Mobility Outlook Survey 2021

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Mobility Outlook Survey

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Global Mobility has experienced an incredibly difficult year. Challenging in many ways, 2020 also
provided an opportunity for Mobility teams to showcase their knowledge and agility. For that effort, the
perception of Global Mobility has, in many cases, fundamentally changed. There is now greater awareness
and appreciation for the work they do. There is also a desire to build on recent experiences to forge a
more dynamic function for the future. This 2021 outlook report shares the learnings and highlights the
opportunities that lay before Global Mobility venturing into the year ahead.

Across the broad spectrum of industries and regions that participated in this survey, we see common
trends and the message is clear: 2021 is the time to use gained momentum to Mobility’s advantage.
This is the year to build stronger partnerships with stakeholders that will supply Mobility with the insight
needed to add value. Before initiations rebound, there is time to make key changes to the program,
changes that will help organizations attract and retain the talent needed to succeed.

Among participants, success in Mobility is defined as contented business leaders, a positive employee
experience, and operational excellence. Half of participants are pursuing initiatives to better align their
programs with their organizational talent strategies. The data in this survey tells us that, to achieve this
aspiration, Mobility must close the gap that exists between the current and future state. Today, Mobility’s
leaders report that they are an operational function. Tomorrow, they must play an advisory and value-add
role. The change will happen, they say, by focusing their efforts this year on increasing flexibility for the
business and actively advising them, improving the employee experience, and simplifying administration.
Human-centric, flexible programs are the way forward.

Many Mobility functions are making structural changes to their teams and investing in communication
and relationships to craft a function that will bring the most value to the organization. The goal for
strategic leaders is to usher in a new era in which Mobility, Talent, and the Business are aligned and
support each other’s missions. This report explores what Mobility leaders across the globe predict for
2021 and their plans for making the most of the unique opportunities presented this year.

As a company we will have to anticipate uncertainty in future and design

our policies to adapt to the changes required.
— ASIA-BASED OIL & GAS FIRM

Gas-pump

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Global Mobility’s Mission
Key:
1=Top Objective, 4=Lowest Objective Ideal Current

2.0 2.0
2.1 2.1
2.2

2.3

2.4 2.4 2.4

2.5 2.5
2.6 2.6
2.7 2.7
2.8 2.8

To enable the global To advise the business To operate efficiently To deliver an excellent
talent strategy on the best ways to and compliantly employee experience
deploy talent globally

We will need to shift our mindset away from an A-to-B deployment model
and acknowledge that the face of mobility programs will change somewhat
as a result of the events in 2020.
— EUROPE-BASED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM

briefcase
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How does Global Mobility function know it is successful?
thumbs-up Positive feedback received from the business 89%
We are aiming to use
Comment-Alt-Check Positive feedback from HR 70% International Mobility
as both an attraction
68%
Compliance risks are minimized
Shield-check or non-existent and retention tool for
Positive feedback received through
candidates.
Clipboard-list-check assignee surveys 65% — ASIA-BASED EDUCATION FIRM

Expand-Arrows-Alt
Assignment/transfer processes are
standardized and efficient 64% graduation-cap
Policy exception requests are
File-contract kept to a minimum 42%

HANDSHAKE-ALT Employee retention after repatriation

41%

32%
Employee commitment is enhanced
USER-TIE because of an assignment/transfer

32%
Increased interest by employees to go on
plane an international assignment/transfer

hand-holding-usd Budget is not exceeded 29%

Employee promotions after
Chess assignments end 22%

This chart (above) shows that positive feedback from the business and HR is the most important
marker of success for Global Mobility. However, most functions do not collect their input in a
structured way (see chart on following page). Proactive and regular collection of customer feedback
helps Mobility establish and sustain its relationships and allows the function to continually adapt as
business environments and needs change.

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Do you regularly gather the voice of the customer
(business functions or leadership) through surveys
to understand their expectations and needs?

5% 13% 13% — Yes, we regularly conduct VOC

surveys of the business

36% — We conduct ad hoc VOC

surveys of the business as needed

46%
36% 46% — No, we don’t conduct VOC
surveys of the business

5% — Other

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Does Global Mobility demonstrate its value to the organization
through analytics or metrics (e.g., reporting on measurable
outcomes through dashboards)?
21%

21% — Yes, we regularly report

measurable outcomes to demonstrate

39% 39% — Sometimes we report

measurable outcomes to demonstrate
GM’s value to the organization

40% 40% — No, we don’t report on

measurable outcomes to demonstrate

Analytics
Mobility leaders likely know the ways in which their function adds value. However, only 21% of
them are regularly using metrics to advise customers, advocate for change, or demonstrate how
Mobility serves broader organizational goals.

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While 50% of companies say that aligning Mobility with talent strategy is a top priority, many report that their
relationship with the Talent function could be improved. Mobility leaders that have made progress in this area have
engaged their Talent partners in the early stages of a program update and were able to effectively communicate
the benefits for the Company and its people when the two functions work together.

Top Global Mobility initiatives to focus on in the next couple of years:

stream Aligning mobility program with talent strategy
50%
thumbs-up Improving the employee experience 47%
Repeat Simplifying administration/streamlining operations 37%
Comments-Alt Effectively advising the business 36%
laptop Improving technology 35%
Hands-Usd Reducing cost
35%
SLIDERS-H Increasing flexibility within policies
33%
FILE-CHECK Introducing new policy types 31%
video Increasing overall communication (e.g., videos, web portal)
24%
HANDS-HELPING Reviewing service providers 17%
clock Increasing the speed to deploy cross-border talent 17%
File-times Eliminating existing policy types/simplifying the policy suite 13%

We continue to evolve the program with a focus on aligning mobility strategy

to business strategy and values, employee engagement, communication (for
employees and the business).
— AUSTRALIA-BASED LEGAL FIRM
gavel 8
Global Mobility’s stakeholder relationships
Key:
Current scale: 1=Very strong, 2=Strong, 3=Average, 4=Poor
Ideal scale: 1=Significantly better, 2=Somewhat better, 3=No change, 4=Not important

Ideal Current

1.8

1.9 1.9 1.9

2.0

2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1

2.2 2.2 2.2
2.3 2.3
2.4

2.5 2.5
2.6 2.6

Talent Talent Senior Business HRBPs

Management Acquisition Management

Physical international relocation is here to stay. Selecting the right individual

for the right job in the right place at the right time is important. Going
forward, this will be driven more by talent/succession planning, including
diversity and inclusion.
— EUROPE-BASED EDUCATION FIRM

graduation-cap
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Improving the employee experience was a close second in this year’s list of top initiatives. The most popular
approach planned for achieving this is offering employees some flexibility in choosing assignment/transfer
benefits. Empowering employees to personalize their moves improves the individual’s experience while
simultaneously acknowledging and supporting the wide-ranging needs of a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Initiatives to improve the employee experience

during an international assignment or transfer:

Key: Currently Have Planned

Offering policies that allow employees some flexibility/choice of benefits

36%
34%

Automating assignment/transfer workflow

29%
27%

Streamlining the employee’s point of contact (or providing a single point of contact)

26%
47%

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Allowing employees to self-serve aspects of their assignments/transfers

18%
10%
Tracking goals over the course of the assignment/transfer

17%
12%
Consultation/counseling to address individual concerns prior to assignment

16%
60%
Providing assignment/transfer goals

14%
16%
Assigning a mentor

14%
8%
N/A, we are not currently focused on the employee experience

25%
11%

We plan to introduce managed lump sum this year.

— AUSTRALIA-BASED CONSUMER GOODS FIRM

tshirt
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Please indicate if your organization offers employees flexibility in
how relocation support is delivered in any of the following ways:

40%
CASH LUMP SUM: Offering a cash
lump sum to offset some or all
relocation costs
22%
DELIVERY CHOICE: Allowing the
employee to choose between a
relocation lump sum or relocation
services managed by suppliers

20%
MANAGED LUMP SUM: Offering
a capped relocation budget
against which employees can
request supplier-provided
services of their choosing
3%
FLEX POINTS: Offering a flex point
program where employees can “spend”
their points on relocation services of
their choosing

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Employees report having positive or worthwhile mobility experiences when their personal and professional
priorities are met. Companies seeking to deliver a positive employee experience can start by listening to
employee perspectives on the value of a mobility experience and the barriers to accepting a move. Mobility should
share this knowledge with Talent and the Business on a regular basis. When translated into specific actions, this
initiative positively impacts not only the employee experience, but also helps the organization achieve desired
recruitment, retention, and development goals.

Do you regularly gather the voice of your expatriate population

through surveys to understand their expectations and needs?

6% 27% — Yes, we regularly conduct

voice of customer/engagement
27% surveys of our expats

33% — We conduct ad hocvoice

of customer/engagement
34% surveys as needed

34% — No, we don’t conduct voice

of customer/engagement surveys
of our expats

33% 6% — Other

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A significant percentage of companies report that the most common reason for failed assignments is a lack of
career opportunity for the employee. This is a serious issue, particularly for the 50% of Mobility leaders looking to
align their programs with the talent strategy.

Being able to outline assignment goals and potential next steps makes this large investment mutually beneficial
and smart. Career clarity helps keep employees engaged and focused, which in turn saves the business money in
the long run.

The most common reasons why international assignments fail:

backward Lack of career opportunity for the assignee
44%
baby Lack of family integration in the host location 34%
People-Carry Unmet assignee expectations during relocation 22%
Hand-heart Lack of spousal/partner career support 21%
Hands-Usd Financial impact to employee 15%
Comment-Alt-Times Lack of communication with assignee on-assignment 10%
Frown-Open Dissatisfaction with other on-assignment benefits 7%
home Dissatisfaction with host housing
2%

We generally don’t see assignments fail. Assignments may get off to a

rocky start if the business doesn’t provide adequate support, however
most pull through.
— NORTH AMERICA-BASED FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRM

Money-bill-wave

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Forty percent of companies anticipate increased difficulty in attracting talent to go on international assignments.
This prediction helps explain the emphasis on the employee experience and reinforces the importance of
understanding employee motivations. The supply and demand of talent is leading to more flexible, human-centric
programs at many organizations.

Expectations for attracting employees to accept international

assignments in the next year:

1%
It will be much easier to
get assignees to accept
an assignment
6%
It will be much more
5% difficult to get assignees
It will be a bit easier to to accept an assignment
get assignees to accept
an assignment

34%
It will be a bit more
difficult to get assignees
to accept an assignment

54%
We do not anticipate
any change in assignees’
willingness to accept
an assignment

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Two of the top 3 requests from the
business are related to mobility
Top requests from the business:

64% 53%
program costs. While compliance
costs are significant and
unavoidable, cost predictability
and flexibility are entirely within
Mobility’s control. With a fit-
for-purpose suite of policies,
resources to support a flexible COST PREDICTABILITY INCREASED SPEED TO
program, and a consultative
approach, Mobility can help the
INITIATE ASSIGNMENT

48% 37%
business balance its short- and
long-term objectives.

MORE COST CONTAINMENT EASIER ADMINISTRATION

30% 26%
FLEXIBILITY TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO
MORE GENEROUS BENEFITS PROVIDE LESS
GENEROUS BENEFITS

13%
BETTER COMMUNICATION
12%
CLEARER DIRECTION
ON SELECTING THE
RIGHT POLICY

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Do you expect the need for business
flexibility to change in the future?
We plan to give a lot more
flexibility and ownership to
Demand for flexibility from the business, introducing
the business will increase
65% new, less traditional policy
Demand for flexibility from the
business will stay the same
types to cover the full
spectrum of moves.
Demand for flexibility from the
business will decrease
32% — EUROPE-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIRM

phone
3%

How do you expect to respond to an increased need for

flexibility from the business in the future? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

Adding in more flexibility to policies Using a greater variety of policy types

52% (e.g., through tiers or core/flex)
28% than in the past

Our current policies will meet the

17% More negotiated packages 15% increased need for flexibility

Our managers have been provided flexibility. However, they have needed
support in making decisions. We’re planning to reduce the suite of benefits
that require discretion in our next policy review.
— AUSTRALIA-BASED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM

HANDSHAKE-ALT
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The number of policies that companies support has increased each year. This expansion is evidence that
Mobility has broadened how talent is deployed and will continue amplifying flexibility for the business in future.
As the number of policies grows, Mobility leaders seek approaches to manage the resulting complexity. Some are
turning to a more fluid and individualized approach to the design of assignment and transfer packages.

Year Average # Policies

2021 +
6.2
2020 +
5.6
2019 +
5.3
2018 +
4.4
2017 +
4.5
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 What policies do you currently have in your
mobility suite?

luggage-cart Short-Term International Assignment 85%

plane International One-Way Transfer 74%
home Long-Term International Assignment: Home-Based 68%
People-Carry Domestic Relocation 59%
route Localization (Expat to Local)
58%
suitcase-rolling Business Traveler 48%
graduation-cap Developmental/Graduate/Intern Program 40%
bus-alt International Commuter 36%
globe Long-Term Assignment: Globalist 28%
map-marked-alt Locally Hired Non-National
27%
hand-holding-usd Long-Term International Assignment: Temporary Host Pay-Based 24%
dolly Long-Term International Assignment: Home-Based “Light” 18%
MAP-MARKER-PLUS Domestic Remote Work 17%
Map-marker-times International Remote Work 17%
hand-paper Volunteer/Employee Accommodation
11%
calendar-alt Rotator (e.g., 28 days on, 28 days off)
9%
laptop Virtual Assignment 6%

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The top three policies expected to increase in use this year directly address not only the ongoing pandemic and
related travel restrictions, but also anticipated needs related to the way we will work in the future. In addition,
localizations and domestic relocations are expected to continue for a significant group of participants.

FILE-UPLOAD Policies expected to increase:

1 2 3

48% 47% 40%

INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC VIRTUAL
REMOTE WORK REMOTE WORK ASSIGNMENT

plane International One-Way Transfer 31%

luggage-cart Short-Term International Assignment 31%

bus-alt International Commuter 28%

suitcase-rolling Business Traveler 28%

route Localization (Expat to Local) 26%

graduation-cap Developmental/Graduate/Intern Program 22%

map-marked-alt Locally Hired Non-National 21%

People-Carry Domestic Relocation 19%

hand-holding-usd Long-Term International Assignment: Temporary Host Pay-Based 12%

home Long-Term International Assignment: Home-Based 11%

hand-paper Volunteer/Employee Accommodation 10%

dolly Long-Term International Assignment: Home-Based “Light” 10%

globe Long-Term Assignment: Globalist 5%

calendar-alt Rotator (e.g., 28 days on, 28 days off) 4%

Our expectation is that remote work outside of the country of

employment will become a norm.
— EUROPE-BASED FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRM
Money-bill-wave 20
 Due to cost pressures and the desire to increase flexible work arrangements
for our employees, we expect to see less traditional mobility and more
accommodations for employee-driven mobility.
— NORTH AMERICA-BASED CONSUMER GOODS FIRM

tshirt
File-download Policies expected to decrease:
1 2 3

30% 29% 19%

LONG-TERM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SHORT-TERM INTERNATIONAL
ASSIGNMENT: HOME-BASED TRAVELER ASSIGNMENT

bus-alt International Commuter 16%

graduation-cap Developmental/Graduate/Intern Program 14%

globe Long-Term Assignment: Globalist 13%

plane International One-Way Transfer 13%

dolly Long-Term International Assignment: Home-Based “Light” 12%

People-Carry Domestic Relocation 9%

hand-holding-usd Long-Term International Assignment: Temporary Host Pay-Based 7%

map-marked-alt Locally Hired Non-National 5%

route Localization (Expat to Local) 5%

calendar-alt Rotator (e.g., 28 days on, 28 days off) 3%

hand-paper Volunteer/Employee Accommodation 3%

Map-marker-times International Remote Work 2%

MAP-MARKER-PLUS Domestic Remote Work 1%

laptop Virtual Assignment 0%

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 File-Import Policies expected to remain the same:
1 2 3

48% 46% 41%

LOCALIZATION DOMESTIC SHORT-TERM
(EXPAT TO LOCAL) RELOCATION ASSIGNMENT

plane International One-Way Transfer 39%

home Long-Term Assignment: Home-Based 36%

graduation-cap Developmental/Graduate/Intern Program 34%

map-marked-alt Locally Hired Non-National 34%

suitcase-rolling Business Traveler 27%

globe Long-Term Assignment: Globalist 25%

bus-alt Commuter 24%

hand-holding-usd Long-Term Assignment: Temporary Host Pay-Based 21%

hand-paper Volunteer/Employee Accommodation 16%

dolly Long-Term Assignment: Home-Based “Light” 16%

calendar-alt Rotator (e.g., 28 days on, 28 days off) 12%

Map-marker-times International Remote Work 10%

MAP-MARKER-PLUS Domestic Remote Work 9%

laptop Virtual Assignment 5%

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A year after much of the corporate world pivoted to working remotely, many organizations continue building
policies and processes to support remote work. Mobility leaders were activated in the early days of the pandemic,
contributing their knowledge of immigration and tax compliance, to address the sudden spike in demand for
remote work. Now, with those initial cases behind them, Mobility leaders are helping to shape the future of work
for their organizations. They are doing this by looking back to learn from what did and did not work in the past
year. They are also closely collaborating with other function leaders within their organizations and sharing insights
from market peers to prepare for a future of growing virtual workforces. It is a changing landscape, and for this
reason, just 35% of Mobility functions feel their policies effectively meet Company needs. For the other 65%, the
opportunity to make a positive and lasting contribution is knocking on the door.

Do you feel you have the right policies to meet your

organization’s mobility needs?

14%
35%
35% — Yes, our current policy suite
effectively meets our mobility needs thumbs-up
51% — Our current policy suite
somewhat meets our mobility needs

51%
Frown-Open
14% — No, our current policy suite is not
effectively meeting our mobility needs

We’ll need to develop policies for the people who do not move (remote cross-
border work) and adjust current policies for the people who move, to enable
a core-flex program.
— NORTH AMERICA-BASED CONSUMER GOODS FIRM

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Report Demographics
208 PARTICIPANTS

37% 42%
12%
Europe
North America
Asia

1%
2%
Africa
6%
South/Central America

Australia

11%
TOP INDUSTRIES REPRESENTED:
Consumer Goods
MONEY-BILL-WAVE
Financial Services
11%
TSHIRT 9%
High-Tech LAPTOP
Oil/Gas & Energy Services

Manufacturing
5% BRIEFCASE
Life Sciences
GAS-PUMP
7%
Automotive CAR
leaf HARD-HAT
Professional Services/Consulting 5%

6% 7%

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Partial list of participating companies:
3M COTY International Food Pandora a/s Synoptek India
Policy Research
Abbott Laboratories Credit Suisse Pearson T. Rowe Price
Institute
Accion International DB Engineering & Perenti Tapestry
Jaguar Land Rover
Consulting GmbH
ADP PETRONAS Terumo India Pvt Ltd
Jardine Matheson
DFS
Agilent Technologies Pfizer Inc Tetra Pak
Johnson & Johnson
Dow Inc
AIA PMI Texas Instruments
KBR
Eaton
Alfa Laval Principal Thales
KCA Deutag
Electronic Arts
Allnex PT Medco Energi The Clorox Company
Kellogg
ENGEN Internasional Tbk
Aon The Quantium Group
PETROLEUM LTD Khazanah Nasional
QIAGEN
ARaymond Berhad TIBCO
Epicor
Quick Heal
ARC King & Wood Mallesons Toyota Connected India
Equinix Technologies Ltd
ASM Technology Pacific Kreditanstalt für Toyota Motor Europe
Equinor ASA Rabobank
Aurecon Wiederaufbau Toyota Motor North
ERM RB plc
L’Occitane International America
Baker McKenzie
Essilor International RENAULT
LUKOIL Transamerica Life
BCG
EXL Service Repsol Insurance Company
BD Maersk Drilling
ExxonMobil RHI Magnesita TRILITY Group
Bechtel Mars Inc
EY Richemont TWE
Beiersdorf AG Mavenir (India) Pvt. Ltd.
International SA
Faurecia UBS
Berkshire Hathaway MediaCom
Rio Tinto
Ferring UCB SA
Homeservices Alliance Michael Kors
Pharmaceuticals Royal Caribbean Group
Real Estate UEM Edgenta Berhad
MICHELIN
Fidelity Royal Philips
BIC UEM Sunrise Bhd
Micron Technology Inc
Financial Times Saint-Gobain
BlueScope Unilever
Microsoft
Fisher & Paykel Salesforce
BMO Financial Group UOB Limited
Appliances MISC BERHAD
Sanofi
Boeing upGrad
Flutter Entertainment MOL Plc.
SAP SE
BorgWarner plc Vanguard
Molson Coors
Sapura Energy
BP Fonterra Cooperative Vermilion Energy Inc.
Mondelez International
Limited Schlumberger
Brambles VF Corp
Neovia Logistics
Ford Motor Company Schneider Electric
Bühler Ag VFS Global
Netflix
Gap Inc. Shell
Capgemini Viasat
Nike
General Dynamics Siemens AG
CEVA Logistics Volkswagen
Information Technology Northern
Singapore Pte Ltd Snowflake IT Services India
GlaxoSmithKline Norwegian Refugee
CGG Softpath W. L. Gore &
Council
GROUPE ATLANTIC Associates GmbH
Cigniti Technologies ST Engineering
Novartis
HP Inc. Wells Fargo
CMI Stanley Black and
NUS
HSF Decker WestRock
Coca Cola Amatil
Nutreco
IBI Group stc Woodside Energy
Cognizant Technology
nVent Limited
Solutions IBM Sumitomo Corporation
Oil Search of Americas WVI
Colgate-Palmolive Inter-American
Company Development Bank OMV Swiss Re
Group

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