Redefining mobility: The effect of remote work on moving across borders

?As I write this, I’m looking back at 12 different countries I lived in, and endless experiences I made on the way. All of this was only possible because I had the chance to work abroad, and this has just become much more accessible through remote work. As a global mobility platform, remote work is built into our DNA, and we're really proud to offer our employees the option to work from some of the most beautiful places the world has to offer.

Until a few years ago, the phrase global mobility brought up images of HR teams poring over paperwork, figuring out how to move a new employee from their home country to where the company office is located. Now, the term covers everything from international relocations and short-term assignments to managing remote and hybrid employees while ensuring local tax and social security compliance. It’s a lot, but it’s also the future of the workplace.?

Pre-pandemic, the concept of remote and flexible work started gaining momentum. While many employees wanted the option to work remotely, companies continued drawing a hard line in the sand. “It’s too difficult,” they would say. Then, in 2020, we were forced into it and found that it wasn’t as hard as we thought it would be. We made it work, and often with success. As we return to normal, many organisational leaders have returned to their old way of thinking. But I believe there’s no going back.?

How the pandemic affected mobility

Finally, we’re learning to co-exist with Covid-19. With mass vaccination programs and borders reopening, we’ve returned to some version of “normal.” But the workplace has changed: we’ve seen years of technological advancement crammed into two, a record number of unicorns and global venture funding, and a range of new workplace trends. As Einstein once said, “in the midst of every crisis lies a great opportunity,” and I think we did well to seize those opportunities. Ultimately, it’s been both a significantly challenging and exciting time for workplace development. But can we keep it up?

One trend that many employees worldwide would like to keep is the option to work remotely. However, now that offices have reopened, CEOs are asking their staff to return. This is despite the fact that during the pandemic, ? of companies had their international employees/hires performing their job temporarily from another country. In that time, communication and remote work technologies vastly improved. And yet, remote work doesn’t seem to be as “here to stay” as we had once predicted.?

?Source: Mercer Mobility Exchange

Out of curiosity, I searched for Remote jobs on Linkedin and was left with about one-fifth of available positions. Out of those, most required occasional travel, regular on-site meetings, or quarterly team trips, which remains a challenge for potential employees who reside in countries with pandemic restrictions still in place. It seems that what was once considered a dire need is now a mere ideal that many organisations may fail to reach. That doesn’t mean remote work is going anywhere; it means companies need to catch up.

?Crown World Mobility recently published a report highlighting the top 3 global mobility trends and innovations in 2022, and of course, international remote work and flexible working make their way into the findings. In their words, companies will need to decide how flexible working fits into their strategies and consider “compliance requirements alongside today’s recruitment and retention requirements for having flexible work options.” Whether we like it or not, potential employees view remote work options as a “need” rather than a “nice-to-have.”

?As company leaders moving into the next phase of global mobility, we need to clearly define what remote means to us and how it fits into our organisational strategies. Ultimately, we must decide if it’s truly something we want to invest in (although the evidence for workplace flexibility is overwhelmingly positive!).

Companies are hesitant to adopt ongoing remote work policies

Before the pandemic, the concept of remote work wasn’t too popular with company leaders. Questions around productivity, effective communication and collaboration, and trust arose pretty frequently and understandably. Without the right training and education, allowing employees to work remotely from home or elsewhere can have drawbacks.?

Then came Covid-19. We were forced into a remote work setup for almost two years, and it wasn’t so bad! In many ways, it was actually highly effective. Despite the apparent success of remote work, many companies (and extremely well-known CEOs *ahem* Elon Musk) still harbour plenty of reservations about adopting ongoing remote work policies now that the world has returned to some version of normal. And here’s why.?

The belief that hours = output

The popularity of remote work has highlighted our susceptibility to not trusting our teams unless we can see them face-to-face. Equating hours with output results in an unfortunate bias that many organisational leaders have had to overcome during the last couple of years, and it’s been proven to us that our teams can produce the expected results without needing to be in the office.??

Managing a hybrid office is hard work!

When managing remote and hybrid employees, leaders have much more to keep track of. They have to consider the best times to hold meetings so everyone can be involved, ensure the technology they implement is up to date and effective, and ensure their remote and out-of-office employees feel included and heard. With these factors in mind, the apprehension of many workplace leaders is understandable – although not impossible to overcome.?

Creating a company culture that thrives isn’t easy. Many leaders seem to take for granted the benefits of the bonds that form over morning coffees, watercooler chat, and lunchtime arrangements. This has certainly been a challenge for us at Localyze, and having these elements taken away from us entirely over the last couple of years showed us what our cultures were really made of. However, now that we’re aware of what it takes to maintain that connection and by communicating with our teams, we know what it takes to create a hybrid culture that thrives.

Logistical challenges

Allowing employees to operate from anywhere introduces logistical challenges, like managing tax and social security compliance, payroll, and keeping on top of any immigration policy changes. On the bright side, there are plenty of organizations that companies can partner with that take that hassle out for you.?

Being concerned about the challenges above is completely understandable. And although I’m a huge advocate of remote and hybrid work setups, I’d be lying if I said they didn’t come with any hurdles. But I truly believe that these challenges can be overcome, and company leaders who have global mobility policies have the power to adapt processes and introduce tools that support this new way of working.?

Source: The 2021 Global Employee Survey – Globalization Partners

Remote work and hybrid offices aren’t going anywhere

We’re in the midst of the Great Resignation, awaiting an impending recession, and facing an incredible talent shortage in the years to come. When we think about how our global mobility policies fit in with this future, we have to be open to creating remote and hybrid workplaces. In the war for talent, this is how we’ll win.?

1. Shaping global mobility into strategic business objectives

It’s easy to distill mobility strategies into day-to-day tasks and challenges rather than seeing the bigger picture. Often conversations around mobility are focussed on costs of relocation packages, logistics and compliance for remote workers, and so on, which have their place but are easy to get lost in. Alongside these, we also discuss how our global mobility policies fit into our broader business strategies and objectives. Relocating or setting up a remote employee is not the objective, and instead, we, as a global mobility platform, focus on:

• Diversifying our talent pool – gaining access to international talents allows us to find highly-skilled employees in a much shorter time.?
• Addressing key skill shortages – rather than relying on the local talent market, which is oversaturated with demand, we can look beyond our borders to fill our hard-to-fill positions.
• Increasing employee engagement and retention – Since we’ve offered employees the opportunity to work from anywhere, we’re more likely to retain them. They are more productive, satisfied and engaged.

?On top of that, allowing your employees to work at least in a hybrid setup improves absenteeism and encourages better health outcomes for employees (like work-life balance and mental health), which leads to greater workplace satisfaction and engagement.

2. What the people want

?Now that companies are asking their employees to return to the office, many wonder why they need to. What was once a potential workplace experiment was catapulted into reality, and working from home and remotely was proven to be largely successful (for those whose work is mainly on computers). And the data is there. A recent report from Global Workplace Analytics revealed that 82% of workers want to work remotely for at least one day per week post-pandemic. I know that our own employees appreciate the option to spend a few months in a warmer climate over winter or to be able to go home and see their families more regularly, all while working. I certainly appreciate that for myself.?

?Source: The Business Case for Remote Work Report 2021 – Global Workplace Analytics

3. The future of the office?

?Whether we like it or not, the future of the office will never be the same. And maybe we were due for a change – we didn’t go from closed cubicle offices to open plan floors for no reason. When considering the office's role in the future of work, I like how Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky, put it: “The office has to do something a home can’t do.” And leaders need to consider that – what is something my employees gain from coming into the office that they can’t gain if working remotely? The most obvious answer to that is culture and collaboration, which most employees actually want. But you don’t necessarily need an office for that – a week-long company retreat once a quarter could become an option, or creating smaller hubs for where your employees are distributed is another. At least, that’s what we’re aiming for at Localyze. When choosing to adopt remote and hybrid work setups, the options are endless, and what might work for one company might not for another. It’s up to you (and your employees) to decide.

Going forward

Over time, the office has continued to adapt and change, and if remote work strategies and hybrid setups aren’t something company leaders want to invest in now, they will have to eventually.?

While the challenges presented by remote and hybrid setups seem impossible – they’re not. Many companies already operate entirely remotely, and others are committed to developing hybrid setups for their employees. Those companies will see greater access to talent and higher levels of engagement as a result. Remote work and hybrid workplaces are no longer corporate experiments – they are happening now and they’re not going anywhere.?