Boosting Procurement and HR Collaboration in Talent Mobility

by Eric Reed on Aug 3, 2022

The relationship between procurement and human resource professionals is a vital one within organizations; however, its importance is sometimes overlooked. The differing approaches of the two positions mean they often run separately from one another with little overlap. By establishing and enhancing the partnership between these two groups, companies can decrease costs while increasing value to their relocation policies. 

Having a strong relocation policy and mobility program in place is desirable for HR and procurement professionals alike, as the quality impacts both departments. HR wants to keep employees happy and taken care of. Procurement is looking to keep costs down. Quality relocation plans do both by supporting employees through a stressful transition and saving money long term by increasing employee retention.

We’re here to walk you through how these two departments can work together to strengthen your talent mobility programs and global relocation strategies. Here’s everything you need to know: 

What Talent Mobility Means in Today’s Workforce

Talent mobility is the strategic process of moving employees into new positions to support business growth. This involves moving employees into new roles, different departments, or other office locations to fill in talent gaps and to adapt to your company's growing needs, without relying on external hiring. 

Talent mobility is vital to the success of your business. Internal talent mobility can fuel business growth while offering your current employees professional growth opportunities. When you focus on helping your current employees grow professionally rather than hiring externally, you can also improve retention rates and keep your team satisfied in the workplace. 

Why Talent Mobility Matters

There are many advantages to developing a talent mobility program. Here's what you can look forward to from a business perspective:

Better Retention and Engagement

Hiring and promoting from within can help boost retention and improve workplace engagement. Employees are less likely to search for new opportunities if they feel their professional needs are met. 

Access to Critical Skills

Hiring from within is the most effective way to leverage existing talent and ensure your team has access to critical skills needed to succeed. You don't need to worry about conducting a four to six-week hiring process to find new talent with the skills necessary for the specific role. You can quickly and efficiently fill the role with an employee you know is already a good culture fit for your company. 

Strategic Workforce Flexibility

Offering career growth paths for your team is the most effective way to scale your business. Your HR and procurement teams can work together to plan for future business needs and use existing talent to fill in the talent needs. This will allow you to adapt to projects, challenges, and opportunities quickly and more efficiently. 

The Role of Relocation in Talent Mobility

There may be times when you'll want to relocate your employees to new offices to help them grow professionally. Relocating your employees rather than hiring a new hire is a great way to leverage existing talent already on your team. Your current employees are already a good culture fit and understand business practices. Once they move to a new location, they'll know exactly what they need to do to get the job done. You won't need to onboard or train them to handle the job, which will allow you to streamline future projects. 

Relocation as a Retention Strategy

Providing your current employees with new opportunities will help boost retention rates and improve employee satisfaction. It shows you care about their professional development and want to watch them succeed with your company. Offering employee relocation program benefits will also reflect positively on your brand, showing employees that you appreciate their contributions and you're willing to financially support the relocation that will help them grow professionally.

Relocation and Talent Deployment

In many cases, it's cheaper to relocate a worker with an employee relocation partner than it is to hire someone new in that area. The hiring process is tedious and time-consuming. Your HR and procurement team will need to work tirelessly to interview individuals and determine if they are a good fit for the job.

Enhancing the relationship between HR and procurement professionals means that the two departments can also establish more checks and balances in the process. Together, the HR team can guide the procurement team on what contracts and supplies would best benefit the company’s workforce, while procurement can steer HR towards cost savings, striking a balance between value and cost-effectiveness.

Best Practices for Aligning Talent Mobility with Relocation

To develop a talent mobility program, you want to keep the process cost-effective for the business while supporting your employees' professional development. To do this, you'll need the following:

Develop a Clear Talent Mobility Strategy

You'll need a clear, concise talent mobility strategy that aligns with your business objectives and your team's professional needs. The program should outline the skill gaps your business needs to fill with clear career paths for internal promotions, department changes, and career advancements. 

Collaborate Across HR, Procurement, and Leadership

Next, all departments must be aligned with your strategy and understand their role in the process. Procurement will work on developing an affordable corporate relocation that complements the talent strategy, ensuring that employees get access to affordable vendors and resources. The HR team will handle communication with employees, ensuring their needs are met during the moving process. Together, every department will work to implement the strategy.

Support Career Development and Employee Experience

If you're moving team members into leadership roles or offering promotions, you'll want to ensure that they have the resources to take the next step in their careers. Providing career development resources, meetings with leadership, and training programs can help them grow professionally and improve the overall employee experience.

Tailor Relocation Policies to Mobility Goals

Offering relocation partner support will help streamline the process, ensuring your team's needs are met throughout the transition. Consider offering support, such as temporary housing or job search assistance for the spouse, which can make the relocation offer more appealing.

Measuring the Impact of Talent Mobility

Once you've relocated team members, you'll want to measure the success of the initiatives. You'll want your HR team to schedule regular check-ins with the team member and to send out a survey at the end of the transition. You'll also want to track KPIs such as retention rate and internal promotion rate to track the success of your strategy.

How Allied Supports Talent Mobility and Relocation

With one of the largest national moving company networks, Allied has the experience and efficiency to support your corporate relocation. Whether you’re moving across the country or across town, our agents know how to provide a quality, hassle-free move for your relocating employees. Allied agents lean on 95+ years of experience to overcome any challenge and ensure a positive relocation experience. Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions About Relocation Partner Support

Are you looking for affordable corporate relocation resources for your talent mobility program? Review our frequently asked questions below to learn more about the process. 

What is talent mobility?

Talent mobility is the strategic process of moving employees into new positions to support business growth. This involves moving employees into new roles, promotions, or other office locations to fill in skill gaps.

How does relocation fit into talent mobility?

Relocating employees to different offices is a great way to leverage existing talent. Existing employees already understand the business processes and are already a great culture fit, so the transition is typically easier and there are fewer delays in the process. 

Why should HR and procurement work together on mobility and relocation?

HR and procurement teams should work together to ensure the process is as seamless as possible for the employee. The procurement team will work to ensure the global mobility relocation is cost-effective for the business, while HR will ensure the employee's needs are met throughout the transition.

What are the benefits of investing in talent mobility?

Investing in a corporate relocation program for talent is a cost-effective alternative to external hiring that can boost employee retention while reducing company costs and accelerating workplace productivity. 

How can companies measure the success of their talent mobility programs?

Tracking KPIs such as internal hire rate, turnover rate, and retention rate can help you better understand your internal hiring pipeline. It also provides key insight into the employee experience.

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