Outsourcing in the global mobility world


Global mobility is shifting toward a highly targeted, strategic role in order to fill gaps in skills and provide international experience for employees who are progressing towards senior management roles, writes Marianne Curphey.


T


hese are the findings of ECA International’s 2025 Managing Mobility Survey, which found


that global mobility has a high strategic value and is increasingly being recognised as crucial for expertise transfer and company growth. ECA International reports that organisations are strategically deploying talent to address skills gaps and provide international experience for potential senior management, and there is a clear shift towards more strategic work for mobility professionals, with transactional responsibilities


increasingly automated or outsourced.


OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL MOBILITY STRATEGIES The research reveals several significant trends including rising costs, a move towards outsourcing some of the mobility function, and a need for an upgrade in technology in order to meet the new demands of the role. The Managing Mobility Survey


found that 95 per cent of firms now outsource at least one mobility function, strategically using international assignments to bridge skills gaps and fuel business growth. This is despite ongoing challenges like family-related assignment


failures, rising administrative costs (up to $9,800 USD annually per long-term assignment), and slow tech adoption (only 3 per cent satisfaction with mobility tech). ECA International gathered


insights from 262 organisations across 30 countries and found that many failed assignments were due to difficulties with the assignee or family settling in their new country. While money was the primary focus when employees were deciding whether or not to take up the assignment, it was often culture shock which actually derailed the assignment once they were in their new role. Family concerns remain


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GLOBAL MOBILITY


STRATE GIC OUTSOURCING


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