Members of WERC come from a diverse array of industries, backgrounds, and expertise levels. With their unique perspectives, they shape not only WERC, but the advancement of the talent management and global talent mobility profession.
In this member spotlight, we connected with Anthony Hughes, MBA, MS, CRP, GMS-T, senior strategic account executive at Rocket Mortgage, to hear about his career path, insights, and perspective on our “roller coaster” of an industry.
How did you get started in the global talent mobility space?
When I came to Rocket Mortgage eight years ago, I started on our real estate relationship development team that worked adjacent to our relocation sales team. During this time, I got to know all the folks on the relocation team and attended a few networking events with them. As with everyone else in mobility, I immediately fell in love with everyone at these events, so I decided to stay close to the team for any upcoming opportunity to join them.
What are some key milestones or achievements in your career?
First and foremost, finding Rocket Mortgage eight years ago was a big highlight for me, because the company and leaders have provided me with many opportunities for growth that I may not have found elsewhere. Coming to Rocket Mortgage, I already had my MBA, but during COVID-19, they rolled out a way for me to obtain my master’s in organizational leadership, completely free. I have also been able to achieve success regarding my Certified Relocation Professional (CRP®) and Global Mobility Specialist, Talent Management (GMS-T®) due to leadership’s financial support and flexibility regarding trainings and general studying.
What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities in this industry?
The entire industry has been on such a roller coaster over the past four years, and there doesn’t seem to be an end to this ride. Low inventory in many sectors, high interest rates, changing laws regarding real estate and other sectors—it seems that this is the time of change. I am hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel for our industry to return to some state of normalcy.
Are there any emerging trends or innovations in talent mobility that excite you or that you believe will shape the future of the industry?
It’s all still very new to me, but I am starting to get really excited about all the artificial intelligence (AI) innovations I’ve been seeing used and have started to use myself. I will say, in the beginning I was a bit of a skeptic, but one of my goals in 2024 was to start utilizing AI whenever I could to create efficiencies in my own workflow. Even something as simple as ChatGPT has been such a huge win in many cases for our team and me—it’s a little mind blowing.
Do you have any recommendations or advice for aspiring leaders in this industry?
Navigating this industry can be a little overwhelming in the beginning, so it is important to be vulnerable and find your people. Everyone in global mobility is so nice and supportive—it’s important to lean on them but also return the favor when you can. I’ve met so many amazing people in all parts of the country, and I can attribute some of the success that I have had in my role externally to them.