Judging the journey: The "Peak-End" Principle in Global Mobility

Mobility and HR leaders invest significant resources in optimizing each touchpoint of an employee’s move. But despite our best efforts to make every detail smooth and efficient, psychology tells us that people don’t remember experiences the way we think they do.

According to the peak-end rule, a concept developed by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and psychologist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, people evaluate experiences based primarily on:

The peak: the most emotionally intense moment (positive or negative).

The end: the final moment or closing impression.

If we take this research at face value, it has a lot of implications for how we design, evaluate, and elevate employee journeys. Why? Because relocation almost always involves an intricate web of vendors, policies, service providers, and cultural variables. A single assignment can span months (and sometime years) and cross continents, requiring collaboration between HR, talent acquisition, relocation partners, and the employee’s family.

And yet what employees remember most from their relocation will likely boil down to two emotional anchors: a high (or low) point and how the process concluded.

In the article, Why Customers Aren’t Remembering Your CX the Way You Think They Are, InsideBE explains that understanding this means two things:

1. Maximizing every touchpoint may not be the most effective CX strategy.
2. Designing for peak moments and ending well can disproportionately enhance satisfaction and loyalty.

For mobility, that means focusing on three specific areas:

1. Craft Peak Moments with Intentionality

The question isn’t just about delivering on every step of a policy. The question is also “ Are we delivering any truly memorable moments across the mobility journey?”

Positive emotional peaks might include:

• A destination consultant who goes above and beyond to find a perfect-fit neighborhood.
• A thoughtful welcome gift or message aligned with an assignee’s family needs.
• Resolving a complex issue with speed, empathy, and transparency.

The keys are responsiveness and personalization. High-impact moments are not about scale, they're more about timeliness, relevance and human connection.

Conversely, negative peaks can damage the entire perception of the experience. A poorly handled visa delay or missed expectations at destination can outweigh dozens of smooth interactions. Program leaders must proactively map out these risk points and build in contingency support, escalation protocols, and training focused on empathy.

2. Design a Strong, Satisfying Ending

The final impression of a relocation often happens after the move-in: during the handover, the first day at work, or in follow-up conversations with HR or the relocation counselor.

This “end” moment is a critical opportunity to reinforce trust and satisfaction.

• After confirming that they feel that move is complete, deliver a personalized message celebrating the completion of the move for them.
• Ask for feedback with a focus on how the employee feels now, rather than just logistical performance.
• Offer continued support or introductions to local networks to help with long-term adjustment.

A relocation that ends with acknowledgment, warmth, and a sense of arrival is one that employees are more likely to remember and speak about positively.

3. Rethink How We Measure Success

Traditional customer experience metrics like satisfaction scores or NPS are valuable, but they may not capture how employees actually remember their journey.

To realign metrics with memory, consider:

• Asking questions like: What was the most memorable part of your relocation? or How did you feel at the end of the process?
• Often, it's helpful to evaluate emotional touchpoints during journey mapping exercises.
• Consider using qualitative data to complement quantitative performance metrics.

This mindset shift can also inform vendor scorecards, policy reviews, and training programs—ensuring that emotional impact is part of the ROI calculation.

Thoughts for Mobility and HR Leaders

The other reality is that survey response rates have generally been declining over the past few decades. The problem with that can be that a particular single experience can weigh heavily on the perception of the overall program. One new option for considering is AI sentiment analysis that might look at text-based interactions via email and chat (also known as Natural Language Processing - NPL), voice analysis that detects tone, pitch and pauses to analyze sentiment, and video/facial recognition technology that can analyze facial expressions and micro-expressions. 

Remember that mobility is more than movement. Ultimately it’s about people in transition. As stewards of that journey, HR and global mobility leaders have a unique opportunity to influence not just the outcome of a relocation, but how it’s remembered. Memorable relocation experiences are built on emotional resonance and intentional endings.