b'CERC 2020 CONFERENCEIf 2020 has taught organizations anything,time trying to establish some formalitiesOne of the biggest challenges is there stressed Termuende, its that even theand policies to make sure were being fairis no playbook for any of this, noted best-laid plans arent likely to be applic- and equitable. Stephen Cryne, CERC president and able in the strange world we live in today.CEO, and moderator for the events Building tomorrows teams requires aAddressing cross-border issues meansGlobal Mobility in a Post-COVID World willingness to leave regular plans behind,managing the associated compliancepanel discussion. The house was tweak long-held strategies, and take incre- and tax risks that come up with specialon fire as we were trying to figure mental steps to innovation changes. Thecircumstances and requests put forth byout how to put it out. That said, I do future isnt something that happens to us,global employee populations. To thatbelieve that through collaboration and he said, its something we create.end, Elizabeth Navia, senior manager ofcooperation from our members and global mobility with Manulife Financial,service partners, weve been able to get Termuende blended career insights andsaid mobility and immigration specialiststhrough things fairly well. Weve all anecdotes from a European adventure tohave a role to play in bringing aware- risen to the occasion in different ways.explore how organizations can adapt toness to the issues at the executive table. the post-pandemic world through whatIts important to continue educatingCryne was joined by panelists Lynn he calls the One Degree Shift approach.our leadership and other stakeholdersShotwell, president and CEO of [Its] about making the smallest viableon immigration. Some discussions andWorldwide ERC; Tad Zurlinden, CEO change over and over that allows us tomessages may be difficult to deliver butof the European Relocation Associa-build a better tomorrow, he explained.they need to be had, and they need totion (EuRA); and Dom Tidey, EuRA Its about envisioning what success isopen, honest and informative. COO. Each shared how their indi-going to look like and experimenting andvidual organizations have fared over evaluating success along the way. the past six months, as well as their There is no prescription for the futurepredictions for the days ahead. They of work, and neither is there a winningprovided diverse perspectives on how recipe for creating a great place to workmobility specialists will play an elevated moving forward. Nevertheless, saidrole in managing virtual workforces, Termuende, If we can continue toreshaping travel and immigration poli-innovate, create and make these one- cies, and fine-tuning relocation support degree shifts with our team over and over,programs. Weve all been thrust into day by day, then the future of work is notthese new challenges that call for new something that will just happen to us, itguidance in terms of mobility policies, will be something we create. communication, and team-building, and thats an exciting new area for our RE-WRITING RULESmembers, said Shotwell.Agility and adaptation were prominentWorth noting, added Shotwell, is that themes throughout the balance of thethe pandemic has spurred an entirely conference. They informed online panelnew approach to work. We have three discussions on talent displacement,values that were pushing with our diversity and inclusion in the new hybridteam moving forward. One is that were workforce, as well as roundtables onall in. Regardless of whats in your job emerging tax and compliance challengesdescription, if we have something that and duty of care considerations in thehas to be done, were going to jump new normal.in and help each other accomplish it The demand for adaption also dominatedbecause we all have to push towards the a discussion on how to move and supportsame goals. The second is that we have employees in an era of restrictive bordersto over-communicate in our environ-and changing rules. Entitled The Changingment, and the third is that we have to Immigration Landscape in a Post-COVID World,hold each other accountable, she said.the session highlighted several developingGlobal Thought Leader and CERC Conference trends in immigration, such as the emer- Keynote Speaker Eric Termuende It was agreed that trends towards gence of protectionist policies, the rise ofprotectionism, tighter borders, and trouble bubbles and jurisdictional alli- reduced assignment strategies will make ances, remote work opportunities, and theROAD AHEAD the future of mobility more challenging increasing demand for talent in specializedWhile the challenges of 2020 were keyfor industry professionals. Nevertheless, fields such as health care.discussion points during the CERCthese challenges will make the industry conference, the underlying questionstronger. As to whether the mobility As for navigating immigration issues inwas undoubtedly What comes next?industry has a normal to return to, the new reality of today, Mirela Marin,Evolving circumstances and geopoliticalZurlinden echoed his colleagues in human resources and global mobilityshifts (e.g., COVID, the U.S. election,saying, I dont think well ever go back leader with Zynga, spoke for manyBrexit) make it near impossible to predictto the way it was. The industry will when she said, I dont think anyone hasthe future of mobility with any certainty.change, but it will come out better and everything figured out. For us, its aboutHowever, conference panelists had muchstronger. And when everyone finally evaluating each employees circumstanceto say about how the industry mightdoes get through this together, there on a case-by-case basis, while at the sameevolve in the months and years ahead. will be something to celebrate.Winter 2020PERSPECTIVES11'