ESG is firmly in the global mobility spotlight. Across all three pillars, mobility has a role to play. From reducing environmental impact, to positive social action and effective governance, there are a million and one things that Global Mobility could do to support the ESG agenda. With so much to focus on, it is easy to get bogged down in one area to the detriment of the rest. Taking a step back to look at the big picture and devising a plan of action can help to advance your ESG priorities across all three pillars.
In the second of our mini-series of blogs, we focus on mobility's partners & relationships highlighting some of our top tips for making your program sustainable across all three pillars.
Encourage vendors to offer sustainable options or adopt sustainable practices
Leveraging the Global Mobility ecosystem offers companies the chance to expand the impact of their environmental sustainability initiatives. Through targeted service level agreements, robust vendor selection, and effective reporting, companies can deliver continuous improvement in the environmental sustainability of their program. It is important to emphasize that this is not about abdicating responsibility and passing the buck to vendors. In our work in the market, we consistently find the most successful programs are those where the company and vendors work in close partnership to set goals and collectively make progress to achieve them.
Set objectives that support local talent growth and engage with the local community
Assignment objectives are often categorized into four main focus areas:
- Business objectives
- Performance objectives
- Development objectives
- Personal objectives
Supporting social sustainability objectives transcends all of these areas. Business objectives may, for example, include developing a local successor for the role while performance objectives could focus on growing the local market and increasing engagement. Similarly, development objectives may address cross-cultural adaptability and personal objectives may include learning a new language and building a network across the company. Whatever the assignment purpose, it is important to set goals, including social pillar objectives, to measure assignment success.
Compliance with all legal, fiscal, and social obligations
In AIRINC’s 2023 Mobility Outlook Survey, respondents said that Global Mobility’s compliance expertise is highly valued by the business. Compliance requirements have always been complex, but in a postpandemic and more protectionist world, the barriers keep getting higher. From extra immigration red tape to social measures such as the Posted Workers Directive, Global Mobility needs to ensure their organization is meeting its legal, fiscal, and social obligations. Global Mobility has a unique insight into global compliance issues and can use this experience to guide the business as it navigates the complexities of international talent deployment.
Getting the policy right can is a huge step forward in the drive to integrate ESG into Global Mobility.
For more ideas, read the full white paper here.
