Creative connections: aspects to consider for the 2025 Awards

This year’s Think Global People/Relocate Awards have the theme of creative connections at its heart. But what does creativity look like for those in global mobility, leadership and education when entering this year’s Awards? Dr Sue Shortland provides some ideas to guide entrants.

Sue Shortland

20 January 2025

Creativity is headlining the news currently as the Government places emphasis on the creative industries as part of its strategy to bring economic growth to the forefront. It is certainly true that creative solutions can bring forward new products/services, new ways of working and a positive effect on the bottom line. Creativity often stems from diverse viewpoints and that’s where your connections come in.In terms of what this might look like for those entering the 2025 Think Global People/Relocate Awards, we give some examples for each of the Awards categories. Of course, these are just ideas to spark your own creativity and are by no means definitive.Excellence in global mobility/global policy design/implementation: you might tell us about creative links between global mobility teams, talent management, HR, and/or service providers. You could report on ideas implemented in policy design, including flexibility in benefits provision and/or the introduction of policy guidelines. How do the links between various aspects of the moving process (visa issuance, removals, tax) come together to provide a smooth and effective relocation?Destination services provider of the year – local/global: you might report on connections with other services such as links with education providers and how these have made a difference to families on the move. How about links between temporary accommodation providers and rental management to show how the moving process between the two can be made more efficient and effective for families? Best serviced apartment provider – local/global: you might tell us about initiatives to connect assignees and their families into local communities. How about your efforts to become more environmentally conscious and the links you have built with others to improve your ESG credentials? What about connections needed to operate in challenging locations?Excellence in technology or analytics: you might say how you have used artificial intelligence, building this into technology solutions. We’d love to know about your connections that enable technology to operate effectively across a range of inter-linked global mobility services.Excellence in talent management: you might say how the connections made between the various parties involved in deploying and up-skilling people have improved the talent attraction/retention process. How are you making stronger links between line management, HR, talent management and global mobility to improve the deployment of people? Tell us about your approach to equity, diversity and inclusion.Excellence in education – schools/education consultancy: you might report on the links made between education and all those involved in the community. How, for example, are you involving parents in the school? What are the links between schools, specialist providers such as those assisting with special needs, and personal tutors? We’d love to hear about your creative approach to improving the transition of families into their new environment.Excellence in family support: you might report on creative efforts to assist and support dual career couples. How have you used your networks creatively to help families to settle in cross-culturally and what difference has this made to the relocation process? Tell us how you used your connections to provide mentoring and/or coaching to improve talent deployment within global mobility.Best research contribution or book: you might report on using your connections to raise the impact of your research/publications. If you are an academic, how have you taken steps to gain a wider practitioner audience? If you are a practitioner how does your research gain wider reading amongst academics? We’d love to hear how your connections have provided input to your research and/or how these have helped to raise its impact.Excellence in ESG – environmental, social and governance: you might tell us about actions taken to improve your environmental credentials, community endeavours and leadership actions to demonstrate how the connections between these lead to a well-rounded ESG strategy. How does your leadership walk the talk? Tell us how your governance processes embrace ESG and how your internal and external connections lead to creative ESG outcomes.

Watch out for more Awards entry tips and interviews with our winners coming soon.

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