Don't these HR priorities all point to the need for a great mobility program?

Tis the season for “trends” discussions. Plus's own Global Mobility Trends survey has recently closed, and we are working on the synthesis to share insights soon. But while we parse through the data, let's consider what other surveys are revealing across HR, Talent, and Mobility. I bumped into this one article prompted by a survey report by Cornell University's School of Industrial Labor Relations Center for Advanced Human Resources Studies (longest name e-v-e-r!) shared by Human Resource Executive. The survey shares the top priorities for Human Resources for the coming year. The big seven themes (focus areas) are:

1. Transformation and Evolution
2. Talent Management
3. Technology
4. Employee Experience
5. Leadership Development & Succession Planning
6. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
7. Well-Being

Transformation and evolution jumping from third place last year to first place this year is not a surprise. “Given all the disruption that companies have been facing, both in their business and from the broader environment with geopolitical issues, I wasn’t really surprised to see transformation on the top of the list this year,” says Cornell’s Brad Bell, professor in strategic HR and director of the center. Transformation and evolution include HR transformation, culture evolution, and hybrid work evolution as the top issues. HR leaders are specifically focused on transformation within HR, such as keeping their companies agile while increasing efficiency and operational excellence, Bell says. 

In global mobility, 2024's potential big theme will be “Agility”. Mobility leaders, like other HR and business leaders, need to be ready for anything in 2024. They’ll continue to look to empower employees by providing better options, more choice and greater control for a more personalized experience that can quickly flex to the situation without creating a poor experience or increasing costs. Expect AI to support both agility and employee experience! All seven of the above themes relate back to areas of focus for mobility teams. A great talent mobility program can (and should) address as many of these priorities as possible.