RWE is growing fast and we’re working on many projects in many different countries. Sometimes this requires specialist knowledge or leadership expertise that is not available locally. In such cases, we take advantage of our position as an international company and place the available knowledge and experience exactly where it is needed. We are starting a series on Global Mobility that shows what the Group-wide hub is for, how colleagues work and how it supports our global growth strategy.

Eric, Head of the RWE Global Mobility Hub, starts us off.

Eric, please explain to us what the RWE Global Mobility Hub actually is? 

How does the Global Mobility Hub work? 

Eric: Our HR colleagues from all RWE companies and countries come to us if there is any kind of upcoming assignment abroad. This can be very early, rather general considerations and thoughts, or already a firmly defined assignment with a clear who, what, when, where and where to. Working with HR and the department, we analyse the plans, agree on the solutions and then spring into action when it comes to managing the transition to the respective new country and supporting the employee.

Only when we have analysed the circumstances of the foreign assignment does it make sense to talk to the employee about the individual conditions. In concrete terms, this means that we help our colleagues with all the things they need to start their foreign assignment and, of course, we also support them during their stay abroad. This involves a whole host of things and includes everything from tax issues to finding accommodation.  

The type of assignment is often very different and determines the requirements we have to take into account. As a result, our assignments are always very individual and broad, and are strongly geared towards the person, the country, the duration of the assignment and the project or role.  

Can you give us a few examples? 

Eric: Of course. Once we have identified the requirements for the assignment and found the right person, we can foresee the setup of the assignment the scope of our tasks. For example, if a colleague is going from Germany to another European country for six months, they will need a place to live, tax advice and health insurance. And, on top of that, other issues need to be clarified, documents need to be filled out and submitted, and many country-specific regulations need to be taken into account. In addition, the ability to work on site must be set up - if possible in one of our offices, if we already have one there.

If someone is sent as an expatriate for a longer-term assignment, there are additional factors that we need to consider. If the family goes along, there are also questions about school or kindergarten, means of transport on site, possibly additional medical cover, accommodation suitable for the family and support during the so-called "settling-in" period. And last but by no means least, there is the additional question of whether we need to get a removals company on board. These examples illustrate the range of our tasks and also how complex our work is - although this list is only a small section of everything we’re responsible for. 

That sounds like a lot of organisation for the colleagues who accept a foreign assignment. What is your role in this?

Eric: The Global Mobility Hub team steers participants through the issues in this process, supports them in these procedures and we’re by our colleagues' side right from the start. An assignment abroad is very exciting and enriching and can contribute significantly to individual development. But it is also a challenge, especially during the preparation and the first three months.

Our job here is to ensure that the assignment is a success and that it is a good experience despite all the challenges. Nevertheless, moving one's entire life to another country and culture for a certain period of time is fundamentally different and more challenging than a short trip to the same country.

In addition to managing the process and providing individual support to our colleagues, we are of course also involved in keeping everything compliant with local requirements and RWE guidelines. 

Why was the RWE Global Mobility Hub set up as a group-wide unit? 

Eric: Even though every international assignment is always somewhat special and different, the requirements for processes, regulations and infrastructure are always equally complex. The bundling as a group-wide hub enables us to optimally use our resources and necessary technical expertise, while at the same time creating central guidelines and regulations, setting and maintaining group-wide standards and maintaining a suitable infrastructure. We use bundled expertise and economies of scale.

With the efficiency of our powerful team of experts, their end-to-end responsibility and competent support of departments and employees, we can play our part in achieving the growth targets resulting from our Growing Green strategy. In addition, by managing assignments abroad, the Global Mobility Hub helps our employees to advance their careers within the company.

We have a great team in the RWE Global Mobility Hub with colleagues from different OpCos, different countries and with diverse expertise and experience - so we are perfectly placed to tackle all challenges!