www.snowbirdsautoconnection.com | 1-888-236-7686 1-888-236-7686, 416-638-0001 info@snowbirdsautoconnection.com 185A Oakdale Road Toronto, Ontario CELEBRATING OVER 25 YEARS! FREE QUOTES CROSS BORDER SPECIALISTS VEHICLE STORAGE Your #1 Vehicle transport company providing reliable, honest, damage-free transportation across Canada and the U.S. with terminals in all major cities. and more streamlined access to skilled talent, borders between countries are becoming harder to cross. This adds a layer of frustra- tion for North American employers that may find the talent they need but face delays and red tape bringing them to their new home. Companies are tackling this issue in several ways. For some, it’s a matter of “parking” talent in other countries until the immigration process is complete. Other strategies include establishing a remote or “virtual” office, which comes with tax and logistical challenges of its own. Of course, says Nurney, governments can help by further addressing the obstacles between employers and their prospective talent. “Anything that can be done to ease those barriers will also ease an employer’s ability to bring in people who are ready to get to work,” he says. The rise of remote working (driven in part by the emergence of a freelance ‘gig economy’) has provided employers with alternatives in terms of where they source their talent and where they set them up, as well as how they manage their working relationships. “This whole concept of employees working from home or another preferred location has elim- inated a lot of considerations for mobility,” says Nurney. “I could see a scenario in the not-too-distant future where you could have a job opportunity or a job interview, and the employer doesn’t care where you are located.” It’s a trend with interesting implications. While a mobility program is still needed to move the employee to their desired loca- tion or support their experience in a remote setting, there are questions surrounding compensation and benefits. “Say you’re a San Francisco-based company and you’re hiring somebody who wants to live in Calgary,” notes Nurney. “Do you pay them like a Canadian or a San Francisco employee? There is a lot to consider around the whole concept of remote and virtual workers, and the phenomenon is only going to grow.” However the appetite for talent evolves, there will always be a need to get people to where they are needed and to help them succeed. In the war for talent, strong mobility programs and adaptive relocation packages are important allies. “Mobility has been a very effective tool in the talent development toolbox and critical for gaining a competitive edge in the hiring market,” insists Nurney. “As companies try everything they can to attract and retain the people they need, that will continue to be true.” However the appetite for talent evolves, there will always be a need to get people to where they are needed and to help them succeed Spring 2019 PERSPECTIVES 17