This article is taken from chapter 2 of the K2 Bespoke guide to Successful business-critical (VIP) assignments.
Premium services and upgrades are nothing new. They are routinely used across a myriad of sectors, products and services. They offer additional, tailored levels of support or access based on unique requirements. But what does this mean for global mobility? There are multiple circumstances when a business-critical or VIP classification may be appropriate for an assignment. An employee’s role, their leverage, their seniority and their skillset may all play a part in classifying them as an eligible candidate.
Types of VIP:
Members of the board and executive team. A very senior-level employee with critical responsibilities, valuable experience and significant leverage.
Business owners and founders. Individuals who are highly accountable and who have significant organisational influence. The critical nature of their position creates additional requirements/considerations when it comes to relocation and demands increased attention to detail.
Sector specific. The parameters of the term ‘VIP’ vary according to industry sector or the legal structure of a business. For example, legal and accounting firms have senior partners who would meet the VIP criteria; senior partners in other sectors would not.
Extraordinary leaders and performers. Employees with critical or highly-prized skillsets who are high-profile and highly influential.
Levels of support:
‘One-of-a-kind’ business- critical assignments – Bespoke planning, including a confidential and senior-level budget approval process, is required. These moves require experienced experts to deliver the service needs of the assignment. An extraordinary level of detailed planning is crucial to success.
Regular business-critical assignments – Typically found in hierarchical businesses or large global corporates. For example, partner-based structures in which numerous individuals hold prominent and senior-level positions. The delivery is not as much about the range of services, but rather the specialised method of delivering them – senior-level service support is often required.
Benefits:
Business benefits – A successful business-critical relocation will minimise both distractions and loss of employee productivity. As a result, your organisation will be better positioned to manage risk and enhance return in key areas such as profitability, internal and external reputation, shareholder value, employee productivity and motivation, and competitive market position.
Assignee benefits – A new location offers a new perspective. The assignee will gain valuable insight into a different region and market. They will have the opportunity to grow their skillset, experience and credibility, potentially realising career and/or lifestyle aspirations along the way.
HR department benefits – A successful business-critical assignment will raise the profile of the HR/global mobility function within your organisation. Furthermore, high-level employees reporting a positive relocation experience can lead to greater prioritisation of HR concerns at board level.
Every assignment is unique and brings with it its own set of circumstances and cultural aspects that must be considered on a case-by-case basis. In addition to the technicalities of moving a business- critical employee and their family from one country to another, human and emotional elements must be taken into consideration at every stage of the process.
The decision to relocate a business-critical individual is both high gain and high risk. Therefore, evaluating, managing and dissolving any and all barriers to success is of the utmost importance.
If you would like to discover more you can unlock the complete guide to Successful business-critical (VIP) assignments today.
Whether you wish to build a business-critical programme from scratch, or simply evolve/extend an existing programme, our experienced specialists are here to help, speak to a member of the K2 Bespoke team today.
