I recently had the opportunity to present and share survey findings from our recent benchmark on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Global Mobility. I was very pleased that the webinar was so well-received and relevant to the global mobility community.
Shortly after the webinar, two attendees contacted me to ask what I thought are good areas of focus as DE&I initiatives are often impinged by stringent rules around the recognition of marriages and families in different countries across Asia.
While we always recommend that clients use inclusive best practices, country laws will always prevail. If assignees do not meet the host country’s legal requirements, companies could provide unaccompanied assignments with more support such as offering more home leave and air tickets so that family ties can be maintained. Companies can also consider an alternate location with more flexible immigration practices—a win-win situation for both the assignee and company.
One attendee asked if there are examples of initiatives that are more relevant to companies in Asia in general. The concept of taking care of elderly parents is still very relevant in Asia. I believe that if companies start providing adequate support in this area, potential assignees will come forward, and this will ultimately benefit the companies.
During the webinar, I recommended that diversity would increase if companies put themselves in the mindset to ask, “Can all employees regardless of their situation have the same opportunities to be considered for as assignment?”
DE&I is an initiative that takes more than making policy changes. It takes empathy, willingness to listen, and finding a solution. We introduced the usage of adaptability benefits, a special fund allocated to address DE&I scenarios, and how it would be invariably different to an exception. Adaptability benefits are used to help create a level playing field for all employees to have equal consideration and access for international assignments.
I believe all companies have room to improve on DE&I as it is not only addressing a certain group or demographic. It is about championing an individual. The most successful organizations embrace diversity. This is evident when we look at the most successful companies as different people from diverse backgrounds collaborate to build strong organizations.
