International mobility: context, issues and post-Covid perspectives
On September 27, 2022 after a 5-year break, the Cindex Seminar reunited the members of the four commissions of this flagship group for international mobility: HR, Health, International Security, and Tax Law.
Discussion and debate, authenticity, and complementarity were the key words of this exciting and refreshing day. Four round tables were held to reflect on the past few years and to outline common perspectives:
- HR – Rethinking international mobility post-Covid
- Health – International crises: the psychosocial impacts for the expatriate population
- International security – the public/private partnership in the face of crisis
- HR – International remote work: a new mode of international mobility?
The joy of reuniting in person and celebrating the mutual support of this community of international mobility experts was the backdrop of the seminar. As Cindex President Philippe Lan pointed out, these are the conditions that have allowed members to find the resources and energy needed to face the extreme demands of the past years’ continuous crises. Throughout the day, this reflection on the pandemic and the way members managed it in their organizations was both cathartic and pragmatic.
To introduce the session
Philippe Lan, Group Vice President – Corporate Human Resources of STMicroelectronics – President of CINDEX and Dominique Laurent, SVP Human Resources France of Schneider Electric, reviewed the changes introduced by the pandemic in regard to international mobility. And their words resonated throughout the rest of the seminar:
- “International Mobility no longer exists to support corporate governance. It is now at the service of talent attraction and enabling greater visibility.”
- “The crises that impact international mobility are multiple (political, climatic, health, meaning and vision) and their effects persist even after the initial causes have disappeared.”
Each round table then focused on a different facet of the issue, thanks to a panel of experts with multiple perspectives: HRDs, Talent Development and Employer Branding, international mobility, doctors and experts in psychosocial risks, public authorities and academics, insurers and consultants.
From their extremely rich remarks, three main ideas emerged:
01
The resilience of international mobility actors during the pandemic.
The measures various players took to adapt were emphasized, highlighting the progress made, particularly in terms of synergies between these international mobility players (IMs, talents, tax specialists, lawyers, security officers, occupational medicine, etc.). The countless challenges raised by this crisis have been an opportunity to enhance the expert role of international mobility actors. And this progress seems to be sustainable.
Among the after-effects of the crisis, the constant changes linked to inflation and the new geopolitical situation were also noted. These effects multiply the need to adapt packages and therefore re-negotiate with expatriates. However, this development also makes it difficult to sustain the flexible policies initiated a few years ago.
This rationalization is all the more necessary since the multiplication of IM policies seems inevitable in order to respond to the diversification of needs: governance, expertise, talent development, etc., which justify either an expatriation, a transfer, or international short-term assignments.
02
New possibilities
Remote work, virtual assignments, managing international teams at a distance… These new forms of work are carving out a different path. And even if at the beginning of the crisis, most companies had clearly rejected these practices, the tide is gradually turning, raising complex compliance issues. Driven by heightened constraints for attracting and retaining talent, companies are cautiously relying on new perspectives.
These new possibilities can be considered at the request of the company or the employee, for personal or professional reasons, and in the short or long term. However, HR is regularly presented with a fait accompli. This situation opens up a vast and complex set of applications for international mobility experts in collaboration with other experts, in particular with talent development managers.
03
Considerable challenges ahead
This ongoing revolution therefore raises immense practical challenges and also increases the need for humanity and person-to-person discussion in an increasingly digitalized world. This is a crucial issue at a time when teams are bearing the brunt of psycho-social risks – accelerated by the Covid pandemic. A World Health Organization statistic quoted by Chrystel Chaudot of Eutelmed made an impression on the audience: 30% of the world’s population is currently affected by mental health problems and the proportion could rise to 50% by 2050. Information and training for managers and expatriates must therefore be a priority in the years to come.
This training is all the more necessary as the geopolitical perspectives drawn by the security experts appear bleak. The multiplication of future crises requires increased collaboration between public and private actors, following the example of the actions carried out jointly by the MEAE crisis center, insurance companies and businesses for the repatriation of French citizens at the beginning of the Covid crisis.
It was therefore a very valuable experience to reunite , to reflect on the immense challenges we have faced together, and to become more aware of the increased legitimacy of the various expertises related to international mobility. Because the coming years will also be extremely demanding. To face this challenge, it will be crucial to be able to rely on the mutual support and expertise of the Cindex members.
The involvement and commitment of different members was celebrated by the presentation of the Cindex trophies. For 2020 – Engie, TotalEnergies and Thalès. For 2021 – Thalès, Orange and Eramet
Cindex seminar round tables
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