CEO at Topia, the leader in Global Talent Mobility.
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As the full scope of the COVID-19 pandemic came to light, so did the substantial gaps in many organizations’ talent mobility programs. Even the largest and most sophisticated multinational firms found themselves relying on manually compiled Excel files from multiple sources to locate and manage hundreds of ex-pats in some of the hardest-hit parts of the world. As they scrambled to account for and bring people home under intense pressure before borders closed, HR and mobility teams were on the front lines of the initial business response.
With the worst of the lockdown now behind us and restrictions slowly starting to ease, we’re beginning to see regional mobility resume in parts of Asia and Europe. Surprisingly, few moves were canceled in the initial wake of the crisis — they’ve simply been delayed. This underscores the strategic value of mobility: It’s not done on a whim, but instead with real, calculated, growth-oriented objectives that don’t just disappear. The business need is still there, and most organizations are waiting for the green light.
Many expect mobility to resume at nearly full capacity this fall, which means companies are beginning to prepare now. As we move forward, here’s what we must do to avoid getting caught in another tough spot.
Get A Handle On Data
It seems simple: Companies should know where their people are at all times. But that’s actually extremely difficult with the antiquated systems most are using to manage talent mobility. As this experience has taught us, Excel spreadsheets and disjointed technologies are woefully insufficient, and when the safety of employees is on the line, we must do better.
Lacking a cohesive mobility data strategy is not only a significant health risk, but it’s also a serious compliance risk as well. When employees are forced to stay longer in a location because of travel bans, this has significant immigration, labor and tax law implications. The ability to know, with certainty, where employees are at all times is vital.
The Personal Travel Conversation
Even if you can account for employees’ whereabouts for work, you likely know nothing about their personal travel. Prior to the pandemic, most would have agreed that was how it should be — what people do in their free time is their business. But now that even personal travel to a new COVID-19 hotspot has the potential to expose everyone in the workplace to risk, it raises serious concerns.
Employers have a responsibility to protect their employees’ safety and privacy. Figuring out a way to balance the two is critical. Of course, personal location data would require employees’ consent, but it’s time to have the conversation. My belief is most employees would be willing to inform employers if it meant improved safety for all — as long as privacy could be protected.
Set Realistic Timelines
While your organization might be poised and ready to spring into action with talent mobility as soon as the coast is clear, there may be delays outside of your control. While some countries may be accepting visa applications, few were processed during the lockdown. As processing does resume, it could take months to work through the backlog, which means urgent business and strategic moves may be delayed. The spike in volume coupled with delays will mean businesses must plan realistically, with flexibility and agility, in order to move ahead.
Prioritize Mobility Cost Optimization
Since strategic mobility is still a must, the cost has to be optimized. Enterprises are reviewing their policies and must benchmark versus the market. Seasonality should be considered — how much cheaper will it be to move in October versus September? And everyone is razor-focused on reducing costs across the supply chain.
The only way to do this without risking the employee experience is to take an analytical approach. That means you must have the data and tools required to identify where you are overpaying and model the impact of numerous potential changes. Planning and scenario analysis under aggressive cost pressure will become the norm for global talent mobility teams.
Emphasize Employee Experience
When a crisis hits, the last thing employees want is radio silence from their employer. Even when there was little companies could do for their people when borders began to close, the best organizations stayed in constant contact with ex-pats, providing daily updates about how they were addressing various issues. This created a sense of security for employees, especially those who were essentially trapped in a foreign country.
Cultivating a strong employee experience is increasingly critical for talent retention, and when you don’t have all the answers, over-communicating with support and resources is reassuring. Employees will know their employer cares about them, and they’ll remember the kindness and concern with which you treated them, which will play a substantial role in their continued loyalty after the crisis.
Technology To Plan Ahead
One thing is certain: The fundamental need for businesses to get the best talent in the right place will not change. While the means by which we do that may shift — e.g., more working from home, hybrid environments and even cross-border employment (working for a company based in another country) — technology to support the future of work will become even more essential.
While the COVID-19 crisis has exposed significant weaknesses, the vulnerability has gotten the attention of the C-suite. Now is the time for HR and mobility teams to push for investment in global talent mobility solutions that can solve the challenges and better position the organization for the next crisis. Mobility is hugely expensive relative to the cost of management technology, and the ROI is substantial. For companies that spend half a billion dollars annually on mobility, investing a million on technology that dramatically cuts costs and streamlines the process will pay for itself.
Ultimately, organizations must learn from the shortcomings the pandemic exposed and adjust their strategies to support global talent mobility in the “new normal.” While you may have survived this time, inability to adapt could mean failure in the future.
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