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Every year, millions of people will have to go through the process of finding a new home and moving. Oftentimes, they are relocating for their job, with the vast majority moving during the summer months.

Summer is an ideal time for many employers to relocate employees because their kids are out of school, work schedules tend to be more flexible and weather conditions are favorable. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 33% of all annual inbound moves take place between June and August.

Resources are scarce during the summertime, especially in recent years with a shortage of drivers, limited shipping capacity and a flooded housing market. With an increased demand for services, moving and storage companies, as well as corporate housing providers, may be fully booked by the time employees are ready to move.

Speaking with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of your company about relocation can be a daunting task. However, he or she is often one of the most influential people in relocation decisions. It is imperative, as a talent acquisition manager, that you determine how to foster effective communication with the CFO on this topic.

First, it will be beneficial to understand the potential questions a CFO may have concerning relocation. As the individual responsible for all financial statements and accounting actions, he or she will be inclined to thoroughly analyze your expected relocation budget.

From searching for candidates to training new employees, the hiring process is extremely important to the success of a relocation. The interactions between your company and the new employee before they even step foot into your office can have a significant impact on whether or not they remain part of your team long term. Fortunately, there are things that your staff and Relocation Company can do to ensure each new transferee develops a positive connection to your company from the day they accept your offer.

Make the First Day a Smooth Transition

Let each individual who is relocating know the little nuances about your office before their first day. Mention things such as the details of the dress code, best directions to the office, and a rough schedule of their first day. Be specific and include the exact time you expect them to arrive in the office and if they should bring anything for onboarding such as certain documents for identification. It is also a fantastic idea to have a small gift waiting at the new hire’s work area or desk on the first day. At the very least, have it stocked with necessary supplies such as pens, sticky notes, note pads, etc.

Attempt to give a brief introduction by email or quick announcement before the employee arrives. It will deter any awkward interactions with coworkers and make them immediately feel like an important part of the office culture. Also, personally introduce them to as many people as possible and provide them with a complete tour of the office.

As an alternative to a policy-driven approach, companies are utilizing lump sum relocation assistance programs for some, or all, of their relocating employees.  While evaluating whether this type of program makes sense for any organization, it is important to consider all the attributable factors that may impact the organization and its employees. Visit: https://www.relocationcoordinates.com/lump-sum-for-organization/

Lump sum programs are designed to:

Provide employees with a single payment at the start of the relocation to cover expenses

Empower employees to use the funds to best suit their relocation needs and circumstances

Companies that want to stay ahead of the competition and attract the best available and highest qualified employees will offer an expertly designed global relocation program. A program that adheres to an industry’s best practices while also staying up to date on constantly changing tax and legal requirements is time consuming and requires expert knowledge, which is why HR departments outsource the process to a relocation management company (RMC).

We are pleased to announce the launch of Relocation Coordinates International’s (“RCI”) newly designed website – www.RelocationCoordinates.com. Our new uncluttered design creates a user-friendly browsing experience which has our clients and their employees in mind.

The site is interactive and previews all of RCI’s service offerings and global mobility benefits with streamlined access to our online portal and key features such as: Why RCI: Our Difference, RCI People & Culture, Locations, Domestic Services, International Services, Corporate Services, Knowledge Center, Contact Us and our state-of-the-art Technology.

Among the updated components, the site has simplified navigation with drop down menus for both mobile and desktop versions and contains integrated social media buttons to foster improved communication.

Mobility professionals continue to express that a positive employee experience is ranked #1 in importance to the overall success of a relocation. Most corporate executives agree with this belief system. They recognize that a global mobility program should be designed to attract and retain top talent and develop future leaders.

A seamless employee relocation from origin to destination and assimilation into the workplace has a direct impact on the employee’s engagement, performance, and retention and, ultimately a happy employee. Approaching relocation in a proactive and personalized way versus reactive and a one-size-fits all model makes the new employee feel special and important. An all-around positive experience will also eliminate the need to find and train a replacement which can cost more than twice that employee’s salary.

Every organization differs in terms of culture, benefit packages, budget and deployment types, strategies will vary. To evaluate the experience of your relocating employees, it is important to consider the following steps:

Listen to employees as they transition and encourage them to share opinions openly

Analyze employee experiences by reviewing survey results and any documented service issues. If you work with a relocation management company they can help build a survey

Focus on the segments of the relocation that tend to be most challenging and stressful. This may include dual income family, moving to a high cost area, long sale cycle for home at origin

A relocation program that provides a lump sum payment to an employee, without additional support, can leave your employee feeling disheartened as they embark on creating their relocation strategy and identifying service providers to help them.

An unmanaged lump sum program usually means the employee is expected to plan and manage their own relocation.  This task can be daunting, especially if the employee has never relocated before or is unfamiliar with the destination location. The employee will be at a disadvantage on how to budget for the relocation as they are likely unaware of the true costs such as household goods transportation and temporary housing.

Lump Sum policies are easy to administer and offer flexibility to employees. While it may not be necessary to engage a relocation management company (RMC) to issue the payments to employees, including the RMC will definitely result in an optimum employee experience.

Creating a value-add lump sum program provides the employee with the same level of support, counseling, and advocacy afforded to employees covered by a full service relocation policy at a fraction of the cost.  This arrangement will provide the employee access to service providers with leverage discounts and an affinity program for real estate transactions.

The experience of applying resilience in the workplace has made us more open to change, and proven to ourselves that we can adapt, succeed, and maybe even come out better on the other side.

It’s been well over a year since workplaces have had to adapt to the massive changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. One after the other, new challenges and considerations seemed to have arisen around every corner: furloughs and job transition programs, health and safety in the workplace, mental health supports, and the longer-term impacts of remote work on productivity and connectivity. Even now, with the vaccine rollout in full swing and a return to mostly-normal mere months away, the unknowns are not yet defined and likely not even fully understood.

Looking back to last March, HR professionals were worried about the risk of such sudden and dramatic change. Yet today’s workplace conversations seem to center around the risk of not changing – or more accurately, of not being flexible enough in supporting employees to work in alternative ways.