21 May VIPS that global mobility professionals should have on their speed dial

Talent and network.  Those are the twin pillars that support the rising career of a global mobility professional, and their richness can spell the difference between his success and failure. Recruitment and retention of top talent will always be the main core of his business.  At the same time, it also behooves global mobility professionals to understand what will make those talents perform, shine, and stay, hopefully for the long run.

This is where networking comes in.  Like their aligned community of human resource experts, global mobility professionals are involved in a people-centric business. Beyond pushing pencils and allocating resources, they have to successfully relocate their talent to a new community where these assignees can integrate harmoniously, live happily, and perform magnificently.  It takes a powerful network of colleagues and partners coming from various industries to open doors that will make this kind of successful relocation happen.

This is why any successful global mobility professional will have the following VIP’s on his phone’s speed dial:

• The Ambassador of the country of his assignee. The assignee must feel that his home country, through its ambassador, is but a phone call away.  It is one way of reassuring himself that his roots with his home are still secure, while living in a foreign country.  The global mobility professional can also immediately find out how that country’s socio-political and economic developments can have  bearing on his assignee.
• Owners of corporate housing operations or other housing accommodations.  The assignee’s new physical home is one of his main concerns after signing a contract.  As discussed in previous blogs, that home, on the other hand, is far from just being a couple of rooms where he bunks in.  It has to be his private sanctuary where he can feel safe and peaceful.  It is his fortress of solitude where he can recharge for the next day’s challenge.  Global mobility professionals actually take time to find the right suitable housing accommodation for their assignee.  The final choice has to be as personal as possible, customized according to his needs.  Arriving at that choice involves a long search and a  lot of meetings with these corporate housing owners who will show the global mobility professional the best that they can offer.
• Immigration lawyers and consultants.  Foreign assignees will have to comply with the laws of the U.S., which may be different from their own. Some of them just acquaint themselves with the basic requirements of residence and employment, and leave it at that.  However, global mobility professionals know that there is more to legal compliance than that. In the course of their work, assignees often find themselves asking about taxes, requirements to get a driving license, or perhaps even the legal consequence of marrying an American should office romance blossom. All these concerns have made immigration compliance a major time-consumer among the many tasks on a global mobility professional’s plate.  The best immigration experts’ contact number in his speed dial can certainly cut through the red tape.
• Certified public accountants. An excellent global mobility professional has to watch his budget and be keenly aware of his numbers at any given time.  However, he needs a good second pair of eyes to check his books.  Certified public accountants can verify or authenticate his financial statements, and they should have an in-depth knowledge of taxation laws and how they apply to assignees.  
• Leaders of business organizations.  How does a global mobility professional actively looking for fresh talent keep his nose to the ground?  By mixing with the best, the brightest, and the achievers who are already on top of their field. These business leaders often guest or hold conferences where their colleagues, foreign nationals, and their up-and-coming proteges attend.  A cocktail event can very well lead to a discovery of new candidates for a position that the global mobility professional is looking to fill.  At the same time, it can also be a way for the foreign assignee that the global mobility professional has already recruited to mingle in his new community.