HR (Human Resources) in Global Mobility
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
Human Resources as it applies to the design, administration, and evaluation of international assignment programs. In the global mobility context, HR encompasses the organizational functions responsible for global mobility policy, assignee support, tax and immigration compliance, and family wellbeing during international relocations. The HR function is the primary organizational interface for internationally mobile employees and their families, and its quality — particularly its awareness of family dynamics — is among the strongest predictors of assignment success.
Comparable terms
Global mobility function (HR/mobility — the specialist subset of HR dedicated to international assignments) · People function (contemporary HR — preferred term in some organizations; equivalent in scope) · Talent management (HR — the broader function within which global mobility sits) · HRBP (HR Business Partner — the HR generalist who typically manages the assignee relationship alongside the mobility specialist)
Why this matters
HR in mobility sets the frame for what support exists, for whom, and when. Its understanding of families, diversity, and mental health shapes lived experience on the ground. Strong, family‑aware HR can prevent many issues that otherwise show up in counseling.
Cross-references
Global Mobility Specialist (Professional Support Roles); Global Mobility Policy (Professional Support Roles); Family Support Specialist (Professional Support Roles); HR BP (Professional Support Roles); EAP (Wellbeing & Mental Health); Assignment Failure (Transitions & Mobility). The HR BP is the generalist organizational relationship manager who works alongside the global mobility specialist; EAP is the organizational wellbeing mechanism most directly under HR’s remit and most commonly activated when mobility-related distress arises. Assignment failure is the outcome that failures of HR support most directly produce, making it the primary risk metric against which HR global mobility functions should be evaluated.
Sources
Black, J.S., Gregersen, H.B. & Mendenhall, M.E. (1992). Global Assignments. Jossey-Bass. The foundational academic text establishing HR’s role in international assignment management as a distinct professional domain.
McNulty, Y. & Brewster, C. (2017). Working Internationally: Expatriation, Migration and Other Global Work. Edward Elgar Publishing. Provides the most comprehensive contemporary treatment of the HR function in global mobility, including critical analysis of where organizational HR support typically fails internationally mobile families.
« Back