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The Year of Empowerment: The Path Forward for Talent Mobility in 2022

Published Date
Author Bill Graebel

As we embark on a new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the successes of the past year and look ahead to the opportunities of 2022. Last year, which we declared “The Year of the Mobile Employee,” was an incredibly rewarding one for Graebel – record-breaking in fact, despite the constant change and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. We helped our clients provide exceptional experiences for mobile employees and meet business goals, all while leveraging our more than 70 years of experience to continue expanding our business and strengthening the value of our brand.

We see 2022 shaping up as "The Year of Empowerment." We’re doubling down on our commitment to empowering our current and future clients, their mobile employees, supplier partners and Graebel employees. For us, that means being inclusive, anticipating the needs of our stakeholders and giving them what they need to be proactive and do their best work.  
 

2021 Highlights  

  • Business Success: 2021 was the most successful year in Graebel’s 71-year history, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth. We saw a 43 percent increase in volume from 2020 to 2021 and superseded pre-pandemic volume. We welcomed some of the largest brands in the world to our client portfolio and added 150 new positions to Team Graebel, which is a reflection of our commitment to recruiting top talent and investing in our people.
  • Elevating our Clients: Graebel helped guide our clients and mobility professionals around the world in building strategic mobility programs during another uncertain year. Our clients utilized Graebel Mobility PathBuilder® to define their global mobility strategy in challenging times, develop ways to measure the value of their program and create an actionable plan. Our consultants put mobile employees first as plans continued to shift and evolve. We also came together in person for insideMOBILITY® in Clearwater, Fla. and London, where we connected with HR and mobility professionals to provide them with tools, resources and professional development skills to enable their companies to meet and exceed the expectations of mobile employees.
  • Celebrating our Brand: We’re continuing to advance the value of our brand and ensure Graebel is recognized as the employer, supplier and customer of choice. As part of this effort, we launched the new Graebel.com, an interactive experience for online visitors. The new web experience has features like the immersive Exceptional Experience Journey Map, comprehensive talent mobility program health assessment, and the personalized Insights section, which help visitors learn about Graebel and enhance their knowledge of the latest and greatest trends in our industry.
     

Key Initiatives in 2022

  • Empower Mobility Professionals: We’re committed to enabling people navigating through our industry, including our clients, so they can elevate their programs in the next year and continue finding ways to provide exceptional experiences for mobile employees. There are a few new and enhanced offerings in the works for our clients:
    • Elevate Technology: We view technology as a tool to enhance our people-first mobility approach and give clients exactly what they need to further their mobility programs and support overall business objectives. Our technology is integrated into the core of who we are and how we serve our customers. To that end, we’re continuing to elevate our technology strategy by focusing on delivering exceptional user experiences and enabling operational excellence.
    • Championing DEI: Our diversity, equity and inclusion journey is rooted in and guided by our core values of truth, love and integrity. We’re excited to share with clients what we’re learning on our journey to ensure their mobility programs are inclusive, equitable and specific to the individual needs of mobile employees. Graebel has been helping companies inspire, implement and even lead DEI initiatives to empower a highly engaged workforce and drive bottom-line results. We leverage deep sources of data and business intelligence to uncover areas of opportunity, development and growth for businesses and their people. We will continue to meet people where they are on their DEI journey, helping to identify, implement and measure meaningful activities and initiatives that meet their needs today and open possibilities for tomorrow.
    • Strategic Planning Workshops: Graebel is conducting in-person and digital workshops with mobility professionals that provide the framework and insights for mobility leaders to evolve their programs and meet the needs of every mobile employee. These workshops involve a hands-on approach to exploring key moments in the relocation experience and highlighting opportunities to go above and beyond.
  • Empower Our People: Our employees have surpassed expectations despite the rollercoaster ride we’ve all been on for the past two years. In 2022, we plan to:
    • Return to Better: Instead of “returning to normal,” our goal is a “return to better.” Going back to “normal” isn’t enough. We’re listening to our employees and hearing what they need and want to create an even better work environment and improve work-life integration.
    • Build A Workforce Shaped by DEI: Graebel will always prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. A workforce shaped by DEI builds trust, fuels innovation, increases cultural resilience and maximizes human potential. New for all employees in 2022 is our DEI Learning Journey, which encourages exploration and critically examination of DEI concepts and practices in relation to self, role, Graebel and society. We’ll also continue growing the DEI Global Council, sending out our quarterly Power of Us DEI updates to all employees, utilizing the RevWorks app to empower managers and collaborating with our clients and supplier partners to ensure DEI is woven into all aspects of our business.
    • Show our Talent Love: As “The Great Retention” unfolds, we have the opportunity to showcase why we are an employer of choice by listening to our current and future employees’ needs to retain and recruit great individuals. Our leaders are committed to meeting the needs of every employee. In fact, over 100 Graebel leaders embarked on a six-month management training journey late in 2021 to learn how to better serve their direct reports. We’re also rolling out an initiative that positions trainers in every Graebel office or region to be available to support employees where they work. As a result of these efforts and more, even in one of the toughest job markets for employers, Graebel saw one of its lowest voluntary turnover rates, demonstrating the power and strength of our people-first culture.   
  • Empower Our Organization: We’re committed to strengthening every aspect of our company to better serve our clients.
    • Rigorous Data Security, Risk and Compliance: We’re continuously leveling up our data security and compliance practices to ensure we’re exceeding the needs of our clients and mobile employees in the new work environment. Our “return to better” for data security and compliance includes enhanced risk management, fostering trusted supply chains and prioritizing the role of every employee in our data security and compliance policies. You can read more about our Chief Information and Security Officer’s thoughts on data compliance and security in  Data Lockdown: How to Ensure Data Security and Privacy Amid Changing Work Dynamics.
    • Achieve ESG Goals: In 2021, Graebel signed The Climate Pledge and set a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, ten years ahead of the goal outlined in the Paris Agreement. This year, we’ll make progress toward our goal by measuring and understanding our emissions to establish a roadmap to reach our ultimate goal. You can read a full update on our CSR initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility at Graebel: Ambitious Climate Goals, Caring for Our Community and Fostering a Diverse Workforce.
       

Graebel strengthened five key muscles in the past 18 months while navigating world changes: agility, resilience, speed, transparency and sustainability. As a company, and as individuals, we have the opportunity to continue to build and flex these muscles in 2022. There is one certainty: the workplace and talent mobility will continue to change. Graebel will open a world of opportunity by guiding our clients through uncertainty and empowering them to deliver their best. Visit Graebel.com to start exploring the possibilities and opportunities to come. Here’s to the world ahead®

About the Author

Bill Graebel serves as the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Graebel Companies, Inc. Since joining the company in 1975, he has served in many roles, including General Manager; Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing; President of Graebel Movers and Graebel Movers International divisions and Chief Operating Officer. Under Mr. Graebel’s leadership, Graebel Companies, Inc., has experienced rapid and sustained growth, and the company now provides services in 165 countries. Thanks to his efforts, Graebel is an industry leader in global relocation management services, supporting clients worldwide in accordance with the company’s core values of Truth, Love and Integrity. His peers also recognize Mr. Graebel as a leader in the relocation industry. He frequently speaks and lectures at industry events worldwide and has served on the Board of Directors of Worldwide ERC®. Mr. Graebel earned a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Colorado College and has received the Distinguished Service Award and Senior Global Mobility Specialist designation from Worldwide ERC.

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