Survey reveals impact of Brexit on global mobility

Businesses in Europe area already making changes to global mobility budgets and beefing up staff training for fear that Brexit could hit international business hard and make hiring British workers more difficult.

A survey by Crown World Mobility, a business which helps corporations manage global talent, has painted an interesting picture of how companies across Europe, and not just in the UK, expect to be impacted by the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

The survey aimed to find out how other countries in Europe feel about Brexit too and what it will mean to those working outside of the UK.

It polled 2,505 business professionals in the Germany, Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands, and 1,013 in the UK, who work in companies which offer international assignments – the very people whose working lives could be most affected by Brexit.

Some of the key results included:

  • The biggest fear in Germany, with 45 per cent, was that it will be harder and more expensive to work in the UK. Germans also feared that it will affect exports (44 per cent) and make it harder to employ UK citizens (29 per cent)
  • In the Netherlands, the biggest fear was also that it will be harder and more expensive to work in the UK (41 per cent). The effect on exports (38 per cent) and imports (27 per cent) were next.
  • In Ireland, the number one fear was that it would be more expensive to work in the UK (41 per cent) followed by effects on exports and imports.

Perhaps because of those fears, businesses across the continent are already taking action:

  • In Germany, 25 per cent are changing their budget to cope with extra costs and 23 per cent are training local staff to avoid the need for employees from the UK.
  • In the Netherlands, 27 per cent are training local staff and 26 per cent are changing their budget to cope with extra costs.
  • In Ireland, 24 per cent are changing their budget to cope with extra costs and 24 per cent are training local staff to avoid the need for employees from the UK, while 31 per cent are not planning any changes due to Brexit.

 

Lisa Johnson, Global Practice Leader, Consulting Services at Crown World Mobility, is based in the United States, and believes the findings have global significance.

She said:

“Prior to Brexit, the UK and its EU partners thrived with the freedom of movement that allowed for a pipeline of talent to flow between them. Today, while some global companies are waiting it out with optimism or patience, many companies are not willing to wait and see for two years while Brexit terms are established.

“They are making contingency plans or simply moving on with new European talent and business strategies – and that means we all need to adjust to a new environment.

“Our survey findings show that participants in Europe assume that the most significant negative impact of Brexit will be that it will be harder or more expensive to send staff to work in the UK.

“What remains crystal clear, however, is that global mobility and a strong desire for international adventure have not been thwarted by some of the recent signs of isolationism around the globe, including the Brexit decision.

“Almost nine out of 10 respondents across all territories said that they would like to work in another country. Perhaps that is a figure which is just as significant to the future of global mobility.”

Please visit www.crownworldmobility.com for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rebecca Clarke

Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.