Blog

At Weichert, we’re honored to work with mobility leaders from some of the world’s most respected companies. They are open, honest and trustworthy. They are also innovative, because there are rarely two days in managing relocation that are exactly the same.

The best are great at partnering, and recognize that the first step to any successful partnership is listening. An open channel of communication is essential and that starts with clients being clear about their program goals, and the provider setting realistic expectations. We often recommend a proprietary process that we call an Optimization Lab at the start of any partnership to get all the key stakeholders together with Weichert SMEs, identify the future state they want to achieve, and develop a realistic road map to achieving it. But no matter the process you use, that honest and open communication has to be the foundation.

The very best consider their providers an extension of their own teams and leverage that expertise to drive goals and initiatives. They work with us to establish many-to-many connections between critical stakeholders across both our organizations.

It’s also important for them to be tech savvy and open to new innovations. In any relocation, the focus is on delivering a great experience. Today, that means being able to provide a balance of personal attention and technology tools that empower mobile employees to be as engaged and productive as possible. While a good partner will provide a platform that will be easy to use and won’t require end users to be tech experts, it’s important to embrace the increasingly important role that technology plays in delivering great experiences and helping you communicate the importance of your program.

As advantageous as it is for mobility leaders to possess technical ability, it is equally important to promote and maintain technical ability in their teams and to empower those teams to act on behalf of their clients. Even the most technically adept leader might have trouble keeping track of the intricacies and requirements of every client account under their leadership. By having enough technical ability to maintain an understanding of the general workings of their business, while relying on the in-depth knowledge and expertise of those teams directly engaging with clients and their employees, great mobility leaders can remain strategic and help their teams anticipate and respond quickly to client needs.

Lastly, they should recognize the need to have–and if necessary fight for–a seat at the table where talent strategies are being drawn up. The role of any corporate mobility manager is to help unleash their company’s talent to grow the business. That means that mobility is inexorably linked to talent management, and being able to show that connection is critical. For example, under the current talent shortage, your mobility program can be a talent magnet, helping you recruit and retain critical workers. Your mobility partner can help you tell that story and get senior leadership to think of mobility as a strategic tool rather than a necessary expense.