As you may have heard, we have some exciting news! WHR Group has been named a Top Workplace by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the sixth consecutive year. We are humbled and proud to have received the Top Workplaces Award, but for us, it isn’t about winning; it’s about our employees.

What is a Top Workplaces List?

The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Energage, LLC (formerly Workplace Dynamics), a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Any company can be nominated and it’s free to participate.

Here are just some of the great things our employees had to say about WHR Group in the Top Workplaces 2019 Survey:

“I enjoy the people I work with and find meaning in assisting our clients/transferees through a stressful period.”

“I feel I am always challenged. There is always something new to learn.”

“I like problem solving and helping people.”

“It’s a great place to work. My projects keep me busy all day and I get to do a lot of multitasking which keeps things interesting all the time.”

“I like it here and I think the job is fun and rewarding.”

“[I] believe that my manager takes an active interest in my personal and professional growth.”

The importance of a great workplace culture

Did you know the average person spends roughly 90,000 hours working over their lifetime? When you spend that much time working you want to be happy doing it. But, according to the Gallup World Poll, less than 20% of workers feel actively engaged at their place of employment.

These statistics are the reason why it is so important to focus on culture in the workplace. As a relocation management company, WHR Group helps other organizations find and retain the best talent, which we couldn’t do without finding and retaining the best talent for ourselves. Our goal is for our employees to enjoy coming into the office, to be engaged, and to be proud of the work they do, because, honestly, WHR Group wouldn’t be where we are today without them.

What does this mean for our employees?

You can’t have great culture without great people.

Being placed on a Top Workplaces list for six consecutive years is truly amazing and, really, it’s because WHR Group takes the feedback it receives from its employees and acts on it. WHR Group’s passion has always been Advancing Lives Forward. We embody this not only for our client’s transferees, but for our employees. We look to challenge, engage, and drive our employees to be successful, to grow in their careers, and provide opportunities for them to do so.

What does this mean for you?

We’re all about putting the right people in the right positions and when we hire someone we are looking to see if they’re hardworking, proactive, trustworthy, and most importantly, empathetic. At WHR Group, we believe relocation can be taught, but to be an empathetic person, that is inherent by nature.

“What WHR Group does, is pretty simple, we Advance Lives Forward. That’s what we’re about. Whether it’s our clients, whether it’s our transferees, whether it’s our own employees, whether it’s the vendor partners that we work with, we want to make things better than they were when we got them, and that’s what we feel that we do,” said Paul De Boer, President at WHR Group. “We help people through a very significant, emotional life event – that’s changing the location where they live, where they have roots, where they’re grounded in a community. To be able to take them from that point to a new point, get them settled, get them established, in a very good manner and in a very customer service and customer centric way – that’s what we do and that’s what we deliver on.”

WHR Group emphasizes relationship building, both within our organization and outside of it. Our employees truly are behind our success and our growth year over year. The Top Workplaces award is special to us, but not as special as the employees who made it happen. So, here’s to WHR Group’s employees: Thank you for being fantastic!

The transition from a home country to another country is complex and could dissuade talent from taking expatriate assignments. Housing, cultural acclimatization, family adjustments, and entering a new work environment are just a few of the factors that need to be considered when going international. To counter this, expatriates are offered benefits and assistance to make the experience as smooth as possible. One of these benefits, tax equalization, takes the guesswork out of the change in income and social taxes that come about when an employee moves across a border.

Businesses often struggle to determine how they are going to fill positions when new opportunities arise overseas. Many multinational corporations turn to their proven domestic employees and look to leverage their abilities to develop markets, monetize product offerings, and grow their business overseas. Considering the benefits of tax equalization can help.

What is Tax Equalization?

Tax Equalization is a method of taxation management where the international assignee is expected to remain at the same level. Relative to the taxes they would have had in their home country. In short, the assignee should not receive a tax benefit, nor should they be taxed at a rate that is detrimental.

As an example, expatriates coming from the United States have a unique obligation to fulfill. U.S. citizens are required to file taxes on their global income regardless of where it was earned, so they don’t have the benefit of being able to break their home country’s tax obligation. Additionally, they’ll have a tax filing requirement in the host country as well.

While the U.S. does provide foreign tax credits that can be applied to the employee’s U.S. return, it may not be enough of a credit to offset their entire U.S. obligation. A company’s tax equalization program reimburses the expatriate for the potential higher taxes incurred. Conversely, if the combined taxes are lower, the assignee will reimburse the company for the difference.

Therefore, the assignee is paying no more or no less had they not left their home country, regardless of the actual tax burden in the home and host country.

How Does Tax Equalization Benefit Expatriates?

Moving your career, and potentially your family overseas is a stressful experience; having systems in place to make the relocation process easier should be one of a company’s top priorities. Expatriates who benefit from tax equalization have less on their plate, as they know they are subject to the same level of taxation as well as the same net reimbursement. Reducing the economic stress an employee is under, helps them focus on the personal and professional development that taking an international opportunity can present.

At WHR Group, we pride ourselves on making the complex simple. This includes our comprehensive global mobility solutions, including tax equalization program help. Regardless of whether the relocation is short-term, localized, or permanent, we have the resources and expertise to make your employees’ experience exceptional.

Relocation expense management is a complicated, stressful process. Relocating employees can have almost a dozen expense reports that they’ll submit over the course of their relocation, which can be difficult for the employee to self-fund. The Federal Reserve’s Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2017 found that 4 in 10 adults would either borrow, sell something, or not be able to pay if faced with a $400 emergency expense. Given this data, the self-fund of dozens of expenses can hit an individual quite hard. A seamless, efficient relocation expense management process is critical to the overall well-being of the relocation. We’ve compiled five simple tips to address the accuracy and timeliness of relocation reimbursements.

Tip 1 – Over communicate the timeline.

Through WHR’s intricate survey process, we’ve found that there’s a direct correlation between the timeliness of reimbursement and employee satisfaction. We cannot stress enough the importance of a quick turnaround of funds, especially given the above statistic from the Federal Reserve. Overly communicating with relocating employees what the timeline is can help them plan accordingly and know when to expect the reimbursement.

Tip 2 – Ensure accuracy with a dual review.

Accuracy is critical in expense report review so having more than one set of eyes on each item is a must before reimbursing. At WHR, one review is completed by the policy expert and another is done by an accounting team member. This ensures compliance and accuracy.

Tip 3 – Have a simple, easy-to-use, accessible employee interface.

Deploy an online expense submission system that can be accessed anywhere, 24/7/365. Giving employees the ability to upload receipts from their phone or tablet saves time and the headache of scanning in countless receipts. This is also helpful while employees are traveling.

Tip 4 – Utilize custom expense reports. 

To streamline the review of expense reports, build custom reports for each relocation policy. This not only ensures that employees stay compliant with policy benefits, but also helps the review process for your team. If you’re using an online technology, be sure that the system has your policy parameters built into it. This will decrease the chances of an exception request, which only increases the time to review and the time to reimburse.

Tip 5 – Correctness and security of payment information.

The correctness of payment information is paramount to accurate, timely reimbursements. At WHR, our proprietary technology requires that only the relocating employee can edit the payment information fields. An authentication code is also emailed to them to verify their identity prior to inputting or editing information. Additionally, security measures to prevent hacking or phishing should be clearly documented and proven through technology audits.

Take a hard look at your current expense management process and see if these tips are being followed. If not, make an action plan to realign your program with these core necessities. Remember: a well-run relocation expense management process can make or break the relocation.

Relocation is an ever-changing, ever-evolving industry. The ripple effect is impactful with each new government regulation or change to the housing market. WHR’s newly developed Relocation Toolbox aims to meet the growing needs of the global mobility professional. It can be daunting to stay ahead of the game or know what’s coming next. The Relocation Toolbox features four tools for anyone to use: The Policy Designer, The Relocation RFP Generator, The Cost Estimator, and The Policy Benchmark Comparison Tool.

The Problem

Whether you relocate five people or five thousand people annually, chances are you face similar core issues when running a relocation program:

• Inaccessible or unreliable cost estimates,
• Uncertainty of competitor benefit offerings,
• Unclear on key relocation management company (RMC) differentiators, and
• Apprehension for where to start with writing or rewriting a policy with best practices.

The problem is, it’s difficult to find this information in one location. Some may come from your current RMC – if you’re lucky – and some can come from internet searches. But how reliable is the information? And how long will it take to find it?

The Solution

WHR’s new Relocation Toolbox solves each of the aforementioned problems in a free, simple to use format. Our core values of trustworthiness and empathy are embodied within these tools. Each one has been painstakingly reviewed for accuracy and effectiveness. For example, our Cost Estimator consolidates multiple points of information, some from our proprietary database and some supplied by the user, into a usable report.

The Policy Designer

For companies who are looking to revamp their current policies, or build a new one, the policy designer builds a custom policy with answering just a handful of questions. On average, it takes approximately 3 minutes to answer the questions. Upon submission, you’ll receive a fully usable policy in your email inbox with best practices included.

The Relocation Request for Proposal (RFP) Generator

Running a relocation request for proposal (RFP) can be a daunting task. Before completing the generator, we’d recommend that you read our recent blog on the pro’s and con’s of going out to bid. If you’re set on running an RFP, think about why you’re running it. Then, include that information in your RFP (we’ve included a spot for it in the document you’ll receive!). This is critical information not only for the participating RMCs, but also for your company to get everyone on the same page in a clear manner. The RFP Generator contains best practice questions as well as customized sections based on your unique program needs, and takes only 3 minutes to create.

The Cost Estimator

There is a plethora of reasons why you would need an accurate, upfront relocation cost estimate. For example, perhaps you’re evaluating two candidates. If cost plays a large role, you can run each instance through the Cost Estimator to better guide your decision-making process. Having clear cost consciousness allows for better budgeting and understanding of where each dollar is being or will be spent. Our Cost Estimator features proprietary data from thousands of relocations to build the most accurate, effective cost report within minutes.

The Policy Benchmark Comparison Tool

Relocation benchmark studies are common, but often require you to sift through pages and pages of content that may or may not apply to you. WHR’s Benchmark Comparison Tool creates a custom report for you to see a side-by-side comparison of your program to our most recent Mobility + Culture benchmark study. The Mobility + Culture benchmark report featured companies from across the United States, with both domestic and international relocation programs. Participating in full benchmark studies can be cumbersome and time consuming; our Benchmark Comparison Tool features a stripped down version of our study with only the most important questions asked. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete, with the side-by-side report emailed to you within minutes.

Our Promise

As trustworthy, hardworking individuals, we believe these tools will elevate any global mobility program to the next level. We know that information and data can be hard to find, and it is our goal to make information always transparent and readily available to not only our clients but the greater public. WHR’s Relocation Toolbox truly meets the need of today’s global mobility professional.

Every spring, Major League Baseball (MLB) teams meet to practice and play exhibition games at Spring Training. For the forty-four days from February to March, pitchers, catchers, and position players compete for spots on MLB rosters. Talented athletes from around the world put on their cleats and compete; not only against other teams, but also against their own teammates. Spring Training is especially important for young or inexperienced players — this is their one shot to prepare for the long 162-game season. At WHR, we view the seasons of winter and spring similarly. This is our chance to prepare rookies and veterans alike for the long peak summer season.

WHR’s relocation training regimen can focus on a variety of topics such as real estate markets, tax code changes, or service delivery. Counselors that focus on international assignments undergo further tax and immigration trainings. Our in-house information technology team also conducts an annual information security review for both physical and electronic controls. The office is a flurry of knowledge and information exchange as teams digest and learn new information.

Rookies who have been with WHR for less than one-year attend WHR’s in-house Real Estate School. It’s a 14-week course designed by the Wisconsin Realtor’s Association, with guidance provided by WHR leadership. Weekly discussions connect the core topics of disclosure, agency relationships, valuation, and offers to purchase within the relocation home sale process. At the end of the course, students take the Wisconsin Real Estate Licensure exam. WHR Veterans who already have their license complete continuing education on a biannual basis to maintain their credentials.

While we’re busy getting our Counselors ready, we’re also taking time to evaluate and advise clients on policy updates and creating process efficiencies. We take our partnership with our clients very seriously and understand that both parties need to be trained and ready for peak summer volume. Analyzing last year’s results and predicting results for the upcoming year are critical to a successful program.

It’s clear that taking a proactive approach to both the peak season of relocation and the long season of baseball will make a big difference in the success of each. Spring preparedness lays a solid foundation for a great season. We’re excited for the new season of relocation and the amazing team we’ve put together for 2019!

Implementing a new Relocation Management Company (RMC) can be a daunting task. Multiple stakeholders are involved in both the RMC and your organization, paperwork needs to be completed, technology integrations need to be created, and your existing transferees need to be tended to. But what’s the best way to manage the process? I sat down with WHR’s Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Implementations, Jenny Blechl, to learn her insight on implementations and the role they play in global mobility.

AH:     Let’s start with an easy question… Can you tell me more about your role with WHR Global?

JB:      Absolutely! So, my role at WHR transitioned from Client Services Manager to Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Implementations in the last year as we continue to expand our footprint and partner with more organizations. We really want to take time to focus on implementation and make sure that we get these partnerships off on the right foot. I think this goes along with WHR’s ability to retain clients — we haven’t lost one in a decade.

New Client Implementations

AH:     Explain to me more about implementation, helping to retain clients. What does that mean to you?

JB:      Implementation is where we learn all about the client culture, policies, and procedures. It’s our one chance to make sure that we lay the plans for a great partnership. Partnership is alignment, and we’re looking to align with the onboarding company from day one. A very simple example of that is ‘how do you refer to your employees?’ We’ve worked with companies who call them partners, coworkers, owners… you know, lots of different buzzwords. But we take even those small details and train our counseling teams to use it in their everyday speech.

AH:     What do you think WHR does differently when bringing on a new client?

JB:     We celebrate every new client. We give them an exceptional experience from the initial sales call all the way through to the end of implementation, so they know exactly what to expect as they continue their partnership with us. We truly only have their best interest in mind and are extremely proactive. Furthermore, we keep up on what’s happening in the industry and pay keen attention to our current clients. Then we take that information to customize and recommend best practices to new clients. We have over 3,000 data points and processes that we can customize to the unique clients’ need. I’m also involved in the sales and proposal processes and there, too, we’re constantly customizing. Again, this is one of the things that I love about WHR. We’re just the right size where we can have extreme agility to navigate all these processes with a knowledgeable, strategic group. I love being involved in the sales process because then when it’s time for implementation, I already know those key stakeholders.

AH:     There’s a lot of fluidity between departments here. Can you tell me more about that?

JB:      Absolutely! So, definitely, this is unique to WHR. We don’t have siloed departments that are strung out across the world. Our single location means that I can be that familiar face and voice for the new client from sales to implementation to their first full file with WHR. The Client Services Manager is also very involved in implementation so that they can hear first hand exactly how the client desires the program to be run.

Relocation Management Technology

AH:      There’s such an environment of community here, I know what you mean. How about technology? What role does that play with implementation?

JB:      I’m so excited about our newly developed ‘Implementation Guide.’ It was a bit of a labor of love, but it’s such an impactful piece. I think some of our initiatives for this project were trying to figure out being proactive and asking the right questions, but then how do we make it simple. Our niche is ‘making the complex simple,’ and I really think we do that through this new development. Implementation is such a widespread, complex process, and our job is to take out the stress and streamline it. Our new technology allows us to input all the knowledge we already have and put our suggestions in as well. Then we can sit down with the new client and have a conversation instead of just sifting through paperwork. It also allows for specific information to get routed directly to the right stakeholder, whether that’s payroll or AP, it’ll do it all. It really helps to make sure that no stone is unturned, and we’re supporting the new client as best as we can.

AH:      When does implementation need to be discussed when you’re looking for a new RMC?

JB:      I think it’s not a first date question, but it definitely needs to be discussed. I’ve been glad to see questions included in the RFP process — and especially glad when policies are included. We learn so much from a policy beyond the benefit components, it’s even the wording of the policy… or the style and length of it. Sounds like silly things, but they can make a big difference. Do they keep things brief and succinct? Or are things explained very thoroughly, with every base covered? I also think that RFPs that ask about the client time and involvement in implementation is a very insightful question. Understanding the timeline, who needs to be involved, and how much time on the client end… it sets the expectation for time and resources so that you know what you’re getting into. It’s a big deal, to choose a new RMC and to get things implemented. We’ve heard horror stories about other RMCs with unknown implementation fees or long, drawn out timelines, but my job is to make it as painless as possible and to minimize the amount of time needed.

AH:     Finally, what about transition files? What’s the best way to handle those?

Transitioning Ongoing Relocations & Assignments

JB:      That’s such an interesting topic when it comes to implementation because again, I think a lot of times so much of the focus is placed on the overall program and how to handle new files. The reality is that transition files are almost always there, and we really want to make sure that they have a great relocation even though their contact has changed. We try to minimize the amount of vendor changes — and that speaks to our independence and being able to work with really anyone. We do a lot of work to minimize the ripple effect of transition files and do anything we can to work with the client. That can include working with suppliers that aren’t normally part of our network, or sometimes even joint calls with the former RMC to review the transition file status. We make sure we understand what services are needed to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

AH:    Great, thank you so much, Jenny.

JB:     Thank you!