AIRINC (Associates for International Research, Inc.)

1. How has COVID-19 impacted buying and selling real estate in the United States and Canada? Typically, the hope is for a linear path for the homebuying and home selling process. Most of the time, there will be at least slight deviance from the path during the process. Currently, there’s more deviation than is standard, but the real estate market is resilient and somewhat surprisingly resilient in the current times.

1. What is the most common question you are facing with home sales/purchases and how are you addressing it? Are things still closing? The resounding answer is ”yes, they are, but…” We’ve seen some declines and many delays year-over-year in home sales and home purchases, but closings are happening and prices remain steady because of the historically tight inventory availability.

What is the best solution for your company: full-service relocation, lump sum amount, or a hybrid approach? It’s a hotly debated topic within corporate relocation programs and is discussed at almost every industry event. Companies must weigh their budget against the level of support they are willing to provide transferees. There’s no easy answer, no one-size-fits-all.

Improving the assignee experience is a key focus for Global Mobility teams. Assignee experience comes in many guises, from better support to more choice, from clearly enhanced career prospects to seamless communications. When AIRINC’s Advisory Services team is working with clients to develop an improved assignee experience, we have to take into account that every assignee is different. As a result, we all view the assignee experience in a different way. Programmes that want to genuinely improve the assignee experience need to use a broad range of tools to deliver the enhancements their assignees are looking for.

COVID-19 is impacting everyone, everywhere, and its sphere of influence changes almost daily. Of all the places facing change and uncertainty, the airline industry is at the forefront. News of airlines facing bankruptcy and impending doom cloud the headlines globally. As Global Mobility specialists, we examine 110,000 fares on a quarterly basis so that we can deliver our clients the most up-to-date information to support their assignees. Now, more than ever, we know that you need quick answers and accurate estimates to support your international and domestic assignees that need to return home during this sweeping pandemic.

According to AIRINC’s 2020 Mobility Outlook Survey, Global Mobility’s top priorities for 2020 include enhancing the employee experience (73%), redesigning the mobility program (56%), and simplifying the program (52%). So how can Mobility accomplish these goals?

It's time to reduce the administrative burden of researching and calculating allowances, and ensure consistency across your organization! Now you can:

AIRINC and International SOS are hosting an informative breakfast briefing and a global mobility discussion for Corporate HR professionals on 13 November 2019 at 1 Lombard Street.

This autumn, AIRINC is hosting a Kaffee und Kuchen briefing and an interactive Global Mobility discussion. There will be opportunities to network with your global mobility peers throughout the afternoon.

Upcoming AIRINC event: Assignment types and offerings have greatly expanded beyond the traditional long-term assignment - yet these still remain the most common in the market.