In addition, a significant portion
of mobility is now employee- initiated, particularly among early-career professionals eager to broaden their horizons. Companies are designing programmes that accommodate this demand but often are capping costs or offering fewer incentives than they would to top executives. She also points out that not all
“ I do see organisations looking now at who wants to go on assignment, who has the right skill set, and who has the profile that could be most successful for a mobility opportunity. That could include cultural adaptability, fit, flexibility, and softer skills.”
EILEEN MULLANEY, GLOBAL LEADER, WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION & MANAGED SERVICES, VIALTO
One of the most significant
causes of assignment failure remains family dissatisfaction. To mitigate this, organisations can offer cultural training, but they can also think more carefully about how to find someone who will be the best fit for the assignment. There are a couple of different areas where an assignment might be at risk of failure, she says. “One is if the person or their
family is not really suitable for the mobility opportunity. I do see organisations looking now at who wants to go on assignment, who has the right skill set, and who has the profile that could be most successful for a mobility opportunity. That could include cultural adaptability, fit, flexibility, and softer skills that you typically wouldn’t assess during a performance evaluation.”
GENERATIONAL SHIFTS & STRATEGIC TALENT DEVELOPMENT She says the demographics of global mobility have also undergone a dramatic transformation. Where once 80% of mobile employees were executives, in some industries today that number has fallen to as low as 1%. This shift reflects a broader, more intentional strategy where mobility is no longer a perk for senior leaders but a deliberate talent development tool across career stages.
14
organisations approach mobility in the same way. In some cases, mobility is tightly coupled with talent development while in others it is driven by business requirements such as market expansion or project needs. The key differentiator lies in how well mobility is aligned with organisational talent strategies. “Today’s talent shortages, geopolitical disruption, mounting regulatory complexity, and speed- to-deploy demands need strategic foresight, not just operational management,” she says. “But most organisations still underuse the one function built for this moment.”
THE DATA GAP IS MOBILITY’S BIGGEST CREDIBILITY RISK The Vialto survey reveals a major blind spot – that many organisations lack the data to prove the impact of global work on business outcomes. Despite growing expectations, most teams still can’t demonstrate how their work supports talent development, employee retention, or strategic goals.
• 44% of teams do not track core success metrics, from employee satisfaction to stakeholder alignment.
• 76% do not track post assignment outcomes, making it difficult to demonstrate long-term value or career impact.
Without visibility into outcomes, global work remains disconnected from business planning and companies risk underestimating one of their most strategic levers for talent and growth. Eileen says cost containment
remains a persistent challenge in mobility management. The traditional model of offering fully funded, home-based packages to all assignees is becoming increasingly
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74
