New research highlights need for more human-centric mobility

A new study by Heather De Cruz-Cornaire into the state of global mobility post-pandemic for REA, a career and relocation coaching service company, concludes that human connection is critical for successful moves.

Laughing boy plays like airplane on father's shoulders. Dad and son looks on glass walls of buildings. Future and modern technologies, life balance and family life in well keeps districts.

Ruth Holmes

26 February 2024

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A new study finds the human connection at all stages of the relocation life cycle is critical to engagement and retention amid rising numbers of self-managed, self-referred and tech-enabled international moves.Peace of Mind on the Move makes the case for an embedded human-centred mobility value proposition in organisations at a time when digitalisation/AI processes are increasingly driving efficiency and cost containment. It identifies how flexible and inclusive HR policies can bring ‘peace of mind on the move’ to mobile professionals and their families in these times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Future-focused global mobility

Among the key conclusions is that including dual-career work authorisation support and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B) initiatives throughout the process can make all the difference for a person and their family on the move to feel valued and increase the likelihood of assignment success.Making the case for the human connection to be embedded into an organisation's mobility value proposition – especially important in light of the latest Crown World Mobility report, which highlights high levels of hesitancy among prospective assignees and so the need to encourage people to take up assignment offers – REA's report highlights how pre- and post-move support from people experts in managing change has a positive impact on family adjustment and retention.It provides the ‘human-to-human’ link and is a cost-effective solution to meeting the all-important psychological contract needs in a digitally-enabled landscape.

Health and wellbeing for successful assignments for all

These findings link to an overarching theme of REA's research: that the health and wellbeing of the globally mobile population – and their family more widely – is critical for their sustainable resilience.This approach is embedded in the concept of Industry 5.0, where work is becoming more human-centric because of AI. Wellbeing of the workforce is the centre of value proposition. “It’s a shift from economic value to societal value, where organisations are shifting to serve people rather than the other way round,” says Heather De Cruz-Cornaire.The headlines from REA’s research also reflect a growing appreciation of the emotional impact of international moves. This includes the pioneering work carried out by Safe Passage Across Networks and schools like the International School of London, ExpatValley’s children’s ambassador, as well as the work of non-profit organisation the Permits Foundation.The Permits Foundation campaigns globally to improve work permit regulations so partners of highly skilled international employees may directly access employment while in the host country. This again supports the fact that the whole family plays a vital part in assignment success.Its most recent International Dual-Careers Survey 2022 shows that partner employment access has a direct impact on talent attraction, retention, and the experience of the mobile family on assignment and that more work in the pre-move stage of the relocation cycle could be done.

Practical steps to future-proof mobility

For companies wanting to support their employees and globally mobile families, “it starts really with embedding a health and wellbeing idea into the mobility value proposition,” says Heather De Cruz-Cornaire. “Secondly, looking at DEI initiatives to support mobile families. This means being family-orientated and having that in place right at the beginning so that global mobility needs of a specific family are met, rather than one-size-fits-all. That will help with the duty of care obligations where this landscape of increased widespread disruption is the norm."Lastly and I think also critical is that health and wellbeing is critical for a workforce to have sustainable resilience.”

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