The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone in the world. Everything is still in recovery after the crisis, and it seems that things will never get back to how they used to be.
Some businesses, in particular, faced very stiff challenges during the pandemic, with many small businesses shutting down permanently.
Large enterprises, particularly multinational corporations, fared better, but they now have to adjust to a post-pandemic world. One of the most significant issues affected by the pandemic was global mobility.
What is Global Mobility?
Global mobility is the ability of a company’s workforce and its tools to move smoothly across international borders. Many companies have to cross national borders to take advantage of opportunities, promote innovation, and other reasons.
However, global deployment has become a severe issue since the pandemic and has gotten worse ever since. Companies now face various mobility risks post-pandemic, which include:
Supply Chain Disruptions
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you should have surmised that there has been a shipping crisis in the world. Shipping rates have become so high, ships are having issues getting permission to leave ports and other issues, which has ruined many supply chains and made global transportation almost impossible.
A company will face severe problems in a post-pandemic world trying to transport office equipment and other valuable tools when relocating. A global relocation specialist or relocation coordinator will be valuable in completing such a move.
Companies can use this guide to know how a relocation specialist can help with international mobility. Supply chain disruptions are a serious risk for companies as they can lose a lot of valuable goods or have them arrive too late and lose money.
Vaccine Mandates
Regarding the movement of human resources, vaccine mandates such as the vaccine passports will be a significant issue that will affect global mobility to a considerable extent.
Companies have to ensure that their employees follow the vaccine mandates in the country in which they are relocating. These directives could also be quite different from those in the primary country, which could be hard to follow or costly.
Moreover, breaking any rules could lead to severe consequences, leading to massive business disruptions and huge losses if not resolved quickly.
Lack of Employees
The pandemic has forever changed the workforce, and companies will have to adjust accordingly. The great resignation where many people quit their jobs after the pandemic is the best example in this regard.
A severe risk that employers will face is the lack of employees willing to uproot their lives to work in a different country. Many will simply leave the company and choose to work remotely in whatever capacity possible.
Technology is constantly reshaping the workforce, and one way it is doing that is that more people prefer to work as freelancers instead of employees for corporations. Therefore, companies may have to adapt and bring the work to the people as opposed to getting the people to the job.
Rising Costs of Living
The cost of living has increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic in almost every country. Cities, in particular, have become virtually unaffordable, and many people have left major cities in search of more affordable living areas.
The rising costs of living are a risk many companies have to face because it might turn out to be quite expensive to move operations and people to a city. Even though it might be cheaper than the city the company is currently in, it might be much more affordable to allow employees to work remotely in places they want to live.
Companies face serious challenges pertaining to global mobility in a post-pandemic world. Much has changed since the advent of the pandemic, and these risks will exist for some time to come.
The above are only a fraction of the risks companies face, but those willing to change and adapt should be successful in the long run.
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