GenAI is raising the stakes in managing a global workforce; trust and speed are emerging as decisive, EY research finds

u  80% of respondents say their last international assignment made them more likely to stay, highlighting the importance of trust in mobility functions that support cross-border moves.

u  72% of mobility teams are scaling GenAI and agentic AI to improve speed and consistency, but just 51% of functions trust that their data is accurate to move to the next phase.

u  95% say regulatory and compliance complexity is slowing mobility, making it harder for mobility functions to deliver clear, trusted and reliable services and policies.

Cross-border workforce mobility is becoming a powerful retention tool as employers compete for scarce skills and respond to market and geopolitical volatility, according to the EY 2026 Mobility Reimagined Survey. The findings also show that trust in mobility functions and cross-border talent programs help maintain operational speed and improve business outcomes. Four in five employees (80%) surveyed say their most recent assignment abroad made them more likely to stay with their employer, up 32 points from 2025.

Employee expectations are also rising. Nearly nine in 10 (88%) of survey respondents say flexibility in mobility policies matters, up from 70% last year, with Gen Z almost twice as likely as other generations to rate flexibility as “extremely important.”

Global mobility impacts talent strategies

In one of the largest surveys of its kind, global mobility professionals identified key traits of trusted mobility functions, ranging from strategic integration to operational excellence.

Over a third of employers (34%) surveyed say mobility helps build employee trust in their organization’s talent strategy.

Yet, only 19% of mobility functions qualify as “high trust” in the survey, and those teams can move talent to new markets more than twice as fast. That speed matters as tax and immigration rules for cross-border work keep shifting. More than half of employers (51%) surveyed say they have walked away from a business opportunity in the last two years because of immigration issues.

At the same time, organizations are increasingly using mobility programs to build future leaders and long‑term talent pipelines. Workforce planning and long-term talent development is now the top priority for mobility functions, with 26% of employers surveyed citing mobility as a key driver of attraction and retention, while 24% use it to deploy skills across markets where they are most needed.

Operational complexity creates challenges for mobility teams

Despite its growing strategic importance, global mobility remains complex. Managing cross-border workforce mobility increasingly requires navigating immigration regulations, compliance requirements, vendor relationships and internal processes, often at a speed dictated by global business demands.

The survey shows that almost all (95%) mobility functions face barriers to improving the speed of their processes, while 62% of mobility teams’ time is still spent on reactive, ad-hoc requests rather than focusing on strategic activities.

Technology investment accelerates, but data quality lags

To overcome these pressures, organizations are turning to automation, data platforms and AI to reshape how mobility teams handle compliance, cost management and employee support across borders. Three-quarters (75%) of employers surveyed plan to increase investment in mobility technology, up from 66% last year, while 72% are scaling generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI to transform processes or overall operations, even as 97% expect cost reductions in the next 12 months.

The EY Mobility Reimagined Survey also highlights persistent data challenges. Only 51% of employers surveyed say their data is accurate, and just 47% say their technology platforms are reliable, limiting the ability to fully realize the benefits of advanced technology.