We love a thought-provoking and interactive webinar. They are a prime opportunity for our experts to join (or start) a conversation and share their perspectives on the trends moving our industry. And even better, they create a platform to open a dialogue and weigh in on the burning questions that matter to our corporate audience. The Q&A sessions that close many of our webinars are packed with so many organic nuggets of wisdom, and we couldn’t wait to share some of them here.
Hosted by Weichert’s Jennifer Connell, Laura Levenson, and Avrom Goldberg, this webinar showcased the top talent mobility predictions for the year ahead, as forecasted by our experts. A question posed during our Q&A session paired well with one of our trend predictions for 2023 – Great Technology is Paramount to Great Experiences – and Laura Levenson’s response gave us plenty of food for thought:
Q: Will evolving technology increase self-service tech-driven mobility programs in 2023?
Laura Levenson, Global Practice Leader: Technology is only transformative when it’s a seamless experience. We’ve seen many new technologies emerge across our industry that don’t quite meet the mark. And as technology users ourselves, we know that if it’s not easy to use and if it’s not improving your life, you’re simply not going to use it!
It’s been close to a year since we launched Weichert Go, and we’re thrilled to see very high levels of satisfaction with what users have experienced so far. I think this is because the interface mimics many retail apps people are already comfortable with. So, the transition and experience with the technology are seamless. Assignees and transferees are leveraging tools to be more flexible with their relocation choices, and our clients now have the control and visibility to manage this flexibility flawlessly!
Despite these leaps, there’s a strong emotional element to mobility, and I still think there’s a need for high-touch support amongst certain levels of employees that technology can’t (yet) replicate. I have a little story for you that speaks to this need:
Right now, I’m in the midst of a Voice of the Customer exercise for one of our clients. And the primary feedback from these employees was the importance of talking to a person who understands the nuances of their assignment or transfer and is able to answer their questions quickly and authentically. And keeping in mind that one question might lead to another question that wasn’t pre-conceived. While AI has advanced considerably, it still (as far as I know) lacks the empathy of a human voice, which is sometimes necessary – or preferred – for supporting employees, particularly those in challenging scenarios.
In short, I would say that we do expect to see a rise in tech-driven self-service mobility, but most of these tools will be solely offered to those with a lump sum or cash option programs. And even in those cases, the technology has its limits, especially if you’re a first-time assignee. Working with cash is challenging, and you don’t know what you don’t know. So, if you spend all your money upfront, you might be challenged further in the process. Technology can be a great move management tool in these instances, granting assignees more flexibility and independence. But they can really work their magic when paired with an experienced counselor to fill the gaps in service.
You’ve got more great questions, and our mobility experts are excited to keep the conversation going! Stay tuned for more Q&A soundbites. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact us at soultions@weichertwm.com.
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