A (not only) HR perspective…

"The journey never ends. Only travelers end “(José Saramago).

Today's world is always travelling, it never dies. In our 3D era - despite (or thanks to) the bunch of bio and mechanical clocks we have on tablets, PCs and all kind of smartphones - business and social time are never resting, leaving small room to creative and restoring “Silence” (see my: http://www.slideshare.net/PaoloDonati1/silence-for-dummies-how-t).

Like the seasons or the orbits of the solar system, we are always dwellers of a cyclical "grand tour" made of a departure, a journey, an arrival and… a new start… May be because we were already part of a (biological) journey since the very beginning of our life. Or may be simply because - even if wireless and always-connected - we still need to personally shake hands with peers and customers.

That’s why at the end we can still think about being more Human than Resources…

Budapest Ferenc Liszt

Within this scenario we can figure out that – just looking to the (need for) speed of social, industrial and technological world - in the near future also our jobs might be different from what we can imagine right now.

Especially in respect to Mobility, which might be considered – among others - as a “job commodity”. But (that’s new) no more on a local approach: already now some companies are considering Mobility in a global dimension.

It looks highly bubbling but, from an HR perspective, this kind of Mobility is driving many practical questions (and pains) in HQs.

I like to consider them as challenges, and here following are some few:

- Mobility timeframe shift: from long-term (2-3 years with relocation included) to frequent & short assignments deprived of usual (expensive) rewarding packages. Let’s honestly admit that bigger costs are being paid on this side rather than for pure travel-related expenses…

- Preparation “before-action”. If preparation is still the main driver for success (someone wiser than me told me that several times), winning companies have to start engines now, thinking about innovative plans for quicker, more adaptable and ad hoc mobility management systems. Not that mission impossible thinking to (already available) software tools!

But there’s a step more...

Paris CDG (up) – Madrid Barajas (below)

- Emerging markets (…also talking about new ones, not only BRICS, which have already emerged!): all kind of “Blue Oceans” will force companies to became more global-smart also by including diverse staff onboard (yes, also women!)

Paris CDG (up) – Madrid Barajas (below)

Milan Linate

Current economic climate has shown that - from the operational point of view - mobility management is going to be likely a “real as it gets” business partnership between single company and single (job/age-clustered) workers.

Meaning, on one side, that companies will need to re-think business travel and transportation not by (only) looking to internal rules and/or still key principles of economy, but also sponsoring (part of CSR?) more fair and eco-friendly systems that might better help to match Safety and Comfort standards for the new crew of business travellers.

And, on the other side, meaning that also individuals / business travellers will increasingly be called to personally contribute to reach these (common) standards.

Not only by supporting own companies in the above mentioned approach (eg choosing the right transportation mean for the right business travel), but also by considering these as real professional growth journeys, where each of us that - like modern Ulysses - can enjoy the chance to fetch our own (cultural, personal, professional) "Pillars of Hercules”.

Bon voyage!

London Heathrow T5

Dusseldorf International

Frankfurt am Main