By Andrew J Kittell, Director of Corporate Relations, ACS North American Office As spring approaches, the ACS North American Office’s stateside outreach continues apace with a full schedule of Global Mobility conferences and other events. Highlights of and key takeaways from recent meetings follow...
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A first-ever forum for ACS, San Francisco’s Bay Area Mobility Management (BAMM) Conference introduced one of America’s largest regional mobility and talent management associations.
With sold out attendance topping 400 likeminded professionals from Silicon Valley and beyond, BAMM’s subject matter experts shared best practice for retaining, developing, and deploying hard-to-find and harder-to-keep professionals working in the fast-paced and sometimes fickle tech sector.
The key retention/mobility element for employees in this sector is in an effective relocation policy that’s customized and flexible. The majority of tech sector employees are either Generation X (aged 35-52) or Y (aged 17-35), also known as Millennials. The more-senior group place family first and are reluctant to relocate without serious consideration being given to their children’s needs. ACS International Schools meet these needs for whole-family support and high value K-12 education.
The Forum for Expatriate Management’s (FEM) Houston Global Mobility Conference quickly followed BAMM.
FEM’s day of expert-led education sessions definitely delivered different messages, ones pitched to an industry still managing through a significant downturn and focused keenly on cost containment.
While the traditionally rich expat packages the energy sector’s supported have been “dialed back” in recent years, children’s education still remains a top priority for relocating families. Companies understand this cost of doing business across borders with industry-leading and household names such as BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Halliburton supporting K-12 international school fees.
Energy companies are still competing for the best talent, making sure total compensation remains attractive, keeping school funding in the mix. But assignment criteria have become more stringent and fewer families are being relocated. When equilibrium returns to energy markets, this dynamic will likely change and relocation activity will pick up.
Since 1967, the ACS International Schools group has partnered with the oil and gas sector, witnessing several price-driven cycles and throughout this time span supporting families linked to the energy-developing business.
In the coming weeks, ACS representatives will twice return to Houston and join the greater Global Mobility industry in Denver. Please look for ACS attending and/or exhibiting at these springtime events:
National Foreign Trade Council IHR Forum in Houston (March 22nd – 23rd)
British-American Foundation of Texas Awards Ceremony in Houston (April 24th)
Forum for Expatriate Management Americas Summit in Denver (May 3rd – 4th)