5 Strategic Ways Cross-Border Mobility Can Solve Talent Retention Challenges

The war for talent has entered a new era. Organizations are grappling with skills gaps, rising attrition, and employee expectations for flexibility and purpose. One tool stands out for its ability to engage, develop, and retain top performers: cross-border mobility.

According to EY’s Mobility Reimagined Survey, 90% of global companies see mobility as a way to address talent challenges, yet fewer than 40% have made it a core part of their talent strategy. WERC’s trends reinforce that evolved mobility functions are now central to workforce resilience and retention. When thoughtfully designed, mobility experiences help employees grow – and stay.

Here are the top five ways to leverage cross-border mobility for retention: 

1. Use Targeted International Assignments to Engage High-Potential Talent: Don’t wait until top performers are at risk of leaving. Be proactive. Identify emerging leaders and offer short-term or long-term global assignments aligned to their career paths and business needs. EY’s research shows these stretch opportunities build loyalty by expanding global mindsets, accelerating leadership readiness, and signaling clear investment in employee growth. Companies that embed international experiences into early-career pathways are seeing stronger retention downstream.
2. Enable Remote and Hybrid Cross-Border Work: Mobility is no longer just physical. With digital tools and flexible frameworks, many organizations now offer remote cross-border work or "work-from-anywhere" pilots. When properly supported and compliant, this option allows employees to maintain productivity while relocating for family or personal reasons, improve work-life balance, and stay with the company, even across borders! This flexibility can be the differentiator that keeps top talent in your ecosystem.
3. Make Knowledge Sharing and Global Collaboration the Norm: Mobility supports lateral learning – a powerful retention tool for mid-career professionals. Forming cross-border project teams and rotational roles encourages peer-to-peer learning across geographies, exposure to new markets, and development of global business fluency. WERC data shows that companies enabling these global collaborations are creating “stay factors” rooted in purpose, impact, and connection.
4. Build a Culture that Embraces and Rewards Mobility: Creating a culture of mobility means more than offering assignments. It requires transparent internal mobility pathways, positioning mobility as a leadership development track, and coaching managers on how to identify and support mobile talent. EY’s survey revealed a significant gap: employees want mobility opportunities, but many leaders aren’t equipped to champion them. Closing this gap can boost engagement and strengthen retention.
5. Provide End-to-End Support Across the Mobility Journey: 
   Mobility success hinges on the employee experience. From assignment planning to repatriation, retention improves when companies offer cultural and language training, family support, destination services, compliance guidance (legal, immigration, and tax), and career coaching before, during, and after the move. EY refers to this as an “evolved mobility function” – ensuring talent feels seen, supported, and set up for long-term success.

Bottom Line: Mobility Is Retention Strategy

Cross-border mobility isn’t just a relocation program—it’s a lever for solving some of today’s toughest talent challenges. Companies that reimagine mobility as a driver of retention and engagement will build a more agile, loyal, and future-ready workforce.

Cross-border mobility isn’t just a relocation program—it’s a catalyst for solving some of today’s toughest talent challenges. Companies that reimagine mobility as a driver of retention and engagement will build a more agile, loyal, and future-ready workforce.