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Reprinted by Permission of the Employee Relocation Council from the March issue of Mobility
By Maggie Ryan
Technology is allowing HR professionals to more thoroughly identify candidates within the company for global positions--wherever they may currently be located. In this global, 24/7 world where people need to "talk," regardless of different time zones, technology accelerates responses and the ability to set clear objectives.
Managing relocation is much more complicated than it has been in the past for many of us. To have a successful program we need to understand the interlocking relationship between globalization, technological change, and relocation trends. Because of this kind of challenge, international HR professionals have been redefining their roles.
Globalization, for example, has increased the demand for human resource mobility. Such mobility, in turn, has been facilitated by new technologies, and the combination of both has sped up the pace of globalization even more.
Companies worldwide generate 43 percent of revenues outside their home countries, according to the "2000 Global Trends Survey" by GMAC Global Relocation Services, Liberty Corner, NJ, conducted in cooperation with the National Foreign Trade Council and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Global Forum.
The enhancements technology brings to communication spread both business concepts and the message of globalization. At the same, time companies are sending more and more people on global assignment and are developing worldwide consistency in setting realistic employee expectations and, simultaneously, meeting company objectives.
Human resource policies, practices, concepts, and solutions must be developed globally with built-in flexibility for variations in different geographic locations.
Spanning the Globe With Technology
To identify the best candidates for global positions, HR professionals must tap into their Intranets.
Our survey this year found that 35 percent of human resource departments use Web sites (intranets) to communicate within their departments, 23 percent to communicate with internationally relocated employees, and 24 percent with their colleagues outside the company.
Companies are providing personal expatriate allowances for cellular phones, e-mail, fax machines, and computers. Seventy-one percent of all human resource practitioners are using the Internet to access relocation-related information and services.
Global human resource professionals now can review and purchase valuable relocation information online--enabling them to update their global policies to incorporate the latest practices, or simply to purchase entirely new policies.
As the concept of an internationally accessible and mobile work force grows, the role of international relocation will grow with it--requiring and making possible a corresponding increase in the efficiency of relocation management and HR professionals.
In many ways technology frees up global human resource professionals' time, allowing them to focus on strategic issues instead of juggle by day-to-day administrative questions.
Of those companies with corporate intranets, 80 percent of human resource professionals report a reduction in expatriate questions, 71 percent find easier administration with intranets, 63 percent experience improved responsiveness, 51 percent report reduced administrative costs, and 14 percent see a reduction in staff requirements.
Just as consumers around the world now shop the Internet without personal contact with retailers, the support role of the Internet and corporate Intranets will grow.
This will transform the international relocation industry into a form of e-commerce with less personal interaction between expatriates and corporate human resource departments and at the same time provide expatriates with faster, more convenient access to much-needed information.
Despite the attraction of viewing up-to-the-minute relocation policies on electronic devices, there are limits to the acceptance of cyber relocation management. Relocation continues to be a "high-touch" process, with 92 percent of relocation discussions taking place in person. Some of these are followed up with information on the corporate Intranet (29 percent).
Clearly, technology has had a huge effect on our lives and will continue to do so. From a relocation perspective, HR professionals are seeking a single-source provider for all their relocation and assignment needs. It can be extremely frustrating for these professionals to deal with multiple providers for each element of their programs.
Technology can facilitate the relocation and assignment process by allowing clients access to information regarding their employees, as well as tracking progress and directly linking to various service providers.
HR careers have been enhanced by the increased use of technology. Globalization and worldwide communication has spread quickly--giving HR professionals the opportunity to think globally and understand ways to use technology for a more effective relocation program.
However, regardless of how sophisticated the technology or how much information we provide online, technology needs to be viewed as an adjunct, a data source, an efficient tool to access data and facilitate communication.
It should never replace the personal touch that is so invaluable when assisting employees and their families through one of life's most challenging yet wonderful experiences.
Maggie Ryan is responsible for client service and assignee operations at all of the GMAC GRS Global Service Centers. A native of Kirkintilloch, Scotland, Maggie has lived and worked in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, London, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, and Chicago. As a veteran traveler, she is uniquely experienced in the personal challenges associated with global relocation and assignment management.
Having spent more than 25 years in front-line operations, client management, leadership and general management positions in the relocation and assignment management industry, Maggie has extensive experience in international human resources and facility management. Her proven experience in business development, organizational integration and development, and operations management, has earned her numerous key leadership positions. She has received numerous awards for her unwavering dedication to service and relocation management, earning a Certified Relocation Professional designation.