Technology How It Has Streamlined the Workplace

MOBILITY & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE / MOBILITY MATTERS: TECH & TRAVELERS / MARKET: TWIN CITIES / DESTINATION: HONG KONG

Magazine of Worldwide ERC® December 2019

TECHNOLOGY HOW IT HAS STREAMLINED THE WORKPLACE

ROBOT AT YOUR DESK CHANGING THE MOBILITY TEAM DYNAMIC

BIG BROTHER ISN’T JUST WATCHING PRIVACY ISSUES IN REAL ESTATE

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®2019 American International Relocation Solutions, LLC Contents FEATURES

PG 40 THE ROBOT AT YOUR DESK PG 50 THE Rx FOR CX? By Robert Smith By Jill Heineck, SCRP How do companies integrate this new Leveraging customer experience data technology into their businesses, teams, can help you realize noticeable bottom- and corporate structures? line results.

PG 46 BIG BROTHER ISN’T JUST WATCHING PG 56 MORE LEEWAY THAN YOU THINK … HE’S LISTENING By Irene Boccardo By Bill Mulholland, SCRP, GMS Work permits aren’t always necessary Smart technology brings larger privacy when sending employees overseas—if issues into the real estate industry. companies are willing and able to tailor their approach. PG 48 MOBILITY MATTERS By Jon Ferguson PG 58 DESTINATION PROFILE: HONG KONG Tracking travelers, luggage, and more. By Sharon E. Michnay, CRP, SGMS Unique history, strategic position, and prominence in finance and trade.

COVER STORY

PG 34 HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS STREAMLINED THE WORKPLACE By Heather Larson Digital automation has changed just about every facet of employment.

2 Mobility | December 2019 A world of difference in immigration

AtAt Fragomen,Fragomen, wewe don’tdon’t jjustust ffacilitateacilitate iimmigration—wemmigration—we ccreatereate oopportunities.pportunities. FFromrom iindividualsndividuals and small local businesses to the world’s largest companies, we support all of your immigrationn needs, all over the world.orld We are internationallyy llocal—witho officess in the hheart of each regiong on and services stretchinging around the world. NNoo mmatter where you’ve ccomeo from, or where you’re going next, Fragomen is here to propel you fforward.or

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Visit us at fosterglobal.com to learn more. Contents COLUMNS

Worldwide ERC® Karen Cygal PG 8 PERCEPTIONS Senior Vice President, Product Development Gifts of Friendship

Chris Wilson, SGMS-T Vice President, Research & Education PG 26 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Foreign Earned Income and Kristin White Senior Manager, Content Foreign Housing Exclusion

EDITORIAL/DESIGN/MEDIA SALES PG 28 MARKET SUMMARY: MINNEAPOLIS–ST. PAUL The YGS Group Ashley Reid, Senior Managing Editor By Kelly Calvert, CRP Steve Kennedy, Senior Editor Beth Hughes, Copy Editor Charity Fox, Account Manager Melissa Wiedemann, Photo Editor DEPARTMENTS

Serena L. Spiezio, Creative Director PG 6 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Megan Meckley Hacker, Art Director

Jack Davidson, EVP PG 10 TIPS & TRENDS Zack Buchanan, National Sales Manager 5 Tips for Communicating Across [email protected] +1 717 430 2291 Generations in the Workplace Heather Macaluso, Account Executive By Sabra Brock, Ph.D. [email protected] +1 717 430 2224 PG 13 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC® PRINTING In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) The YGS Group ® York, PA Worldwide ERC Front Page Executive Spotlight Collective Wisdom ABOUT WORLDWIDE ERC® YP40 Worldwide ERC® is the workforce mobility association for professionals who oversee, manage, or support U.S. domestic and international employee transfers. The PG 30 THE NUMBERS organization was founded in 1964 to help members 2020 State of IT overcome the challenges of workforce mobility. OUR PURPOSE PG 67 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX We empower mobile people through meaningful connections, unbiased information, inspired ideas, and solutions. PG 68 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS HR Professionals Survey Spotlights Need to Evolve Global Mobility By Neha Mirchandani

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 5 MOBILITY Vol. 40 No. 12 • December 2019

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chairman of the Board Calendar of Events SCRP, SGMS-T Sue Carey, Baird & Warner, Chicago, Illinois, USA DECEMBER 2019 Chair-Elect Edward Hannibal, GMS The State of U.S. and Global Immigration: A Comprehensive Deloitte Tax LLP, Chicago, Illinois, USA Review of 2019 and Look Into 2020 3 December Vice Chair – Finance Robert Brezosky Webinar, sponsored by Envoy Global The Walt Disney Company, Burbank, California, USA worldwideerc.org/webinars Vice Chair – Talent Community Andrew P. Walker, GMS-T FEBRUARY 2019 EY, New York, New York, USA Frankfurt Mobility Summit 2020 President and Chief Executive Officer 12 February Peggy Smith, SCRP, SGMS-T Worldwide ERC®, Arlington, Virginia, USA Frankfurt worldwideerc.org/events-conferences BOARD OF DIRECTORS Merritt Q. Anderson San Francisco, California, USA

MARCH 2020 Erik Eccles Singapore Summit 2020 Urbandoor, San Francisco, California, USA 26 March Kerwin Guillermo Singapore Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Singapore worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Heather Henry Netflix Inc., Los Gatos, California, USA Shanghai Summit 2020 Gustavo Higuera, CRP, GMS-T 31 March Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc., Miami, Florida, USA Shanghai Sigrid Nauwelaerts worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Johnson & Johnson, Beerse, Belgium Shelby Wolpa MAY 2020 InVision, Austin, Texas, USA Americas Mobility Conference 2020 EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS 13–15 May Chairman, Foundation for Workforce Mobility Robert L. Giese, SCRP, GMS Houston Sterling Lexicon, Jacksonville, Florida, USA worldwideerc.org/events-conferences PAST CHAIRMAN Robert J. Horsley OCTOBER 2020 Fragomen Worldwide, Santa Clara, California, USA Global Workforce Symposium 2020 28–30 October Mobility (ISSN 0195-8194) is published monthly by Washington, D.C. Worldwide ERC®, 4401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 510, worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Arlington, VA 22203-4195, +1 703 842 3400. Mobility examines key issues affecting the global mobility workforce for the benefit of employers and firms or individuals MAY 2021 providing specific services to relocated employees and Americas Mobility Conference 2021 their families. The opinions expressed in Mobility are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions 24–26 May of Worldwide ERC®. Mobility is printed in the United States San Francisco of America. Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA, and worldwideerc.org/events-conferences additional mailing offices. Worldwide ERC® members receive one annual subscription with their membership dues. Subscriptions are available to both members and nonmembers at $48 each per year. Copyright ©2019 by READ ALL ABOUT IT! Worldwide ERC®. All rights reserved. Neither all nor part of the contents published herein may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Worldwide ERC®. About what? That’s our question for you! Send your suggestions for topics you’d like to read about in Mobility to [email protected].

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mobility, Worldwide ERC®, 4401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22203-4195.

6 Mobility | December 2019 2019 U.S. NEWS – BEST LAWYERS® “LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR” IN IMMIGRATION LAW IN AMERICA

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Gifts of Friendship

t’s always hard to leave the faces we’ve grown to love, the hearts and minds of people who are individually so unique and collectively so special … to know that we won’t be seeing some familiar names in our email as often or regularly hearing a voice on a call that never failed to make us smile. Ours is an industry that is more than a gathering of colleagues. It is a family that we have made together over time, and in my near-decade of leading Worldwide ERC®, I saw this approach woven into every exchange. In every volunteer meeting and at I ® every Worldwide ERC event, there is a “family feel.” In each interaction and solution in which two or more mobility professionals put their skills together to solve a challenge, we came together like family—and in the process, we improved the experience for an employee and their loved ones. That doesn’t happen just because we’re doing business. It happens because we care: about our work, about each other, about those we serve. Over these years, I’ve spent a lot of time out in the field, sharing our mobility story in countries on nearly every continent. No matter where I went in the world, all of you—colleagues I knew or whom I was getting to know—were there to greet me, to proudly host me in your region, to share what you loved about your hometown or adopted city, and to teach me about the local culture, from New York to New Delhi. You welcomed me as a family member. And whenever we reached out to each other, no matter how long it had been since we’d connected, it was as if no time had passed between us. I have always felt the same warmth, kinship, and kindness everywhere I travel. And as I move forward to my next adventure, I hope I have given that same affection, thoughtfulness, and hospitality to those who engaged with me. Please know that these relationships and these moments are magi- cal, and I will forever cherish the richness of my memories and the remark- able gifts of friendship that have come to me from my worldwide (and my Worldwide ERC®) family.

Cheers,

PEGGY SMITH, SCRP, SGMS-T President and Chief Executive Officer Worldwide ERC®

8 Mobility | December 2019 Mobility Stability.

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5 Tips for Communicating Across Generations in the Workplace

SABRA BROCK, PH.D. he combination of multiple generations working alongside one TOURO COLLEGE GRADUATE another and the variety of different ways in which we can now SCHOOL OF BUSINESS connect and share information can present both opportunities and challenges in the workplace. While it’s important not Send your article ideas, to overgeneralize by age, there do seem to be some basic letters, and feedback to communication styles and preferences that align with the [email protected]. different generational blocks. Here are five tips for creating a collaborative work environment when teams include people of all ages. T1. MATCH THE MEDIA TO THE RECIPIENT. • Generally, the older the recipient(s), the more formal the communication. Written memos for baby boomers versus texts and social media wall posts for millennials. • Schedule phone calls. Also ask whether this is an OK time to talk when you connect. 2. MATCH THE MEDIA AND THE MESSAGE. • Text for simple items such as setting up a meeting. • Use email for more complicated messages. • Do not write emails as though they were text messages. Emails should be professional, and texts can be more informal. 3. USE SMALL TALK TO FACILITATE RELATIONSHIPS. Try to keep in mind everyone’s preferences when starting conversations: • Baby boomers tend to prefer to talk about work. • Gen Xers will typically talk about either social life or work. • Millennials will generally opt for social life conversation starters. 4. USE FEEDBACK WISELY. • Less is more when it comes to feedback with baby boomers, and they tend to appreci- ate respect for their experience. • Gen Xers are typically happy to be challenged, and they prefer direct communication. • Millennials tend to be open to and welcoming of lots of feedback. 5. ABOVE ALL, BE KIND. • No matter what your age, a respectful thank-you and a well-timed smile make every generation more open to communication.

The workplace of the future is likely to include five generations, as half of the babies born today are expected to live to be 100. Practicing better communication across generations is going to be even more important.

The above information is summarized/excerpted from an article by Dr. Sabra Brock, Touro College Graduate School of Business (gsb.touro.edu). Shared with permission.

10 Mobility | December 2019

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In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

On worldwideerc.org, we continue to introduce changes to improve your access to information and your digital expe- WHAT’S HAPPENING ON SOCIAL? rience. We’ve added new navigation options, taking you FOLLOW US! @WORLDWIDEERC directly to dedicated pages for learning, research, and government affairs. New courses added to the Learning Portal Twitter – We shared highlights of Peggy include The Role of Mobility in Diversity & Inclusion and Smith’s interview with DiversityQ on how D&I Health Care Strategies for Mobile Employees. Take a look at initiatives are becoming increasingly critical to the extensive catalog of interactive courses, webinars, videos, attracting, engaging, and retaining talent—and how and conference session recordings to hone your skills and HR and mobility play a crucial part in fostering boost your professional development. them. bit.ly/2oyTV3T And speaking of professional development and learning … did you miss the 2019 Global Workforce Symposium last Facebook – We shared news of our joint October? Or maybe you were there, but you had to decide announcement with Relocation Appraisers and between two concurrent sessions? A digital event pass will Consultants (RAC) about this year’s winner of the give you access to video recordings of the industry builders, annual relocation appraisal report writing contest. innovators, and disruptors who shared global perspectives Congratulate Michael A. Cook for his award-win- and mobility solutions during the event—find access to it in ning report, and learn more at bit.ly/2PZBUat. the Learning Portal. Articles on worldwideerc.org featured such content as which LinkedIn – Catch some quick insight video countries are fast-tracking visas for highly skilled tech talent, interviews we took on-site during the Global results of a Randstad study that indicated 64% of respondents Workforce Symposium in Boston. You can also see would be willing to relocate to improve their careers and insights from the Graduate Management Admission work-life balance, and details on California’s AB 5, which Council (GMAC)’s “Early Warning Signals: Winners adopts a three-factor test for determining whether a worker is and Losers in the Global Race for Talent” report, an independent contractor or an employee. We also shared a indicating that countries that prioritize the mobility recap of the association’s inaugural Hill Day, with highlights of foreign-born talent are more likely to reap of the four key policy issues attendees focused on during economic benefits. One example: More than 40% of their meetings with Congressional staff, and we kept you in Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants the know about the Executive Committee officers who will or their children. bit.ly/36vAKcx take the helm on the Worldwide ERC® and Foundation for Workforce Mobility boards in January 2020.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 13 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Worldwide ERC® Front Page

DWELLWORKS EXPANDS CORPORATE HOUSING OFFERINGS IN CHINA

Dwellworks LLC now has the ability to provide In addition to being able to bill in local and for- corporate housing solutions throughout China. After eign currencies, Dwellworks can now issue rental acquiring Ark Relocation, with offices in Shanghai fapiaos—a Chinese VAT invoice that serves as proof of (skyline photo above), Beijing, and Hong Kong, purchase for goods and services. This will allow end Dwellworks can now present corporate housing pro- clients in China to take advantage of VAT and CIT viders with both inventory and match-lease solutions. deductions. They also provide needed documenta- As Ark Relocation and now as Dwellworks, the tion to ensure employees can be reimbursed for their combined company has been offering destination business expenses. “This is a service we are very keen services in more than 20 locations in China, including to put at the disposal of our international corporate secondary and tertiary cities, for more than 15 years housing partners,” notes Lorenz. through an established on-the-ground network and a Andrew Horvath, CRP, SGMS, vice president tailored customer service model. Dima Lorenz, GMS, of global account management for Dwellworks vice president for Dwellworks China, will continue to Corporate Housing, states, “Dwellworks is pleased to provide operational and strategic leadership for both be expanding its service in China, as this will allow corporate housing and destination services. our corporate housing providers to accelerate and “The expansion of our business scope in Asia is a broaden options to their clients.” huge step for the Dwellworks team,” Lorenz explains. Dwellworks currently provides corporate housing “It feels great to be moving forward with our plans to solution assistance in Austria, China, Costa Rica, provide corporate housing, rental payment, and prop- Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, erty management services to our clients.” the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.

14 Mobility | December 2019 Upskilling or reskilling just got easier with the Learning Portal

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WEICHERT, REALTORS, CELEBRATES 50TH Weichert Workforce Mobility and Weichert Real ANNIVERSARY Estate Affiliates; and recognition of the organization’s awards and accolades. Weichert’s philanthropic efforts were also show- cased during the season-long celebration. “Half a century ago, we started as a local neighborhood business,” James says. “No matter how big Weichert becomes, we will always believe in the value of giving back to the communities we serve.” SIRVA TO ACQUIRE REALOGY’S CARTUS RELOCATION BUSINESS SIRVA Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement Jim Weichert (left), president, chairman, and CEO of Weichert Companies, and James Weichert Jr., co-president of Weichert Companies to acquire the relocation assets of the Cartus global relocation company from Realogy Holdings Corp. This year, Weichert, Realtors, celebrated a milestone The agreement does not include the Cartus Affinity or in the company’s history. It all started 50 years ago: Broker Services businesses. After opening a small real estate agency out of a The addition of Cartus’ relocation business will modest office in Chatham, N.J., a young Jim Weichert expand SIRVA’s service and support capability in a set out to meet every prospect personally, earn their way the company says is consistent with its strategy trust, and maintain those relationships for years to “to be everywhere their clients want them to be.” come. Since then, his small agency has grown from a “The winners in this transaction are undoubtedly single sales office into a family of companies consist- our clients and their employees,” says Tom Oberdorf, ing of nearly 500 real estate offices across the U.S.; a chief executive officer at SIRVA. “We’re excited by the financial services company that provides mortgages, tremendous potential of this highly complementary insurance, and closing services; and a relocation combination to enhance our capabilities and service company that manages the workforce mobility needs for clients. Together, we will have the opportunity of corporations across the world. to provide our customers with the best that each To commemorate the milestone, Jim and his son, company has to offer, including best-in-class technol- James, co-president of the Weichert Companies, ogy, a well-established real estate broker network, an gathered at the Chatham office with their families integrated household goods capacity, and a supe- and Weichert executives to mark the occasion and rior experience for our clients’ relocating corporate share memories and sentiments. employees. Cartus’ talented relocation professionals “This office is where it all began, where we are steeped in mobility expertise, and we look for- welcomed our first customers in and treated them ward to welcoming them to the SIRVA family.” like family,” Jim said to the crowd of well-wishers. Cartus brings to SIRVA a highly talented and “And I’m proud to say we still do that today, in every experienced employee group and a strong supply Weichert office.” chain that SIRVA says will enhance its “exceptional The celebration at the Chatham sales office was transferee experience.” Cartus clients will have the culmination of a retrospective for Jim and long- access to SIRVA’s integrated household goods time Weichert colleagues in which the company capacity and a larger, combined supply chain, shared pivotal moments of its 50 years, including whose increased scale the company expects to help historical images from the corporate archives; an drive down clients’ costs over time. overview of the evolution of Weichert’s one-stop The new SIRVA/Cartus will deliver a breadth of shopping concept; a retrospective of the company’s service options, program flexibility, an accelerated pace marketing efforts; stories of newsworthy mergers of technology innovation, and heightened emphasis on and acquisitions; a review of the growth of both the experience of the relocating employee.

16 Mobility | December 2019 The transaction is expected to close in the first half Sébastien Fox, general manager of Bureau Veritas of 2020, pending regulatory approval and the satisfac- Certification, which carried out the certification audit, tion of other closing conditions. congratulated International SOS “on having the vision and leadership to be the first truly global orga- ® RELO DIRECT SCORES HIGH IN SERVICE nization to obtain this certification inside and outside SATISFACTION SURVEY the European Union.” RELO Direct® has the highest average service satisfac- International SOS has also received certification tion score among relocation management companies to several ISO standards as part of its continuous in the 25th Annual Nationwide Relocating Employee quality improvement program, including global Survey, prepared by Trippel Survey & Research certification across all International SOS business LLC. The survey, based on more than 5,400 evalua- lines to ISO 9001:2015 for its integrated Quality tions from a diverse group of relocating employees, Management System for its assistance centers, assesses service satisfaction with relocation manage- International SOS clinics, and Medical Services, ment companies across the industry. and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for information security RELO Direct®, categorized as a midsize supplier management. Its assistance center in London was for the purposes of the survey, not only ranked first the first service platform in the world to be certi- in its category, but also attained the highest average fied in the delivery of telehealth services (ISO/TS score of all relocation management providers in any 13131:2014 ED1). size category. “It’s a powerful testament to our success in deliv- PLUS RELOCATION LAUNCHES PLUS ONE ering measurably superior results,” says Bob Portale, MOBILITY INNOVATION LAB SCRP, SGMS-T, RELO Direct®’s president and CEO. Plus Relocation has launched Plus One, a wholly owned entity that will serve as an innovation lab INTERNATIONAL SOS IS FIRST WORLDWIDE focused on developing and implementing new GDPR-CERTIFIED COMPANY technology solutions to make life better for mobile International SOS has attained global data protection employees as well as the multinational companies standards that comply with GDPR (General Data moving them all over the world. Protection Regulation) certification. The certification “The mobility industry is all about movement, is for the management and provision of personal data but for so long, relocation companies have been protection across all of its assistance and medical ser- resistant to change when it comes to how we oper- vice centers and will be applied in adherence to other ate,” says Plus Relocation CEO Susan Benevides, applicable laws worldwide. SCRP, GMS. “The launch of Plus One takes Plus Arnaud Vaissié, CEO, co-founder and chair- Relocation’s commitment to innovation one step man of International SOS, comments, “The GDPR, further by providing a space to imagine, collab- introduced in the EU/EEA, is seen as the platinum orate, design, and test solutions in a dedicated standard in personal data protection. We wanted way. This is the ground floor of something really to make sure that all our data protection processes, exciting. Plus One will be our lab where we can across our assistance and medical service centers, are brainstorm, experiment, and really push this indus- compliant with this stringent regulation along with try forward. We’re going to be doing things people other applicable laws. haven’t seen before in mobility.” M “This is a key milestone in our compliance journey, and we are extremely proud to be pushing forward the data protection agenda for all,” Vaissié continues. “Our certification to the Bureau Veritas Technical Standard for Data Protection at global scale is a first in the world, and we hope that it will lead the way for other organizations to do the same.”

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 17 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Executive Spotlight

ASIAN TIGERS APPOINTS MARSHALL solutions for complex service industries and large IN THAILAND, FUJITA IN JAPAN multinational companies. Andrew “Andy” Marshall has rejoined Asian Tigers Bob Portale, SCRP, SGMS-T, RELO Direct®’s presi- as president and chief operating officer of Asian Tigers dent and CEO, says, “With her extensive experience Andrew Marshall Thailand Household Goods and Relocation Services. in business development and relationship build- Marshall started his career in the industry in the ing, combined with a proven track record as a top U.K. in 1984 and originally joined Asian Tigers from contributor in other companies, I’m confident Shelly the U.K. in 1994 as Thailand household goods sales is the right person to support this endeavor and our manager. After serving five years in that capacity, he continued organizational prosperity.” was appointed Asian Tigers Group’s first executive director. Marshall moved to Dubai in 2002 and spent SUDDATH ANNOUNCES BROCK AS BUSINESS 16 years in senior regional management positions DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR in the Middle East and North Africa with two major Suddath has appointed Steve Brock as director of moving companies. business development for the Los Angeles market. Tomomi Fujita When he originally moved from the U.K. to Brock will focus on Suddath’s business line dealing Thailand, Marshall worked directly under Keith with corporate household goods and will be responsi- Meader, who was then managing director of house- ble for developing, procuring, and creating solutions hold goods. In his new position, he replaces Meader, for clients, resulting in partnerships. who is retiring effective 1 December. “We’re excited having someone of Steve’s expe- Asian Tigers Mobility (ATM) Japan has also rience and expertise join our team,” says Gavin appointed Tomomi Fujita as managing director of the Bosco, CRP, vice president of household goods company. Fujita started her relocation career more sales. “He fits into Suddath’s corporate culture than 20 years ago at a real estate company in her perfectly with his consultative sales approach and

Shelly Oldner hometown of Tokyo, specializing in assisting expatri- his reputation for integrity.” ates. She holds a Japanese real estate broker’s license. Brock brings more than 13 years of experience in “Having been a local competitor for so long and the relocation industry, having previously worked for having admired the Asian Tigers organization for a leading corporate housing company responsible for decades, I now have the opportunity to be part of the sales execution in the San Francisco Bay Area. team,” Fujita says. Fujita succeeds Nick Masee, GMS, who has served CRNEČKI JOINS TRC AS DIRECTOR, GLOBAL ATM Japan in leading positions for 21 years. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TRC Global Mobility Inc. has added Hrvoje ® OLDNER JOINS RELO DIRECT AS Crnečki, CRP, as director, global business develop- Steve Brock DIRECTOR, SALES ment. Based in Dallas, he will represent TRC RELO Direct® has expanded its sales team with the in Texas and the Southwest. addition of Shelly Oldner as director, sales. Based in Crnečki has been in the industry for more than 12 Houston, Oldner will engage with RELO Direct®’s sup- years, holding a variety of roles at Paragon Global ply chain to source new business and work with real Resources, Cartus, Crown World Mobility, Mercer, estate firms affiliated with RELO Direct®’s parent com- Mondelēz International, and Kimberly-Clark. pany, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. Crnečki has already experienced six interstate Oldner has nearly 20 years of experience in relocations within the U.S., receiving support ranging business development and account manage- from a lump sum to a full relocation package. More ment, including expertise in business-to-business dramatically, he experienced his first big move at the Hrvoje Crnecki

18 Mobility | December 2019 age of 10, after his native Yugoslavia erupted into INEO WELCOMES WARD, BRUHN, war. Crnečki calls it a compelled move with “limited PROMOTES TENCER benefits.” Hrvoje (pronounced “Hervoy”), along Ineo LLC has welcomed Damon Ward, GMS, as with his brother and mother, arrived in the U.S. senior vice president, business development, EMEA, with only a few Yugoslavian coins in their pockets and added Tom Bruhn, CRP, to its leadership team as and experienced all the challenges associated with vice president, customer success. moving to a foreign land. When he was in college, Based in the U.K., Ward is responsible for leading Crnečki attended a relocation job fair that sparked Ineo’s expansion into EMEA. With a career spanning his interest in the mobility industry. nearly 30 years in the mobility industry, Ward has Damon Ward been responsible for the development of sales and ANNA AND ROBERT FLETCHER LAUNCH operational functions in numerous global, multidisci- HEART RELOCATION pline mobility organizations. Anna Fletcher and Robert Fletcher have launched “Damon’s valuable experience and relationships Heart Relocation, a relocation management company within mobility will play a crucial role in our offering a high-touch, concierge-level assignment continuing success,” says David Santora, CEO of management program to senior executives. Ineo. “We are excited to take another major step “We realized that more and more companies are in expanding our global team and solidifying our looking for a more bespoke service for their senior presence in EMEA.” Tom Bruhn executives, delivered by high-level experienced Prior to joining Ineo, Ward was responsible for professionals who understand the importance and establishing and growing operations in EMEA for can deliver customer service at the highest level,” Lexicon Relocation and was instrumental in the says Anna. As she is the majority shareholder, Heart acquisition of one of the U.K.’s leading domestic Relocation is a majority woman-owned business. providers. In addition, Ward’s responsibilities “Our mission is to put the heart back into cus- were extended to include the management of tomer service within the mobility industry,” Robert Lexicon’s APAC function during a critical stage in Fletcher says. “We recognize the people we move its development. are highly valued, highly rewarded, and exception- Based out of Ineo’s corporate headquarters in ally important individuals who will deliver amaz- Centennial, Colorado, Bruhn will play an integral Dagmar Tencer ing results for their respective organizations, and role in the client services and client success teams they are used to, by virtue of their status, a different by implementing and managing policies to sup- level of service—and that’s our mission.” port and engage Ineo’s growing client base. Anna adds, “We have great technology to With more than 30 years of mobility industry deliver to today’s expectations, but our model experience, Bruhn’s career has evolved from entry- is based on delivering the personal touch, being level relocation associate to account and operations highly attentive to the needs and requirements of management. Prior to joining Ineo, Bruhn served our assignees.” as vice president, client services, at both Weichert Anna began her 22-year career in 1997 at Workforce Mobility and SIRVA, and earlier was Universal Express and was part of setting up a account manager at Cendant Mobility (Cartus). sister company, Express Relocations, in Warsaw, “Tom’s knowledge of the mobility industry, his com- Poland, before moving to the U.K., where she mitment to client success, and his expertise managing worked at Interdean, which subsequently became implementation and support services are crucial as we Santa Fe. Robert began his career in 1989 at ARC continue our global growth,” says Santora. Relocation and subsequently held roles at SIRVA, Ineo also announced the promotion of Dagmar Sterling, and most recently Santa Fe, where he was Tencer, CRP, SGMS, to vice president, global the senior vice president, mobility solutions. The mobility software and operations. Tencer’s profes- couple met at a Worldwide ERC® conference in sional career extends over 30 years, 20 countries, Chicago in 2005. and four continents. She brings experiences in

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 19 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

academia, engineering, international marketing, of Houston, John brings an extensive background and communications, with significant expertise in of sales, business development, and client rela- global mobility. tionship skills that will support our accelerated Prior to joining Ineo, Tencer held senior roles in growth in Houston and throughout the region,” global process management and client services and says Burchell. support at a major relocation management company. Her expertise includes global business strat- PREMIA RELOCATION MORTGAGE ADDS egy, business analysis, systems administration, BRITT, KILGORE Rolanzo Kinniebrew client implementation and integration, product Premia Relocation Mortgage has added two new development, and process reengineering, as well team members to its client services and business as training and documentation. At Ineo, Tencer development team. works closely with Ineo’s software development Mark Britt, CRP, GMS, director, client services and client services teams to implement process and business development based in Atlanta, is improvements that support global growth and the responsible for growing the business and client customer experience. satisfaction in the Northeastern U.S. Britt has more than 20 years of relocation mortgage sales and STERLING LEXICON EXPANDS BUSINESS account management experience. DEVELOPMENT TEAM Sharrell Kilgore, CRP, director, client services John Young Sterling Lexicon is continuing to expand its sales and and business development based in Dallas, is business development team by welcoming Rolanzo responsible for the Midwest. Kilgore also brings Kinniebrew, CRP, and John Young. Kinniebrew knowledge from her 20 years of real estate, mort- will work on sales and business development for gage, and relocation experience. the mid-Atlantic territories, with a focus on the Washington, D.C., market, while Young will handle THAPAR JOINS AIRES AS VP, PRODUCT sales and business development for the Southern U.S. AND TECHNOLOGY “We are thrilled to be expanding our Sterling Rakesh Thapar has joined Aires as vice president, Lexicon family by adding Rolanzo and John,” says product and technology. In the newly created role,

Mark Britt Mark Burchell, SGMS, chief commercial officer. Thapar will be responsible for overall information “They both have proven track records in client and business technology leadership. He brings development and will make great assets to our more than 30 years of information technology already excellent sales team.” experience and leadership to Aires, having most Kinniebrew is a business development professional recently served as chief technology officer for a with experience in establishing and cultivating strategic Pittsburgh-area software firm. relationships and providing holistic programs and ser- “In order for Aires to continue to live our IT mis- vices for corporate and federal government agencies. sion to employ and create technologies that mobilize Before joining the Suddath team, Kinniebrew worked the modern workforce, we determined that now is in the relocation mortgage sector. the time to expand our IT leadership team,” says Sharrell Kilgore “We are very excited to have Rolanzo join our Aires Executive Vice President Joleen Lauffer, CRP, expanding sales and business development team GMS. “Aires and Rakesh are well acquainted, and at Sterling Lexicon,” Burchell adds. “He brings a we know him to be a dynamic leader with the perfect deep level of experience to the role, and we see the mix of experience and Aires DNA.” mid-Atlantic states as a key and growing market for Thapar holds a doctorate in computer engineering our company.” from Boston University and served as an adjunct Young has been a top producer for more than faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University for 25 years. “Based in the key international market more than 14 years. M

Rakesh Thapar

20 Mobility | December 2019 Save the Date Frankfurt Mobility Summit 2020 12 FEBRUARY 2020

Frankfurt Mobility Summit 2020

The Frankfurt Mobility Summit is a knowledge-sharing event shaped by the global, regional and technical developments and innovations that are driving talent mobility. Join the 180+ expected registrants from over 120 organizations worldwide for a unique networking opportunity. Be part of the conversations and explore the contributions that mobility teams can make as businesses attract new global talent, build skills and create innovative policies to foster growth. AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Collective Wisdom

To help keep you in the know on many of the topics or questions that are top of mind for Worldwide ERC® corporate/HR members, here are some of the things currently being discussed in their dedicated community group at worldwideerc.org/community.

SALARY CAP MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS We purchase our COLA and hypo housing deduction tables, and I Does anyone have policy language or noticed the table takes into consideration spending patterns when guidelines regarding moves in process salaries increase. However, our firm still applies a salary cap when during or after a merger/acquisition? determining the COLA and hypo housing amounts from the table. What happens to the expenses Do many firms still apply a cap, and why is that so, since the associated with the move? table already takes into consideration spending patterns based on different salary levels? Also, wanted to understand if you offer any additional benefits to expats in hardship locations other than COLA and hardship allowance? Do you still offer R&R or social club membership, if available in the location?

TAX ASSISTANCE IN JAPAN REPATRIATION CHECKLIST We are looking to create a repatriation checklist What percentage of tax assistance do you provide on benefits and allowances paid in yen to employees on and policy to bolster our current process. Does local Japanese employment contracts? We are trying to anyone have a checklist or resources they care determine a reasonable tax assistance percentage rate. to share? Would anyone be willing to share how they manage this and what percentage they use?

HOUSING CONTRIBUTION LOCALIZATION BEST PRACTICES Do you deduct a housing contribution/norm from assignees’ Do you localize employees who salaries or from their host housing allowance to offset have been on long-term expat company-funded host-country housing? assignments? What are the challenges you face when localizing employees? Do you have best practices that you are willing to share? Read the answers, add comments, or post a new question in the Worldwide ERC® Community’s Corporate Benchmarking Forum.

Corporate and government agency members can log in at worldwideerc.org/community.

22 Mobility | December 2019 Be Part Of The Worldwide ERC® Experience

The Worldwide ERC® Experience People count on global mobility professionals to make things happen. A lot of things. This is an industry that demands a blend of skills and expertise like no other, from the analytical and strategic to the compassionate and creative. Worldwide ERC® gives you the content, the community, the marketplace and the connections to propel you — and the people who count on you — to success.

Join or renew today and be part of the world’s premier organization for talent management and global mobility, and make your work easier, smarter, better and more meaningful.

Members enjoy access to:

Exclusive content Member Discounts Global Network Member-only access Special member pricing Community connections to deep government, and access to global and access to a global tax and legal data for events, certiﬁcations, mobility-focused business the mobility industry. courses, and resources network.

Learn more at worldwideerc.org/membership BY THE NUMBERS: 3,100+ CONTRIBUTORS 40+ COUNTRIES 20+ FOCUSED GROUPS

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Free to all global mobility professionals - community contributors are industry leaders and professionals unparalleled in their expertise, enthusiasm and engagement. Use your Worldwide ERC® log-in to create a quick proﬁle and join the conversation today.

Visit community.worldwideerc.org to learn more AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Young Professionals

What is the one technological innovation that has had the biggest impact on your personal and/or professional life in the last three years?

I love ride-sharing and have fronting my own money and waiting to be reim- wholeheartedly jumped on bursed by my employer. the bandwagon! I know Much to my delight, I’ve also discovered that they’ve been around a while, ride-sharing can make foreign travel a breeze. My but I finally started using family and I recently took a trip to Beirut, where these apps about two years ride-sharing has become a primary form of trans- ago to see what all the fuss portation. I never would have thought it possible was about. Need a ride from that our family of four could use a ride-sharing the airport to your hotel or a service to take us from one tourist site to the next, ride from the mechanic back but we did! The best part was not having to worry to your house? No problem and barely any wait. I about language or currency barriers. Our app told remember the days of calling a taxi and having to the driver exactly where we needed to go and auto- wait 30 minutes or more for one to arrive. I also recall matically applied the conversion rate to our fare! the hassle of waiting for the meter to display my fare I travel a lot for work and personally. Ride- and wondering if I had enough cash to cover it in sharing offers so many benefits and the privilege of case the taxi driver didn’t accept credit. With meeting many different drivers and hearing their ride-sharing, I already know how much the ride will stories. Even though our meetings are facilitated cost and how I can pay for it without having to by technology, it certainly feels as if the ride-shar- discuss it with the driver at all! ing experience is helping connect people again. I know I’m behind the curve on this amazing Needless to say, I have made the transition, and technological innovation, but ride-sharing makes there is no turning back. M business travel so much easier. Instead of renting a Faye S. Hoxworth, CRP, GMS car and navigating unfamiliar roadways, I just order Old Republic Relocation Services a ride, sit back, and catch up on emails or phone calls on the way to my destination. By adding a corporate If you’re a professional under 40 who would like to be featured credit card to my ride-sharing account, I can also on this page in a future issue, please contact Heidi Hume, pay work-related travel expenses directly instead of GMS-T, at [email protected] or +1 703 842 3419.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 25 WORLDWIDE ERC ® GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS 2019

Foreign Earned Income and Foreign Housing Exclusion By Peter Scott

U.S. workers stationed overseas remain taxable in CHANGES IN 2006 the U.S. on all income received, whether it comes Until 2006, the foreign earned income exclusion from the U.S. or a foreign country. However, if certain for any year was limited to a maximum of $80,000 conditions are satisfied, Section 911 of the Internal in foreign earned income. The exclusion was Revenue Code allows those workers an election to scheduled to be indexed for inflation beginning exclude from their U.S. income some of their “for- in 2008. However, in the Tax Increase Prevention eign earned income” and some of their reimbursed and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (enacted in May expenses for foreign housing. This article discusses 2006 and retroactive to 1 January 2006), Congress the Section 911 exclusions. accelerated the indexing date to 2006, which has To qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion, resulted in larger maximum exclusion amounts Section 911(a)(1), and the foreign housing exclusion, since that year. For 2019 it is $105,900. Note that a Section 911(a)(2), the worker must have income married couple who both work abroad may elect to received for working in a foreign country, have a claim twice the maximum amount. tax home in a foreign country, and meet a bona fide The foreign housing exclusion is available for the residence or physical presence test in that country. expenses of providing housing in the foreign coun- Foreign earned income includes wages, salaries, try, which includes rent (or the fair rental value of professional fees, and other amounts received as com- employer-provided housing), utilities (other than tele- pensation for personal services. (It does not, however, phone), insurance, repairs, maintenance, rental of fur- include amounts paid by the U.S. or its agencies to niture and accessories, and parking. Eligible expenses government employees.) do not include otherwise deductible expenses such as The term “tax home” has the same meaning as it interest or taxes, or the costs of buying property (such does for determining the deductibility of traveling as mortgage payments), or capital improvements, or expenses incurred “away from home.” Generally, the cost of domestic labor. an individual’s tax home is where the individual’s Prior to 2006, the housing exclusion was unlimited principal place of work is located. to the extent it exceeded a base amount. The base An individual is a bona fide resident of a foreign amount was 16% of the salary of a federal employee country if the individual is there for an uninterrupted at salary grade GS-14, step 1, or about $12,500 in 2005. period that includes a full tax year. Alternatively, So, if housing costs were $40,000 in 2005, then $27,500 an individual may qualify by meeting the physical would generally have been excludable (the amount presence test. Under that test, the individual must be by which actual costs exceeded the base amount). in the foreign country for 330 days out of any consec- However, the 2006 law amended these provisions utive 12-month period—but the 330 days themselves to change the calculation of the base amount and to need not be consecutive. limit the maximum amount of the exclusion. That The exclusions are not automatic, even for individ- law changed the calculation of the base to 16% of the uals who qualify. Rather, the individual elects to claim foreign earned income exclusion amount. For 2019 that the foreign earned income exclusion and the foreign is 16% of $105,900, or $16,944. The law then imposed a housing exclusion by filing a separate IRS Form 2555 maximum on the costs that may be taken into account for each. Once the election is made, it can be revoked in computing the exclusion. The maximum is 30% of the only with the permission of the IRS. earned income exclusion, or $31,770 for 2019 (0.3 times

26 Mobility | December 2019 $105,900). Consequently, for 2019 the maximum housing income in excess of the Section 911 exclusion amount, cost exclusion is $14,826 ($31,770 minus $16,944). Under and the alternative minimum tax. This may have the this system, the higher the actual housing cost, the big- effect of increasing the taxpayer’s tax rate by moving ger the hit, because excludable costs are always limited some of his or her other income into a higher bracket. as calculated above. For 2019, whether actual housing For example, if a taxpayer would be only in the 22% tax costs were $40,000 or $60,000 or $100,000, it would make bracket after the 911 exclusion, but would be in the 24% no difference; only $14,826 is excludable. bracket if the amount excluded under Section 911 were taxable, then the taxpayer’s tax would be calculated at a ‘HIGH-COST’ CITIES maximum rate of 24%, not 22%. The revised law, however, also gave the Treasury The Section 911 exclusions are important tools Department the authority to provide higher maximum for reducing the tax burden on expatriate U.S. housing cost limits for areas in which it determined employees, and companies with employees assigned housing costs to be high. Exercising the authority overseas should make sure they understand and are granted by Congress, on 6 October 2006 the Treasury taking advantage of these rules. M Department issued Notice 2006-87 (2006-43 IRB 1), which provided higher housing cost exclusions for a Peter Scott is Worldwide ERC® tax counsel and principal of list of “high-cost” foreign cities. Under that guidance, Peter K. Scott Associates. He can be reached at +1 910 579 U.S. expatriates were able to claim considerably higher 5332 or [email protected]. amounts in some locations. For example, the limit for Hong Kong was raised to $114,300. The Treasury Department has continued to provide annual notices with new limits for dozens of locations. The latest is Notice 2019-24 (2019-14 IRB 1). And each notice includes a provision that taxpayers may use the costs stated in the new notice for both the current and the prior year. Consequently, for example, for Hong Kong, taxpayers may substitute $114,300 for $31,700 in calculating the foreign housing exclusion for both 2018 and 2019. The 2006 law also made a fundamental change in the way U.S. tax liability is calculated for those claiming the foreign earned income or foreign housing exclusions. Although the amounts excluded under Section 911 are not taxable, they are added back to U.S. taxable income for purposes of calculating the tax on other income that remains taxable, such as spouse income, interest, dividends, or foreign

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 27 MARKET SUMMARY

Minneapolis–St. Paul By Kelly Calvert, CRP

rom indoor experiences to outdoor strong and stable neighborhoods, each with its own activities, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis texture of historical interest, cultural landmarks, and St. Paul offer something for everyone ethnic heritage, and time-honored traditions. all year long. Minnesota is home to almost 200 post-secondary FAs the largest city in Minnesota and the 47th-largest educational institutions, including the University of city in the U.S., Minneapolis is often thought of as Minnesota. The Twin Cities campus is the flagship the more cosmopolitan of the two. With its strong location of the state’s five-campus system. The U of cultural landscape and colorful history, Minneapolis M offers more than 150 majors and minors in its 18 offers unique shops and dining experiences, a variety colleges. The school has the only veterinary, phar- of entertainment venues, and a thriving music scene. macy, and dental colleges in the state, and 70% of new Minneapolis is also known for its outstanding lakes, Minnesota physicians are U of M graduates. including 22 within the city limits, and an extensive Because of the Twin Cities’ strong economy and park system, designated the best in the country by The growing job market, 19 Fortune 500 companies have Trust for Public Land for three years before dropping chosen the location for their headquarters; they to No. 3 this year, just behind … St. Paul. include Target, United Health Group, Best Buy, 3M, Minneapolis enjoys a booming art and cultural General Mills, Ameriprise Financial, and Xcel Energy. scene. Those who live in, work in, and visit the city Several professional teams call the Twin Cities are able to take advantage of the skyway system that home, and residents are avid fans of Minnesota connects 52 blocks of the downtown area, allowing Vikings football, Minnesota Twins baseball, residents and visitors to get to work, shops, or restau- Minnesota Wild ice hockey, and Minnesota United rants without ever going outside. soccer. In 2018, U.S. Bank Stadium hosted the Super The state capital, St. Paul is a charming and Bowl, which attracted more than a million attendees. historic older city with more shoreline on the Minneapolis–St. Paul brings in more than 40 million Mississippi—26 miles—than any other. This sec- visitors per year to the Mall of America. The MOA ond-most populous city in Minnesota was built on is the largest shopping mall in the U.S., with more

28 Mobility | December 2019 MARKET AT A GLANCE STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT ECONOMIC CLIMATE GOOD TODAY 1 YEAR AGO CHANGE NEW CONSTRUCTION UP UNEMPLOYMENT 2.7% 2.2% +22.7%* REO ACTIVITY LOW MONTHS OF SUPPLY 13.5 14.6 –7.5% DEMAND STEADY ANNUAL SALES VOLUME $5.4 B $5.2 B +4.1% MARKET DIRECTION STEADY AVERAGE SALE PRICE $280,000 $265,000 +5.7% MARKET MOOD POSITIVE AVERAGE DOM 38 38 0%

Data courtesy of Minneapolis Area Realtors. Minneapolis, July 2019/2018 U.S. Department of Labor. *Unemployment change expressed in terms of overall percentage (not points).

than 520 stores, 50 restaurants, and Nickelodeon to grow, more residents flocked to the suburbs, result- Universe, the nation’s largest indoor theme park. ing in a downward trend in downtown population Other popular destinations include the Minneapolis from the 1950s until the 1990s. Sculpture Garden, the largest urban sculpture garden Since the late 1990s, the Twin Cities have experi- in the country; the Minneapolis Institute of Art; and enced a resurgence in population in the downtown Minnehaha Falls, a waterfall located in the heart of areas. New residential construction, expanded ameni- the city. The Minnesota State Fair, one of the largest ties, and a wave of younger employees wanting to be 12-day fairs in North America, attracts more than 1.5 closer to their workplace have led the change. million attendees every year. The strong demand for housing and a short supply The Twin Cities also offer a burgeoning craft beer of inventory in the Twin Cities area continue to push market. In addition to several established breweries, metro area home prices higher. The average sales including Summit, Surly, and August Schell, doz- price has risen 5.7% over the past year, and in 2019, ens of craft breweries have opened in recent years, the average price of a home hit $280,000. The Twin increasing the count to more than 150 breweries in Cities housing market is at a 2.5-month supply as of operation today. July 2019, and the unemployment rate is historically The Twin Cities bring approximately 206,000 low at 2.7%. The market is still seeing homebuyers employees to their downtown areas every day, making pursuing the American dream of owning a home, public transportation a priority. Minneapolis ranks even with home prices rising and lower inventory. 11th for public transportation in a report by Fabric Insurance Agency, offering light rail, train, and bus for LOOKING AHEAD commuters. This also makes its downtown market a A healthy economy with growing employment is desirable place to live, with a walkability score of 69 expected to add more than 368,000 new jobs by 2038. out of 100 from Walk Score (“somewhat walkable,” but Metro buyers are expanding their searches to the 14 only one point below “very walkable”). counties surrounding the Twin Cities. These subur- ban markets offer more attractive prices, unique char- LOOKING BACK acteristics, and a relatively easy commute that still The downtown areas of Minneapolis–St. Paul have allows residents to enjoy the historical and cultural followed the same trajectory for population growth as heart of the Twin Cities. M many major cities. Residents flocked to the downtown areas, once a thriving center for lumber, flour Broker Kelly Calvert, CRP, is relocation director with milling, and warehousing. The population boom Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices North Properties and ended around the 1950s due in part to the shift of is a member of the Relocation Directors Council (RDC). industry to other cities and the attractiveness of the She can be reached at +1 888 272 5355 or kcalvert@ suburbs. While the metro area population continued bhhsnorthproperties.com.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 29 Expected IT Budget Change From 2019 to 2020

Increase 44%

The No Change 44%

Decrease 8%

Numbers Don’t Know 3% In its “2020 State of IT” report, business technology marketplace Spiceworks shares the results of surveying 1,005 business technology buyers from organizations across Technology Trends Expected North America and Europe, ranging in size from one to 99 to Have the Biggest Impact on employees to more than 5,000. The survey was conducted Businesses in July 2019 and explores buyer insights, technology spends, and likely future trends. For the full report, see IT automation 42% http://bit.ly/2CLjwdj.

Artificial 32% intelligence

Top Factors Leading to IT Budget IoT 31% Increases in 2020 Gigabit Wi-Fi 25% Need to upgrade outdated 64% networking infrastructure Serverless 24% Increased security concerns 47% computing

Employee growth 47% 5G technology 23%

Increased priority on IT projects 45% Hyperconverged 20% infrastructure Business revenue increases 31% Container 17% technology Changes to regulations 29%

Virtual reality 16% Recent security incident 13%

Blockchain Currency fluctuations 10% 15% technology

Corporate tax cuts 9% Edge computing 15%

Excerpts from the Spiceworks State of IT 2020 survey. 3D printing 13% Reprinted with permission.

30 Mobility | December 2019 Adoption of Technology Trends Top IT Challenges Organizations Expect PLAN to Face in 2020 PLAN TO CURRENTLY TO USE USE IN IN USE IN 12 1–2 YEARS MONTHS Keeping IT infrastructure 50% up to date IT automation 43% 15% 11% Balancing IT tasks and improvement 49% Gigabit Wi-Fi 41% 14% 15% projects networking Upgrading 46% outdated software IoT 29% 16% 10%

Following security 39% Container 25% 15% 12% best practices technology Convincing business leaders to 32% Hyperconverged 24% 12% 10% infrastructure prioritize IT

Managing IT help 29% 3D printing 20% 10% 8% desk issues

Complying with 29% Edge computing 20% 13% 10% regulations

Providing security 29% Artificial 15% 17% 10% training intelligence Maintaining Serverless 15% 14% 12% disaster recovery 27% computing policies

Managing Virtual reality 15% 11% 10% on-prem and 26% cloud services Blockchain 14% 11% 9% technology Implementing new 18% tech innovations

5G technology 7% 14% 16% Excerpts from the Spiceworks State of IT 2020 survey. Reprinted with permission.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 31 Transforming to Meet the Changing World of Mobility

2019 has been an incredibly transformative year for Worldwide ERC®. As the global workforce and your needs continue to change, we’re right there with you. We’re working to enhance your membership value with in-person and digital experiences that deliver the connections and content you need: how, where and when you need them. Through these pages, regular articles on worldwideerc.org, events, courses, certifications, research, advocacy outreach and interactions on social media and within the Community, Worldwide ERC® keeps propelling you — and the people who count on you — to success. Here are some highlights from 2019 and a look at what’s next.

Research We gave you information on the role of talent mobility in a full employment U.S. economy and ran several hot-topic snapshot surveys on trends in cost-of-living allowances, repatriation, immigration and gross ups. The REALLY big news, however, was the launch of the game-changing Global Movement Study. With the first results coming in early 2020, you’ll be able to benchmark across the full spectrum of mobility programs and practices, comparing approaches filtered by multiple options to meet your needs.

WHAT’S NEXT IN RESEARCH? Within the same online, interactive benchmarking platform as the Global Movement Study results, corporate members will have a policy creator tool. As you explore your peers’ and industry leaders’ programs, simultaneously build your own solutions with pre-programmed policy definitions and language. We’ll be applying the same approach to a Domestic Movement Study – looking at internal moves within the U.S. and other major global markets.

Events How we connect with and learn from one another is also rapidly – and significantly – changing. We infused our in-person events this year with new opportunities to do both. Tech kiosks put you at the center of new product and service demos. Live streaming of Global Workforce Symposium general sessions opened an opportunity to tune in and benefit from the learning remotely. And a digital event pass gives you continued access to videos of any sessions you missed or want to share.

EndofYearDPS.indd 2 12/2/19 4:48 PM

WHAT’S NEXT IN EVENTS? We’ll continue to deliver quality content and engagement opportunities through our in-person regional Summits, our October Global Workforce Symposium and our half-day Master Series programs on such highly specialized topics as immigration and tax. And, we’re redesigning our May event to better reflect the needs of the changing marketplace and provide new and engaging ways for our corporate HR practitioners to interact. Stay tuned for more on that in the coming weeks!

Learning To keep pace with changing skill requirements and demands, you need learning and development opportunities that grow and change with you Transforming to Meet the Changing throughout your career. With that in mind, we launched an online Learning Portal, offering an extensive catalogue of options to customize a program to your World of Mobility experience level, time availability and learning style. Take a look at the courses, microlearning, checklists, recorded webinars and conference sessions, as well as 2019 has been an incredibly transformative year for Worldwide ERC®. training programs from other members. With a premium subscription, you can As the global workforce and your needs continue to change, we’re right access these and more than 13,000 LinkedIn Learning courses. there with you. We’re working to enhance your membership value with in-person and digital experiences that deliver the connections and content you need: WHAT’S NEXT IN LEARNING? how, where and when you need them. Through these pages, regular articles on Topics for future courses include compensation considerations, localization worldwideerc.org, events, courses, certifications, research, advocacy outreach and and local-plus programs, the intersection between talent management and interactions on social media and within the Community, Worldwide ERC® keeps mobility, duty of care, selection and assessment, data analysis, and mobility’s role propelling you — and the people who count on you — to success. Here are some in achieving business growth to name a few. highlights from 2019 and a look at what’s next. Gain recognition for your learning accomplishments in the professional marketplace and on social media by earning badges and sharing them through the Research Credly/Acclaim recognition portal (see www.youracclaim.com for further details).

We gave you information on the role of talent mobility in a full employment U.S. economy and ran several hot-topic snapshot surveys on trends in cost-of-living Government Affairs allowances, repatriation, immigration and gross ups. The REALLY big news, however, was the launch of the game-changing Global Visit worldwideerc.org to gain direct access to our legislative agenda and Movement Study. With the first results coming in early 2020, you’ll be able to details about what each of the five Government Affairs Forums are working ® benchmark across the full spectrum of mobility programs and practices, comparing on. See how Worldwide ERC advocacy works and ways you can participate by approaches filtered by multiple options to meet your needs. sharing an issue or joining a Forum. This year marked a first Hill Day, where members gathered in Washington, D.C. to speak with their Congressional WHAT’S NEXT IN RESEARCH? representatives and staff on such topics as U.S. immigration policy, simplifying Within the same online, interactive benchmarking platform as the Global state income tax rules for traveling workers and protecting personally Movement Study results, corporate members will have a policy creator tool. As you identifiable information. explore your peers’ and industry leaders’ programs, simultaneously build your own solutions with pre-programmed policy definitions and language. WHAT’S NEXT IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS? We’ll be applying the same approach to a Domestic Movement Study – looking at Another Hill Day is planned for 2020, and we’ll continue to keep you internal moves within the U.S. and other major global markets. informed through the website, Forums, Community, blog posts, Tax & Legal MasterSource and our news digest.

Events How we connect with and learn from one another is also rapidly – and significantly – changing. We infused our in-person events this year with new The Transformation Continues… opportunities to do both. Tech kiosks put you at the center of new product and service demos. Live streaming of Global Workforce Symposium general sessions As we close out 2019, we thank you for your partnership in making it a great year. We’re excited opened an opportunity to tune in and benefit from the learning remotely. And a to continue this transformative journey together. We’re committed to innovating with you to ® digital event pass gives you continued access to videos of any sessions you missed or deliver enhancements and greater value to your engagement with Worldwide ERC . Look for more want to share. information about what’s next in our January interview with your 2020 Chairman of the Board, Ed Hannibal, GMS.

EndofYearDPS.indd 2 12/2/19 4:48 PM EndofYearDPS.indd 3 12/2/19 4:48 PM HOW TECHNOLOGY s technology continues to evolve within the business Aworld, our work lives become easier. You can speak to people any- where in the world within a matter of seconds. Meetings take place via video- conference. Virtual tours allow transferees to see where they’re going; sharing platforms make work more efficient so there’s more time for collaboration and creative thinking; and the digital era pres- ents multiple consumer conveniences and solves all kinds of challenges. TECHNOLOGY HAS STREAMLINED THE WORKPLACE Digital automation has changed almost every facet of employment

BY HEATHER LARSON Technology is rapidly changing the consumer land- specific talents and skills you need see your job scape, and employees are frequently being viewed as postings. Among other things, SEO requires the smart consumers. From recruitment to learning, let’s take a use of keywords and is now nearly as integral a part look at some of the key ways the digital experience is of crafting the written position description, require- shaping the workplace. ments, and responsibilities as determining appropri- With record low unemployment and a growing ate salary levels and ensuring employee and candi- shortage of skilled candidates, recruitment has date are on the same page about expectations. become increasingly difficult. Technology, however, Although LinkedIn entered the picture in 2002, has come to the rescue with tracking systems and making it an old-timer, the platform continues to new tools designed to transform the way employers evolve in order to stay relevant. With a reported 590 discover new hires. (See also “The Robot at Your million users at the end of 2018, LinkedIn is a gigantic Desk,” page 40.) pool of employee possibilities and continues to grow. Two professionals join LinkedIn every second. In order to capture the attention of the worthiest job candidates, your career site must be mobile- friendly. Almost everyone can be reached 24/7 If you don’t use a on their smartphone or other devices. Job hunters search for work on them while at their current job, in mobile approach to restaurants, while watching TV—from just about any- where. It’s an essential way to reach millennials and recruiting, you risk post-millennials. If you don’t use a mobile approach, you risk candidates thinking your company is a tech candidates thinking dinosaur and discounting it. In an article titled “Accessing Talent: It’s More your company is a Than Acquisition” on Deloitte Insights earlier this year, the authors say it’s time to consider monitoring tech dinosaur and the talent pool continuously, not just when you have a job opening. You can do that with some AI-powered discounting it. tools. Talent matching platforms exist that scrape openly available information and combine it with machine learning to craft a comprehensive profile of RECRUITMENT IN THE DIGITAL AGE a job seeker. That data reveals how appropriate he When it comes to staffing, all industries have the same or she is for particular jobs. Another tool, the video agenda: to employ the best candidate for the job. To do interview, can be replayed whenever you want and that, they need to sell that person on the position and allows you to evaluate candidates and their suitabil- the value of working for their company. Traditional ity for a specific position at any time or share with ways of advertising for job candidates and touting the authorized decision-making colleagues who might attractiveness of a company’s brand are being replaced not be able to be involved in the initial conversations. or augmented by crowdsourced reviews, salary trends, McDonald’s recently started accepting applications and social media. New platforms and artificial intelli- via Amazon and Google voice assistants. Called gence–based search and assessment systems are also “Apply Thru,” the process starts when you tell a increasingly helpful tools. These require recruiters to home-based tech assistant, “Help me get a job at think in new ways about search engine optimization McDonald’s.” You’ll be asked a few questions and (SEO), mobile technology, and even the use of home- then receive a text message linking you to the remain- based voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and der of the application process. Google Assistant. They are all reshaping the process of Once you have your new hires in place, managing how employers and talent connect. all aspects of their domestic or global assignments SEO is an essential consideration, as it helps you and onboarding procedures will also be made signifi- ensure that the prospective employees with the cantly easier with the right technology.

36 Mobility | December 2019 ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT INVEST IN CYBERSECURITY But how do you know what platform or system works best for you and your company culture and Just like new prescription drugs on the market, new technol- needs? Emanuela Boccagni, London-based commer- ogy often comes with side effects. As you update the platforms, cial director EMEA at ECA International, has some software, and tools you use to improve your business, you suggestions for how to make a good decision. also need to safeguard sensitive information with the correct In her article “Why Is Assignment Software security measures. Needed?” Boccagni says you should consider how “Our personal and business information isn’t as separate complex your needs are, the intricacies of your mobil- as we’d like to think,” says ECA International’s Emanuela ity program, the size of your assignee population, Boccagni. “You need to make sure only authorized users can and how many stakeholders are involved. Keep in see salary details and other personal data. Ensuring there is a mind that some systems will be more suitable—and secure way to transfer personal data is becoming of paramount scalable—than others. importance—simply relying on email is no longer an option.” If a different technology implementation is needed, In fact, the most common technologies responsible for acci- you also must account for a transition period from dental breaches by employees are external email services such your old system to the new technology-based solu- as Gmail or Yahoo, corporate email, file-sharing services (FTP tion. How long will it take? What kind of support will sites), collaboration tools including Slack and Dropbox, and you get from the supplier? How will you either retire messaging apps such as GoChat or WhatsApp. or get “legacy-based” systems integrated with the To stop those breaches in their tracks, companies must new one, and which members of the population are encrypt data prior to letting employees share it. That means most likely to be impacted? the data must be encoded using an encrypted algorithm. Because of the constant improvement and trans- Encryption keeps the hackers guessing. They can still steal formation of software, you’ll want guarantees from your information; they just can’t figure out what it says. the supplier on how future developments will be As technology creates more products and services to change incorporated into their services for you. the way we work, new cyber susceptibilities are also born. Several tools exist specifically for the mobility mar- Cloud migration, AI-driven products, and software-as-a- ket to better and more efficiently oversee your work- service (SaaS) are experiencing more cyber vulnerabilities force. Instead of using numerous Excel spreadsheets today than ever before, as reported by Deloitte’s 2019 “Future and a variety of other documents, you can combine of Cyber Survey.” all the aspects you need for each assignee into one The study concludes, “Connected technologies are an place. From taxes to compensation to expenses and immensely fertile ground for innovation for organizations in all benefits, you’ll have a single, ready-to-use tool. industries, but their potential will go untapped if that ground Privacy regulations dictate specific handling require- is perceived to be too risky to be worth exploring. ments around protecting sensitive information, and whatever system you adopt should also make sharing the details with all parties who need it fully protected and compliant, as well as easy—negating the need are living by getting involved on social media plat- for employees to have to enter the same information forms, too. Others don’t.” multiple times, for multiple people or locations. (See In the February 2019 issue of Mobility, Georgia adjacent sidebar, “Invest in Cybersecurity.”) Realtor Jill Heineck, SCRP, relates a compelling story about the power of Facebook. She worked with a HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS company in which 10 data scientists were asked to Companies have different rules and different move from the U.S. to Singapore. Unless they all attitudes regarding sharing information about went, the move wasn’t going to happen. After finally assignments, says Boccagni. “When an employee is getting permission from their company, two of the going to a new location and wants to talk with other data scientists started a private Facebook group for colleagues, social media will inevitably be a part of their colleagues who were already in place at the this,” she says. “Some companies embrace that and new location and those who had previously fulfilled facilitate such exchanges around the experience they a similar assignment. Thirty members signed on

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 37 within a day. Because the group was able to ask software. To make the change user-friendly, all the questions of those who had gone before them, the tools were integrated. entire group agreed to go within 15 days of the birth Integration is key. Opt for cloud-based sharing to of that Facebook group. make sure your teams can all retrieve the same files Heineck concludes, “Higher retention rates of well- and tools. Encourage everyone to have a voice, no trained, loyal employees who will now be part of the matter what method you use for connecting. population willing to share their experiences with “With connected offices, processes, and various future assignees embarking on similar moves are the tools that talk to one another, all the processes linked proven results of giving transferees a voice and a safe to international human resources can be simplified place to be heard.” through the use of time-saving solutions,” says Tools that unite your entire worldwide staff have Boccagni. “You don’t have to duplicate data entry, huge benefits. which is very important to our clients.” Just as everyone needs to be connected, all employees need to absorb new information and grow, and technology plays a vital role in how we do that now.

The digital workplace LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT: A MUST-HAVE If you want to keep your employees, your company dissolves previous must give them opportunities to acquire further knowledge and thrive. This holds especially true for barriers and allows millennials, who are expected to make up most of the workforce in 2020. more efficiency, A recent study undertaken by Deloitte, “Future of Work: The People Imperative,” noted that millennials originality, and value training and development as the most sought-after job benefit, above flexible hours, cash bonuses, vacation development. time, and retirement funding. If this benefit isn’t available or doesn’t meet their needs, they change jobs. In a 2016 Gallup report titled “How Millennials Want to Work and Live,” 21% of that generation said CONNECTING TEAMS AND SHARING DATA they had changed jobs the year before, costing the The digital workplace dissolves previous barri- U.S. economy a whopping $30.5 billion. ers and allows more efficiency, originality, and Enter online learning, podcasts, videos, and development. Yet you need a strategy to take full even online degrees. You can reach a wider, vaster advantage of this technology. First, define your audience through online learning, at times and business focus and requirements to determine what in places that are most convenient to them. While you need. Then select the best collaboration tools in-person, lecture-style training has its place, too, for those prerequisites. it’s not always practical for large global teams, Some ideas for communication among team mem- and since everyone learns and retains information bers include email, instant messaging, microblogging differently, it might not always be the best way to (short posts like those found on Twitter), mobile engage employees. Interactive technology might messaging, portals, and intranet systems. be. Game-playing technology not only encourages Cisco Systems Inc., a multinational corporation that interaction but might also be less costly than other specializes in electronics, networks, and communi- modes of dispensing knowledge, and it cuts down cations technology, decided they needed to improve on travel costs and out-of-office time. Employees the way their 70,000 employees all over the world also tend to maintain the knowledge they learned collaborated. The company implemented several through interaction. distinct programs, which included video communi- Technology is constantly offering new ways to cations, collaboration platforms, and enterprise social learn and is never static.

38 Mobility | December 2019 WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE for all aspects of assignment management, nor does A lot of conversations are currently taking place about it suit all company cultures.” how to use artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality Alluding to what is perhaps the essential consider- (VR) to benefit global mobility, says Boccagni. ation in the implementation of any kind of technolog- In the relocation process, for example, some ical innovation, she adds, “Yet, the human touch can’t relocation companies may offer VR to show the be replaced.” M transferees and their family the new location instead of sending them for a look-see visit. Or Heather Larson is a freelance writer based in Tacoma, you could send them there on an exploratory Washington. trip, and when they return, use VR to see what they missed or remind them of critical details. Keep the conversations going on this and “As lead times get tighter and tighter, imple- other topics by participating in our online menting automation is necessary for businesses to Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ become more efficient,” Boccagni explains. “This community with your Worldwide ERC® doesn’t mean that full automation is appropriate username and password.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 39

THEROBOT AT YOURDESK How robotics is changing the mobility team dynamic By Robert Smith echnology is changing how we interact with line managers, and others who may interact with each other, our work, and the world. (See a process directly or have a system with which the also “How Technology Has Streamlined the RPA may interact. Workplace,” page 34.) TAt home, smart electronic devices can turn on a System Integration light, read you a bedtime story, or make you a cup of Are you using a single technology solution or a coffee. At work, companies look for ways to manage mix of multiple solutions? This is an important employee and mobility costs while providing the question. Single system usage often can be accom- right level of personal touch. Technology, including plished with simpler, more streamlined tools than robotic process automation (RPA), is an important an RPA, which likely is fairly complex. When part of the solution. multiple systems are brought together, however, The shift to robotics is a marked change in the RPA may just fit the bill. Consider the expertise mobility business model that can create new effi- and manpower associated with a multisystem ciencies with reduced costs, leaving companies time approach, and make sure you have the right talent and resources to provide high-touch, individualized and expertise for successful implementation. attention to mobile employees. The question is, how do companies integrate these new technologies into Process their businesses, teams, and corporate structures? Make sure that the intended process automation is accomplished in the simplest way. Bad process THE ROBOT’S JOB DESCRIPTION design accomplished through an RPA will not yield What exactly is RPA? Generally speaking, RPA a better result. In other words, technology cannot technologies work similarly to an Excel macro, fix a bad process. which automates tasks that are repeated frequently. However, rather than being limited to one program Maintenance (e.g., Excel), RPA can be programmed to leverage An effective RPA needs to be looked at as an evolving multiple applications, thereby automating multistep piece of technology, meaning that as your organization processes with the push of a single button. changes, your RPA will need to change with it. This Many mobility departments are realizing that RPA requires individuals, or a group of individuals, who can can provide a blend of efficiency, 24/7 performance, maintain and update the robots’ programming at key and consistent quality, all while reducing human points or when underlying systems change. error and costs. When working to implement RPA, it’s important first to determine the correct technol- Metrics ogy, or process and technology mix, required for your Just as with your human employees, an automated organization and project. Essentially, it’s time to build process should meet, and continue to meet, defined a job description for your RPA. As a company works goals or metrics that should be defined at the begin- to build a business case and hiring criteria, it’s helpful ning of the process and help drive implementation to consider the following: and adoption.

Complexity Alternatives An important first step in determining the correct While exploring RPA, many organizations go about solution is to gain a solid understanding of your building solutions without looking internally at the issue. Will RPA be able to accomplish all required strengths of their existing teams first. It’s important steps or action items? Where are manual, review, or to look at current team members and processes to approval steps needed or appropriate? see whether implementing RPA is a better solution than those that currently are meeting immediate and Teaming ongoing business needs. Look beyond mobility’s borders when determining whether RPA is the right solution for your Mobility-Based Requirements organization. Consider all stakeholders, including Humans generally learn to complete a process, and human resources, finance, payroll, legal, business only then are they able to begin revising it. A robot,

42 Mobility | December 2019 Make sure that the intended process automation is accomplished in the simplest way. Technology cannot fix a bad process.

brought online during RPA implementation, can MANAGING THE TECHNOLOGY-HUMAN perform a process while simultaneously looking for DIVIDE improvements to it. With their need to complete both RPA has an impact on both your internal and your qualitative and quantitative tasks, many mobility globally mobile employees. As a result, the (real) departments are ready to reevaluate current practices. people aspect of RPA is an important consideration Well-designed RPA can help manage portions of requiring strong change management during plan- the complete assignment or mobility life cycle, from ning, implementation, and adoption. candidate selection through repatriation. Examples According to Rachel Paul, partner at KPMG LLP in of processes that may be revised and/or automated the U.S., “RPA is a great resource for globally mobile include, but are not limited to: organizations, specifically as we see that mobility teams • Authorization: Automated authorization RPA are expected to do more with fewer resources. It’s work allows for multisystem data extraction at key important to involve the team in planning and imple- points in the process, specifically around moving mentation to enhance buy-in and create an environment or rekeying of data elements from both payroll and where humans and machines work together.” HRIS systems. So, the question becomes: How do we engage • Document creation: RPA processes can be lever- employees in supporting and accepting the aged to pull information into document templates, implementation of RPA? Consider the following decreasing the amount of time needed to create recommendations: assignment letters, large-scale email communica- • Communication transparency: Communicate tions, or even cost projections. that the goal of RPA is to increase efficiency, not • Email notifications: RPA processes have the ability decrease head count (assuming that this is true). to slice and dice data and documents into large • Training and transition planning: If needed, mailing lists and perform mail merges. design and have a plan in place to retrain or tran- • Data updates: Like larger workflow engines, RPA sition employees to new roles as specific tasks are can be leveraged to automate specific tasks, such as moved into robotic processes. data updates, from multiple systems or locations. • Value proposition: Emphasize the value the RPA • Approval, instruction, and review: Standardized will bring to the employees, including new skills, approvals and instruction protocols can be created enhanced visibility, and more strategic initiatives. using well-defined process documentation. • Involvement: Empower employees to participate • Reporting and data points: Since RPA can consol- in the RPA journey, allowing them to change and idate data, it can be leveraged to run or produce transform processes for better efficiency—let them cross-platform reports related to the onboarding help determine whether a “bot” is the right solu- and pre-assignment, on-assignment, and post- tion for both short-term and long-term success. assignment phases. • Excitement: Build excitement about the first RPA Companies that begin to leverage RPA in these rollout, involving as much of the employee popula- or other processes are capable of processing more tion as possible. data more quickly, thereby freeing mobility team • Rollout: Integrate RPA into the organization members’ time for strategic initiatives such as ana- slowly, giving individuals time to adjust while test- lytics around long-term employment and retention, ing it thoroughly and monitoring effectiveness. broader talent integration, and year-over-year The inclusion of RPA in a process is really about trend reporting. employee empowerment and allowing employees to

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 43 RPAs that adhere to a strong corporate vision are better suited for long-term use and less subject to short-term obsolescence.

begin thinking strategically about the organization, • Political changes: Political considerations, includ- its function, and both time and money savings. The ing increased tax costs, have created additional more you empower employees to move beyond management expenditures. standard job roles, the more successful adoption can • Increased globalization: Companies around become and the more confident your employees will the world are competing globally for key talent, be regarding changing roles and new technologies. thereby increasing labor costs globally. • Turnover: Companies are finding it increasingly INTRODUCING RPA TO YOUR MOBILE difficult to retain foreign workers, which leads to WORKFORCE higher recruiting and training costs. As you begin introductions to RPA, it’s important While offshore resources did historically reduce for employees to be made aware of, and trained on, costs for organizations, allowing for more hands-on how to interact with the technology. If they are made and 24-hour service, many times, efficiency was aware early in the process, or early during the assign- not the goal—especially in its early years. As global ment planning phase, adoption and expectations can wages continue to rise, mobility departments must be more easily managed with little or potentially no seek new efficiencies and should look to automation interruption during critical times. that provides the right mix of cost and efficiency Additionally, it’s important to make sure that gains. Technology may well be the shared service employees understand the role of the RPA and any center of the future, a true 24/7 resource. confines associated with that role. This helps create a solidly defined expectation and lets employees know THE COMPANY PERSPECTIVE at what point the interaction will take place and how Companies need to understand how RPA can accom- it will personally affect them. plish needed tasks, but also how it furthers the corporate vision. This could be as simple as decreasing A NEW RESOURCE, A NEW STAFFING redundant resources or as complex as creating new MODEL processes to drive percentage increases in efficiency. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen a push RPAs that adhere to a strong corporate vision are bet- to centralize back-office functions, and much of ter suited for long-term use and less subject to short- mobility, into shared service centers in countries term obsolescence. True efficiency and savings can be such as China, India, Vietnam, and Mauritius. This realized only with long-term usage and a solidified strategy, which was effectively designed to lower long-term vision. costs, worked for many years, but it is becoming A key to RPA success at the organizational level increasingly obsolete as we witness: is knowing which technology products you will • Shrinking gaps in labor costs: Wages in tradi- continue to leverage and support in the future, tional outsource countries have risen, sometimes along with the interconnectivity between products, sharply, while domestic wages have remained the road maps for products, and the stakeholders somewhat stagnant. that utilize each system. • Decreased efficiency: While costs were orig- With many mobility departments using multiple inally reduced with the use of offshoring, technology systems, it is easy to see the importance of efficiency was sometimes sacrificed for cost sav- making strategic decisions early in the RPA life cycle, ings. As costs rise, efficiency becomes a leading as decisions made today can affect future success. performance indicator. It’s also easy to see that there are multiple system

44 Mobility | December 2019 considerations and points of connection that need to As we adjust to the increasing role of automated be assessed more broadly than a single process and technology, it’s important to think about how we can may require specialized resources. best use our talents when we look across the office As robotics takes hold of business, creating both floor and gain a new perspective on global mobility qualitative and quantitative advantages, it’s increas- and business from the perspective of the machine. M ingly important that we change how we think of technology and the way we function in a changing Robert Smith is senior manager, global mobility services, global landscape. with KPMG LLP. He can be reached at +1 408 367 2787 or Mobility functions, in particular, will continue to [email protected]. change and will need to deal with more complex domestic and international issues, requiring new skill sets and new tools. This ongoing organizational Keep the conversations going on this and evolution is necessary for continued success and other topics by participating in our online will give rise to new processes, new objectives, and Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ ® new outlooks on moving the organization forward. community with your Worldwide ERC A key element will be an emphasis on changing our username and password. employment and staffing models to incorporate technology as a valued member of the team.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 45 BIG BROTHER ISN’T JUST WATCHING … HE’S LISTENING

ig brother isn’t just watching … he’s listening, too. And if homebuy- Home security ers today aren’t careful about what they say, it could end up costing cameras raise B them—big-time! If you don’t already own any home security cameras and other smart privacy issues gadgets, you’re probably familiar with them. Many of the videos that they record, from criminal activity to hilarious incidents, are posted on social in real estate media, and some go viral. The cameras have come a long way indeed. They’re cheap, they’re wireless, and they record extremely high-quality transactions footage. While such cameras are an excellent way to protect your home—or become an overnight YouTube sensation—potential homebuyers need to By Bill Mulholland, SCRP, GMS exercise caution and be aware. A SHOCKING REVELATION Fifty-four million Americans have monitoring sys- As the owner of a relocation company operating both tems in their home. According to a 31 January 2019 in the U.S. and overseas, I’m often asked to speak Forbes article by TJ McCue, “Home Security Cameras at real estate events or present to real estate agents. Market to Surpass $9.7 Billion by 2023,” that number Following a recent presentation, I stayed behind to is predicted to exceed 120 million by 2023. Cameras speak with a few of the agents. I expected to discuss currently on the market are wireless and inexpensive, market trends and various related topics, but instead with exceptional video and audio quality. They can be I learned things that shocked me. placed inside or outside a home. In fact, if you don’t A real estate agent mentioned a client’s use of secu- look for them, you’ll likely never even know they are rity cameras to “monitor” would-be buyers as they there. And even if you notice a security camera, we’ve toured her home alongside their agents. The client become so desensitized to their presence, your eyes prefaced the request with the statement that it was to may simply glide past them. To most, security cam- ensure all parties had removed their shoes. In reality, eras exist solely to protect against criminal activity. the homeowner would learn in the process what buy- Buyers now require an education on this new trend ers had to say about her home, whether they planned regarding security camera–equipped homes. to make an offer, what it would be, and in some cases, what the buyer would actually pay after negotiations. AN OBLIGATION Concerned about ethical practices, this real estate TO PROTECT PRIVACY agent informed her client that she did not want to be Those of us in the talent mobility profession have an privy to any of this detail. But it made her wonder obligation to share our knowledge and expertise and how common such practices were and whether other to advocate for our clients and their transferees by agents would adhere to a similar course of action if furnishing them with information about emerging confronted with them. trends and best practices as we become aware of In this particular case, the seller agreed to stop them. We strive to ensure they remain educated on monitoring the captured footage immediately. all aspects of their relocation, so that it’s not only a And it’s worth noting that the proper signage was success, but also creates minimal stress. posted around her home, disclosing video and audio Our clients deserve to purchase a home at the best surveillance. What was more shocking was the fact price and feel comfortable knowing that their privacy that every real estate agent in the group nodded their is protected. And when it comes to confidential dis- head and confirmed that they hadall had similar cussions, we remind them to always wait until after experiences at some point. the showing. So, the next time you’re tempted to profess love A NEW ERA for a kitchen or giggle over a homeowner’s eccentric Surveillance laws vary state-to-state. In its 2018 design, you may want to refrain until you’re back Video and Audio Surveillance State Law Survey, the inside the privacy of your real estate agent’s vehicle. National Association of Realtors (NAR) notes, “Of You never know who’s observing. … M the 51 jurisdictions surveyed, only Vermont has no statutory provision governing the recording of oral William M. “Bill” Mulholland, SCRP, GMS, is director conversations. All of the jurisdictions in some respect of ARC Relocation LLC. He can be reached at +1 703 352 control the visual recording of persons and/or places 9701 or [email protected]. in specified circumstances.” This discussion by the real estate agents was eye-opening—and scary! It made me realize that Keep the conversations going on this and we’ve entered a new era in the real estate industry. other topics by participating in our online We need to closely investigate and further explore the Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ ® implications. May other smart devices perhaps relay community with your Worldwide ERC potential sales opportunities to mortgage lenders? Or username and password. moving companies? Increasingly, advanced technology is being used to keep track of people. That’s especially true at the world’s airports and borders, where biometrics are rapidly replacing passports and driver’s licenses as the preferred means of identification.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced in 2019 that it would begin using facial recognition systems at 20 of the nation’s largest airports. The technology is designed to verify the identities of passengers entering and leaving the country by measuring facial “landmarks” and cross-checking that data with passport photos already on file. Source: nbcnews.com

Sita, a Geneva, Switzerland–based information technology company that serves the air transport industry, conducted a 2017 survey that showed 57% of passengers would prefer biometric screening at airports instead of having to carry passports and boarding passes. Those who had already used the technology expressed an average of 8.4 out of 10 in terms of customer satisfaction and felt more than four times as satisfied going through security by using biometrics compared to the usual way. Source: independent.co.uk

A misplaced or stolen bag can ruin even the best of vacations. If you’re looking for a suitcase designed to prevent that from happening, you might want to take a look at something like the SCI Carry-On from Planet Traveler. The suitcase includes a tracking device, a robotic Transportation Safety Administration lock system and an anti-theft alarm (if you and your suitcase are separated, it alerts your phone to its location and sounds an alarm). If you don’t want to buy a whole new

DerekTeo / Shutterstock.com suitcase, consider a GPS tracker that you can slip inside your luggage and connect the app on your phone to keep an eye on its whereabouts. Source: forbes.com

As an alternative to building an actual wall between the U.S. and Mexico, it’s been suggested that the latest surveillance technology could be used to build a “smart border.” It’s been tried before. In 2006, then–U.S. President George W. Bush ordered the construction of a smart border called the Security Border Initiative Network, which consisted of cameras, radar towers, ground sensors, and drones along 2,000 miles of the southern U.S. border. The project was killed five years and US$1 billion later because of high costs, bad management, and ineffectiveness. Source: theverge.com

48 Mobility | December 2019 Mobility Matters Interesting, challenging, and surprising stats and finds around the globe

By Jon Ferguson

Technology could take the “paper” out of cross-border paperwork. Electronic customs declarations are easier to submit and allow for the preclearance of shipments and online payment of tariffs. Switzerland plans to fully digitize its border procedures with the European Union by 2026. A program will provide a central online portal for all customs services, letting travelers use smartphones and tablets to declare foreign purchases on which duties might be owed. Source: economist.com

A private company called CLEAR, which is certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers biometric screening aimed at speeding passengers through airport security lines. CLEAR, which scans

BCFC / Shutterstock.com / BCFC eyes and fingertips to confirm identities, is available at more than 60 airports, stadiums, and other venues around the country. Airlines also are getting into the act, as Delta declared in late 2018 that one of its Atlanta terminals was the “first biometric terminal” in the country. Source: usatoday.com

App in the Air attempts to combine a wide range of services for travelers in one place. In addition to keeping track of loyalty programs, boarding passes, and departure times, the app also shows travelers in real time how long the wait is at security, check-in, and baggage claims. And it uses augmented reality to measure your suitcase to see if it will fit in the overhead bins. Source: forbes.com

Singapore’s Changi Airport has been voted the world’s best for the past six years by Skytrax, a U.K.-based consulting firm that focuses on the aviation industry. The airport is working on an extensive automation system that would mean the only human being passengers would encounter on their way through the terminal after landing at the airport would be a customs official. Changi opened a terminal last year partly

DerekTeo / Shutterstock.com with the idea of testing and developing the automation system. Source: bloomberg.com

Amazon was awarded patents in 2018 for wristbands that could be worn by employees, tracking their every move and even alerting the employees via vibrations if it judged they were doing something wrong. In the patent, Amazon said the aim is to streamline “time-consuming” tasks. Critics, however, said the devices could result in employees being treated more like robots than human beings. Source: nytimes.com

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 49 The Rxfor

CXRelocation and the ? customer experience

By Jill Heineck, SCRP

You’ll notice that there is no mention of “customer supplier regularly measures satisfaction to service, service” in the title of this piece, and that’s for a good and they work to improve based on feedback. As a reason. Think back to your last experience with your result of some of the feedback, which was mainly favorite company. Why do you continue to buy from around lack of flexibility in our policy, we rolled out them? What makes the buying experience enjoyable core-flex policies in January 2018.” each time? Is it easy to do business with them? This is an example of commitment to the process, My more than 20-year career in residential real and to the success of the company’s talent mobility— estate and relocation started with one goal in mind: just by having the foresight and the strategy required How can I make this process easier for my clients? to make an impact. “We also have a lot of conversa- How can I reduce their stress and uncertainty in a tions with our transferees, so we [also get feedback] world of chaos? How can I be the light at the end firsthand,” says Clontz. of their tunnel? And when speed bumps appear (as As a supplier, AutoRelocation Plus has made it they always do), how fast can our team find solutions their mission to educate the transferee as part of to eliminate the bump and leave clients happy? This their experience strategy. “We are approaching our thought process became the cornerstone of our grow- 30th anniversary,” says Mike Filia, SCRP, company ing business, and little did I know at the time, but this president. “In that time, we have learned that strategy would become a leading best practice for the knowledge truly is power in relocation. We have world’s greatest businesses to survive in the future. spent countless hours tailoring our introduction If you have not yet heard the buzzwords “cus- calls and emails to be sure we are educating the tomer experience,” or CX, you will. More and more transferee on everything they can expect to encoun- companies are instituting new teams and heads of CX ter during their vehicle move.” to lead the charge in this effort. But it’s definitely not To reduce the amount of friction and confusion, a new thing. Historically, CX has referred to both the AutoRelocation Plus provides a single point of digital space—e.g., what tools companies are using contact to work with each client and their transferees. to make the online or mobile experience easier and “This gives our team the opportunity to anticipate the better—and the customer insight space—e.g., what needs of a new transferee based upon their experi- tools are being used to gather customer feedback and ence with previous transferees. We can suggest ship- surveys, and then, what companies are actually doing ping dates, delivery options, etc. based upon which with the information gathered. office they may be transferring to,” says Filia. To that end, many of your companies already Trending in most industries is the use of data employ surveys to get an idea of how you are doing analytics, and RELO Direct® Inc. is using this tactic with clients, transferees, and perhaps even your at a high level. “One of the most powerful levers internal teams. But are you actually taking advantage or indicators of potential need is our use of data of this gift, the gift of feedback? Are improvements analytics,” says Dianne Amos, CRP, SGMS-T, senior being made swiftly as a result of these insights? In vice president, client relations. “We track and analyze order to be a sustainable business today, you cannot trends in company demographics, benefits, online just ask for a review or recommendation and then do tool usage, service results, conversion rates, and the nothing. There has to be a plan to leverage this infor- like, giving RELO Direct® the ability to provide con- mation to your advantage, so that you can realize sultative solutions in collaboration with our clients,” noticeable, bottom-line results. says Amos. RELO Direct® also has made the initial One company doing this well is Ingersoll Rand. contact with a transferee a critical part of their CX According to Holly Clontz, SCRP, GMS-T, the com- strategy. “It starts with our client service managers pany’s HR solutions leader for global talent mobility using video collaboration software to perform initi- solutions (GTMS) and corporate programs, Ingersoll ation calls, which allows the transferee to personally Rand houses GTMS within HR solutions, and it connect with a friendly face during one of life’s most is HR solutions that has a strategy around experi- challenging events. It also gives the client service ence. “There is a regular cadence around surveys manager the opportunity to deliver a live demo of and action items to improve from the feedback we our online tools and mobile application.” Educating receive,” Clontz says. “Specifically to GTMS, our transferees empowers them, leaving little to

52 Mobility | December 2019 Are you actually taking advantage of the gift of feedback? Are improvements being made swiftly as a result of these insights?

guesswork. And, as those of us who work regularly industry,” says Clontz. Many in the industry agree, with mobile talent know, guesswork can significantly but there are exceptions to every rule. derail a transferee’s experience. AutoRelocation Plus took a different approach “A good example of this is the way in which we based on feedback. They looked into creating an are responding to the increase of lump-sum-only app for transferees that would allow them to upload programs in the industry,” says Amos. “To provide pictures of their vehicle prior to shipment so they can a tailored solution for this segment of the transferee compare the condition of the vehicle at destination, population, RELO Direct® offers a lump-sum mobile complete inspections, etc. “However, through our app, which includes customized move plans, access research, we found that transferees did not want to to vetted suppliers, and discounts on real estate and download another app on their phone and prefer to mortgage services. This enhanced self-service offering just take the pictures themselves and keep them on is delivered in tandem with the service provided by their phone. This led to our creating an animated the client service manager, offering peace of mind for education video on YouTube. We send the transferee relocating employees.” Exactly what transferees are a link to the video, and they can watch it in under looking for. But that’s not all. two minutes and gain a good understanding of what There is no question the mobile revolution is here to expect during the process,” says Filia. As far as to stay. However, relocation seems to be lagging over- working with relocation management companies all. “I think the mobility industry as a whole is sorely (RMCs), most have their own portals that provide lacking in technology that will revolutionize the status updates. “While some are easier to navigate

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 53 People want to connect with a company that understands them, desk employee who used communicates with them in the way her $2,000 to travel across the country to return a they prefer to communicate, and has laptop to a guest who was in a panic. Shulze goes an easy process to address concerns. in-depth about this and the other 23 standards in his book, Excellence Wins. For CX initiatives to than others, we have seen this tool increase the level truly work, team involvement is key. “Our team is a of communication between all parties,” Filia adds. big part of the creative process,” says Filia. “They are The good news is that it seems more relocation the ones on the front lines and make the suggestions teams and relocation companies are focusing on the and adjustments as they deem necessary during their customer experience—but we still have a long way education calls with the transferees.” RELO Direct® to go. Many have support teams or customer service also maintains a collaborative environment with departments. According to Shep Hyken, customer their team. “They know they have a voice and can experience guru, it is important to recognize the idea speak with anyone in the organization for support that customer service is not a department, but a phi- or to share their ideas on how we can improve,” losophy built into the DNA of the company. Customers says Amos. “We value transparency, not only for our and clients, understandably, want to feel happy once clients, but also for our employees, and I think that they have received what they wanted. helps them to feel connected to our mission. In addi- One way to ensure this is to empower your teams tion, we support them with the tools and resources to make decisions that will give the customer what they need to work efficiently.” they want, without compromising service delivery At a minimum, people—customers and employ- and without having to get approval from multiple ees alike—want to connect with a company that chains of command. At Ingersoll Rand, “our team has understands them, communicates with them in the the empowerment to make a call in the moment, if way they prefer to communicate, and has an easy required, without consulting me, even if it is outside process to address concerns. It’s become expected. of their limit of authority. I don’t usually question their Yet, it is astonishing that many companies are still decision, and even if I do, as long as they can back up in denial that this customer-centric approach is the their decision with some sound reasoning, they’ll have way to sustain and grow business going forward. my support. Same with our suppliers: [I encourage The best thing you can do for your business is to them to] do what is needed in the moments that really parlay the gold mine that is your customer and matter, and then let’s talk. I can’t think of a time we employee feedback into a brilliant opportunity to didn’t agree to cover the costs as a result,” says Clontz. anticipate needs and exceed expectations. M This approach can be one of the most effective tactics in any customer experience strategy. Jill Heineck, SCRP, is an associate broker, host of Another great example comes from Horst Shulze, Customer Experience Radio on Atlanta BusinessX co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, whom I recently Radio at cxradio.online, and the founder of Heineck interviewed on my radio show, Customer Experience & Company @ Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Radio. Shulze spearheaded Ritz-Carlton’s unprece- Road. She can be reached at +1 404 418 9157 or jill@ dented multibillion-dollar growth, setting the elite heineckandcompany.com. global brand’s winning vision and people-focused standards from its inception. The universal truth that Keep the conversations going on this and guided his successful career is the practical belief in car- other topics by participating in our online ing for people above profits and establishing 24 service Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ standards for all employees, empowering anyone on his community with your Worldwide ERC® staff to spend up to $2,000 to solve any guest problem username and password. or issue. He tells the chills-inducing story of one front

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LeewayThan You Think

Certain legal options can sometimes provide simpler alternatives to work permits

BY IRENE BOCCARDO

ompanies often send employees to work In Mexico, for instance, business visitors and in foreign jurisdictions, but as many have business visa holders may work for pay for up to found, the process can seem like a regula- six months as long as they’re sponsored by a com- Ctory minefield, especially when it comes to immigra- pany in Mexico. tion and work permits. In China, certain technical, scientific research, man- To avoid noncompliance and potentially costly agement, or guided work can be performed by some consequences, companies must tread increasingly noncitizens for up to 90 days per calendar year. carefully—not only to protect their own reputations, In Italy, business visitors and Schengen visa but also given that new technologies now make it holders are permitted to verify the functioning easier for authorities to detect violations. Yet, as most of machines or goods purchased or sold to an immigration attorneys will attest, the work permit Italian company for up to 90 days—which includes regulatory landscape isn’t always as restrictive as it hands-on processes. appears. In fact, companies may have more leeway Other countries have similar arrangements, which here than they think. generally revolve around the repair or verification of Although noncitizens usually need work permits machinery and new technologies, and/or after-sales for many business activities in foreign locations (e.g., activities. One consideration to note, however, is generating revenue, receiving payment, and/or doing that companies aren’t usually allowed to charge for hands-on work), this doesn’t apply across the board. the latter once a sale is complete. To get around this In some countries, business visitors or those with legally, many include these future fees in the initial business visas may perform some of these activities. contract or purchase order. Trainings, Meetings, Data, and Inspections Although noncitizens usually In addition to the above, there can also be flexibility in other areas. Consider, for example, lectures, trainings, need work permits for many discussions, and meetings. For these, participant qualifications may determine what type of authori- business activities in foreign zation is needed, so it’s important to evaluate each person’s credentials. This is because a number of locations, this doesn’t apply countries (e.g., Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia) require work permits for the transfer of knowl- across the board. edge, such as training provided by senior staff members to new hires. However, not all exchanges of information are considered knowledge transfer. Meetings and discussions among those with similar levels of expertise don’t typically fall into Other Alternatives to Work Permits this category and, therefore, often are permitted for In cases in which a work authorization still seems business visa holders and business visitors. to be the only option, we recommend that compa- In some countries there also can be flexibility in nies reassess, and perhaps tweak the parameters of areas such as data collection, information gathering, the proposed travel or assignment. If it’s possible and visual inspections. Whether or not a work permit to limit activities to those allowed for business visa is needed depends on the specific circumstances, as holders or business visitors, as described above, or each scenario is unique. limit the length of the stay, a work permit might To determine when a work permit is required, a not be required. company’s legal counsel, immigration advisers, and To further avoid the need for work permits, HR managers must communicate in precise technical companies can take other steps. For example, they terms with engineers, project managers, and even can provide preliminary training to local citizens so field services technicians to ascertain what work will that they themselves can perform hands-on activities, be performed, how they gather information, and while foreign personnel restrict their involvement to what tools they will use. It’s also helpful to determine “hands-off” supervision. whether they can perform these tasks remotely. In short, work permits aren’t always necessary—at This assessment as to whether a work permit is least in some instances and in some locations—if required also should focus on the corresponding companies are willing and able to tailor their immigration regulations. Here, it’s particularly approach. Before this is possible, though, a complete important to work with reputable legal counsel or analysis of each scenario, clear and accurate commu- immigration advisers (see uscis.gov/avoid-scams) to nication among all parties involved, and the input of ensure that the regulations being considered are reputable experts are required. M the most current, as they change frequently and sometimes with little or no notice. With a good Irene Boccardo is vice president of global immigration understanding of the applicable regulations and services at MSI Global Transformation Solutions. She can the specific parameters of the proposed activities, be reached at +44 (0) 207 427 1916 or irene.boccardo@ it may be possible to come up with a creative but msiimmigration.com. compliant solution. For instance, if a U.S. company needs to send an American employee to conduct a work site inspection Keep the conversations going on this and in Malaysia, a work permit may be avoided if the other topics by participating in our online employee limits his or her activity to data collection Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ ® via a wireless device. Anything other than this could community with your Worldwide ERC be construed as hands-on work requiring a work username and password. permit and could result in a violation.

DESTINATION PROFILE: HONG KONG

Unique history, strategic position, and prominence in finance and trade By Sharon E. Michnay, CRP, SGMS

ong Kong has one of the most identifiable sky- lines in the world. The iconic photos of densely populated streets and tall buildings often leave out diverse landscapes that also include high mountains and forested parks across more than 250 islands. At just over 1,050 square kilome- ters (405.4 square miles), it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. HThe majority of residents are Chinese, although expats from around Asia and the world flock to do business there. The two official languages are Chinese (Cantonese) and English, with English as the preferred language for business and the government. However, non-Cantonese speakers are advised to carry a translation of essential addresses such as hotel, home, and preferred medical facility. Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China, lies nestled between the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea. Its location and natural harbor have contributed significantly to the area’s position as a world capital of finance and trade. This strategic position also made Hong Kong attractive to others, including Britain, which colonized it for 156 years. Today, Hong Kong has a large degree of political and economic autonomy under the “one country, two systems” concept, while China controls its foreign and defense policies. Hong Kong maintains a capi- talist economy; its currency, the Hong Kong dollar (HK$); and its stock exchange. Hong Kong also exists outside China’s “Great Firewall,” used to regulate online communication. Hong Kong’s unique history is currently manifesting itself in some very highly publicized challenges (see “Safety” on page 63), but the city is generally one of the safest places in the world and offers world-class culture, shopping, and dining experiences.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 59 DESTINATION PROFILE: HONG KONG

Doing Business in Hong Kong Hong Kong is an international city, but there are play in business. Mianzi, or “face,” refers to an still distinct cultural considerations. Guanxi individual’s reputation or dignity. Great care ( ) and mianzi ( )—social concepts most should always be given to save or build another’s 廣西面子 closely associated with working in mainland standing. Avoid pointing out mistakes or some- China—are highly important to business success thing wrong, or raising one’s voice, all of which in Hong Kong as well. Guanxi, loosely translated can cause others embarrassment and the offender as “relationships,” refers to the critical role they to lose face as well.

Visas and Work Permits Visa policies are relatively open, and processing Assignees and all family members more than times take, on average, four to six weeks. The spon- 11 years old are required to obtain a Hong Kong soring company will need to demonstrate that the ID Card within 30 days of arrival. The process assignee has the right skills and that those skills are is simple, and applications can be downloaded not readily available locally. online to be submitted to any Registration of Hong Kong permits dependent visas for legal Persons Office. marriages and civil unions of same-sex and oppo- The Hong Kong government has most informa- site-sex partners as well as unmarried dependent tion online, and many government processes are children under the age of 18. A dependent’s ability available digitally via gov.hk. The site is accessible in to stay is reliant upon the primary visa; however, English and Chinese, with essential sections trans- there is no current prohibition against dependent lated into Hindi, Bahasa Indonesia, Nepali, Tagalog, visa holders working or studying. Urdu, Thai, and Vietnamese.

60 Mobility | December 2019 Housing

Real estate in Hong Kong is some of the highest- cancellation notice. Utilities are not usually priced in the world, and a vast majority of residents included in the rent. Properties come unfurnished live in apartment buildings. Competition for proper- but will likely include major appliances. Apart ties is fierce, and spaces tend to be small. For exam- from serviced apartments, few furnished proper- ple, sizes of studio apartments begin at 200 square ties are available. feet (18.6 square meters). The best time to conduct a Typical deposits and fees include: home search is four to six weeks before the desired • holding fee: one month’s rent; commencement of the lease. • security deposit: two months’ rent (up to three Hong Kong has three primary areas expats choose: months on some luxury properties); Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. • stamp duty, paid in equal parts by the tenant Hong Kong island is considered the most Western and landlord: area of the city and is the location of many businesses. — two-year lease: 0.5% of the annual rent plus It is popular among expats, but rents are the most HK$5; expensive in Hong Kong. Kowloon and the New — one-year lease: 0.25% of the annual rent plus Territories have a few more options when it comes to HK$5; rental prices, and it is easier to find bigger properties. • utility deposits (gas, electricity, phone): two Both corporate and personal leases are accepted months’ estimated usage; and by most landlords. Lease periods are typically 24 • real estate agent fee: one-half month’s rent, paid months, with the first 12 fixed and a two-month by the tenant.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 61 DESTINATION PROFILE: HONG KONG

Schooling

International schools are in high demand, and it is best Debentures and capital levies are interest-free loans to begin the application process as early as possible. from parents to the school. Some schools make them There are many international school options in mandatory, while at others, they may be optional and Hong Kong. Because these schools are popular seen as a way to give priority status to a student’s among both locals and expats, spaces are limited, application. Capital levies are paid annually, and and waiting lists can be quite long. Most expatri- debentures are paid in a lump sum. Debentures may ate children attend international schools, although be returned in full unless they are depreciating deben- they are also permitted to attend local schools. tures. Companies can sometimes purchase debentures The Hong Kong school system offers an excellent to help ensure space at a school for their relocating education, but students will require a high level of families, but that option is not always available. fluency in Cantonese. Unavailability of debentures occurs for two primary As in most locations, international school edu- reasons: Either the school doesn’t offer them, or they cation is expensive. Hong Kong schools also have are controlled and none are left for purchase. a few additional fees that it is necessary to know Unfortunately, only limited support services are about: capital levies and debentures. Both are ways in place for students with special needs. A few inter- in which schools fund long-term projects and devel- national schools have programs that can help those opments. Not all schools require them, but they are with mild special learning needs; however, most do increasingly used. not provide any support.

Shopping Transportation

Hong Kong offers numerous shopping malls, Hong Kong has efficient and safe public transport. shopping streets, department stores, and Inexpensive taxis, Mass Transit Railway (MTR) lines, markets. Some districts are geared toward high buses, ferries, and trams are abundant. Octopus cards fashion, while others are popular for finding are rechargeable smart cards that can be used to pay for bargains and souvenirs. The majority of malls most of these transportation services and much more. are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Due to the ease of traveling via public transportation, it Groceries are easy to find in Hong Kong, either is usually not necessary to have a private car, especially by visiting a supermarket or shopping online. The when living close to the central areas. majority of stores sell Asian brands, but several options provide imported products. The two biggest supermarket chains in Hong Kong are Wellcome and ParknShop. Both offer online shopping and delivery, depending on the area.

62 Mobility | December 2019 Health Care Distinctive Shots / Shutterstock.com

Hong Kong is considered to have a very high-quality health care system. There are 42 public hospitals, 11 private hospitals, and more than 100 private clinics throughout the city. Both Eastern and Western clinics are available. There are also many 24-hour clinics, and most hospitals offer 24-hour emergency services. All residents with a Hong Kong ID Card, including nonpermanent residents with a valid visa, are eligible for medical insurance. Public Safety hospitals generally are not too expensive, with nominal service fees (around HK$100) and admis- Escalating clashes between police and citizens sion charges. In private hospitals, outpatient demonstrating against proposed changes to services can cost from HK$400 to HK$2,000 and lessen the autonomy of the city from the rest in-patient services from HK$650 to HK$45,000. of China have raised concerns about safety in recent months, but Hong Kong is generally a very safe place to live and work. Ranked one of the safest cities in the world, it typically experiences little violent crime, and traffic-related deaths are extremely rare. When crime does occur, it is generally petty, including pickpocketing. The city’s police force is well trained and accustomed to dealing with these situations. Normal precautions are recommended, such as keeping belongings close when traveling through crowded areas, on public transportation, and in marketplaces. Kirk_Zamieroski / Shutterstock.com Typhoons impact the area from May to November. Heavy rain and strong winds exceed- ing 180 km/h (112 mph) are typical of typhoon storms. The city government issues warnings for storms that are anticipated to be strong and impact daily life. Typhoon classifications include T1, T3, T8, and T10. At T8, above-ground public transport is canceled, and many public spaces and restaurants close. Homosexuality is legal in Hong Kong, but same-sex marriage is still not recognized. Gay rights in Hong Kong have been improving slowly over the years, and there is a thriving LGBTQ community in the city. In addition to this, there are several gay-rights organizations and support groups, as well as events such as the IDAHOT day against homophobia and Fruits in Suits networking meets.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 63 DESTINATION PROFILE: HONG KONG

Finance Mercer ranks Hong Kong as the most expensive city choose, and opening an account is relatively simple. in the world for expats. The high cost of housing is Assignees from the U.S., Australia, or the European listed as one of the primary reasons. The Hong Kong Union can usually open an account immediately, but dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar (at HK$7.80), for other nationalities, the process may take up to which also has an impact. two weeks. If the home bank has an office in Hong There is currently no value-added, goods-and- Kong, an account can be opened 30 days before services, or other sales tax in Hong Kong. departure from the home country. Upon arrival in In addition to the official Hong Kong dollar, some Hong Kong, account holders should make an in- shops also accept Chinese yuan. As a global finan- person visit to the new branch to confirm their iden- cial capital, the city has many banks from which to tity. Otherwise, accounts must be opened in person.

64 Mobility | December 2019 Unexpected Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of those cities we all think we know. We’ve seen photos with the striking skyline, watched movies filmed on location, and read articles about how crowded and expensive it is. But there is more to Hong Kong to surprise and delight visitors and expats. If food is your pleasure, very few destinations have more to offer in quality and variety. Have a passion for art or the performing arts? Hong Kong offers a thriving local and international arts scene. Classic ballet, Chinese opera, rock ’n’ roll, modern jazz, and more fill concert halls and performance spaces. Prefer the great outdoors? Not only does Hong Kong offer excellent hiking and mountain climbing, it is also easy to reach Macau or China by ferry or train, or expats can hop a quick flight to experience Taiwan or the Philippines. And if you simply like your city to come with a healthy side of convenience and efficiency, then Hong Kong is for you. M

Sharon E. Michnay, CRP, SGMS, is president of Relo Network Asia. She can be reached in Chicago at +1 312 521 0871, Skype at sharonmichnay, or at sharon. [email protected].

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 67 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Tips and advice from the global talent mobility community

HR Professionals Survey Spotlights Need to Evolve Global Mobility By Neha Mirchandani

A recent Wall Street Journal article outlined the stakes • Mobility program maturity: Nearly 60% of survey in the war for talent: Companies can experience mas- participants rated their mobility program processes sive productivity losses when unable to fill crucial as “basic” to “inconsistent” and reactive in nature. roles for long periods of time. Businesses that can’t • Employee experience with mobility: Fewer than line up the talent they need through conventional 25% of HR professionals polled believe employees channels are taking creative measures to lure job at their companies would rate themselves as “very seekers with highly prized tech skills—some are even satisfied” with their mobility experience. resorting to huge signing bonuses. • Mobility program costs: Only 18% of surveyed A strategic global mobility program can be a critical individuals felt that they have complete visibility asset for companies as they compete for top talent. It into mobility program costs with optimized spend. can address an array of talent resourcing challenges, • Mobility and the company’s talent strategy: Forty help companies keep costs under control, and address percent of surveyed attendees say they use their changing employee expectations while moving the mobility program to retain top talent; 35% use it to right resources to the right location to meet business develop talent, and 25% incorporate mobility into needs and drive growth. their recruiting strategy. A well-designed mobility program—backed by While these results show there’s much room for enabling technology and expertise—gives HR teams improvement in surveyed HR practitioners’ mobil- the tools they need to be more proactive in filling crit- ity programs, they also indicate that organizations ical roles by expanding the available talent pool with see the strategic value of global mobility to attract, internal candidates. Yet based on a recent “feet on the retain, and engage employees. In addition, the “feet street” survey conducted at two major HR events, on the street” survey participants indicated that today this is still far from reality for most companies. they plan to tackle these issues head-on in 2020. The majority of survey participants highlighted that The top three priorities referenced for the upcom- there’s a lot of room for improvement in current ing year are: improving the employee experience, mobility programs. increasing operational efficiency, and taking a more agile approach to meet talent management goals. CONFERENCE ATTENDEES WEIGH IN ON The HR professionals surveyed understand the MOBILITY PROGRAMS challenges their companies’ mobility programs The “feet on the street” survey was conducted at the face today. HR practitioners who are ready to take Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium in their global mobility programs to the next level Boston and the UNLEASH World Conference in Paris. with technology, resources, and user-friendly tools Combined, the two HR-focused events drew more can deliver the level of maturity their program than 6,000 HR buyers, vendors, and practitioners needs to help the company compete for top talent together to talk about best practices and showcase HR and win. M solutions. Topia surveyed corporate HR and mobility practitioners at these events about their mobility Neha Mirchandani is chief marketing officer with Topia. programs. Here are some of the key findings: She can be reached at [email protected].

68 Mobility | December 2019 NOT JUST A RELOCATION, THE START OF AN ADVENTURE.

At Altair Global, we use dynamic experience management (XM) tools to collect experiential data and turn every customer interaction into actionable insights. Then, we share this data with our clients so we can work together to monitor the customer journey and adapt quickly to changing needs. Through our proprietary XM program, moving is more than a means to an end. It’s the first chapter in an epic adventure. altairglobal.com/XM

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