When big changes are underfoot, it’s natural to feel a little off-balance. Suddenly, the strategies you’ve always relied on aren’t landing, and it seems like everyone else is one step ahead in embracing the new.

We get it.

Global mobility is an industry that is forever evolving, but the last five years have brought shifts that feel…seismic. Employees are working differently and have vastly different expectations from their employers and careers. And organizations are juggling new risks and competing priorities.

The silver lining? This community is nothing if not resourceful and resilient. We’ve seen mobility teams rise to the challenge, partnering with new stakeholders, rethinking old norms, and embracing bold strategies that deliver tangible impact.

A Blueprint for Resilient Change Management

Our latest research, Designing Mobility for Success, captures these lessons and winning outcomes. It’s a blueprint of how today’s businesses are reinventing mobility, leveraging cutting-edge tech, elevating the role of mobility professionals, and designing programs that meet change head-on while fueling long-term success. It’s everything you need to stay ahead and turn the discomfort of change into opportunity!

To tide you over until the full report drops, we’re excited to share seven key findings that capture the new face of mobility and how today’s talent and employers are thriving together:

  1. Global mobility is no longer just operational; it’s strategic.

    A whopping 85% of respondents expect their roles to evolve significantly as mobility professionals step into broader strategic territory. They’re influencing workforce planning, policy development, and organizational change – finally! Now, companies should proactively redefine mobility roles and invest in leadership development to encourage and prepare for this shift.

    2. Lean, centralized teams are the norm, but not the rule.

      The average Global Mobility team has just 5.6 full-time employees, and two-thirds have no part-time support. And while 73.1% of organizations use a centralized model, nearly half operate across multiple locations. This structure allows for consistency, but it may hinder responsiveness. Organizations should consider whether their team size and structure support the agility needed to meet the complex global demands of today’s mobility landscape.

      3. Mobility’s scope is expanding (but there’s still room to grow).

      Mobility teams are increasingly involved in visa programs (71.05%), compliance (61.84%), and remote work policies (57.89%). As their scope expands, so does their expertise, but only 8.1% of them are consistently engaged in strategic planning. To fully leverage the skills of these multifaceted professionals, companies should be formally integrating mobility into enterprise-wide initiatives.

      4. For employees returning to the office, engagement hinges on flexibility.

      Hybrid work is now the norm, with 54.2% of organizations adopting it and 39.6% tailoring arrangements by role. Notably, none reported a fully remote workforce—a clear departure from earlier remote-first predictions. The takeaway? Engagement soars when employees have control over their schedules. To attract and retain top talent, organizations must prioritize flexibility and empower employees with choice.

      5. Tactical demands undermine strategic accountability.

      Mobility leaders are tasked with driving strategy, yet most of their time is spent on routine exception handling and stakeholder questions. With 92.9% accountable for process improvement and 91.8% for vendor management, companies risk underutilizing top talent by not automating or outsourcing administrative work. Freeing your mobility experts to focus on strategy is what truly moves the needle.

      6. AI can change the mobility game, but most aren’t using it yet.

      While 81.3% of respondents cite Technology and AI as essential future skills, only 5% have fully integrated AI into their operations. This gap presents a major opportunity. Companies should accelerate AI adoption in mobility—especially in reporting, exception management, and employee support—to supercharge efficiency and innovation.

      7. Mobility ROI is undermeasured, and that’s stunting programs.  

      Global Mobility leaders are making bold moves to optimize their programs: 49.2% have switched suppliers in the past five years, and 64.1% cite access to specialized expertise as a top reason for outsourcing. They’re big moves in the right direction, yet 90.1% of companies aren’t tracking post-assignment attrition, a critical measure of long-term impact. To truly elevate mobility, organizations must pair outsourcing with robust ROI tracking, integrating retention, satisfaction, and cost metrics into program reviews. Without this, mobility risks being seen as a cost center rather than a driver of talent value.

      Stay Tuned for the Full Release

      These seven key insights are just the tip of the iceberg! Our full report series take an even deeper dive into how today’s leading employers are evolving their programs in pace with the mobility landscape shifts, and finding new ways to attract, develop, and hold on to the global talent driving business growth. If you’re eager to learn more, stay tuned: the complete release is right around the corner, and you won’t want to miss what’s next.

      In the meantime, if you have questions about the genesis of our Designing Mobility for Success research, or want to be notified when the first report drops, reach out to our Weichert Advisory Services team – we’d love to chat.