What are the best practices for designing a global mobility policy?

1 Define your goals and scope

The first step in designing a global mobility policy is to define your goals and scope. What are the strategic reasons for sending employees abroad? How do you measure the success and return on investment of your global mobility program? How do you align your global mobility policy with your talent management and diversity and inclusion strategies? How do you categorize and differentiate the types of assignments and destinations you offer? These are some of the questions you need to answer to establish a clear vision and direction for your global mobility policy.

2 Assess your budget and resources

The next step in designing a global mobility policy is to assess your budget and resources. How much can you afford to spend on your global mobility program? What are the main cost drivers and how can you optimize them? How do you allocate your budget across different regions and assignment types? What are the internal and external resources you need to support your global mobility program? How do you leverage technology and data to streamline your processes and enhance your decision making? These are some of the questions you need to answer to manage your global mobility program efficiently and effectively.

3 Design your benefits and packages

The third step in designing a global mobility policy is to design your benefits and packages. What are the core and optional benefits you offer to your assignees and their families? How do you balance the needs and expectations of your employees with the market standards and best practices? How do you ensure consistency and fairness across different assignment types and destinations? How do you address the tax and legal implications of your benefits and packages? These are some of the questions you need to answer to create a competitive and compliant global mobility policy.

4 Communicate and educate

The fourth step in designing a global mobility policy is to communicate and educate. How do you inform and engage your stakeholders about your global mobility policy? How do you promote and market your global mobility program to your potential and current employees? How do you provide clear and timely information and guidance to your assignees and their managers throughout the assignment lifecycle? How do you train and develop your global mobility team and other relevant functions? These are some of the questions you need to answer to build a strong and positive global mobility culture.

5 Monitor and evaluate

The fifth step in designing a global mobility policy is to monitor and evaluate. How do you track and measure the performance and impact of your global mobility program? How do you collect and analyze feedback from your assignees, their managers, and other stakeholders? How do you identify and address the risks and challenges of your global mobility program? How do you review and update your global mobility policy based on the changing business needs, market trends, and employee preferences? These are some of the questions you need to answer to ensure continuous improvement and innovation of your global mobility policy.

6 Integrate and support

The sixth and final step in designing a global mobility policy is to integrate and support. How do you integrate your global mobility program with your other talent management processes and systems? How do you support your assignees before, during, and after their assignments? How do you facilitate their transition and integration into their new locations and roles? How do you recognize and reward their contributions and achievements? How do you retain and leverage their skills and experiences for your future business growth? These are some of the questions you need to answer to maximize the value and potential of your global mobility program.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?