Dublin Session - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – Being a Valued Player in the Talent Mobility Ecosystem

By Susan Ginsberg, Founder/Managing Principal at SRG ADVISORY

Becky Woods, Senior Director, Global Mobility at ADP; Karen Rehn, Director, Consulting Solutions at Equus Software and Susan Ginsberg, Founder/Managing Principal at SRG ADVISORY led an interactive session that weaved together EuRA’s new mission, “Collaboration, Inspiration, Education, and Joy,” as shared by EuRA President, Alistair Murray. The session objectives were:

• Attracting, influencing, and retaining the interest of HR/Mobility decision-makers

• Maintaining service providers’ hardearned trust and credibility with their corporate clients

• Being a consultative part of a client’s supply chain

The speakers talked about unconventional thinking as critical to adapting to changing expectations of mobility partnerships.

Transformational work and digitized environments play key roles in how partnerships change. All the attendees agreed that digitization plays a role in their business processes and represents what their clients and customers expect from them in service delivery.

Becky and Karen highlighted the speed of change and shifting business priorities. The shift encompasses the demand for work flexibility to attract and retain talent which strengthens the adaptability of a company to operate sustainably. Employees’ increasing demands include enhanced collaboration and broader workplace benefits which support their well-being. As such, Global Mobility professionals must navigate the turbulence and change sparked by employee expectations and anticipate new ways in which work is performed.

At the same time, mobility teams are being asked to do more with less: smaller budgets, fewer people on their teams. Human Resources and Mobility leaders are being asked to find more flexible ways of doing business. Becky commented that, “The role of mobility is expanding. They are having to support assignments and permanent transfers, plus business traveler and remote worker compliance.” Karen added that, “Our corporate clients are being asked to handle complianceonly immigration case for foreign local hires.”

The three panelists introduced the emergence of provider ecosystems. An ecosystem in business is the network of organizations – including suppliers, customers, competitors, and corporates – that is involved in the delivery of a specific service. That service is delivered through collaboration, cooperation, and competition. To be successful and deliver meaningful outcomes, the ecosystem needs to constantly evolve – flexibility and agility are key to thriving. Ecosystems in mobility are becoming more prevalent and rely on cooperation across all providers. Karen added that, “This cooperation fuels the need for access to data and real-time information updates to drive efficiency and an enhanced customer experience.”

Becky talked about her core service providers as trusted advisors. From her point of view, being a trusted thought leader means, “Identifying trends and proactively recommending them, sharing relevant data in a timely manner and anticipating a client’s needs before being asked.”

The speakers clarified how to get started being a valued player in the Talent Mobility ecosystem:

1. Assess the current state of your business and adopt digital tools with purpose. Establish strategic partnerships and be a trusted partner.

2. Explore whether your operating model is flexible and responsive.

3. Get aligned with your clients’ purpose. Find the right balance for the delivery of the human touch with technology.

4. Fully engage in the ecosystem, including sustainability and corporate social governance.

The speakers believe that by implementing these action steps, all the players in the Talent Mobility ecosystem can help bring the industry to the talent table.

Susan concluded the session by reminding the attendees that, “By opening the aperture and doing business unconventionally beyond industry boundaries, we will all be more adept at fulfilling client and customer needs. We can create more value than what each of us can achieve alone.”

Watch the Session on our YouTube Channel