Mobility Account Management: New and Next

It’s not rocket science to know that the new iteration of work calls for new skill sets. We hear it every day. In fact, we are exposed to it so often we might be getting numb to the urgency it first held. (Picture lots of mobility professionals with fingers in ears chanting “la la la la la.”)

Let’s talk about mobility, and the future, and specifically, about account management. Fingers out of ears, please, so you can hear what Sean Collins of Talent Mobility Search says:

“Account management is no longer just about building and managing relationships. It’s also about being a strategic advisor, a business partner, and a data analytics expert. When we see that combination of talent in individuals, they’re like gold.”  

Hear that? Like gold!

Analytics in Mobility Account Management

Increasingly, contemporary account management—and the future of account management—is strongly rooted in a consultative approach, enriched with showing one’s client how to leverage analytics. An analytics capability is a learned skill, and one whose value companies are recognizing.

Last year, the world’s largest corporations spent $43 billion on analytics to identify meaningful patterns in large data-sets. Recent findings from Source Global Research showed that 91% of executives believe their company’s use of analytics had generated “substantial value” for the firm.

Also revealed: More than two-thirds of the executives polled said they expect their organization to increase analytics consulting spending in 2018-19.

In Worldwide ERC®’s “The Perfect Storm: Talent Mobility Leaders Decode the Future” report, the need for data analytics skills is woven throughout the ways mobility professionals like account managers can add strategic value:

• Understand a client’s business objectives and be prepared to deliver rapid solutions for deploying “best-fit” talent cost effectively and efficiently.
• Become knowledgeable on locations of talent supply and learn how to access technology to facilitate this process.
• Look for ways to partner with talent acquisition in seeking to meet the challenges of the skills shortage.
• Educate others on the fact that global assignments and experience don’t automatically translate into retention and engagement.
• Formally track post-assignment metrics related to retention and career progression.
• Review repatriation schedules and show how they can aid in retention.  
• Evaluate mobility experiences (assignments) for both skills development and business results
• Help clients market the mobility function internally to showcase its abilities to serve as a strategic adviser to talent management and business leaders.

The benefits of predictive analytics don’t stop with mobility: They offer the opportunity for service partners to move beyond mobility parameters and offer guidance in other areas as well.

In the Talent Economy article “How Predictive Analytics Can Help Companies Hire Faster, Better, Stronger,” it’s noted that analytics can help employers reduce areas of uncertainty around a candidate’s background; identify personal and professional qualities that will contribute to the company’s mission and profitability; boost workforce diversity and reduce turnover among women and minorities.

Related: Mobility Challenge: Next-Gen Nuances

We know that new skills must be mastered for the future of mobility. With thought leaders emphasizing the imperative of data analytics to workforce mobility, industry professionals should work to overcome this skill gap. Mark Lozano SCRP, GMS pointed out that the connection between data and strategic partnership is clear:

“The stronger the data, the better the support, and the more effective you are with your business partners.”

Want to know what else mobility thought leaders are saying about service partner considerations for the future? Read Worldwide ERC®’s report: The Perfect Storm: Talent Mobility Leaders Decode the Future.