Tracking Global Relocation Trends: Cartus Releases Survey Report

Posted by: Patrick Lewis, Manager, Marketing Communications

Global mobility managers are facing a constantly changing business landscape. While cost control remains the top challenge facing global organizations according to Cartus’ 2018 Biggest Challenges survey, immigration and tax compliance have emerged as the second and third top concerns among global mobility managers.

Cartus has recently compiled the results of our Trends in Global Relocation: 2018 Biggest Challenges survey—the sixth in our series of Biggest Challenges surveys—analyzing the key challenges facing global mobility managers, how they are addressing those challenges, and hot topics in global relocation including flexible policy, talent management, and diversity and inclusion. The survey received responses from 205 mobility managers around the world, representing multinational companies with more than nine million employees globally.

If you manage your global relocation program, you’re going to want to read this report!

Key Biggest Challenges Survey Findings

Among the key findings of the survey report, you’ll learn:

• Cost control is once again the top challenge for global relocation managers, but only 44% of respondents said it was a bigger concern than previous years, indicating that it may just be a fact of life for relocation managers.
• Immigration has emerged as a top challenge this year, with 70% of respondents saying it’s a bigger problem that last year, for both internal and external reasons.
• Tax compliance was named by nearly half of survey respondents as a challenge, largely contributed to by business managers being surprised by the costs that taxes add to the assignment, or not considering tax costs when establishing moves.

To address these concerns, more companies are focusing on better education of decision makers, and better communication to mitigate challenges.

If you want to delve deeper into the top challenges, and hot topics, facing global relocation programs, I encourage you to read the Biggest Challenges survey findings, and contact your Cartus representative, or email us at trustedguidance@cartus.com, if you have any questions.

Additional Resources

To see more of Cartus’ research, visit our Resource Hub on Cartus.com.

• The Evolution of Relocation Industry Trends: outlines the relocation trends our clients are seeing, and how these trends fit into one of four categories in the relocation trend life cycle.
• Global Mobility Policy & Practices survey: find out what global mobility managers are saying about relocation trends, related policy approaches, and the solutions they are employing.
• U.S. Relocation: Policy & Practices survey: the latest U.S. relocation trends and related policy approaches and designs.
• Domestic Canada Relocation Policy & Practices survey: trends, challenges, and best practices in Canadian relocation.