International Hires & Assignments
As businesses compete for the very best talent to help them be competitive and grow, the number of international hires and assignments is on the rise.
At the same time, many organisations do not have the benefit of in-house employee mobility specialists, so very often it’s other HR professionals that have to pick up and manage this work. Even if it’s only a small amount of hires/assignments per year, the complexities are still very real. HR professionals, therefore need to ensure that they are up to speed with the essential knowledge required, to make sure that their company is fully compliant when undertaking international relocation of personnel. This includes additional services such as immigration, pensions and expat taxes and benefits.
Are you an HR/Talent Acquisition Manager, for example, that has been tasked with managing international hires and assignments or maybe even responsible for setting up a team in a new overseas territory? Is your employee mobility policy in place? Is it robust? Do you even have one?
Policy Design in a Modern World
Employee mobility policy design continues to evolve and it’s important that companies have a flexible and effective approach to making sure that theirs is fit for purpose in this ever changing world. With all the challenges of the modern world, there is much to consider and ultimately manage. From political and economic instability to employee expectations and environmental issues, there is a great deal for those at the sharp end to have to contend with.
To gain an advantage when attempting to recruit the best talent, companies can adopt a number of different approaches to policy design. This could involve complete policy redesign or just a review and refresh of existing policy content. In some cases, the simple use of flexible policy guidelines can be enough.
Set and Core/Flex
Old fashioned policy design would often provide for a set package, with some exceptions when and if necessary. Modern approaches should take a more flexible approach and could provide for a ranked approach to policy provision based on the seniority of an employee or the nature of their hire/assignment. A core/flex policy can combine a set of rigid support services with a range of flexible, optional benefits, that employees or the business can choose from, based on individual circumstances and needs. These flex benefits can help companies to engender a positive employee experience. An even more flexible approach could be the adoption of a set of policy guidelines that can be set out in such a way as to offer individual and personalised packages for each employee and their dependants.
Sustainable International Mobility
Companies are increasingly becoming aware of their carbon footprint and this is prompting the redesign of employee mobility policies, to reflect and demonstrate commitment to their ESG objectives.
Traditionally carbon intensive activities such as flights for employees and their family members, shipping of household goods and the provision of local hire cars are all coming under more scrutiny. Companies may be looking to reduce the overall number of flights and trips home whilst insisting on the use of electric cars in order to reduce their carbon footprint.
It is also entirely possible that some employers may look to introduce benefits that promote and encourage sustainability, such as schemes for employees to earn credits that they can then redeem against certain goods or services.
Make it inclusive
The importance of providing wider support to ensure that spouses, partners and other family members are taken care of, has never been greater. Ensuring that the use of inclusive language in policy design is the norm these days, is so important and helps to enhance employee experience.
What’s the future for employee mobility policies?
Employee mobility policies with in-built flexibility will become more and more important in the modern world.
More diverse workforces, sustainability challenges and the volatile economic and political backdrop will demand a flexible approach and mind-set that will enable organisations to rise to the challenges of meeting the needs of today’s mobile employees. Valued and talented employees may get the choice to choose where they work sometimes and those companies that implement a flexible, inclusive and corporately responsible approach will stand out in the crowd and be able to attract and retain the best employees. A mix of employees that are office based, remote workers or hybrid will challenge HR professionals to create a range of fit for purpose policies and guidelines to support their businesses.
The increase in international working, regardless of the type, will generate the opportunity for companies to create an environment that promotes the effective attraction, recruitment and retention of the best global talent. HR professionals will need to engage with a broader range of colleagues and stakeholders within their organisations to make this happen, which will in turn, promote HR as a key strategic player in any company, recognising its unique importance to talent acquisition and retention.
Think you need support to get your employee mobility policy in place? Do you have an employee mobility policy that needs attention? Get in touch.