mobility
It is crucial that you prioritise and address legal aspects in your global mobility programmes. Failure to observe the relevant requirements can pose significant compliance risks.
To ensure that you establish a robust and legally sound framework for global posting, careful consideration should be given to the following three key aspects:
1. Legal structure & tax requirements
- When considering long-term postings (typically exceeding 6 months) and recurring staffing requirements, you need to consider whether establishing a subsidiary in the host country or leveraging an “Employer of Record” (EoR) would be more suitable to your company’s needs. In Germany, the Employer of Record is commonly referred to as an “Arbeiternehmerüberlassung”. An EoR acts as an external service provider hiring local talent under legally compliant contracts. This solution makes the process much easier, as the EoR approach often includes managing the onboarding process and ensuring full compliance with local regulations. Furthermore, the EoR provider is able to accurately consider factors such as minimum wages, collective agreements, taxes and social security contributions. They subsequently handle the payment of employee wages and employer-related benefits. However, you should remember that although the EoR provider assumes the role of the registered employer during a global relocation programme, they are not the managers of the hired workforce.
- You may find that employment contracts have to be redrafted and signed when your workforce is posted abroad. Of course, this depends on the type and duration of the assignment. Further agreements can always be made between the employee, the parent company and the subsidiary or service provider.
- If you plan to post an employee abroad for longer than 4 weeks, then you must consider and comply with the obligations of the “Nachweisgesetz” – NachwG. This means that before the employee’s departure, you, the employer, must provide him/her with a copy of all the essential information he/she needs to be aware of. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- The country/countries the employee will be posted to.
- The planned duration of the work assignment.
- What currency remunerations will be paid in.
- Any agreed upon cash or non-cash benefits associated with the assignment abroad. This can include secondment allowances, travel, board and lodging costs.
- If and when the employee can expect to return to their home country, along with the conditions of their return.
- EU and EEA assignments are far less problematic for both employer and employee when it comes to social security laws. Employees can remain in the social security system of their home country for a period of up to 24 months (2 years).
- However, when an employee is posted to a so-called third country, any ongoing and new social security agreements must be observed. For example, double insurance may be required. In Germany, failure to comply with the double insurance obligation may result in fines of up to EUR 25,000 plus criminal liability for withholding and misappropriation of pay. It is also common to find comparably strict regulations in other countries.
- Finally, the tax laws in both the home and host countries of the employee must be taken into account. Particularly in the case of long-term assignments, you must ensure that there is no dependent permanent establishment and taxes are payable to the host country.
- Wage taxes must be clarified prior to the posting. This includes confirming the wage tax and social security contributions due in both the home country and host country. It can also be advantageous to check the advantages of different wage tax and social security systems in each country. It is highly recommended to collaborate with external tax advisors when expertise in this area is not internally available within the company.
2. Immigration legislation
Once the basic essentials of your legal framework have been established, it’s time to turn your attention to immigration law.
Generally speaking, relocating EU and EEA citizens within the EU itself is no problem. However, depending on the country, there are still certain obligations you must report on and observe, like residency permits.
However, when we move our attention to third countries, immigration laws, and work and residence permits vary country to country. You must confirm the responsible party for checking these laws and submitting applications prior to the relocation.
It is possible for the employee to organise these applications themselves. Your Global Mobility department may also be able to handle these tasks. But given the specificity of the applications, it is more common for the Global Mobility department to collaborate alongside immigration lawyers and/or relocation service providers. This way, you can ensure a proper procedure takes place.
Finally, it is also advisable to provide the employee with the relevant contacts for these topics, both within your organisation and local experts in the host country. This helps support the employee should they have any questions.
3. Skilled Workers Immigration Act 2023
Germany’s Skilled Workers Immigration Act came into force in June 2023. It aims to help remedy the current labour shortage by making it easier for skilled international workers to enter the country, increasing its overall workforce and therefore strengthening its competitiveness as an economy.
There are a number of important regulations to be aware of in the Skilled Workers Immigration Act 2023, three of which are crucial for any skilled workers looking to enter Germany or companies with Global Mobility programmes in Germany.
1. EU Blue Card Eligibility with Recognised Qualifications
The EU Blue Card will allow foreign professionals with recognised qualifications to work in Germany, even if they have less professional experience and earn a lower salary than is currently required by law. The proof of German language skills can also be waived here.
2. Professional Experience with a Vocational Qualification
Under the new legislation, skilled workers with a recognised vocational qualification and a minimum of two years of professional experience abroad are also eligible to work in Germany. Notably, the qualification is no longer required to be recognized prior to commencing employment in the country.
3. The Opportunity Card and its relevant criteria
Foreign skilled workers now have the option to apply for an Opportunity Card (Chanenkarte). This enables them to explore job prospects in Germany if they possess potential but are currently unable to secure a suitable position.
The Opportunity Card (“Chancenkarte”) operates on a points-based system. Factors like the individual’s connection to Germany, their previous qualifications and work experience, proficiency in both German and English, age and the potential of their partner or spouse are all assessed.
Additionally, the “Chancenkarte” can be extended for up to two years if the job seeker holds an employment contract or has received a binding job offer for local employment, subject to approval by the Federal Employment Agency.
As a final note, the Skilled Workers Immigration Act 2023 makes it easier to obtain a residence permit for the family reunification of a skilled worker, further strengthening the appeal of making a move to Germany.
What does all of this mean for Global Mobility programmes?
This change in the law has largely positive implications. Work processes are now much simpler and shorter. It opens up the opportunity for Germany to recruit even more skilled workers from abroad in the future.
The benefits of Global Mobility for businesses and professionals
There are many benefits of Global Mobility for both the employees and companies. Here are seven of the most important advantages:
1. Improved career opportunities & talent development through Global Mobility
Through Global Mobility programmes, your employees will gain highly valuable experiences and skills, along with cross-cultural insights. The personal development these experiences provide can provide further career growth opportunities and is of huge benefit to both the employee and the company.
2. Embracing Diversity and Encouraging Creativity through Global Mobility
Embracing a more diverse workforce from different countries and cultures allows your company to tap into a broad spectrum of experiences, perspectives and ideas, thus fostering a more creative and innovative work environment within your organisation.
3. Facilitating Knowledge Exchange through Global Mobility
Global Mobility empowers employees to share their knowledge and skills with colleagues in other regions and countries, thus promoting a dynamic knowledge transfer culture within your organisation.
4. Driving Internationalisation and Market Expansion through Global Mobility
Deploying employees around the globe unlocks the potential to strengthen your company and its international market position. It also allows you to learn and adapt to new business practices, fueling the development of new and innovative business strategies.
5. Promoting Cultural Understanding and Expanding Global Networks
Global Mobility cultivates cultural understanding and appreciation, fostering a more diverse and inclusive work environment. By working abroad, employees can embrace the chance to forge connections with other professionals from different industries and countries. These contacts can prove useful when it comes to building international business relationships and collaborations.
6. Enabling Agile Project Management in Other Countries
Short-term assignments that allow suitable employees to be quickly assigned to overseas projects can help facilitate quick and agile project management.
7. Opportunities for flexibility and employee empowerment
Global Mobility programmes offer flexibility for employees through initiatives such as International Remote Work, EoR and international Workations. Embracing this flexibility and offering these benefits not only meets the increasing desires of employees but also strengthens employer branding initiatives.
The challenges of global mobility for businesses and professionals
Of course, there are two sides to everything. Although the list of benefits of Global Mobility is long, there are also a number of challenges.
If you want to establish a successful global mobility programme, you must first identify any and all of these risks and minimise them in advance. It’s also possible for employees to experience further challenges while on assignment. These should also be forecasted and accounted for in advance.
Below you can find seven main challenges:
1. Understanding and adapting to business culture
Each country has a unique business culture. Understanding these differences is crucial for success in a new work environment. It’s important to gain insights into this culture before the assignment begins, thus preventing overwhelm and uncertainty during the adaption process.
2. Navigating the legal and tax systems
As previously discussed in this guide, the legal and tax systems can vary significantly across countries. It is essential to familiarise yourself with the laws and tax regulations of the host country. This knowledge will ensure you comply with local regulations from the very start of the assignment and so mitigates potential legal problems.
3. Difficulties obtaining visas and work permits
The process of obtaining visas and work permits can be lengthy and time-consuming. Thorough preparation and a considerable amount of documentation is usually required. Insufficient planning and preparation can lead to delays and complications.
4. Overcoming language barriers
When employees are sent to a country where they are unfamiliar with the local language, it can make the adjustment period, as well as general communication, very difficult. It’s vital to bridge these language barriers for effective collaboration and seamless integration.
5. Safety, family and health considerations
Factors like political instability or poor medical care can impact employee safety and well-being. Additionally, the employer should pay special attention to the mental health of employees during the move and assignment. This is crucial for avoiding lasting impairments from overload, burnout and boreout. Finding suitable accommodation can also be challenging, particularly in areas with limited housing availability. Furthermore, addressing any family matters in advance, particularly for long-term relocations, is vital.
6. The complex world of HR Tech Solutions
The complexity of Global Mobility often necessitates the implementation of new internal processes. Secondments and international work assignments can only be facilitated with the correct legal compliance and applications. This is only possible via communication and collaboration with different departments and stakeholders.
This seemingly large challenge can be undone with the use of technology. HR Tech solutions streamline this process and provide efficient tools to effectively manage legal requirements, and applications and enable successful global mobility programmes.
7. Challenges in Remuneration
Global Mobility brings forth a specific set of challenges when it comes to remuneration, like hypo tax, hardship allowance, local salary and housing allowance. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for successful compensation management. Let’s explore each one below:
Hypo Tax
Hypo Tax, also known as Hypothetical Tax, ensures that employees are treated for tax purposes as if they were working in their home country.
Calculating Hypo Tax can be tricky. The accurate calculation depends on a number of factors, including income tax rates, host country tax rules, exchange rates, and the employee’s status (whether they are an expatriate or local employee).
Hardship allowance
Hardship Allowance provides additional compensation to employees for special difficulties or burdens associated with overseas assignments. These individual challenges might include higher living costs, cultural differences, language barriers, and uncertain living conditions. Your challenge as an employer arises when trying to establish an objective benchmark for determining the allowance level that is both fair and reasonable.
Local Salary
In certain cases, employees posted abroad will receive their salary based on the host country rather than their home country. Compliance requirements, costs, and/or the duration of their stay are all factors that influence this decision. You must consider local market conditions to ensure the salary remains competitive and also aligns with the host country’s cost of living.
Housing Allowance
Providing a housing allowance supports employees with housing costs in the host country. The challenge is to accurately assess these housing costs and set the appropriate guidelines and limits to ensure the allowance sufficiently meets the employees’ housing needs.
Global Mobility is an essential part of successful international business expansion. If you can rise to these challenges and tackle them head-on, your company will be well-positioned to unlock the full potential of global mobility.
The different types of Global Mobility programmes
There are a number of different Global Mobility programmes available today. As mentioned earlier in this guide, the programmes differ according to the type and duration of the assignment.
The Coronavirus pandemic brought about huge changes in overseas assignments. A shift to more remote work, coupled with the rapid rise of digitalisation has caused traditional, fixed-term expat postings to decline.
Global Mobility trends are now designed by specific work assignments, remote work and self-initiated expats.
Let’s dive into the six most common types of global mobility programmes:
1. Remote Work
Remote work is common these days. Many employees work remotely from their home country. For example, an employee works from home three days per week and goes to the office two days per week. Or the employee who lives in Berlin but works for a company in Baden-Württemberg, with a requirement to be onsite six times per year.
While there is no classic secondment here, global mobility programmes are still crucial. They help handle legal, cultural and internal team structures and processes with ease. Internal team issues are often neglected with this type of remote work, thus leading to a lack of cohesion, and increased communication errors and misunderstandings. This is particularly prevalent in digital and highly international teams.
Additionally, remote work can lead to more complex processes, especially when you have a team based in different countries with varying time zones and legal requirements.
These global mobility issues are brand new to the world of work and are often not sufficiently thought through or structured.
The first, and possibly most essential step to helping your remote team bond is to ensure there is an open digital environment that makes it easy and comfortable for team members to contact each other and management.
2. Long-term assignments/expatriates
A long-term assignment or expat assignment is the global mobility programme people are most familiar with. This is where employees are deployed overseas for a long period of time, usually several years. A common example is when an employee from a German company is sent to Indonesia for two years to establish a new company location.
Long-term assignments offer the opportunity for employees to culturally integrate, especially into the working culture.
But what are the reasons such secondments exist? There could be a number of reasons, but here are four of the most common:
- Business relationship problems in the host country.
- Necessary changes to the company structure.
- A need for better project management and control due to lack of local qualifications.
- The transfer of knowledge and skills from the assigned employees to the local employees.
3. Self-initiated long-term assignments/self-initiated expats
Self-initiated expat assignments differ from traditional long-term. The employees actively take full responsibility for the assignment. This includes the relocation, local accommodation, and cultural adaptation.
Self-initiated expats are usually the most open-minded, curious employees, actively searching for personal and professional change, and are natural problem solvers. They are usually well equipped with existing intercultural skills and a global mindset.
However, they still need support from you as the employer. The role companies play in the journey of the self-initiated expat is just as crucial as any other overseas assignment.
Employees are increasingly demanding more flexibility in the workplace and more flexible career paths. Therefore, companies must take action to support individual expatriation plans of employees. In fact, many multinational companies now offer self-initiated assignment programmes for their employees.
4. Commuters
Another type of Global Mobility programme is the commuter programme. This allows employees to live in one country and work in another, commuting between the two. For example, an employee who lives in France but works for a German company and commutes to the office twice a week.
The biggest advantage of a commuting programme is the opportunity for the employee to gain international experience without having to uproot their life or leave their family or familiar social environment. On the other hand, commuting between two countries is time-consuming, so work-life balance is essential.
A rotational assignment commuter programme can be implemented as well. This is a unique situation where employees get deployed to different countries at regular intervals, giving them the opportunity to gain international experience and work in multiple cultures.
While it might seem like an exciting opportunity, it should be noted that during rotational assignments, employees are constantly getting used to new working and cultural environments, increasing the impact on their psychological wellbeing.
5. Workationer
The Workation is another relatively new Global Mobility trend. A portmanteau of “work” and “vacation”, a Workation is a working arrangement allowing employees to work for a short period from their chosen holiday destination. For example, an employee works from Spain for two weeks before proceeding to take a three-week holiday there.
Thanks to this new opportunity, employees can often work in beautiful locations while enjoying the benefits of a holiday at the same time. It’s a particularly attractive benefit for international employees in a local company as they often use this Workation time to spend a large portion of time with their families in their home country.
Workations have increased in popularity during the last few years with many companies starting to offer this option to their employees as a bid to promote and improve employee retention and satisfaction.
Increasing digitalisation has also made it much easier to work from different locations. Software solutions can be implemented to check the risks involved with an employee wishing to stay several weeks in a foreign country both within and outside of Europe.
These providers check the legal requirements and complete risk assessments before issuing an A1 certificate to ensure social security contributions are not required in two separate countries. With the A1 certificate, employees hold proof that they are covered by social security in their home country.
6. Business Travellers
Business Travellers are employees who travel on behalf of their company for short periods. These include one-off day trips or short national and international stays.
Despite the short duration of these trips, they must still be planned meticulously. It’s common for business travellers to travel for conferences, meetings, client visits, training or to supervise short-term projects.
Efficiency and good organisation are paramount for business trips. The company must ensure that the airport procedure will be as smooth as possible and that the accommodation is easily accessible for the employee.
As you can see, there are a variety of global mobility programmes you can offer as a company. Some are more suited as employee benefits to increase the appeal of an employer when recruiting. Others might be necessary to align with the international nature and goals of the company.
Every single programme has both advantages and disadvantages that need to be assessed. But one thing is clear – global mobility programmes always offer added value to both employees and employers.
When the needs and interests of both employees and employers are taken into account, global mobility programmes can be hugely successful.
Your way to transformation
How can you effectively structure your Global Mobility operations?
How you structure your Global Mobility operations largely depends on the size of your company. This is often a deciding factor in what programmes are offered.
Below, we lay out the differences and distinctions between small, medium-sized companies, and corporate organisations:
Small companies (up to 500 employees):
Smaller companies have less extensive requirements and typically streamline their Global Mobility department. Usually, all programmes are overseen by one individual or a small, dedicated team within the HR department.
While the need for formalised processes may be smaller, the scope of responsibilities is still diverse, encompassing contract management, visa and work permit processing and relocation support.
To address their requirements effectively, smaller companies often collaborate with external service providers, leveraging their expertise for such specialised tasks.
Medium-sized companies (500-1000 employees):
In medium-sized companies, there is a higher level of formality, with well-established processes and structures in place. The company often has a designated individual or specialist department to take responsibility for handling all Global Mobility matters. This team may consist of professionals solely focused on global mobility as a function or those who support other functions like legal, human resources and compliance.
Beyond its core responsibilities, Global Mobility departments take on an array of other tasks. These range from policy and process development to tax and compliance management, as well as providing a wider range of relocation services for mobile employees.
Corporations (1000 employees or more):
Corporations often have specialist global mobility departments comprised of their own experienced professionals. This department may also be subdivided into further specialised areas like Global Mobility Strategy, Contract Management, Visas and Work Permits, Relocation Services, Tax and Compliance Management and Data Analysis and Reporting. Collaboration is also fostered with other internal departments like HR, legal, finance and tax.
But external service providers can also provide crucial support to large corporations, even though they have their internal departments. The service providers are able to provide comprehensive support across all aspects of global mobility.
Above is an overview that explains how the specific structure and responsibilities of a Global Mobility function can differ depending on company size, available resources and unique requirements.
But irrespective of company size, it’s always important that the Global Mobility function is well integrated into the organisation and works closely with relevant departments.
What technologies are used in Global Mobility?
Technology offers a number of benefits to Global Mobility. It can improve the efficiency and productivity of global mobility processes. Here are the three main technological considerations:
1. Insourcing vs. outsourcing:
The choice of technology a company implements lies with whether they decide to perform certain global mobility tasks internally (insourcing) or externally (outsourcing).
Internally managed tasks allow the opportunity to leverage existing internal systems and tools for efficient data management and process automation.
Alternatively, outsourcing to external providers enables the use of their technologies and platforms, facilitating better collaboration and information sharing.
2. Excel vs. specialist software solutions:
Many companies still use Excel spreadsheets to manage their global mobility data. But specialised tools and software solutions have emerged in recent years that address the unique needs of global mobility.
These tools offer centralised data management, streamlined process automation, deadline monitoring, report generation, and much more. Moreover, they often provide integration with other HR systems to improve data flow and accuracy.
3. Connection of external solutions with internal workflow:
Companies often adopt a hybrid approach of both internal and external global mobility solutions. While external service providers offer their own technologies and platforms to assist with various global mobility functions, the seamless integration of these solutions is vital. This is achieved through data exchange via interfaces or APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), ensuring a seamless flow of information and consistent data processing.
Moreover, leveraging technologies such as online communication tools (e.g., video conferencing), collaborative platforms, and workflow management systems further enhances collaboration and communication among the various stakeholders involved in Global Mobility.
Much like the structure of a global mobility function, the use of technologies within the company depends on its size, budget, specific requirements and preferences.
It is important to choose technologies that align with the needs of the company and help enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Global Mobility processes.
A look into new global mobility trends, including people mobility
The term Global Mobility is not outdated. But it has undergone a significant evolution in recent years. There is a notable shift in the HR world from Global Mobility to People Mobility.
People Mobility places a stronger emphasis on individuals, their needs, desires and personal development, while also aligning closely with classic global mobility topics. This integration of company-driven Global Mobility offerings with employees’ career aspirations is at the core of People Mobility.
People Mobility is driven by the rapid and constant transformations in the world of work today. There are a number of factors at play here that demand the need for this fresh perspective:
- Digitalisation, which enables stronger global connectivity and networking.
- Climate change and sustainability, which require reevaluation.
- The rise of individuals seeking work and homes in new countries, which requires a whole new kind of intercultural collaboration.
People Mobility recognises that people today must adapt and evolve to meet the growing mobile demands of today’s world.
At its core, People Mobility puts people at the centre. It prioritises their development and serves as a driving force for future change.
For more information on this topic, click here: People Mobility
The key to success for Global Mobility Programmes
Successful Global Mobility programmes requires four main things:
- A clear understanding of the organisation’s goals.
- The inclusion of employees’ needs.
- Clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
- A comprehensive understanding of international and local legal requirements.
It’s vital that Global Mobility departments do more than take on administrative tasks. They need to provide strategic input. In the past, Global Mobility focused on administration and risk management. Today’s Global Mobility world is much more tactile. It constantly offers opportunities to aid employees in their orientation and journey, and to balance those benefits for the employee against the compliance risks of the company.
Global mobility departments and their programmes require proper integration into the overall company structure. With the right strategic approach, close collaboration with other departments and external partners, plus the use of technology, global mobility departments have the opportunity to add significant value for employees while also keeping compliance in mind. This helps foster successful and efficient global mobility programmes.
Furthermore, employee preparation is also crucial for global mobility success.
When employees decide to move to a place with a new culture, they should already be well-equipped with the right mindset and knowledge. Global mobility programmes are only meaningful when employees open themselves up to new perspectives and skills.
A global mindset plays a pivotal role in adapting to new environments and self-reflection on one’s own capabilities. Nurturing this global mindset among employees helps increase cognitive flexibility and prepares them well enough to navigate new territories and effectively meet increasing demands.
Promoting a global mindset can be tailored to individual employees, as well as whole teams or even on a company-wide level. Offering further training and workshops helps foster intercultural competences and is a valuable option for building a global mindset within your company.
By investing in these development opportunities, companies empower their employees to thrive in diverse environments and embrace the challenges of our interconnected world.
Global Mobility in a nutshell
Global mobility encompasses the transfer of employees to other countries for both professional and personal reasons. It applies to both domestic and foreign employees. Global mobility programmes play a pivotal role in achieving certain business objectives like travel and setting up new overseas locations. They also foster diversity, knowledge sharing and talent development within companies.
Identifying any risks or potential challenges early, including bureaucratic hurdles, legal requirements, culture shock and language barriers, is crucial when building effective and successful global mobility programmes. With the global market constantly changing and evolving, regular review and adaptation of global mobility strategies and programmes is required.
There are many different types of Global Mobility programmes available, including long-term international assignments, business trips, commuting programmes, training programmes and self-initiated programmes.
The suitability of each programme type depends on your company’s specific objectives. Global mobility is becoming increasingly important and is now an essential part of many companies, especially for growth-orientated organisations.
Summary: Global Mobility
In summary, global mobility embodies the movement of individuals across national borders for work, study, tourism or other personal reasons. As the world has become more and more interconnected and travel more accessible, global mobility has witnessed significant growth and companies seek out international professionals more often than ever before.
Global Mobility serves as a catalyst for professional and personal growth, economic progress and the exchange of ideas. But careful planning is necessary to maximise the benefits and minimise or overcome the challenges.
Hungry for more fascinating global mobility insights? Discover more here: https://www.clevis.de/en/services/global-mobility/
