Where is trust unintentionally eroded?

Welcome to Mobility Unpacked. A TEMi Blog series that challenges assumptions and encourages readers to think differently about where our profession is heading. Here is where we explore the shifts taking place across the global talent mobility ecosystem and consider what those changes mean for our roles, organisations, and the future of workforce mobility.

This month, we’re considering whether choice or guidance is more helpful.

Where is trust unintentionally eroded?

Guest Author: Monique Dawson, Director, People Advisory Services at EY.

In May, I had the joy of travelling to Rome with mobility and payroll professionals from around the world for the EY Workforce Reimagined 2026 conference, collaborating, challenging old thinking, swapping stories and, of course, enjoying plenty of Aperols and tiramisu along the way.

The conference theme was shaped by the findings of EY’s 2026 Mobility Reimagined Survey, which puts trust at the centre of the mobility conversation. And across the sessions, side conversations and coffee breaks, one thing kept coming through: the expectations placed on mobility have shifted.

Businesses are entering new markets, responding to regulatory change, navigating skills shortages and experimenting with new workforce models in real time. Mobility sits right in the middle of all of this, often asked to bring structure and confidence to situations that are anything but certain.

The question is no longer simply: “How do we move faster?”. It is: “Do we have the data, foundations, and most importantly, the trust, that allow us to move faster with confidence?”.

What’s shifting?

The EY 2026 Mobility Reimagined Survey puts some numbers around what many mobility teams are already feeling.

Some 95% of respondents say regulatory and compliance complexity is slowing them down. At the same time, 72% are scaling their use of GenAI to improve speed and consistency.

Yet only 51% trust that their data is accurate enough to move into the next phase.

That gap matters.

Technology presents enormous opportunities for mobility, but automation, workflows and agentic solutions will not magically fix weak foundations. If policies are inconsistent, data is unreliable or ownership is unclear, technology does not remove the problem. It simply exposes it faster.

The tension: efficiency versus experience

One discussion in Rome stayed with me.

During a panel session, several organisations reflected on their move towards ticketing systems for assignee query resolution. Some had adopted them quickly in pursuit of greater structure and efficiency, but later reconsidered the approach after seeing the unintended impact on the employee experience they were trying to create.

For me, it was a useful reminder.

In mobility, efficiency matters. But so does the human experience of the relocating employee and their family.

The real opportunity is not to choose between technology and people. It is to work out where technology genuinely enables a better experience, and where human judgement, connection and reassurance remain essential.

The trust advantage

From my experience, trust is built through predictable services, reliable data, clear governance, commercially grounded and practical advice, flexible but controlled policies, and strong partnerships across the mobility ecosystem.

It is also built through face time.

In Rome, I finally met colleagues I had worked with for years, in some cases decades, but had never had the opportunity to meet in person.

That sort of connection matters, particularly when our work depends on judgement, collaboration and confidence across borders.

And trust is not simply a cultural or relationship measure. There is a commercial dimension too.

The survey found that only 19% of mobility functions were identified as high trust, yet those teams can move talent to new markets more than twice as fast.

That is not just an operational metric.

It is a competitive advantage.

So, where do we need to shift?

For mobility professionals, perhaps the opportunity now is to look closely at where trust is being unintentionally eroded.

Are our policies enabling the business, or quietly creating friction?

Is our data good enough to support the decisions we want our technology to make?

Do stakeholders understand when mobility is managing risk, and when it is creating opportunity?

And are employees experiencing mobility as a pathway to career and personal growth, or as an administrative obstacle?

These are not simply technology questions. They are questions about how mobility operates, how we partner with the business and the experience we create for people.

Don’t lose sight of the person moving

Travelling internationally on my own for the first time in a while was also a timely reminder of the human side of all of this.

Being in a foreign country by yourself is one thing.

Now add a partner, children, perhaps a pet, a new role, finding a house and a school, temporary accommodation, and a business waiting for you to land and get moving quickly.

That is the level of trust assignees and their families place in mobility teams and their vendor partners.

Behind every workflow, case number, policy and data point is a person navigating significant change.

The shift ahead

Rome reminded me that mobility professionals are up for the challenge.

Expectations of us are rising, and technology will continue reshaping how we work. But mobility has always been at its best when it combines technology with human enablement.

The next shift is not simply about adopting more technology or moving people faster.

It is about building the trust that allows us to do both well.

If we can strengthen trust in our people, processes, partnerships and data, mobility becomes less about reacting to change, and more about helping organisations and their people move through it with confidence.