The State of Global Mobility Programs in 2026: What 500 HR Leaders Told Us

Hiring across borders has become part of day-to-day workforce planning for many organizations. As global mobility programs expand, HR teams are managing more countries, more providers, and more complexity than ever before.

To better understand how organizations are managing international hiring today, Boundless surveyed 500 HR decision makers across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The results found that many organizations have expanded their global hiring programs, but the systems and processes supporting those programs have become increasingly difficult to manage.

Download the full report here.

Four findings from the research

1. Multi-provider models are common

More than half (54%) of organizations rely on multiple providers to manage their global mobility programs.

For many employers, that approach develops naturally over time. Different countries require different legal expertise, relocation needs vary by region, and organizations often add providers as their programs grow.

As organizations expand international hiring, HR teams often spend more time managing updates across vendors, reconciling different timelines, and piecing together information from multiple systems.

2. International hiring takes time

Across all respondents, the average time to get an international hire started was 46.9 days.

Average time-to-start ranged from 44 days in the Netherlands to 53 days in Germany, with the United States and United Kingdom falling in between.

While hiring timelines vary by market, the broader picture shows international hiring remains a lengthy process for many organizations, making predictability and efficient coordination increasingly important.

3. Organizations want better visibility

One theme that appeared throughout the survey was visibility.

Many HR teams report challenges keeping track of case progress, identifying potential delays, and bringing together information from multiple providers and systems.

As a result, organizations are starting to look for technology that connects immigration activity with broader HR operations and gives teams a clearer view of their mobility programs.

4. Investment priorities are shifting

The survey also provides a glimpse into where mobility programs are headed.

Forty-five percent of organizations say AI and automation technology is a top investment priority for 2026, making it the most frequently selected area for future investment.

Other leading priorities include data and reporting, employee experience, and compliance infrastructure, suggesting that organizations are focused on making mobility programs more predictable, efficient, and easier to manage.

Why this matters

One of the clearest takeaways from the research is that global mobility is no longer a niche function reserved for the largest multinational companies.

Many respondents work in mid-sized organizations where HR teams manage international hiring alongside recruiting, employee experience, compliance, and broader people operations.

As global hiring grows, organizations are looking for ways to simplify coordination, improve visibility, and make mobility programs easier to manage.

Download the full report

Our inaugural State of Global Mobility Programs report explores these findings in greater detail, including:

• How global mobility programs are structured today
• The most common operational challenges HR teams face
• Differences across the US, UK, Germany, and the Netherlands
• Where organizations plan to invest in 2026
• Practical recommendations for building more effective mobility programs

Download the full report to explore all of the findings.

‍