Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) have always been at the heart of what we do as global talent mobility professionals, working across various countries, cultures, and with individuals to deliver essential services to the businesses and clients we work for. However, as the focus on DE&I intensifies, mobility teams are grappling with the development of clear approaches, tracking, and initiatives, striving to align their efforts with the evolving needs of a diverse workforce.

In this new DE&I article series, we’ll delve into DE&I in global talent mobility, to drive conversations that provide insights into the practices of other organisations, spark transformative change, and highlight the benefits and impact that inclusive mobility programs have on businesses, individuals, and the wider community.

Understanding DE&I

Diversity: Refers to the representation of varied identities and backgrounds within a globally mobile workforce, including to but not limited to nationality, culture, language, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and disability. It is about recognising and valuing the unique attributes and experiences that each employee brings to the organisation.

Equity: Is about fairness, ensuring policies and procedures are designed to provide equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of their diverse attributes.

Inclusion: Creating an environment where employees feel welcomed, respected and supported, and are able to fully participate in a companies mobility program. Employees should have equal opportunities and access to resources, and their voices should be heard and considered in decision making.

For mobility, DE&I is more than just meeting company targets or compliance reporting, it is about actively creating a globally mobile workforce that reflects the global market where you operate and creates a culture where all employees are empowered the thrive.

Types of diversity to consider within your organisation:

Demographic Diversity: Aiming for a globally mobile workforce that is representative of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and other demographic factors.

Cognitive Diversity: Valuing different ways of thinking and problem-solving, which can be particularly beneficial in international teams.

Functional Diversity: The inclusion of employees with diverse professional backgrounds and skills, which can enhance the creativity and effectiveness of global teams.

Key considerations for global talent mobility programs

As mobility teams continue to embrace DE&I as a core component of their strategies, it is important to consider actionable steps and frameworks that will make these efforts effective. Below are some key considerations and ideas that global mobility teams can implement to ensure their programs are inclusive, supportive, and equitable for all employees.

These considerations are not just about creating policies; they are about embedding DE&I into the fabric of how mobility programs operate. From offering personalised support to diverse employees, to tracking and reporting progress, and collaborating with internal teams to ensure that all voices are heard—each step brings companies closer to creating truly inclusive mobility experiences.

Inclusion of DE&I in your mobility strategy

  • Ensure that mobility policies and goals are aligned with the company’s broader DE&I objectives, from recruitment through to on-assignment support. Conversely, ensure mobility is woven into your corporate DE&I strategy to showcase how it can enable and deliver on the company’s overall DE&I agenda. International and domestic mobility can provide growth opportunities for diverse employees and contribute to increased representation within leadership.
  • Publicly recognise and showcase the successes of diverse employees who thrive on international assignments, demonstrating the value of inclusion and serving as inspiration for others.

Bringing your team on the journey

As we promote more mobility within our mobility programs, consider how best to equip your own team and support functions by increasing their diversity and inclusion awareness.

Mobility functions are typically at the forefront employee experience – and are a critical support structure for your relocating employees and their families. Consider how your team communicates with employees globally, invest in enhancing their cultural awareness and consider how applying learnings from refreshing your mobility approaches can be embedded how the everyday of how they work.

Bringing your team on the journey will benefit all team interactions, enhancing your employee and their family experience, improving collaboration and outcomes with the global business, and enhance overall team engagement.

Tailored support and benefits for diverse needs:

  • Provide mobility briefings that go beyond destination logistics and include tailored support such as healthcare considerations, wellbeing and mental health resources, and cultural sensitivity. Recognise that different employees have different priorities and requirements, and structure your processes and benefits to be adaptable to these varied needs.
  • Offer support to LGBTQI+ employees by providing them with guidance on local laws and social attitudes in their host countries, particularly in regions where same-sex relationships are criminalised. This ensures safety and wellbeing during assignments.

Tracking and accountability:

  • Establish clear metrics to track diversity across the mobile workforce, considering gender, ethnicity, linguistic diversity, and other key demographics – aligned to your overall measures of success for your mobility program and corporate goals. Ensure that this data and key insights is reported regularly and tied to overall corporate DE&I goals.
  • Encourage employees to report challenges, issues of discrimination or bias they experience during assignments, fostering an environment of openness, responsiveness and continuous improvement. This could be done through an anonymous feedback platform that ensures employee confidentiality.

Promoting linguistic and cultural diversity:

  • Recognise the challenges of linguistic and cultural diversity for employees and their families on assignment, especially in managing the feeling of losing their cultural identity. For example, offer cultural orientation and language to help with smoother integration.
  • Equip your mobility team, and future receiving teams with tools to pronounce names correctly, communicate slowly and clearly, avoid overly complex language, and respect cultural differences.

Flexibility and customisation of benefits:

  • Provide flexibility in benefits to cater to diverse family structures, including expanded definitions of ‘family’ that encompass same-sex partners, civil partnerships, and other non-nuclear family structures.
  • Create procedures and support approaches which can help identify and then be adapted for people with disabilities or additional needs across your program.
  • Tailor benefits packages that meet the specific needs of LGBTQI+ employees, women, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups, especially in countries where standard benefits or local support infrastructure might fall short. For instance, some healthcare providers can customise the standard expat health insurance to cover reproductive health services for women in countries with limited access to such care.

This is just the beginning. By starting to integrate these key considerations into global talent mobility programs, organisations can not only facilitate the movement of talent but also create a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable workforce. As companies continue to expand their global reach, the commitment to DE&I in mobility will drive business success, employee engagement, and a more equitable future for all.

Throughout this new article series, the TEMi DE&I Panel will deep-dive into some of the specific types of support which your organisation can consider across different employee groups, measures of success and fostering a cultivation culture. Stay tuned for more helpful hints and please do share what you’ve found most helpful or would like us to cover more of! Comment on the TEMi Talent Member Forum, join the conversation on LinkedIn or email us at su*****@************om.au.

This article was written by TEMi DE&I Panel Member Monique Dawson.

The TEMi DE&I Panel, includes representation from practitioners as well as businesses that service the industry, to offer perspectives from both sides. The appointed panel includes:

  • Monique Dawson, EY
  • Trisha Carter, CI Collective
  • Jane Everett, Crown World Mobility
  • Jose Clossi, Newcrest
  • Jenny Buxey, South 32
  • Anne-Marie Barrow, Whitehaven Coal Ltd
  • Shae Anderson, The Ascott Limited

About the Author
Monique Dawson, Director, People Advisory Services, EY

Monique is a Director in EY’s People Advisory Services practice and leads the APAC Assignment Services and Mobility Transformation Team. Monique has over 15 years of assignment management experience, including end to end coordination of international and domestic relocation across a wide variety and size of programs, coupled with first hand experience as both an international and domestic expatriate.

Monique works with clients to enable a best practice and innovative mobility experiences, for assignees and business stakeholders. This includes advising and supporting organisations, across Asia Pacific and internationally, to develop fit for purpose mobility strategies, policies and processes enabled by technology and clearly defined operating models.