From outrageous war stories to a showdown on dynamic policies, our latest Symposium Huddle brought together Global Mobility professionals for a day of sharp insights, spirited debate, and shared learning. Held at BDO’s offices in Baker Street, London, the event was packed with fresh perspectives, creative thinking, and just a touch of healthy competition…
Welcome, Introduction, Networking & Breakfast Treats
Members enjoyed a warm welcome from the Expat Academy team and a light breakfast before we kicked off with an entertaining icebreaker: what’s the most outrageous situation you’ve had to deal with in GM? Everyone knows that GM people love a good war story, so this was a great opportunity for members to get to know one another. Did you hear the one about “Airbnb guy,” the taxi from Amsterdam to London, or the missing Ferrari? No? You might have to wait for our next Gina Tonic book!
Tackling Geopolitical Challenges with BDO
Our first Huddle Discussion of the day was facilitated by our hosts, BDO, who explored current geopolitical challenges and their impact on Global Mobility programmes. BDO’s Andy Kelly highlighted that many organisations are de-risking their exposure to China due to ongoing US trade tensions. This has led to increased moves into Hong Kong and Singapore.
In the UK, the standout impact has been the rising employer NIC contributions, more so than the introduction of the FIG regime. Global Mobility teams are certainly feeling the cost pressures – from more scrutiny on assignment justification and candidate selection, to tighter decisions on benefit approvals.
Do slimmer packages lead to inequitable treatment compared with those already on assignment? Seemingly not - assignees don’t know what they don’t know. One member suggested that assignment packages may be becoming less openly discussed among assignees – perhaps there’s less “watercooler talk” than in the past. Others noted that frequent package adjustments can create administration headaches.
BDO’s David Ellis, Head of Strategic Reward Advisory, added that ongoing uncertainty is dampening the appetite for increases to fixed costs through inflationary pay rises. Instead, organisations are opting for targeted pay increases for employees in lower pay bands – a tactic that could conflict with EU pay transparency requirements for UK-based employers with EU operations.
To keep costs aligned with revenue, businesses are managing headcount more actively and ramping up performance management. Whilst this may be a cultural shift for some employees, teams are often supportive of clear expectations. We also heard that bonus structures are changing – becoming more aligned with strategic (rather than purely financial) goals and allowing for mid-cycle adjustments.
Jessica Cousins shared an update on the transformation underway at Hitachi Europe, with a move towards simplification and streamlining. The transformation includes harmonising policies across acquired entities, implementing a global RMC, and introducing a new GM technology platform – with tax and immigration changes coming next! Her Centre of Expertise (CoE) is growing rapidly - it's not hard to see why!
Then came our ‘Hot Potatoes’ – live member challenges. First up: should you share worst-case scenarios in cost estimates? The consensus was yes – although the downside is that the business might “fall off its chair and just offer cash.”
Next: should GM take ownership of business travellers? Most members had some responsibility in this area. One shared a red-flag crib sheet used by HR and business units to gauge early-stage feasibility. Another described building a visa-type database tailored to early career employees – a hit with younger talent exploring overseas opportunities.
A Risky Business
After a fantastic lunch, we held a candid session on supporting mobile employees in an unpredictable world. Members swapped emergency response stories – from natural disasters to personal crises and geopolitical flare-ups.
To lighten the tone, we challenged members to design their own GM health and safety signs. It turns out GM professionals are a creative bunch – the Expat Academy clapometer crowned BARNEY the dinosaur as the winning design!
Are Dynamic Policies the Future?
In our final discussion, we tackled the evolving concept of dynamic Global Mobility policies: flexible, personalised packages that reflect individual needs, business goals, and wider trends.
Views were mixed. Some felt this model could reduce assignee noise and exception handling. Others saw it as just a fancy term for core/flex. Whilst personalisation can enhance employee experience, it doesn't always deliver cost savings – and assignees may not always know what they need. One member flagged “decision fatigue” for both employees and families. Another wryly noted that, “as GM people, we do like to torture ourselves by reinventing the wheel.” (At least no one said “decision architecture”!)
All of that set the stage for our ever-popular closing session, Perspective Playground, where two teams debated the motion: Dynamic policies are just a lazy way of doing Global Mobility. It was a spirited and lively exchange, with our host James Hourigan stepping in to declare a winner.
Before wrapping up with drinks and networking, we presented Sarah Kinnaird with our Regional Key Contributor Award – just in time, as voting opened for our Global Mobility Community Champion Award to be announced at September’s Cirque du Mobility Conference.
Thank You
As ever, our Symposium Huddle was a brilliant opportunity to connect, share and learn. A huge thank you to BDO for hosting and to our fantastic sponsors – Aires, Sterling Lexicon, Equus Software, and Mercer – for their expert insights and support.