Aligning global mobility and talent management: One System
Aligning global mobility and talent management into one system is a game changer. Traditionally, there was something of a wall between an organization’s talent management division and those responsible for the global mobility of employees. Often, this wall was more about apathy or ignorance than any actual organizational policies. Most companies simply did not make it a priority to have those responsible for talent management collaborate with those working in global mobility.
However, those days are in the past, and for good reason. Now, we recognize that in order to most effectively leverage an organization’s global personnel assets, global mobility and talent management must be aligned.
Furthermore, it’s important to understand that this cannot – and should not – be an ad hoc process. Instead, your organization needs to create a structure around global mobility that places your talent managers at the center of the mobility universe. Ensuring the alignment of talent management and global mobility needs to be a priority for your organization, but it also needs to be a part of a systematic process constructed with forethought and wisdom.
Keep Your Eye On The Ball
If you examine the history of devastating mistakes, whether made by a government social program, a military unit or a private sector company, one consistent element re-appears time and time again: a disconnect between the entity’s objectives and the actions it takes. Too many organizations do things without a firm understanding of how these things will help them achieve their goals. Quite often, in fact, organizations take actions without any sense of what they’re trying to achieve.
How does this relate to global mobility and talent management? Put simply, you need to have a goal in mind when you launch a global mobility program. And you need to ensure that when you send employees around the world, you do so in a way that achieves those goals.
You can conceptualize these goals in two ways. First, think of what you want to achieve in a larger sense with your entire relocation and global mobility programs. Second, zoom down to individual cases – what are you hoping to achieve with each particular assignment and relocation?
For many companies with a global reach, an international assignment is often considered a pre-requisite for long-term advancement. If an employee wants to move up in the organization, he or she has to be willing to go through an international relocation and work in an office outside their home country. In this case, an international assignment is as much about talent development as it is business operations.
On the other hand, sometimes an international assignment is simply a matter of achieving a specific goal. You need to staff a new office or find someone to meet a need in another location. In these cases, you’re less concerned about developing a future leader than you are finding the right fit for the specific role.
We can’t tell you which approach is right for your business – only you can do that. However, the point is simple – define your objectives, whatever they may be. And select your talent/individuals to support your assignment needs in a way that meets those objectives.
How A Systematic Approach Can Help You Meet Your Goals
Once you’ve set your goals for your global mobility program, you can begin to align global mobility and talent management in the fashion that’s right for your business. Ensuring these divisions work together for the betterment of your organization and your relocated employees will prove exceptionally advantageous.
How can you do this? The key is to take a systematic approach to both talent management and global mobility. You need to build a relocation structure in which these divisions are integrated. Everyone involved has access to the information they need to make the right decisions and assignments. Working on a case-by-case basis isn’t adequate to the complexity of your task.
The good news is that while this isn’t easy, you don’t have to build such a system from scratch. Equus Software offers a number of solutions that can help you build this integrated system and manage your global mobility program in an informed and intelligent manner.
For example, with the Equus Ecosystem, we can help you use Equus technologies to integrate your organizational resources, vendors and other external suppliers. Ensuring everyone is on the same page and working with the same information. The AssignmentPro global mobility software leverages the Equus Ecosystem to connect to your entire network of suppliers for real-time access to all global mobility data to make smart, evidence-based decisions, innovate and add value to the wider business.
This connected system not only lets you see the status of any given assignment and mobile employee, but you can also leverage the integrated technology to help determine and chart the employee’s career path and determine if he or she is well-suited for another assignment.
If you’re facing the challenge of aligning your talent management and global mobility divisions and you want to speak to Equus Software about finding a product that’s right for your company, please contact us online. We’ll work with you to find a global mobility solution that meets your company’s unique needs.
