Global mobility professionals lack confidence in the value they add and feel underrated, according to a research report from Santa Fe Relocation Services.
The 2016 Global Mobility Survey found, however, that 87% of business leaders felt mobility is doing well in nurturing and retaining talent. But less than two-thirds (63%) of mobility professionals themselves agreed. Similarly, while 40% of business leaders saw the global mobility function as well-aligned to the wider organisation, only 21% of mobility professionals felt well-aligned to the business.
Graeme Cade, client director at B2B market research firm Circle Research (which conducted the research), highlighted this difference in perceptions. “Senior executive leadership recognise the strategic value of the global mobility function for enabling business growth and developing talent to become tomorrow’s leaders,” he said. “Strikingly, mobility professionals themselves are struggling with a lack of confidence and morale; often feeling under-resourced and undervalued.”
The research suggested the difference in perception could be due to the challenge of demonstrating value. While 83% of business leaders believe that their global mobility team delivers ROI, only 53% of mobility professionals are measuring the ROI of individual assignments, and just 9% are always able to provide ROI measures for individual assignments.
Consequently, 57% of mobility professionals find it difficult or very difficult to effectively demonstrate the value of their team to the wider business. Despite this, 43% described demonstrating value as being easy, even with the widespread lack of ROI metrics.
“We have observed a profound data deficit in global mobility,” said Cade. “While it is believed to deliver value there is a lack of objective proof to substantiate the perception. Although business leaders have confidence in their mobility teams only one in five say that global mobility demonstrates its value extremely well. This is driving mobility professionals’ self-assessment of underperforming and of being isolated in the business.”
