A lack of strategic focus on global mobility is leaving businesses exposed, not only in terms of compliance and workforce agility but also employee wellbeing and retention.
While many organisations are under pressure to address talent shortages, improve employee experience and respond to rapid change, few treat global mobility as part of that strategy. That’s according to a 2025 Global Mobility Market Survey by workforce solutions firm Vialto Partners that found that only 23% of employers view mobility as a strategic or influencing function, with most continuing to treat it as an administrative task focused on logistics.
The findings suggest that global mobility — ensuring talent can move across borders effectively, legally and compliantly — remains stuck in a largely operational role, disconnected from wider workforce planning.
“Global work should be a lever for growth and resilience, not just a support function,” said Eileen Mullaney of Vialto Partners. “Today’s talent shortages, geopolitical disruption, mounting regulatory complexity, and speed-to-deploy demands need strategic foresight, not just operational management. But most organisations still underuse the one function built for this moment.”
Disconnected Mobility Undermines Engagement
With increasing numbers of employees taking on global assignments — or expecting the opportunity to — the survey points to serious gaps in how organisations support and measure the experience.
Nearly half of all respondents (44%) said they don’t track core mobility success metrics such as employee satisfaction or business alignment. Meanwhile, 76% are unaware what happens to employees once they complete an assignment, making it difficult to assess the impact on retention, career progression or mental wellbeing.
“Too many teams lack the visibility, metrics, and integration to influence business decisions, and that is the missed opportunity,” said Mullaney.
“Companies that address this gap are better equipped to align with business strategy, respond faster to disruption, and turn employee experience into a competitive edge. Until global mobility is embedded in how we plan, move, and retain talent, companies will continue to leave value on the table.”
Globally, following career outcomes after international placements remains patchy. Vialto’s research found that 83% of European organisations, 71% in North America and 62% in APAC do not monitor what happens to talent once assignments end.
Growing Ambition But Slow Execution
Encouragingly, the report shows that leaders are starting to see mobility as more than a logistics function. The top three mobility priorities over the next 12 months are:
- Aligning mobility with talent strategy (34%)
- Enhancing employee experience (32%)
- Introducing new tools and innovation (32%)
This shift towards talent and experience suggests mobility is becoming more embedded in employee development plans. Some 38% of organisations say they now integrate mobility into talent management or career development, and 39% use personal invitations to high-potential employees instead of relying on company-wide announcements.
In contrast, just 8% still rely on HR or global mobility emails or newsletters to communicate opportunities.
“It’s promising to see mobility increasingly positioned as a career opportunity, integrated into development conversations and used to grow future leaders,” said Mullaney.
“As global work becomes more talent-driven, the employee experience must be front and centre to support engagement, retention and long-term business success. To stay competitive, organisations need to benchmark externally and align their mobility policies to real strategic talent needs.”
She added that it wasn’t “about offering more; it’s about offering what matters most. Those who get it right will build stronger pipelines, faster progression and a more agile workforce”.
Compliance, Cost and Wellbeing
Despite the strategic intent, many mobility teams remain under-resourced and under-recognised. Nearly half (49%) of all respondents cited compliance as their biggest challenge, while 36% pointed to cost pressures.
For wellbeing professionals, these are not just operational issues. They represent systemic barriers to supporting employees through demanding transitions, particularly when working across borders or in unfamiliar environments.
Regionally, EMEA reported the greatest compliance burden, largely linked to tax and immigration (59%), followed by North America (48%) and APAC (37%). Cost pressures were cited by around one-third of respondents across all regions.
The survey shows that even where intent is strong, teams struggle to deliver — or even measure — the outcomes that matter most to people.
A Missed Opportunity for Workforce Wellbeing
As remote work, cross-border placements and global expansion reshape how and where people work, experts say global mobility has the potential to be a core driver of engagement, resilience and career growth. But until organisations embed it into their wider people strategy — and collect the data to understand its long-term impact — it risks being an overlooked wellbeing issue.
What’s obvious from the survey is that most leaders know what needs to change. The challenge is giving mobility teams the tools, resources and visibility to turn aspiration into action — and making sure that wellbeing is not left behind in the process.