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The Bridge

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The Bridge

Do you want to amp up your company generated business game? The Bridge is where the real estate, relocation and mobility industry can discover how taking a new path doesn’t have to be scary. Teresa R. Howe is an expert in her field with years of successful program and services development and management. She has a passion for helping companies be the best they can be. Do you want more revenue, more customers and better experience management? Get tips on how to compete more effectively in a world of constant change and disruption. You might also come across some random thoughts that just pop into her head.

The Changing Face of Corporate Global Mobility Management

While we have all struggled in different ways through the last two years personally and professionally, we all have our own perspectives on the challenges. Some companies have sailed through the pandemic based on savvy leadership or demand for services. While real estate fared way better than anyone ever believed it would, relocation opportunities shifted from corporate relocation to self-motivated moves. So the relocation departments of real estate companies that were able to pivot, fared as well or even better than years prior.

I recently attended a Southern California Relocation Council event where a corporate panel spoke. If any group in our industry has been strained to adapt with no clear roadmap, it is the global mobility benefits and HR professionals in corporations.

All three of the companies represented, James Luna, InstaCart, Danielle Clark, LinkedIn, and Eileen MacDonald, Thermo Fisher Scientific, were what they self-identified prior to Covid as ‘office driven’ cultures. Here are some of the things they have learned and continue to manage in real-time:

  • LinkedIn has allowed the internal teams to self-govern and determine if they are ‘in office’ or hybrid. Only about 15% are fully remote at this point

  • People still want to move, but some companies require there be a facility near the areas where they want to move

  • They are all still struggling with tracking employees that picked up and moved without notifying their employer

  • One of the employers has limited remote work requests to 30-45 days.

  • One of them said when their employees request a self-move, they need to provide a rationale for that move

  • Those that have delayed relocations and put their moves on hold are now reaching the end of their benefits grace period. Many of those grace periods were extended. They have to make a decision if they are going or not very soon.

  • InstaCart is instituting compensation localization for those requesting self-moves to lower-priced markets. They do not do compensation localization for offered moves

  • Some aren’t contributing to the cost of self-moves but will give those employees access to resources to help them manage their own move

  • Some are not honoring requests for self-moves to high tax areas

  • They are all still struggling to put together policies for new hires that will allow hybrid work but still encourage collaboration

  • Many are in the process of paring down office space. One of the companies offers access to a ‘book a desk’ app to allow staff to come into an office to work for the day

  • LinkedIn has changed the name of its Global Mobility Team to the Flex Work Mobility Team

These various insights were not necessarily reflected by each participant or company. The main message was that they are still evolving their policies and practices to try and achieve satisfaction for the employees and continue to encourage collaboration and work production. It was clear the top leadership of these organizations have not fully embraced remote work, but understand that it is permanently a part of their culture. The mobility teams are left to try and execute the ever evolving policies and employee demands as their leadership wades through the ramifications of their policy changes.  

Teresa Howe