Building Resilient Mobility Programs in a Volatile World
If you read the daily headlines and watch the international news, it’s clear that we are living and working in a volatile world. Mobility HR leaders must be continually vigilant as disruptions can happen anywhere, anytime and at a fast pace. As Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group has noted, “Geopolitical risk is now a constant feature of the business environment, not a sporadic shock.”
Here’s what to know about maintaining resilient mobility programs in this quickly changing environment.
Understand that No Region is Immune
The reality for mobility leaders today is that no region is immune to potential social or political volatility. In recent years, mobility leaders have navigated multiple geopolitical disruptions. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, access to news from outside Russia was immediately restricted. For employees like “John” whom CapRelo had helped place there, local media reports conveyed a very different view of the Ukraine situation than reality. In his mind, there was no danger and no reason to leave his plum assignment. Had it not been for his quick, persistent and well-informed relocation consultant, John may have been stranded there still.
Likewise during the Israel/Gaza conflict, CapRelo teams were called into action to quickly move transferees out of Israel while trying to secure temp housing quickly. For those employees and their families, these are stressful, emotional, anxiety-ridden experiences – ones where a trusted friend and colleague can be invaluable.
While it might be natural to think that situations like John’s are issues only for far-flung global locations, the reality is that civil unrest isn’t relegated to one particular area or region. In fact, a recent Institute for Economics and Peace report showed the US among the 50 least peaceful countries in the world! No matter whether you are placing employees US domestically or internationally, it is critical that HR teams stay well informed and connected to what’s happening in those locales.
Be aware of volatility’s broad impact
The impact of geopolitical disruptions goes far beyond your business operations’ day-to-day productivity. It’s hard to focus on work when you are concerned for your family’s safety. That is where a trusted relocation partner plays a critical role.
There are multiple complex steps involved in relocating and settling employees into a new location – securing visas, finding transportation to another country, locating temporary housing, finding schools for the children, assisting with a new language and culture. There’s no substitute for having knowledgeable and well-connected local partners to step in times of volatility. They can handle the wrap-up (departure service) of the assignee’s lease, utilities and other matters in the country, as well as arrival and temporary housing in many countries to which the assignee evacuates. “Companies can also contract with security firms that specialize in evacuating employees from conflict zones, such as Smart Risk or Solace Global,” says Addaman.
Use technology to your advantage
AI-enabled technology has dramatically enhanced relocation managers’ ability to plan for and respond to crises. For example, CapRelo’s AI risk-forecasting and scenario planning tools help us anticipate potential impacts from tariffs or government shutdowns on specific household goods shipment costs and delays. With our AI tools, we develop scenario planning dashboards that map out rapid response protocols. If an event occurs, we can act quickly by immediately accessing intel within seconds detailing where each employee and their family is.
While it is important that the HR team know where their employees are at all times, it is never more so that when a country experiences civil unrest. Be sure you have appropriate systems in place to be able to immediately access emergency contact numbers and get people moved quickly, either through coordination with a call center or through on-site services.
Look for a hands-on company
Even a seamless relocation is stressful. Your employees deserve a relocation consultant willing to invest in them personally. The best relocation management companies make human interaction a fundamental part of their approach, whose consultants take personal interest in each assignees’ needs, not simply handing the work over to vendors.
At CapRelo, we treat each individual employee as our highest priority, not a number on a database, and that is one reason for our 96% transferee satisfaction rate. We always put ourselves in their situation – what would I need, what would I do, what are my concerns – and that’s what makes us different.
Learn more about our award-winning approach to relocation management. Contact us.
