07 Aug Global Mobility’s Ongoing Transformation: From Support Function to Strategic Partner

Global mobility’s role has been evolving for decades. Once seen primarily as a logistical support team—arranging visas, handling housing allowances, and tracking expatriate benefits—it has steadily grown into a strategic partner in workforce planning and risk management. Long before the pandemic, mobility leaders were already advising on tax exposure, compliance, and succession planning.

What has changed in recent years is the urgency. Remote and hybrid work, heightened geopolitical instability, and increasing employee expectations have accelerated mobility’s transformation.  

Today’s global mobility professionals operate in a “perfect storm” of pressures:

• More requests: Work-from-anywhere policies have multiplied the number of employees seeking flexibility.
• More risk: Even one employee abroad can trigger immigration or tax liabilities. PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears survey notes that unplanned mobility is now a significant compliance exposure.
• More volatility: Geopolitical conflicts, trade disputes, and shifting immigration rules make workforce planning less predictable.

Yet budgets have not kept pace. EY’s Global Mobility Effectiveness survey shows that more than half of companies still rely on spreadsheets to manage mobility, despite its growing strategic importance.

Research from AIRINC illustrates how functions are maturing. Their case studies classify mobility models into four archetypes:

• Operator – execution-focused, managing high volumes or administrative complexity.
• Enabler – aligned to employee experience and talent development.
• Advisor – lean teams offering compliance and policy expertise.
• Planner – strategically embedded groups influencing workforce planning and long-term business growth.

Two examples show how companies are already operating as “planners”:

• Semiconductor company: Centralized mobility within Talent Acquisition, creating a nine-person team overseeing 2,000 assignments annually. High-touch executive moves are managed internally, while logistics are outsourced. Early involvement in HR planning ensures alignment with succession and hiring strategies.
• Technology services firm: A 12-person mobility team under Total Rewards manages 2,600 cases a year. Operations are fully outsourced, freeing the internal team to focus on advisory work, crisis management, and vendor collaboration. Their annual “vendor pitch” process drives innovation by treating suppliers as thought partners.

Both cases demonstrate that when mobility is strategically integrated, it not only manages compliance but actively shapes organizational resilience.

Rising expectations, shrinking resources

While mobility expands its remit, cost pressures remain intense. Large companies are investing in automation to track travel days, predict compliance risks, and model assignment costs. Still, many organizations continue to use Excel as their primary mobility tool. Smaller firms often lack the budget to modernize systems, even as employees expect more flexibility.

Employee expectations themselves have shifted. Gallup finds that 59% of workers would change jobs for greater flexibility. Assignments now must accommodate not just children’s schooling but also elder care or spousal careers. Failure to adapt can harm retention and employer brand.

The digital turn: AI and automation

Artificial intelligence and digital platforms are gradually reshaping mobility. AI tools can automate case tracking, model relocation costs, and flag potential compliance risks. But adoption is uneven, and leaders remain cautious. The biggest fear now is getting AI wrong.

Handled correctly, AI can help filter thousands of requests into manageable volumes. But it must be deployed with ethical oversight and an understanding that technology supports, not replaces, human expertise.

Mobility’s evolution is also shaped by external forces. Defence and energy companies are ramping up cross-border deployments in response to global instability. High-net-worth individuals are relocating in record numbers. Emerging industries like hydrogen energy and even space exploration may soon become major drivers of mobility demand.

Reframing mobility’s role

To thrive in this environment, organizations must reframe mobility as a strategic business function. That means:

• Embedding mobility in planning. Early involvement in bids and tenders avoids unexpected compliance costs.
• Aligning policies with modern needs. Caregiving, flexible assignments, and well-being must be integral.
• Consolidating vendor relationships. Strong partnerships with tax, immigration, and relocation providers streamline operations.
• Investing in digital tools. Automation and AI should enhance efficiency while preserving the human layer.

As AIRINC’s case studies show, when mobility moves from operator to planner, it becomes a lever for growth, resilience, and talent retention.

Global mobility’s transformation has been gradual, not sudden. Over decades, the function has shifted from administrative logistics to strategic influence. Today, it stands at the center of workforce planning, compliance, and organizational resilience.

The companies that succeed will be those that give mobility professionals the visibility, tools, and resources to act not just as executors of policy but as shapers of strategy. Mobility has always been about moving people—but now, it is equally about moving organizations forward.