Written by a Global Mobility lead in the technology sector
Introduction
The concept of sustainable, global careers, as envisioned in the RES Forum’s Vision 2030 framework, proposes a world where organisations prioritise employee well-being, career development, and long-term satisfaction as core tenets of talent management. This approach reflects a progressive evolution from traditional employer-employee relationships toward more holistic workforce strategies. However, while the notion of sustainability in careers is admirable, several challenges and contradictions make its widespread implementation more complex than it appears.
When overlayed with the Trump presidency and the rise of far right ideals entering the global business arena this vision feels particularly fragile.
Mental Health support: a noble priority or a superficial effort?
One of the cornerstones of this vision is an enhanced focus on mental health support for employees. Organisations are expected to embed mental health resources into their operations, offering counselling, stress management tools, and flexible working arrangements. While this signals a welcome departure from historically rigid work cultures, it raises the question: how deep is the commitment?
Many companies already include mental health initiatives as part of their corporate narratives, but these often remain underfunded or tokenistic. True investment in mental health requires significant resources and a shift in workplace culture, something that is neither easy nor cheap. Furthermore, the global nature of work adds layers of complexity. For instance, mental health stigma persists in many cultures, making it challenging to implement universally effective programmes. Without addressing these cultural nuances, organisations risk creating systems that appear progressive on paper but fail to deliver meaningful impact. As we see the American President and the growing ‘Broligarchy’ roll back DEI programmes, there is a distinct risk that mental health and the surrounding support that underpins this vision is not only not enhanced, but scaled back or removed altogether.
Career integration: balancing flexibility and structure
The vision also highlights the importance of integrating personal fulfilment with professional development. This aligns with the evolving expectations of younger generations, who increasingly value purpose-driven work over mere financial gain. However, the practicality of enabling such balance on a global scale is questionable.
In reality, industries differ vastly in their ability to offer sustainable career paths. While knowledge-based sectors (e.g., tech or finance) might have the resources and flexibility to support personalised career development, industries like manufacturing, logistics, or healthcare face operational constraints that make such integration difficult. For blue-collar workers, achieving work-life harmony may remain a distant ideal rather than an accessible reality.
Moreover, global career development introduces logistical and bureaucratic challenges. Cross-border relocations, visa complexities, and tax compliance issues all complicate the process of crafting seamless career pathways. Organisations aiming to support sustainable careers must prepare to invest heavily in infrastructure and expertise to manage these barriers effectively.
Sustainability practices: a double-edged sword
The idea of embedding sustainability into careers is compelling, especially in an era of heightened environmental and social consciousness. Employees increasingly expect companies to align their business goals with broader societal and environmental objectives. However, the emphasis on sustainability introduces potential conflicts.
For instance, balancing business objectives with employee well-being may sometimes require trade-offs that are difficult to reconcile. If prioritising mental health and work-life balance leads to reduced productivity or higher operational costs, will organisations maintain their commitment, or will profit ultimately prevail? The long-term sustainability of these initiatives depends on companies’ willingness to redefine success beyond short-term financial metrics - a shift many may be reluctant to embrace, especially in the age of the Broligarchgy, as mentioned above.
Furthermore, sustainability is inherently tied to environmental practices, yet global mobility can often clash with these goals. Frequent relocations, international assignments, and even remote work arrangements with heavy reliance on digital tools, can contribute to carbon footprints. Aligning global career practices with environmental sustainability remains a significant and unresolved challenge.
Employee happiness and productivity: a fragile balance
One of the boldest claims of this scenario is the idea that happiness and productivity can coexist harmoniously in the workplace. While research suggests that satisfied employees are more engaged and productive, achieving this balance is far from straightforward. Happiness is subjective and culturally influenced, making it difficult for multinational organisations to implement universal strategies.
Additionally, the emphasis on long-term employee satisfaction raises questions about performance management. Will organisations tolerate dips in productivity to accommodate personal growth or well-being? If so, how will they measure success? Without clear metrics, the line between genuine support and inefficiency could blur, leading to resentment from both employees and stakeholders.
A lofty ideal with grounded challenges
The rise of sustainable, global careers represents an inspiring vision for the future of work. Its emphasis on mental health, career integration, and employee well-being reflects a much-needed departure from traditional practices that often prioritised profit over people. However, achieving this vision requires overcoming significant cultural, logistical, and financial hurdles in an increasingly challenging age, dominated by far right tendencies and a likely scale-back of employee rights and welfare.
To be successful, organisations must address these complexities with a clear-eyed understanding of the trade-offs involved. The risk of implementing superficial or fragmented programmes is high, and the effort required to create truly sustainable careers may deter less committed companies. For many, this vision may remain aspirational rather than achievable, especially in regions or industries with limited resources.
Ultimately, the success of this paradigm shift hinges on collective action - organisations, governments, and employees working together to redefine what it means to build a fulfilling and sustainable career. Without this cooperation, the rise of sustainable, global careers could fall short of its transformative promise. This vision, if even remotely achievable will likely only be possible in Europe, due to generally more liberal employees and governments. It will likely require one or two truly visionary companies to achieve this ideal, yet it is unlikely this will ever be available to the majority of people around the world.
RES Forum research
This piece was written for the RES Forum research paper Vision 2030 – the future of talent mobility. Set for release in January 2025, the paper looks ahead to the world of international and cross-border work in 2030. As well as a comprehensive industry-led piece of research, the paper also explores three potential visions of life and work in half a decade’s time. These scenarios were created following numerous conversations and represent our best estimate of what it might be like to live and work in 2030. In response to these visions, we gathered a selection of perspectives from across the RES Forum community. This is one of a selection of pieces to be released alongside the research paper.