As companies expand their horizons, handling relocation becomes ever more challenging for HR professionals. Carrie Shearer reports on the new Global Mobility Specialist (GMS™) designation and certification programme which gives a shared understanding of both the terms and the objectives used in global relocation.

You cannot study global relocation in university. Until recently, if you worked for a large company with a well-established international relocation programme, you learned to administer programmes developed by others, often without knowing why the programmes existed or if viable alternative solutions existed. If you worked for a company going international, you often felt as if you had been thrown into the deep end of the pool without a life jacket as you thrashed your way through this alien territory.

Cost of living companies, international consulting firms, relocation companies, and moving companies provided seminars focusing on a few key elements of global mobility. However there was no place to learn about each element, how they related, and the optimal way to balance elements with your company’s strategy.

This has changed thanks to the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC). Headquartered in the USA, the ERC‘s mission is to: “Provide leadership, advocacy, education and networking to global workforce mobility professionals and stakeholders through specialized training, credentialing, meeting events and information exchange."

To this end, the ERC, which has offered a certification programme for domestic relocations (CRP™) since 1990, is launching the new Global Mobility Specialist (GMS™) designation and certification programme.

According to Karen Reid, a Senior Vice President with ERC, the GMS™ programme was developed to fill a void. “A needs assessment of our membership indicated the desire for comprehensive training and a shared understanding of both the terms and the objectives used in global relocation.”

Shelley Giles, Director Relocation Services, Tenet Health Care, adds, “In the late 1990s I served for several years on ERC’s International Programme Planning Committee (now called the International Forum). Each year a discussion arose regarding an international designation comparable to the CRP™ programme. The members of our committee from outside the USA saw the benefits that US members derived from the CRP™ designation and felt that a similar “global” certification would help distinguish them as the experts in the field.”

This programme will provide the tools which those working in the international relocation arena need to effectively deal with the myriad of challenges they face on a daily basis. It will offer participants a universal understanding of the key elements of global mobility, which in turn will facilitate better communication between corporate relocation personnel, relocation companies, service providers, and expatriate families.

A three-module programme

The three GMS™ programme modules: Module 1 - The complete toolkit: Applied policy development for expatriate assignments Main points covered: - How to conduct a needs assessment and how to analyse business factors to develop cost-effective expatriate transfer policies - Both the current typical package and best practices are included. - Each element of the expatriate package is spotlighted to help participants understand how to use them to their best advantage. - How to implement changes and the best ways to communicate programme revisions and explains the pitfalls to avoid and discusses how to handle policy exceptions. Module 2 – Strategic expatriate solutions: Localization, short-term assignments, and hybrid mobility programmes Main points covered: - The business drivers that make companies consider alternative programmes and both when and when not to attempt to implement localization. - Both the reasons for and the cost reductions that may occur by localizing expatriates or using short-term assignments are explored. - How to use your company’s demographics to determine if localization is feasible and identifies the hurdles to localization and explores suggestions to overcome them. - How to develop a short-term assignment policy that meets your company’s objectives while providing sufficient support for expatriates and their families. Module 3 – Global workforce issues: Health and security options and intercultural skills Main points covered: - The HR implications of terrorism and other crimes as well as health crises - applies the lessons learned from the SARs crisis to construct a crisis management plan. - Various options for worldwide medical plans, evacuation insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. - The relocation adaptation model and the types of coping skills employed by expatriates and their families. - The principles of intercultural theory and how these may affect expatriates’ adaptation and performance on the job. - The key components of a repatriation programme so that companies maximize their ROI on each expatriate assignment.

The GMS™ programme encompasses three modules which participants may take independently or in a three-day series. Those seeking to receive the GMS™ certification must complete the three modules within five years of the date they first took a module. Examinations will be given on-line and must be taken within 30 days of completing a module.

According to Shelley Giles, “The GRS™ certification is designed to address the educational needs of various levels of global professionals (from beginner to seasoned veteran), while keeping the material current and relevant. The three modules were designed by ERC to stand alone as education components addressing specific areas and levels of interest but taken together they represent a substantial body of knowledge.”

There will be several instructors for each module so that each presenter focuses on their area of expertise. These experts will bring real-life case studies and information, tailored to the geographical region in which they are presenting. ERC believes this will help attendees deal with both expatriates coming into and departing from their region.

As the programme expands outside the USA, the material will be adjusted to incorporate “case studies and best practices within that region,” claims Karen Reid. “We will be putting together a European task force to develop a programme tailored to the European market and expect to have this up and running in one year.”

The programme will provide information on both traditional international relocation packages as well as emerging trends and help participants understand when certain solutions are most advantageous. Studying both the tried and true as well as pace-setter programmes will help participants understand how to tailor their programmes to the strategic needs of their companies. The programme will foster an understanding of the issues and constraints that exist in international mobility and help participants become partners in solving problems, meeting challenges, and delivering excellent customer service.

Currently the programme is only available in classroom settings, although Reid says, “Ultimately we may go on-line. We are starting with classroom training because we believe that one way participants will learn is by sharing their own experiences. However, we also understand that individuals have different learning styles and will ultimately tailor the programme to the needs of our constituents.”

Lynn Davis, Director Global Relocation Services, for The Gap, Inc. believes, “The GMS programme recognizes a segment of our business that is very specialized and can be extraordinarily difficult and challenging to manage. International moves result in a much higher investment of time and increased knowledge and well-honed people skills. If I were hiring staff for our programme, I would be looking for the GMS certification on the resume.”

Shelley Giles echoed her sentiments. “I think it won’t be long before companies who are active in the global arena use the GMS™ certification as the “gold standard” when evaluating candidates for relocation positions in their organizations.”

November 2003

Carrie Shearer spent 20 years in international HR, living and working in seven countries, as well as working at headquarters. Currently she runs a small international HR consulting practice and is a novelist who writes about expat living.