CERC & EuRA Research 2017
EuRA has collaborated with The Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC) on the Employee Mobility Survey 2017 in which employees across 20 countries assess employee mobility for a total global perspective - Dominic Tidey outlines the results
At our Warsaw Conference, Steve Cryne, President and CEO of the CERC outlined the results of this huge research project as part of the Leaders Summit session. The full session is on our YouTube channel and makes for fascinating viewing.
The 2017 Canadian Employee Relocation Council’s (CERC) Global Mobility Survey marks the third edition of the ground-breaking survey first conducted in 2011. The 2017 survey, conducted in partnership with Ipsos Global Public Affairs, reports on the attitudes of 10,091 working women and men in 20 countries towards international relocation for employment purposes. The Ipsos Global @dvisor poll was conducted between February 17th, 2017 and March 3rd, 2017.
Once again, this report provides a global perspective on the willingness of employees to move to another country for the purposes of employment. Given the growing skills shortages being experienced in many regions of the world, labour mobility is playing an increasingly important role in meeting those shortages.
Where possible the report has identified certain trends observed since the findings of the 2012 study. The 2017 survey included several new questions relating to immigration, social security and education that were not covered in the 2012 report.
Executive Summary
Almost two in ten (18%) of employees in 20 countries say they would be ‘very likely’ to take a full-time job in another country for up to two years with a 10% pay increase. By comparison, in 2012, one quarter (25%) of employees said they would be ‘very likely’ to take a full-time job in another country (a decline of 7%).
The poll of 10,096 employees in 24 countries is the third fielding of the employee relocation survey first conducted in August 2011, and repeated in October 2012.
But while nearly two in ten (18%) employees are ready to make the move, this proportion can as much as double when extra incentives are put in place, specifically, a guaranteed option to return to their current role after two years (36%; -9 points compared to 2012), or if their employer provides the necessary support to enable their spouse to get a job there too (36%; -5 points).
The 2017 survey also uncovered a growing reluctance among employees to move, with four in ten (40%) global employees agreeing ‘there is nothing my employer could do to convince me to take an international assignment’, an increase of five points versus 2012 (35%).
In 2017 Global employees were asked about their level of agreement with new statements pertaining to immigration, healthcare, education, social security, taxation, and the economy. Global employees are most likely to agree that they would only relocate to a country that has a high quality and accessible health care system (82% strongly/somewhat agree); is friendly to immigrants (77%) and has a good social security system (77%). Agreement is lower, but still strong, that they would only relocate to a country that has a high quality and accessible educational system (72%); an innovative economy (70%); and a low tax burden (64%).
Global employees from the Middle East and Africa specifically are more likely than employees from all other regions to agree (‘strongly/somewhat agree’) that they would only relocate to a country that has an innovative economy and a high quality and accessible educational system.
Nearly four in ten (37%) global employees ‘strongly agree’ that the country the foreign assignment sends them to is a major factor in their decision to relocate (or not), down five points from 2012 (42%). Compared to 2012, less say they want to relocate to the United States (30%; -4 points compared to 2012), though at three in ten it remains the top choice in terms of the country global employees most want to relocate to, followed by Canada (22%; +2 points and up from fourth position in 2012), the United Kingdom (19%; -3 points), Australia (19%; - 1 point), Germany (17%; +2 points), and Switzerland (16%; no change vs. 2012).
Global employees also report they would be most motivated to move abroad for the new job offer by the following incentives: a guaranteed option to return to their current role after two years, (36%; -9 points since 2012), airline tickets for family visits (35%; -8 points) and immigration assistance for their spouse or partner (35% down 7 points).
Geography Matters!
Nearly four in ten (37%) global employees ‘strongly agree’ that the destination country is a major factor in their decision to relocate (or not), down five points from 2012 (42%).
Compared to 2012, less say they want to relocate to the United States (30%; - 4 points compared to 2012), though at three in ten it remains the top choice in terms of the country global employees most want to relocate to, followed by Canada (22%; +2 points, and up from fourth position in 2012), the United Kingdom (19%; -3 points), Australia (19%; -1 point), Germany (17%; +2 points), and Switzerland (16%; no change vs. 2012).
Destination preferences appear to vary little across the globe with the United States consistently ranked as the preferred option across all regions of the world save for North America, among others.
On the aggregate level, North Americans would most prefer to move to Australia (33%; no change vs. 2012) or the United Kingdom (31%; +3 points). Europeans most prefer the United States (24%; -5 points), Germany (20%; +3 points), Switzerland (20%; no change vs. 2012), Australia (20%; no change vs. 2012), Spain (19%; +6 points); or Canada (19%; +1 point).
Those from Latin America would most prefer to go to the United States (35%; -7 points), Canada (32%; +7 points), or Spain (30%; +6 points).
Employees from the Middle East and Africa are still most likely to choose the United States, although significantly less so (36%; -7 points) compared to five years ago, followed by Australia (26%; +6 points), the United Kingdom (25%; -4 points), and Canada (24%; +5 points).
Lastly, those from Asia-Pacific are most likely to choose the United States (36%; -1 point), followed by Canada (23%; +2 points), and the United Kingdom (23%; -1 point).
Mobility & Policy
New questions were asked in the 2017 survey to gauge how important certain government policies are in the decision-making process for employees considering moving abroad.
Global employees were asked about their level of agreement with new statements in 2017 pertaining to immigration, healthcare, education, social security, taxation, and the economy.
Global employees are most likely to agree that they would only relocate to a country that has a high quality and accessible health care system (82%); is friendly to immigrants (77%); and has a good social security system (77%).
Agreement is lower, but still strong, that they would only relocate to a country that has a high quality and accessible educational system (72%); an innovative economy (70%); and a low tax burden (64%).
Global employees from the Middle East and Africa specifically are more likely than employees from all other regions to agree (‘strongly/somewhat agree’) that they would only relocate to a country that has an innovative economy and a high quality and accessible educational system.