the world becoming more interconnected, gone are the days when companies stay within the borders, hiring local talent. As the number increases in establishing international offices and representatives, relocating employees is also rising. 

Establishing a clientele in one’s own country has become the norm of the past. Even small and medium-sized businesses are engaging in trading overseas, thus the need to hire international staff. While employing overseas staff, there is the necessity to relocate employees to various branches of the enterprise.

Relocating employees to places is quite a process. It is not only about shifting an employee to a new place; several necessary steps are involved. As an employer, you must remember that it needs to be as stressless as possible for your employees.

If you are one of the companies that need to relocate employees or employees to a new place, this blog can be helpful for you. WHR Global, specializing in employee relocation, has shared five essential tips for how to transfer job locations for both the employer and employees. 

5 Tips For Relocating Employees

Relocating employees is a daunting experience for the employee and employers. While the employee can be excited about going and settling down in a new place or heavy-hearted about leaving the family and moving, the employer has much more responsibility when moving an employee to a new office in a new city, state, or country.

There are five critical factors, according to WHR Global, whose team combines 100 years of leadership experience in corporate and government employee relocations (domestic and international).

1. Time Needed

Moving to a new place is time-consuming, with all the planning and preparations. It becomes more so when an employee needs to be relocated to a new country. In addition, there are logistics like visas, shipping, customs fees and clearances, and transportation.

 Also, apart from these logistics, there are legal angles to consider. For example, if your employee needs a work permit, you must prove that your company has an office in the place of destination. Going through all these and the associated paperwork can be challenging and time-consuming as an employer. Also, as an employer, you must consider providing your employee with an appropriate relocation package, which brings up tax ramifications. 

While employers deal with all these, the experience is daunting for the employee, who must run back and forth to get various factors to relocation sorted.

Hence, it is advisable to start the process early so you have time to complete all those or hire a professional who will take care of it all. A relocation management company, WHR Global, will help navigate the logistics and keep all parties organized.

2. Adjusting Time

Moving to a new place from the old one is tough, and it gets more challenging when the culture, food, and language change. For instance, moving your employee from the US to the UK is comparatively easy on the person. But if you move someone from India to China, the challenges begin once the employee reaches the place.

So, as your employee needs the time to adjust to the significant culture, language, and food, productivity will suffer. You should then train your employees on what to expect and encourage them to learn about the new place. A professional relocation team can advise you on ways to move forward with the moving and policies that must be taken care of.

3. Taxes

Moving the employee to another country means changes in taxation policies, not only for your employee but also for your home company and the site of your business in the destination. Company tax is confusing to a layperson, and it is also something that you, as an employer, cannot take lightly. 

It is time you speak to a company tax lawyer of your home country and the employee’s destination to see how it will affect both of you. Then, understand and work towards ways to benefit your company and employees.

4. Cost of Living – COLA

Adjusting your employee’s income as per the new country’s cost of living is essential to living everyday life in the destination country. While online resources are there, you can find out the cost of living for a specific destination to compensate them fairly.

Costs are generally higher for expats as they seek to find the same goods and services in their home country, but they are undoubtedly priced higher in a “foreign” location.  Over time, expats learn how to replace home country products with similar or similar host country goods and services. A further breakdown of COLA can be found in our recent blog.

A professional company working in the field of relocation and in the destination where your employee is going is better suited to provide you with the expenditure the employee is looking into.

5. Hire A Professional

When you transfer your employees to a new destination, you want to uphold the industry’s best practices, give them the right relocation package, and prepare them well for the new place. An international employee relocation company like WHR does all these and much more.

Companies like WHR maintain benchmark studies and analyses to help the employee and employer better. They use technologies that allow them to assist you online and give you an estimated cost and time needed for all the proceedings so you will not be late with the relocation or dig a hole in the company funds. Finally, you will also get the final report about the move to your portal, customized per your needs.

As you prepare your employee for the relocation, you should simultaneously contact an expert relocation organization like WHR Global to take care of all the necessities. A professional company that helps move employees to another location provides the best relocation experience for the employee and the employer because they have experience in the field. They are also professionals in the business, so they know how to navigate and save time and money for the employer, thus making it an affordable and cost-effective option. Also, if you want consistency in relocating employees, WHR Global can do that in domestic and international spaces. Essential questions, such as how to transfer job locations, have never been easier to answer.

Today, the Covid-19 pandemic has tremendously impacted everyone’s life. Mainly it has brought personal and professional challenges for most of us, and it is a real hardship for too many families. The pandemic has brought unanticipated consequences and has changed our working culture incredibly. Temporarily, the remote workforce increased from 15 percent to 100 percent. During the initial months of the pandemic, most of the companies postponed employee relocations. Everyone’s work routines are centralized with the use of technology. Video conferences have become a new conference room, and there is no need to travel for business.

What will 2021 bring for companies to relocate employees?

• The start of 2021 has been a struggle, and the rollout of the Covid vaccines promises to bring back a sense of normalcy in the future. As the pandemic recedes, the US is coming back to its position step by step. Companies are planning to make their employees come back to work in the office from working remotely.

• Some companies have announced their employees will stay at home and work remotely on a permanent basis.

• With the increased number of remotely working employees, business travel bounces back more rapidly than expected.

• Companies that allow 100 percent remote work will need to track their employees from both duties of care and a tax compliance perspective. While working remotely, some employees had taken the opportunity to move without informing their employer. This could be a headache for employers.

• While the unemployment rate is much higher than a year ago, the competition to hire professional talent is continuously increasing.

• Every day many employees are leaving their workforce for their career growth. At the same time, some who are near retirement have opted to retire early. In many companies, there is a shortage of skilled workers.

• Also to be noted, companies have faced many financial crises during the pandemic. Looking for a changing environment

As of July 2021, companies in the US are planning to come back to normal condition with all the appropriate safety measures, many of them by this fall. Companies are contemplating how workplaces will look post-covid. Therefore, to stay competitive in the business, every company is looking to avoid unnecessary costs to expand their business. Many employees have moved for a better opportunity, and there is a talent shortage in many companies. In order to help the companies, employee relocation services are emerging more than ever.

Employee relocation services have become the essential talent management tools for companies to ensure they possess the right talent in the right location. If one wants to enhance their company after the pandemic, opting for the best employee relocation services is a crucial step. They help you trim your relocation costs, employ talented and skilled employees, and provide training. Hiring them is much more beneficial to expand your company and to stay competitive. Also, it helps to develop future leaders of the company through the proper training.

Nowadays, younger employees are expressing their interest in working in companies. Often with modest expectations, hiring them will help the employers financially. Employee relocation services prioritize talent strategy as a key and take the appropriate steps to educate, train, and upskill their existing employees.

Most people see the opportunity in time spent in an in-person, collaborative environment. Business at a distance in interior areas is a big headache for employees. Living at a reasonable commuting distance from the office will make them comfortable. Here employee relocation services play a big role to help the employees arrange for their accommodation.

Benefits of outsourcing employee relocation services

Employee relocation is a process to create a smooth transition for the employee to move into their new state or area. Employers are looking for a unique skill set for employees to expand their business. When employees are asked to relocate to the new location alone or with their family, emergency relocation services provide them with an easy transition. A relocation company aims to design an affordable and efficient way to help the employee relocate nearer to a new office location. Employers are seeking to hire skilled persons or wanting the current employees to relocate for career development.

Employee relocation allows businesses to be compliant with local immigration laws during transitioning employees into a new country. Hiring skilled employees will result in improved performance, boosting revenue, and facilitating a pleasant experience.

Companies will offer relocation benefits when employees move to a new office location outside of their current market. Companies partner with the employee relocation service to assist the employees from departure to arrival to cover fees such as paying for their plane tickets, hotels, moving trucks, and other travel-related expenses.

Employees move quickly to the new locations. Sometimes, businesses will help employees on their personal matters, which include choosing a neighborhood or school. With the employee relocation services, the employee will have peace of mind for their overall transition, and their move becomes as seamless as possible. Employee relocation services provide all the support measures to understand that employees need to face fewer challenges during their moving process.

How employee relocation services help the companies?

Companies need skilled employees to enhance their business to a new level where the coronavirus  pandemic has made the situation more difficult for the companies to have skilled workers. In the competitive market, employee relocation services may help hire skilled employees and retain the current employees. Let us further discuss the reasons for hiring the employee relocation services.

• They implement tailored relocation strategies.

• Hiring and recruitment networks in-country

• Technical solutions – Employer Technology & Employee Technology

• Transparent cost structures

• Highly beneficial for both employers and employees

After the Covid pandemic, in order for companies to meet the demands of employees and stay competitive in their business, employee relocation services are uniquely positioned to meet these challenges.  With the help of the Employee relocation service, employees can have a hassle-free move to the new place.

This helps companies to restart their work with skilled employees in a shorter amount of time. Employee relocation services will streamline the network and provide immigration support. With the help of relocation services, all-size companies can fast-track their global expansion.

Talent mobility has increased in this new era of technological and industrial development. Thus, there are situations where the company must relocate their employees to another place or company, also called global mobility. This can happen for various reasons. One of these reasons could be the need for an employee’s talent in a particular company’s domain to help improve the company as a whole. But this process is time-consuming and costly for many businesses. This is the point where relocation management companies play a vital role. This business helps other companies shift or relocate their employees by providing them with faster and more affordable solutions. To learn more about relocation management companies, we encourage you to continue reading.

What are the reasons for employee relocation?

Relocation stands as an important benefit for both employees as well as the company. When you shift talent from one place to another, where it is most in need, both the employee and company can benefit and prosper from this change. The employee gains new experiences and the company is able to share the knowledge that this particular employee can hold with others who want to learn and grow.  Relocation could also be due to a development program that will be profitable for the company that the employee works for. Sharing knowledge can help the company’s growth in other locations, by learning from this employee relocation.

Many companies may transfer their knowledgeable employees from one location to another where there is a need of sharing a few important skills which would help the companies upskill others. A company can also do this to ensure the proper working condition of other branches of the company or locations. Thus, there are many advantages both for the employee as well as the company by the process of relocation. This process becomes easier when a relocation management company is involved. They make the work much faster and at an affordable cost.

Why is it difficult without relocation management companies?

It is a complex process because the relocation of an employee involves:

• Buying a new home.
• Renting an apartment.
• Moving goods from the present to the new place.

Moreover, if the employee has a family and children, it is not easy to find a school and adapt to the new condition. International relocation involves the knowledge gained about rules and language for the employee. It takes an enormous amount of time when all these processes are done by the employee himself or herself. During this change, it can reduce the company’s productivity at the particular new location due to the delay in the talent shift. All these of these mishaps can be avoided and done in a short span of time with the relocation management companies.

Minimizes the time taken for such processes

It is recommended to go with a relocation management company for talent mobility because it is not easy for an employee to deal with relocation, if they have never been exposed to it before. The relocation management companies help the employees and corporations by taking care of relocation processes before and after it is done. Thus, the employee doesn’t have to waste their quality time and step back from their work by involving themselves wholly in the relocation process. It can also be stressful for an employee to handle both work and relocation at the same time, decreasing productivity.

RMC makes it easy for both employee and HR department

It is usually the Human resource management that helps and supports the relocation of an employee. The department ensures that the relocation is consistent and made in a way that does not cause any productivity loss for the company. For an employee, relocation is stressful until they are provided with a helping hand. This is where the relocation management companies provide you with the assistance you need. This aid would be much needed when it is an international relocation. These kinds of international relocations are not easy, but there are so many processes that have to be followed to ensure that there are no problems in the future.

When an employee is relocating internationally, he or she might already have stress about adapting to the new culture, environment, and other big life changes. Thus, having a relocation management company will be of great use and help them in this adjustment period. In addition, having a contract with trusted and professional relocating companies can help the work be done faster and effectively because they have a good network with relocation experts in their hand.

Concatenation of expert relocators

Expert RMCs have a strong network of trusted partners including household goods movers, real estate firms, temporary housing providers, cross-cultural trainers, and other experts who help in the employee relocation process. These partners and networks work jointly and ensure a smooth relocation process before and during the relocation of an employee from one place to another. 

Making a major life changing decision is not easy, especially when it involves moving across the country or globe! Even the most excited employees may have concerns about the relocation process. Frequent communication is paramount to a successful relocation for both the employee and your organization. By anticipating and recognizing employee concerns, you’ll be prepared to alleviate their worries and keep relocations moving smoothly. Below are some common employee relocation concerns and how you can help.

Concerns About Finding a Place to Live in the Destination
With U.S. home inventory currently well below demand, it’s not unusual for double-digit offers, many well over asking price on the same or next day after the home hits the market! There’s a chance your employee could sell their home so quickly and then not have a new home to move into at the new location. It’s important to give your employees the time and resources they need to find a new home and complete the move.

• Your Relocation Management Company (RMC) should provide qualified real estate agents that understand the relocation process and the timelines associated with such moves.
• If you need your employee in the new location immediately, offer them temporary corporate housing so they’ll rest assured while they continue their new home search.

Concerns About Their Family & Acclimating to the New Location

Family can be a top reason that employees decline a relocation. Employees and their families may have obligations they must fulfill before moving. They might want their children to finish out the school year, have an ill family member or have a partner with their own career pursuits. Moving is stressful, but not knowing anyone in the new location makes it even more challenging. Kids especially find it difficult to move from friends, family and school. Your employee and their family have built a well-established network – from their favorite grocery store to their gym, and it’s difficult to leave all that behind. Your employee cannot 100% focus on their new position when they are preoccupied with their family’s needs.

When you take the family’s needs into consideration, you are showing your employee you truly care about making this a positive experience for them. Anything that you can do to show that you care about their personal life will go a long way to ease their stress and concerns.

• It’s essential that you communicate timelines and expectations with the employee. By regularly discussing organizational needs and understanding each individual employee’s circumstances, you greatly increase the chances of retaining your top employees.

Destination Services are Crucial to a Successful Move

• Provide the transferee and family with settling-in services including information on the new city, neighborhoods, medical options, shopping, transportation, utility connections, schools and more.
• Set up an area orientation to help them get familiarized with their new surroundings.
• Provide language and cultural training. Help with passports, Visas, work permits and immigration assistance. All especially important for global moves.
• Offer spousal/partner career assistance to help their significant other find a job in the new location.
• If the family needs to stay in the old location longer than anticipated, offer the employee temporary housing.
• Pay for travel expenses to and from the new location.

Concerns About Affording to Live in the New Neighborhood
Packing up and moving from rural Iowa to Manhattan would be a shock to anyone. The cost of living can be drastically different depending on where your employee is moving from and to. The cost of homes, taxes, even groceries may be significantly more than what your employees are used to.

• Offer your employee a cost-of-living allowance (COLA) that helps ease your employees into the cost of the new location. Many companies choose to taper off these benefits over the course of a few years. You can make the transition to a new city less costly and more affordable for your best employees.

A good RMC will help lesson transferee stress and concerns associated with a relocation. Need help managing employee relocations for your organization? Contact WHR Group, Inc. now.

Relocating Internationally During COVID-19: Brew City To Lion City, And The Colorado Rockies To The Swiss Alps.

WHR’s Linden Houghtby & Jennifer Elsby speak with International HR Adviser about their experiences relocating during COVID-19.

As Global Mobility professionals, we all know the logistics of moving expatriates from A-B, but none of us have ever faced managing international relocations during a global pandemic. We’d like to share our personal international relocation experiences over the past six months, in hopes that it will offer advice if you are currently relocating your expatriate colleagues during this global pandemic.

Arrival And Quarantine In Singapore

Like so many others planning to move or travel internationally last year, 2020 required us to adapt and adjust our international expansion plans. As a result, my personal and professional move to Singapore was postponed by about six months. Instead of moving in June, I did not arrive in Singapore until the end of December. As you may know, Singapore had enacted strict procedures for allowing travelers into the country to minimize the spread of COVID-19 within the city-state. This includes entry approval requests, PCR testing and mandatory quarantines. Preparing for my flight and the subsequent quarantine was both daunting and stressful, but while there are many requirements, Singapore does have a system in place to make arrival and quarantining a smooth process.

As we know, anytime you are moving your expatriate employees internationally for work, having all necessary documentation in order is crucial, and even more important
now since many additional documents are required. All my documentation was presented and reviewed countless times
from airport check-in, to transfer, to my quarantine hotel.

Once I arrived at my designated quarantine hotel where I would be spending the next 15 days, much of the worry I had regarding the experience dissipated as I was lucky in my hotel assignment. I could put my worst-case scenario fears to rest. I was assigned a room with large windows overlooking the Singapore River, a small desk with a chair, and enough floor space for a yoga mat. Much better than some posts in various Facebook groups led me to expect.

Not that spending 15 days in one hotel room is easy or an experience I look forward to repeating any time soon, but the hotel staff did a phenomenal job taking care of me during my stay. The Wellness staff called daily just to check in and see how I was doing and if I needed anything. The hotel also organised virtual events and activities for those in quarantine including a New Year’s Eve Zoom party; towel folding competitions; Singapore themed crossword puzzle; and exercise/yoga classes.

I know that everyone’s quarantine experience will be different, but here are some tips that helped me through mine:
• Manage your expatriates’ expectations – do not expect a 5-star hotel experience, even if staying at a 5-star hotel
• Take your own cutlery – I do not know why, but having something other than plastic utensils was very nice
• Pack snacks – we were served three meals a day, but it was nice to have some snacks
• Take things to do – books, puzzles, knitting, drawing, whatever you enjoy doing to help pass the time and break up the days
• Be prepared for it to get hard – I compared my stay to a CrossFit workout: the first third is not bad, you are confident and motivated; the second third is painful, and you may want to give up; but the final third gets easier as the end is in sight
• Stay in contact with family and friends – video calls/texting were great distractions from feeling stuck or isolated without any direct human contact in days.

For anyone planning to travel internationally who will be required to quarantine, know that you are in good company and that you can do it! Taking some time to prepare can make a world of difference!

Making It Home

Unpacking my suitcases for the last time and stocking my fridge were relatively small tasks, but doing those things made me feel more grounded and comfortable than I have been since leaving Wisconsin in late October. I did not realize that I was carrying an extra layer of tension or discomfort until it melted away by feeling at home again. The past few months have been an incredible adventure and opportunity. I am very thankful for going to both Switzerland and Singapore for WHR’s international expansion, but it has not been without its challenges. After a while, living in temporary apartments and hotels got wearing and the thought of having to pack and unpack yet again was daunting. These feelings motivated me to secure my long-term housing, truly unpack and get settled. While I knew I was ready to feel less transient and more like I was actually living in Singapore, I did not expect to feel such a difference so quickly upon moving into my new home…