CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Companies are facing short-term demands for cost reduction in their mobility programs, while continuing to balance a drive toward the goal of long-term strategic program enhancement in the coming year, according to the just-released 2014 Global Mobility Trends Survey (GMTS) report, published by Brookfield Global Relocation Services.
Brookfield Global Relocation Services has identified six trends that have emerged from the results of the 2014 GMTS as follows.
1. Compliance:
- Employers’ heightened focus on global compliance continues to drive program standardization and centralized decision making authority
- 92% of respondents indicated that they standardized their policies on a global level versus a regional or divisional level (historical average 72%)
2. Cost Reduction:
- 72% of respondents indicated international assignment costs are being reduced as a response to current economic conditions.
3. Flexibility:
- Employers are embracing ever-changing business needs by adopting policies or programs that allow for greater flexibility, while continuing to work within a structured environment
- 54% reported they had established flexible policies for long-term assignments
The remaining trends identified on the survey are:
4. "Global Mobility and Talent Management"
5. "Less measurement of Return on Investment (ROI)"
6. "Managed flexibility as a cost reduction tool.”
"Effectively managing costs is always an important consideration, regardless of economic conditions,” said Traci Morris, CEO of Brookfield Global Relocation Services. “As mobility leaders, a thoughtful balance between short term cost reductions and its impact on the broader, long term business goals of the organization, as well as the success of the relocating employee are top priorities."
Research for this report was compiled from 159 employers around the world; combined, these corporate and government sector organizations manage a global employee population of over 8.5 million people.
- 47% of respondent companies are headquartered in the Americas,
- 45% in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and
- 8% in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
The GMTS constitutes one of the industry’s most reliable resources for global mobility data and trends. Each year, Brookfield Global Relocation Services analyzes the data contained in the GMTS and draws conclusions about key trends in mobility. These may be used by global mobility leaders to guide their thinking in areas that may be important to them as they plan and strategize how best to align their efforts with the wider business goals of their companies.
Upon completion of the GMTS, each respondent selected a charitable organization to benefit from their participation. The three charities they had to choose from this year were: The Asia Foundation, Empower—The Emerging Markets Foundation and Move for Hunger. $4,000 was donated to these organizations as a result of respondents participation in the 2014 GMTS.
To view a full copy of Brookfield’s 2014 Global Mobility Trends Survey, go to: http://www.brookfieldgrs.com/knowledge/grts_research/.
About the Global Mobility Trends Survey Report
Brookfield’s 2014 GMTS is our 19th annual report analyzing key trends in the relocation and mobility industry, and is the longest running, most comprehensive survey of global mobility issues in the marketplace. This report’s longevity affords an inclusive comparison of each year’s results with historical averages, helping readers gauge the relative importance of annual variation. Presenting an overarching and broad view of the global mobility industry, the GMTS provides a unique perspective of the industry.
About Brookfield Global Relocation Services
Brookfield Global Relocation Services is a full service provider of corporate and government relocation and assignment management services to more than 500 corporate and government clients. We provide our clients with strategic insights and perspective on their mobility needs, and then obsessively manage every detail to insure success and compliance. Brookfield Global Relocation Services manages over 80,000 relocations throughout the world annually. Brookfield Global Relocation Services is an operating company of Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. (Brookfield). Headquartered in New York and Toronto, Brookfield (NYSE: BAM, TSX: BAM.A) is an alternative asset management company focused on property, power, infrastructure, and private equity assets. To learn more, visit http://www.brookfieldgrs.com/.
