05 Feb How Global Mobility Services Can Focus on their Main Responsibilities
Global mobility specialists are beginning to delegate some of their non-core functions in order to focus on their main areas of responsibility — recruitment, talent development, and training. Administrative tasks can consume a lot of time. There is the amount of work to be done; sometimes, the global mobility specialist has to learn the said task from ground zero because he does not have the necessary skill set. Calculating the taxation of his assignees is one example.
Delegate or hire a third-party provider to take care of these tasks, similar to what companies do when they need an expert to do their auditing. Many of these tasks do need specialists who keep up with the latest developments in their field. More important, they are equally knowledgeable about the aspects of their work in relation to the assignee’s country of origin. For example, an outsourcing company that does taxation for foreign hires should know U.S. laws as well as those of India, where the assignee comes from. If not, then it can do a crash course in a short span of time. That’s what you are paying them for.
Shieldgeo outlines the various elements of global mobility work that can be assigned:
- Cultural and language training
- Immigration compliance, including work permits and visas
- Payroll and taxation
- Physical relocation and destination services
- Home and school searches
- Tax and legal consultancy
Aside from the aforementioned benefit to the global mobility specialist, there are a few other important advantages in outsourcing your global mobility services:
Cost savings
Jane Malecki’s report for The Mobility Magazine says that a company can save $3,000 to $4,000 per assignee if it outsources its non-core services.
Cost management
The same report says that 20 percent of company heads do not have an adequate system for monitoring and evaluating mobility costs. This oversight can bloat budgets, lose financial documents, and lead to mistakes that can result in expensive penalties and fines.
Courtesy enhancements
Third-party providers can provide added value to the company in a way that in-house programs cannot. These companies offer discounts in relocation costs, give a tour around prospective schools for their kids, or throw in an art class for free to the assignee and his family. To make assignees feel welcome in their new digs, California Corporate Housing can provide added amenities such as virtual assistants, luxury baths, or the redesign of a unit to reflect culture, a favorite sport or mood.
Delegating administration tasks of global mobility services can be a win-win situation for the company, the global mobility specialist, and the assignee. The assignee’s transition is made easier and more pleasant. The company cuts back on unnecessary spending. The global mobility specialist can finally focus on what he does best: strategic planning in global hiring and talent development.