AI and automation as the drivers of the future global workforce mobility

AI and automation as workforce mobility’s key tools

AI and automation are becoming the key tools in designing smart workforce mobility processes and models. Companies that invest in technologies gain a competitive edge, facilitating more effective talent management and aligning their operations with disruptive markets in a more agile way.

The EY 2024 Mobility Reimagined Survey shows that 93% of companies use GenAI somewhat, and only 22% use it routinely. Companies with most advanced workforce mobility systems are nearly twice as willing to regularly use GenAI than others.

Positive sentiment around the technology could already be seen in the EY 2023 Work Reimagined Survey. That survey showed that both employers and employees believed that GenAI would boost productivity and new ways of working.

Employers’ approach

Employers still see much benefit from cross-border relocations of their staff. The survey shows that 66% of employers expect internal mobility’s scope to increase. A challenge that remains is budgets; almost all respondents (97%) seek to manage workforce mobility costs more effectively. This is why strategic mobility functions should home in on several key drivers such as strategic alignment, talent management, digital focus, flexibility or reliance on external expertise.

Companies that focus on these drivers are twice or even three times more likely to say that automated mobility helps cut back on costs and build a competitive function on the market as well as facilitates improving their sustainability agendas.

Talent mobility also helps address understaffing and generates positive mobility return on investment (ROI).

This is why employers increasingly see workforce mobility as a key item of their business strategies and talent management and as many as 95% of them believe that there are benefits from more closely aligning mobility to business and talent goals.

Employers are also increasingly aware of cross-border mobility risks and 71% of them think that these risks have increased over the last two years, with 66% expecting workforce mobility’s scope to increase. (see Global mobility of highly skilled workforce – how to avoid risks and succeed?)

Workforce mobility trends

Market research findings justify the conclusion that leaders focus on three workforce mobility areas:

1. Use of AI/new technologies – the largest market players show that the key to designing robust global workforce mobility schemes is to automate systems as well as optimize and enhance employee experience. EY’s cooperation with one of the largest software giants has led to the design of a new mobility model that relies on innovative technologies and services to streamline onboarding in a new environment and help new hires accommodate themselves to the new country and come to grips with its tax regime as well as facilitates data transfers between the parties concerned.

2. Focus on employee experience – global workforce mobility drives employees’ personal and professional development through upskilling, adaptation to diverse cultures and working environments, which translates into value added for the organization. Employees who can work in diverse environments often come up with new ideas and perspectives that stimulate innovation across the firm.

3. A short list of service providers to handle the organization’s matters – in an environment marked by continuous flux, the key thing is to have a supplier offering a broad range of services, smart technologies and the ability to identify evolving market trends. Organizations that rely on the expertise offered by such suppliers may plan and realize their workforce mobility strategies more effectively, minimizing the risk and boosting operational efficiency as a result. 

Summary

The year 2024 has seen new global workforce mobility challenges organizations have to rise to. With cross-border workforce mobility on the increase, employers need to ensure greater transparency and a consistent approach in their internal mobility policies. As mobility is being increasingly brought into the spotlight, more and more employers design their internal mobility policies or systematize their approaches to mobility and expect to invest more in technologies within the next five years.

Use of AI and automation in workforce mobility programs opens the door to more strategic and effective talent management. Organizations that realize and unlock this potential will be positioned not only to enhance their employees’ experience but also boost the organization’s profits and secure its success in a world that is increasingly competitive.