Taking care of Global Mobility survey report

We are excited to announce the release of our latest report in the award-winning Global Mobility Survey series. Titled ‘Taking Care of Global Mobility’, this edition explores the increasing pressure and complexity faced by Global Mobility and international HR professionals, emphasising the need for more strategic support and engagement.

Rising pressure and complexity in Global Mobility

Produced and designed by Crowe UK in collaboration with Santa Fe Relocation and Expatise Academy, the research delves into how businesses can better support Global Mobility teams in navigating new challenges. The report reveals that 88% of professionals have experienced a rise in complexity over the past two years, mainly due to increased regulatory, legal and duty-of-care responsibilities. Despite this, 77% of respondents believe that many businesses still lack a solid understanding of these evolving requirements—highlighting a crucial knowledge gap that must be addressed to support sustainable growth.

Gaps in leadership engagement and business alignment

The findings also show a lack of leadership engagement, with 65% of Global Mobility professionals expressing a need for more direct access to C-suite decision-makers to ensure alignment between mobility programmes and overall business goals. Instead, many feel caught in a cycle of managing external suppliers, navigating internal approval processes and working with non-specialised digital tools that can hinder efficiency.

Perspectives from industry leaders

John Rason, Group Head of Consulting at Santa Fe Relocation, emphasises the evolving nature of Global Mobility programmes and the need for greater business awareness:

“Traditional global mobility programmes have evolved in recent years, probably forever, with new international work arrangements and increasing personal expectations from sought-after talent. These newer hybrid arrangements require more resources—time, tools, and business awareness of the potential people and compliance risks. Effectively, Global Mobility (GM) professionals potentially now have the whole organisation as their customers, not only the defined programme that they manage.”

Dino Jangra, Partner, Workforce Advisory and Global Mobility Services at Crowe UK, highlights the opportunity for businesses to adapt and grow:

“As the prevalence, complexity, and pressures of cross-border work continue to rise, it is imperative that preparedness and understanding keep pace. Mobility trends afford businesses a tremendous opportunity in terms of growth, expansion, talent attraction, and workforce satisfaction. The organisations that will seize this opportunity and thrive will be those that consult Global Mobility professionals in business planning processes. A complex landscape dictates a dedicated response. Leadership teams must harness the expertise of those who understand changes in government legislation impacting work and compliance.”

Ernst Steltenpöhl, co-founder and board member of Expatise Academy, urges organisations to embrace global thinking as a core part of their HR policies:

“The survey painfully highlights that most multinationals have not yet been able to keep pace with these developments or fully integrate international thinking and action into their HR policies. Companies that rise to these new challenges and unlock the potential of international HR can gain a competitive advantage by embedding global mobility into the core of HR.”

Prioritising the wellbeing and strategic value of Global Mobility teams

This report calls on companies to prioritise the wellbeing and strategic importance of their Global Mobility teams, recognising their crucial role in managing complexity and supporting the organisation’s international success.

For more information and to access the full report, visit here .