Global mobility teams are navigating a period of rapid evolution—balancing operational complexity with rising expectations for strategic impact. At AIRINC’s most recent Strategic Leaders Roundtable, participants from a diverse group of multinational organizations came together to discuss the realities of managing modern mobility programs: the opportunities, the challenges, and the shifts reshaping how mobility delivers value. Their conversation surfaced shared themes that cut across industries and organizational structures. Here’s what stood out.

1. A Clearer Picture of Today’s Mobility Function

The session began with findings from AIRINC’s recent survey on the state of the global mobility function. While every organization has its nuances, clear patterns are emerging:

  • Mobility most commonly sits within Total Rewards, although some teams sit under HR Operations, Shared Services, or Talent.
  • Centralization remains dominant: 58% of organizations use a centralized model, while 35% operate hybrid structures.
  • Vendor reliance is high, with 76% of organizations partially outsourcing mobility.
  • Technology remains an obstacle—61% still lean heavily on Excel despite investments in platforms.
  • Only 31% track total program costs consistently, which limits the function’s ability to show strategic value.

Roundtable participants echoed these trends to a greater or lesser extent. Interestingly, initially there was collective surprise at the heavy ongoing reliance on Excel, However, following some discussion, most admitted still using it regularly, albeit for reporting, quick calculations or maths checking. Many confirmed that while transformation efforts are underway, legacy processes, manual workarounds, and fragmented systems still affect their ability to quantify impact and demonstrate mobility’s broader business contribution.

2. Technology Adoption: Progress, But Still a Work in Progress

Participants discussed the range of mobility technology platforms in use across their organizations and the ongoing efforts to enhance digital capabilities. While many teams have implemented tools to support assignment management, reporting, and the employee experience, Excel still plays a meaningful role in day-to-day activities, helping bridge gaps between systems and support legacy processes. The conversation highlighted common realities of managing mobility technology, such as navigating system implementations and updates; adjusting to changes in support structures over time; working within configuration or functionality constraints; ensuring accurate calculations and data outputs; and managing the transfer and consolidation of data during technology transitions. This led to a broader discussion on the importance of strong data governance practices, including clarity around data ownership, access, and archival needs. Participants agreed that maintaining reliable historical data is essential as technology ecosystems continue to evolve.

3. Simplifying Processes While Staying Compliant

Mobility rarely fits neatly inside traditional HR processes. As participants discussed, complexity often stems from hypo tax, immigration, payroll alignment, and compliance requirements—areas not easily simplified. Still, innovation is happening. Companies shared examples such as reducing split pays to streamline payroll, aligning employees more closely with host-country compensation, and redesigning workflows to reduce handoffs and stakeholder involvement. However, full integration with HR systems remains difficult. Teams noted that driving simplification often requires substantial change management and upskilling for HR partners to ensure processes remain compliant and functional.

4. Rethinking Operating Models and Mobility Roles

Many organizations are reexamining how mobility is structured and delivered. The conversation highlighted several shifts: clearer definitions between governance and operations; consolidating process ownership into single points of contact; greater involvement from shared service centers; increasing outsourcing of operational tasks; adoption of case ownership models to reduce back-and-forth between home and host teams; and introduction of mobility partner roles supporting the full lifecycle. These evolving models reflect a broader push toward clarity, accountability, and tighter alignment with HR and business stakeholders.

5. The Enduring Importance of Tax Expertise

While most tax calculations are handled by external providers, internal tax acumen remains essential. Participants agreed that tax literacy enhances mobility’s credibility, improves coordination with payroll, and helps teams interpret guidance and communicate effectively with employees. Several organizations emphasized the value of having dedicated tax experts in-house—not only to navigate complexity but also to upskill mobility colleagues through training, co-working, and knowledge sharing.

6. A Shared Vision for the Future of Mobility

Despite differences in team size, maturity, and structure, roundtable members expressed remarkably similar aspirations. Mobility leaders want to modernize and integrate technology, strengthen data accuracy and accessibility, simplify processes without compromising compliance, clarify ownership across stakeholders, align more closely with HR strategy, and elevate mobility’s role as a strategic partner. While the path looks different for every organization, the goals are consistent: build more connected, efficient, and future-ready mobility programs that enable businesses—and employees—to thrive.

AIRINC run various roundtables across the all of our regions. Contact us to learn more.

 

 

 

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