Regional Global Mobility Trends for EMEA

AIRINC's 2024 Mobility Outlook Survey explors trends in global mobility, highlighting some key differences between the EMEA market and general market practices. The survey highlights the evolving and regionally-distinct nature of global mobility. Understanding these trends is crucial for mobility specialists to design effective programs that meet both global and EMEA-specific objectives. 

Here's a quick look at some of the key themes:

• Mobility's scope has expanded, with a 45% increase in overall mobility activities expected in EMEA. This reflects mobility's strategic importance in (and into) the region.
• Complexity in managing diverse mobility use cases is a challenge, with 49% of EMEA participants seeking to improve their approach.
• Ensuring a positive employee experience is a priority, with EMEA companies focused on meeting diverse employee expectations.
• In EMEA, mobility is increasingly integrated into broader business and talent strategy, leading to a focus on upskilling mobility staff.

There are also some unique elements for relocating within Europe:

• Fewer European companies have immigration-only cases, likely due to more comprehensive mobility strategies and greater freedom of movement within the EU.
• There's a 12% increase in international remote work in Europe, aligning with the global shift to flexible work.
• Corporate domestic transfers are much less common in Europe (8%) compared to the global average (44%), with cross-border moves being more prevalent.

Based on the survey, here are some ways mobility teams can leverage the findings to improve your mobility strategies:

Expand the Scope of Mobility Programs
The survey indicates a 45% increase in overall mobility activities in EMEA, reflecting mobility's strategic importance. Mobility teams should respond by expanding the scope of their programs to accommodate a wider range of assignment types, from short-term to long-term, domestic to international. This will ensure the mobility function is agile and reactive and allows for alignment with changing business needs.

Enhance Flexibility and Adaptability
With 49% of EMEA participants seeking to improve their approach to managing diverse mobility use cases, mobility teams should focus on developing more flexible policies and processes. This could involve implementing technology solutions, adding a greater variety of benefits, creating more choice of benefits for employees, cross-training team members, and establishing standardized frameworks that can be tailored to different scenarios.

Prioritize Employee Experience
Given the emphasis on providing a positive employee experience, mobility teams should invest in understanding the diverse needs and expectations of assignees. This may involve gathering more robust feedback (qualitative interviewing), analyzing pain points, and designing tailored support programs for specific employee groups, such as single parents.

Strengthen Strategic Advisory Capabilities
The survey highlights how mobility teams are taking on a more strategic advisory role within their companies. Mobility professionals should upskill and develop their advising capabilities to provide valuable insights that inform broader talent and business strategies. One way to do that would be use mobility data to help identify other talent problems and recommend solutions. Insights gained from accurate data and analytics help build trust with other stakeholders and business leaders within your organization.

Adapt to Regional Differences
EMEA has some unique trends right now. Recognizing specifics like the lower prevalence of domestic transfers and higher rates of international remote work, mobility teams can tailor their strategies and policies to address regional nuances. This may involve benchmarking against local practices and collaborating with regional stakeholders to optimize your program.