05 Apr Stagility and Global Mobility: Creating Stability for a Mobile Workforce
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations face a critical paradox: how to balance the stability workers crave with the agility businesses need. This challenge, aptly termed “stagility” (stability + agility), becomes even more complex in the context of global mobility—where workforces span borders, cultures, and time zones.
Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends research reveals a significant disconnect between leaders and employees. While 85% of executives believe organizations need more agile working models to adapt to market changes, 75% of workers express a desire for greater stability. This gap represents a fundamental tension in today’s workplace: organizations need flexibility to survive, but employees need anchors to thrive.
The global mobility dimension amplifies this tension. By 2025, millennials will represent 75% of the global workforce, with 59% expressing interest in working abroad. As borders become increasingly permeable for talent, organizations must create new forms of stability that transcend traditional geographic limitations.
Global mobility as a strategic anchor
Far from being just a logistical function, global mobility has evolved into a strategic capability that can help resolve the stagility paradox. When thoughtfully implemented, global mobility programs can provide both the organizational agility companies need and the stability workers seek.
Rather than destabilizing, well-designed global mobility initiatives can serve as new anchors in three critical areas:
1. Anchoring the work
Global mobility enables organizations to deploy talent where and when it’s needed, breaking down geographical barriers to productivity. Technology tools specifically designed for distributed teams can create consistency in workflow and communication, establishing predictable patterns even as work locations change.
Companies implementing AI-powered mobility platforms are finding they can match employees to optimal global opportunities based on skills rather than just job titles. This creates stability through competency recognition while enabling greater organizational flexibility.
2. Anchoring the organization
Traditional organizational designs built around fixed locations are giving way to more fluid structures. Leading companies have transformed their approaches to workforce ecosystems that transcend organizational boundaries.
For example, some electronics companies have created job-swap programs that support upskilling and adaptability across organizational lines. Meanwhile, IHG Hotels & Resorts in China has embraced workforce crowdsourcing platforms to tap into underrepresented talent pools while redesigning work to be task-based rather than job-based.
3. Anchoring the worker
The most significant shift involves providing stability for workers through skills recognition rather than job titles. Standard Chartered Bank’s “skills passports” show employees’ capabilities beyond their job descriptions, while an AI tool matches them to project-specific roles internationally.
Other organizations are prioritizing psychological safety and cultural belonging regardless of physical location. As Kirsten Lange, Chief People Officer at National Australian Bank explains, their delivery system “allows for stability for workers without an overreliance on formal job descriptions.”
For organizations looking to leverage global mobility to create stagility, three key strategies emerge:
1. Prioritize skills over locations
Decouple talent development from geographic boundaries by creating skills-based mobility pathways. This approach recognizes that capabilities, not locations, are the true foundation of stability in a mobile world. When employees feel their skills are valued regardless of where they work, they gain confidence to adapt to changing circumstances.
Research from Harvard Business Publishing shows learning agility is the strongest indicator of success in current and future roles. Organizations should invest in digital learning resources, personalized development paths, and cross-border mentoring to build this capability.
2. Develop fluid but clear frameworks
While agility requires flexibility, successful global mobility programs balance this with clear structures. According to Deel’s research on global workforce planning, companies must ensure values of both flexibility and stability are embedded in cultural communications from onboarding forward.
Establishing transparent policies for remote work, visa procurement, tax compliance, and repatriation provides stability for employees while allowing the organization to adapt quickly to changing market demands.
3. Invest in digital infrastructure
Technology forms the backbone of successful stagility initiatives. Organizations with robust digital platforms for global workforce management can maintain stability through consistent processes while quickly adapting to changing circumstances.
EY’s 2023 Mobility Reimagined Survey reveals a mismatch between talent demand and what organizations currently offer in mobility programs. The tension is evident in both capacity limitations and traditional mobility models that aren’t built for flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
The paradox of stagility in global mobility is that greater flexibility can actually create more stability—when implemented correctly. By providing clear frameworks, technology support, and skills recognition, organizations can help employees feel secure even as their physical work environments change.
As Harvard Business Review research suggests, to build truly agile teams, organizations must first commit to stability. This foundation gives employees the confidence and security they need to adapt quickly to disruption.
For global organizations looking to thrive, stagility isn’t just a clever portmanteau—it’s a critical capability that will determine competitive advantage in a borderless talent landscape. By reimagining the relationships between workers, work, and organizational structures in a global context, companies can create the conditions for both agility and stability to flourish simultaneously.
The organizations that master this balance will not only attract and retain top talent across borders but will also develop the resilience to navigate whatever challenges the future brings.