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Janelle Gavin, Regional HR Manager for APNA, highlights to Sarah Gideon the pivotal role of a proactive global mobility team in optimising workforce planning and aligning with overall talent goals.
The HR landscape has undergone remarkable transformations, driven by advancements in technology, shifting economic conditions, and evolving employee expectations. From the integration of AI and automation streamlining processes to the growing focus on employee wellbeing as a cornerstone of organisational success, 2024 has been a year marked by resilience and forward-thinking strategies. These changes highlight the sector's adaptability and commitment to fostering both productivity and a supportive workplace culture.
As businesses across the world gear up for another transformative year, the landscape of talent mobility continues to evolve, shaped by innovation, regional nuances, and global economic challenges. In 2025, organisations are redefining how they attract, retain, and mobilise talent, prioritising agility and personalisation like never before.
One example is Mott MacDonald. Earlier in 2024, the company embarked on a comprehensive global change approach to restructure its mobility framework—a significant undertaking, marking the first major update since 2016. Supported by the People Steering Committee, the initiative focuses on:
- Re-structuring the operating model: Streamlining processes to improve efficiency.
- Introducing a core-flex model: A hybrid approach that offers tailored flexibility while optimising costs.
- Re-positioning the Global Mobility (GM) function: Shifting from a reactive, transactional role to a proactive, strategic partner aligned with business needs.
Led by Janelle Gavin, Regional Human Resources Manager for APNA (pictured above), and Genie Chua, GM Operations Manager, Mott MacDonald's mobility initiative has gained significant recognition. Their "Transforming Your Global Mobility Strategy" presentation in September emphasised the crucial role of a dynamic GM team in driving workforce planning and strategic talent agendas and aims to align mobility strategies with broader business goals and address evolving workforce expectations.
In an exclusive conversation with Sarah Gideon in late-2024, Gavin shared insights into Mott MacDonald’s transformative mobility journey, showcasing how HR innovation is redefining the global mobility landscape.
Q What initially prompted this reimagining of your mobility initiatives? Was there a specific challenge or strategic opportunity that acted as a catalyst?
We had been operating under a traditional mobility framework for several years. While it had enabled a high volume of movement to support strategic growth in key areas, particularly our Australian business, it lacked agility and no longer aligned with the expectations of our assignees or our business leaders.
Q In developing this concept, how has working with Genie, who is based in Singapore, influenced the project? Could you describe your workflow and how you both managed to build this strategy remotely yet in close collaboration?
Myself and our head of mobility, Sarah Duncan-Cannon, started the functional excellence review in September 2023. Working with an external partner, we reviewed the end-to-end mobility process. They took us through a series of workshops assessing it through the lens of assignees, business leaders and vendors. Because we understand how important partner and family integration is to an international movement, we also took the opportunity to look at the process through their eyes.
Taking the time to step away from the day to day of the function and think deeply about what is or isn’t working in a collaborative approach between mobility, HR and an external partner, we were able to identify key opportunities to improve the way the service was being delivered.
Once Sarah and I identified our direction of travel, we formed a global project team, largely driven by Genie Chua, our superpowered mobility manager, based in Singapore. The whole team helped bring the vision to life, that was recently signed off by our Group People Committee.
Q Could you walk us through the key changes you’ve implemented in this new approach? How does it differ from the previous models at Mott MacDonald?
We identified three key areas of opportunity. These areas were in the operating model, in the way the function was partnering with the business and with the global policy.
Our business core has four geographical regions. These regions take on the majority of assignees who are deployed globally to bring technical expertise to our clients’ international projects. The mobility function’s operating model was globally aligned, with reporting lines through to a Group centre. We recognised that while this had many benefits, there was a disconnect with the day-to-day operations of the regions.
We wanted to rebuild an operations focus while retaining a core centre of excellence. With this approach, our specialists will continue as part of the Group centre while our mobility business partners now report to the regional HR managers with a dotted reporting line to the head of mobility.
With this change, we also invested in continuing to build strategic partnership capabilities. We’re achieving this through an investment in training and aligning all to an international mobility accreditation standard. We also want to enable more time to build upon regional relationships and strategic conversations.
The third pilar of change, and where we will see the bigger benefits the redesign of our global mobility policy and the adoption of a core-flex model. This was far more challenging and again, we chose an external partner to help us on this journey. We ran many global workshops with both assignees and business leaders to understand what was enabling or hindering our mobility efforts. This enabled us to really drill down to what was going to make the biggest impact in improving the experience for everyone involved.
Q With the shift to a core-flex model, what benefits do you foresee for both employees and Mott MacDonald? How does this approach cater to the unique needs of a multi-generational workforce? At the same time, what challenges do you foresee that may need to be tackled?
We recognised that our international mobility could achieve the business benefit of deploying key skills to international projects, while also supporting strategic moves as part of our wider succession planning. By adopting a purpose-driven approach, we could achieve better outcomes.
The core-flex model will ensure we meet baseline compliance for all categories of movement, while the flex elements will be driven by both the purpose and assignee’s needs.
"One element of our core offering that we are really proud of, and which was given support from all regions was the adoption of partner/family support services."
The addition of this to our core, baseline offering recognises the important part a family unit plays in making a move successful.
The core-flex model enables us to better understand and adapt to the needs of those moving. It empowers our business leaders with options to manage conversations and balance the cost of investment.
As with any change, there will be a period of transition as we move to the refreshed approach. We have a plan that ensures we stay connected with assignees, business leaders and HR throughout. A really important aspect of this initiative was the balance between making changes while retaining focus on our business operations. To this end, we ensured that we didn’t make dramatic changes that would disrupt current assignments. Instead, it was about focusing on purpose and building in flexible options.
Q The presentation highlighted mobility as a key to career fulfilment and succession planning. How does this new approach support career development at both the individual and organisational levels?
We are looking forward to seeing our purpose-driven approach drive talent development and succession planning. As a global company, it is important that we develop a global mindset in our current and future leaders. Our approach enables us to be clear on why a move is taking place, ensuring both the assignee and the business leaders are clear on the outcomes to be achieved both in the host location and when the person returns to homes, or even takes on a new assignment.
Experiencing how our operations work in other locations, meeting clients and colleagues from other cultures and experiencing a new country is an enriching career opportunity and we are proud to have developed an approach that will enable improved outcomes from these international moves.
Q As the new model is launched next year, what challenges do you anticipate, and what strategies do you have in place to address these to ensure long-term sustainability?
We have a well-considered transition plan developed and throughout this journey we have been working closely with our regional colleagues. We see the sustainability of this initiative entrenched in the partnerships we have built between the centre and the regions, ensuring we are constantly measuring what is working and what is not, so we can remain agile.
Q What metrics or indicators will you use to evaluate the new model’s impact on workforce planning and the company’s talent agenda?
A key measure of success will be in assignee and business leader feedback, while also measuring the cost of investment. Moving internationally is a high-cost investment activity. A key success measure will be in leaders seeing value in the investment, rather than looking it as a cost to the bottom line.
Measuring the assignee end-to-end experience, including partner and family integration will be incredibly important. We are developing a human-centred approach to gathering this feedback, with it largely dependent on feedback and check in sessions through the assignment, both from our mobility and HR professionals in region.
Q Looking ahead, how do you envision the global mobility function evolving over the next five years, especially given trends like remote work, digital transformation, and the expectations of a multi-generational workforce?
"Looking ahead, mobility must become purpose driven, directly linked to the organisation’s long-term objectives. It is an expensive business investment and building and realising value from international moves will be important."
The digital evolution and the increasing trend of remote working is challenging the way we work, not just in mobility. All professions need to have one eye on the present and another on what is coming in the future.
For mobility, I see the function increasingly becoming more strategic. Digital technology will transform the administrative burdens that come with managing immigration and tax compliance. Already we are seeing a focus on building sustainability options into the offerings, such as reducing the carbon footprint that comes with the mobilisation of personal goods. This is an aspect we built into our core-flex model, and we can only see this continuing to evolve.
Q As someone involved in global mobility, you must have seen it all! What's the funniest or most memorable travel mishap you've ever encountered —either personally or from your team?
Travelling is the best way to challenge personal resilience and relationships. Only recently, a friend who was travelling to Asia for their daughter’s sporting event realised only once he arrived at the airport that he’d picked up his other daughter’s passport and, by accident, had mixed up the details of both daughters when filling out the online visa application. Thankfully they still made their flight, after an express arrival of the right passport to the airport and a re-submission of the online visa. Blessings from both arriving at the airport early and digital technology that allows immediate online visa applications!
Q If you could have any superpower to help you at work, what would it be and why?
The superpower to help me at work right now would be to work at the speed of lightening. Like many people feel at this time of the year, there’s still a lot to get through but we’re all feeling a little weary and looking forward to an end of year break. I’m looking forward to stepping away from it all for a couple of weeks and returning in the new year to support the implementation of our new mobility policy.
As the global talent mobility landscape continues to evolve, Mott MacDonald is reaffirming the effectiveness of aligning HR functions with broader business strategies. Its approach to global mobility — centred around the adoption of a core-flex model — highlights the growing need for flexibility and customisation in addressing employee and business needs.
In that vein, HRO has crafted a concise overview of regional talent mobility trends for 2025, spotlighting the evolving priorities in Asia Pacific and Australia.
Regional talent mobility trends for 2025
Asia Pacific (APAC)
- Localised talent strategies: Companies in APAC are prioritising local talent development, especially in countries like Japan, Indonesia, and China, while Singapore remains a hub for regional headquarters. This strategy aims to balance local and international expertise.
- Cross-regional assignments: Short-term and rotational assignments between Europe, North America, and APAC are growing, aimed at knowledge transfer and skill development.
- Inclusivity in mobility programmes: Mobility policies are becoming more inclusive, addressing diverse family needs and emphasising diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Australia
- Attractive destination: Australia is increasingly popular among global talent, especially from Asia, Europe, and North America, due to its high quality of life and economic opportunities. It ranked as a top global destination for talent in 2023 and continued to lead in 2024.
- AI and workforce transformation: Australian organisations are leveraging AI to enhance mobility programmes, focusing on operational efficiency and personalised employee experiences.
- Focus on wellbeing: Support for employee wellbeing, such as mental health initiatives, is a priority in mobility strategies.
Global trends impacting both regions
- Core-flex models: These models offer flexibility while maintaining cost control, allowing employees to choose tailored relocation benefits.
- Technological integration: AI and analytics are key drivers of efficient, data-driven mobility programmes across regions.
- Geopolitical adjustments: Organisations are adopting agile mobility strategies to respond to geopolitical and economic challenges, ensuring safety and continuity for assignees.
As businesses settle into 2025, adopting these innovations will be critical to staying agile and competitive. The time to act is now — leading the charge in redefining the workforce of tomorrow begins with reshaping today’s mobility strategies.
READ MORE: HRadiO: Mott MacDonald’s approach to streamlining the mobility process using AI
Lead image / Provided
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