This blog demystifies the Buyer Value Option (BVO) home sale program, a key offering for companies relocating employees. It explains how BVO programs work, their tax advantages, and why they’re often preferred over traditional home sale methods. The post uses real-world scenarios to illustrate how BVOs streamline the relocation process, reduce employer risk, and provide a smoother experience for transferring employees.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/what-is-a-bvo-home-sale-program/

Building on the popularity of the BVO topic, this article compares BVO home sale programs with Guaranteed Buyout (GBO) programs. It breaks down the pros and cons of each, including cost implications, employee satisfaction, and administrative complexity. The blog helps HR and mobility professionals make informed decisions about which program best fits their organization’s needs.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/what-is-a-bvo-home-sale-program-how-does-it-compare-to-a-guaranteed-buyout-home-sale-program/

This post explores the different types of expatriate assignments: long-term, short-term, and extended business travel. It discusses the strategic benefits of each, such as talent development, global reach, and cost control. The blog also highlights best practices for supporting employees on assignment, from pre-departure planning to repatriation.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/the-best-types-of-expat-assignments-for-mobility-programs/ 

This blog offers actionable advice for designing and updating domestic relocation policies. It covers topics such as policy tiers, lump sum vs. managed programs, and compliance considerations. The post is packed with tips to ensure policies are competitive, cost-effective, and supportive of both business goals and employee needs.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/best-practices-for-domestic-employee-relocation-policies/

A must-read for procurement and HR teams, this article explains how to evaluate and budget for relocation services. It details the components of a typical RFP, common pricing models, and hidden costs to watch for. The blog empowers organizations to negotiate better contracts and maximize the value of their relocation spend.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/understanding-the-cost-of-a-relocation-services-rfp/

This post highlights the strategic value of robust relocation packages in attracting and retaining top talent. It discusses the elements of a competitive package, such as home sale assistance, temporary housing, and spousal support, and shares success stories from organizations that have invested in employee mobility.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/the-benefits-of-offering-employee-relocation-packages/

This educational blog explains the concept of Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and its importance in global mobility. It covers how COLA is calculated, when it should be applied, and how it helps ensure fair compensation for employees relocating to higher-cost locations. The post also addresses common misconceptions and provides guidance for implementing COLA policies.

Read it again here: www.whrg.com/blog/what-is-cost-of-living-adjustment-cola/

Global Mobility Glossary

These posts and resources reflect the most pressing questions and interests of the global mobility community in 2025. From practical policy guidance to in-depth industry analysis, each post offers valuable insights to help organizations and employees succeed in a rapidly changing world.

We hope they have provided you with valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance your global mobility programs. If you have questions or want to discuss how these topics apply to your organization? Reach out to our team; we’re here to help you navigate every step of the relocation journey.

Thank you for being part of our community. Here’s to continued success and innovation in the year ahead!

Work with your Relocation Management Company (RMC) to create and distribute “How To” guides to your talent acquisition and global mobility teams. These guides should include mission-critical things they should know for your company’s core locations.   The Guide should include essential items such as an overview of policies and relocation benefits, legal and compliance requirements (like work visas and tax implications), cultural considerations, cost management strategies, logistics checklists, and effective communication protocols between teams. Additionally, it should outline employee support services, performance metrics, diversity initiatives (if applicable), insights into the global talent market, emergency protocols, and include success stories to inspire collaboration and streamline the relocation and hiring processes across multiple locations.

For example:
Your company regularly hires executives to work in your Netherlands Global Center of Excellence. Are your teams applying for the Netherlands’ 30% ruling? Is your talent acquisition team responsible for ensuring each applicant meets the 30% ruling’s requirements before presenting the job offer? For example, your talent acquisition representative must ensure the candidate has specific expertise, is recruited greater than 150 km from the Netherlands border, and more.

Due to the highly specialized nature of your business, you are recruiting internal and external candidates for a position in the U.S. Is your talent acquisition team familiar with U.S. visa types, such as the L-1 visa for intracompany transfers, or the H-1B visa for specialty occupations? Your talent acquisition teams should know the basic requirements for each visa type before attempting to source foreign talent.

Your RMC should proactively provide guidance on the level of relocation support needed by country for your core locations. For example, this 2023 Destination Services Benchmark Report indicates the minimum, average, and recommended level of destination support by country, family size, and employee level. The report also indicates if leases should be personal or corporate, how long it takes to receive a security deposit return, and which components are most challenging.

Your global mobility team and RMC may also choose to implement pre-decision calls. In relocation management, pre-decision calls ensure that the candidate understands the relocation package they’ll be receiving. It is also an opportunity to discuss the potential challenges both personal and financial that the employee may not have considered.

A pre-decision program might also include a candidate assessment, home valuation, mortgage pre-qualification, and a look-see trip to help the employee make an informed decision and reduce the risk of a failed relocation. Insights from pre-decision calls can help recruiters present a more realistic picture of the role and location, ensuring that candidates are well-informed before making a commitment.

Additionally, it’s also an opportunity for your RMC to promote your company, your benefits package, and alleviate any concerns the employee or family may have.

Pre-decision calls also prevent discrepancies or misunderstandings once the employee accepts the offer and begins the relocation process. For example, after the pre-decision call the employee knows exactly which package they will receive, how much each relocation allowance will be, and more. Oftentimes there is a disconnect between the relocation package quoted by a talent acquisition or HR business partner compared to the relocation package actually implemented by the RMC. This may boil down to human error or someone operating on an old/outdated policy. These discrepancies can be minimized when the RMC is both explaining the relocation package pre-decision and implementing the relocation package post acceptance.

When candidates feel supported from the beginning, they are more likely to have a positive relocation experience, leading to higher retention rates. A collaborative approach between talent acquisition and global mobility helps foster this support.

Leveraging technology and data is essential for aligning global mobility with talent acquisition.

Integrated systems can provide real-time insights into the availability of talent, relocation costs, and employee preferences. This data-driven approach enables better decision-making and enhances the efficiency of both mobility and recruitment processes. Tools such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) and mobility management software can streamline operations and improve communication between teams.

For example, in ADP your organization can build and manage a talent pool of applicants who are willing to relocate for open positions. However, your organization shouldn’t overlook existing employees who are willing to relocate for an intracompany transfer. Existing employees should already understand your products, services, and expectations, thereby reducing hiring and training costs.

According to benchmarking by SHRM, the average cost to hire an executive is $28,329 USD. However many employers estimate the total cost to hire a new employee can be three to four times the position’s salary. This is a combination of hard costs, such as recruiters, and soft costs such as the time it takes for department leaders and managers to support the hiring and training process.

One way to tap into your existing talent pool is to speak with your IT department about adding custom fields, objects, and reporting to your HRIS system. This would enable existing employees the ability to indicate in their HR profile if they’re willing to relocate for a new position. Within custom reporting, you can add filters to narrow your talent pool to high-performing employees who are willing to relocate, combined with past performance reviews already loaded in the HRIS.

Creating a continuous feedback loop between Global Mobility and Talent Acquisition is essential for refining processes and enhancing the employee/candidate experience. To gather valuable insights, conduct post-relocation surveys that not only includes questions about overall satisfaction, and support from the Global Mobility team, but also asks about the recruitment process and how well mobility expectations were communicated. Analyze this feedback to identify common issues, such as insufficient pre-relocation information and possible gaps in communication/support.

Based on the findings, refine relocation policies, improve training programs, and enhance technology accessibility for relocation resources. Regularly convene both teams to discuss insights and develop initiatives that enhance the employee experience, such as webinars or Q&A sessions. Implement ongoing support through check-ins at various intervals post-relocation to address any concerns. By sharing improvements made from employee feedback, organizations foster a culture of continuous improvement, demonstrating that they value employee input, ultimately leading to enhanced employee satisfaction and retention.

In conclusion, the alignment of global mobility and talent acquisition teams is crucial for organizations to ensure efficient hiring and successful talent mobility.

Organizations can foster collaboration and enhance the effectiveness of these teams:

• by distributing relocation guides
• reviewing talent acquisition metrics
• implementing pre-acceptance checkpoints
• conducting pre-decision calls
• optimizing HRIS systems
• conducting regular training sessions

Achieving alignment leads to the swift and compliant hiring of specialized employees, reduces risks, improves time-to-fill metrics, and ultimately enhances overall candidate satisfaction and immigration compliance. Continued efforts and investment in aligning these teams will contribute to a more streamlined and successful talent acquisition process.

These five tools allow you to answer a few short questions about your company’s global mobility program and will send you a custom report based on your answers

RFP – Relocation Request for Proposal Generator

For HR and global mobility professionals, year-end is a pivotal time to ensure accurate reporting of taxable relocation benefits. A well-prepared process not only supports compliance and minimizes costly errors, but also delivers a transparent, stress-free experience for both your organization and relocating employees. This guide walks you through each step, offering practical strategies and best practices to help you coordinate with your relocation management company (RMC), payroll, and tax providers, communicate effectively, and meet all compliance requirements.

For HR and global mobility professionals, year-end is a pivotal time to ensure accurate reporting of taxable relocation benefits. A well-prepared process not only supports compliance and minimizes costly errors, but also delivers a transparent, stress-free experience for both your organization and relocating employees. This guide walks you through each step, offering practical strategies and best practices to help you coordinate with your relocation management company (RMC), payroll, and tax providers, communicate effectively, and meet all compliance requirements.

For HR and global mobility professionals, year-end is a pivotal time to ensure accurate reporting of taxable relocation benefits. A well-prepared process not only supports compliance and minimizes costly errors, but also delivers a transparent, stress-free experience for both your organization and relocating employees. This guide walks you through each step, offering practical strategies and best practices to help you coordinate with your relocation management company (RMC), payroll, and tax providers, communicate effectively, and meet all compliance requirements.

1) Kick Off Year-End Planning (Mid-October)

The journey to a successful year-end begins early. By mid-October, HR teams should initiate discussions with payroll and tax providers. This is the time to review any changes in reporting requirements, confirm year-end cutoffs, and identify special circumstances that may require corrections (such as W-2C forms). Early engagement sets the tone for a proactive, error-free process and ensures all stakeholders are aligned.

2) Coordinate Data & Reporting Cycles (January-October)

Consistency is key throughout the year. Maintaining regular reporting cycles, monthly, quarterly, or as determined by your organization, ensures that expense data remains current and discrepancies are caught early. Leveraging your client portal to keep relocation expense records up to date and monitoring for issues helps prevent last-minute surprises and supports a smooth year-end close.

3) Submit Final Payroll Files & True-Up (November)

November marks the critical phase of submitting final payroll files and completing true-ups. Double-check all relocation-related compensation entries and address any last-minute changes or corrections. This step is essential for ensuring that all data is accurate before finalization, reducing the risk of costly amendments later.

4) Finalize Year-End Data (December)

As the year draws to a close, HR teams must confirm that all year-end data is both accurate and complete. Reviewing final reports and coordinating with external tax providers (if applicable) ensures that nothing is overlooked. This diligence is crucial for compliance and for providing employees with reliable information.

5) Distribute Employee Reports (By January 31)

Timely communication is the final step. By January 31, relocation tax reports should be distributed to employees, accompanied by FAQs and clear explanations. Ensuring employees understand their reports and have access to support for questions fosters trust and reduces confusion. Providing clear instructions for any required actions empowers employees to respond confidently.

Summary

By following this step-by-step guide, you’ll deliver a smooth, compliant, and transparent year-end experience for your organization and your employees. Early planning, consistent data management, and clear communication are the keys to success.

Let this playbook be your companion as you navigate the year-end process with confidence.

These five tools allow you to answer a few short questions about your company’s global mobility program and will send you a custom report based on your answers

RFP – Relocation Request for Proposal Generator

Developing a formal group move policy is crucial for ensuring consistency, setting expectations, and controlling costs during large-scale employee relocations. Your group move policy should define eligibility, benefit tiers, support services, and timelines, and may include incentives like retention bonuses. Key differences from traditional relocation policies include fixed timelines, alignment with group move objectives, expanded benefit bands, additional support for families, negotiated supplier fees, provisions for employees who decline the move, home pricing considerations, and attention to the impact on local communities and real estate markets.

Timelines are another critical piece. Group moves often happen in phases, and it’s important to establish key milestones early on. Having a well-structured communication strategy is also essential. Employees need timely, consistent information about what’s happening, how it affects them, and what support will be provided. Without a clear message, uncertainty can quickly lead to disengagement or even attrition.

This is where partnering with a Relocation Management Company (RMC) like WHR can bring substantial value. RMCs specialize in managing complex relocations and can act as an extension of your HR team.

From project planning and policy design to vendor coordination and employee support, an experienced RMC brings structure and scalability to what might otherwise be an overwhelming process.

Working with an RMC allows you to:

• Offload day-to-day logistics and vendor management so you can focus on strategic decisions
• Develop a tailored group move policy that reflects both industry benchmarks and your company’s goals
• Provide employees with hands-on guidance through the entire move, improving acceptance rates and reducing stress
• Access real-time data and reporting tools to track progress, manage costs, and adjust plans as needed

1) Pre-Announcement Planning

A solid relocation policy forms the foundation of successful corporate group moves. Understand your organization’s relocation budget, benefits for relocating employees, and plans for those who choose not to relocate. Confidence in your plan and relocation packages contributes to employee satisfaction.

• Employee surveys measuring their satisfaction with WHR’s service, technology, supplier partners, and the relocation benefits your organization offered
• Cost summaries, including multi-currency budget-to-actual spend, budget cost accrual reports, average cost per completed relocation;
• Policy exception requests, including approved and denied exceptions; and more!

Even with a solid policy and experienced partners in place, group moves can go off track without the right attention to detail. Common pitfalls include a lack of clear objectives, poor planning, and underestimating the emotional toll of relocation, especially on families; a lack of clear messaging from leadership; applying a one-size-fits-all approach to policy design; and overlooking critical destination details, such as housing shortages or school enrollment challenges.

To increase your odds of success, consider these best practices:

• Start planning early – give your team and employees time to prepare
• Involve your RMC from the beginning – they can provide site assessments, feasibility studies, and communication strategies
• Design policies that are fair, flexible, and aligned with employee demographics
• Communicate regularly and transparently – don’t leave employees guessing
• Use feedback and data to make informed adjustments along the way

At the end of the day, a well-executed group move is more than a transition – it’s a statement about your company’s values, culture, and commitment to supporting your people. When done right, it can strengthen employee engagement, preserve business continuity, and lay the groundwork for future success.

Relocating a large group of employees is complicated and challenging, but it does not have to be stressful. It is important to select a relocation provider with thorough group move experience that can manage the employee transitions while simultaneously supporting ongoing business goals and objectives. This is particularly true in the new location, to offer employees a sense of team support in every aspect of starting their new careers in a new state together.

RMCs assist in defining move objectives, advising on communication plans, designing effective policies, and managing logistics. WHR’s global footprint ensures the capability to handle group moves of all sizes and complexities. RMCs also establish procedures to assess employee relocations, determine relocation policies, and project acceptance rates.

Select a provider with extensive experience, user-friendly technology tools, relocation policy design expertise, and a transparent reporting process. At WHR, our team is committed to delivering exceptional service and peace of mind to your relocating employees. From policy development to planning and execution, we help your company achieve its corporate objectives during a group move.

If your organization is planning a group move, or even exploring the possibility, our team at WHR is here to help. With extensive experience in managing large-scale relocations, we’ll work with you to develop a strategy that ensures a smooth, thoughtful, and successful move for both your people and business.

These five tools allow you to answer a few short questions about your company’s global mobility program and will send you a custom report based on your answers

RFP – Relocation Request for Proposal Generator