A 2021 study revealed that 73 percent of employers in North America find it hard to attract employees. While there have been many reasons that have led to this new trend, the duty is now on organizations and employers to be agile and flexible when it comes to retaining their workforce. 

Employers need the best talent and mobility to be able to make shifts. It is also crucial that employees are given the right motivation to meet the high standards of the organization and stay on the job. One way is to build talent management into the company’s hiring system, which should also include talent mobility and relocation program management. You may be wondering why these two are important in retaining your workforce and how each of these fits with each. Read further as we unravel the entire picture for you. 

What Is Talent or Employee Mobility?

If we put it simply, the concept of talent or employee mobility is the migration or moving of in-house company employees to another place or job position. The benefit is you can bring out the best optimization of the employee’s talent for the organization. The practice of talent mobility is to warrant that the employee gains new skills by moving within the organization.

With new roles and responsibilities offered to them, the employee should not feel stagnant and more inclined to stay with the company. The process aims to develop the talent and put them in the right place in the organization, so the result is developing a successful business. 

What Is Relocation Management? 

Relocation management is the process of a provider, like WHR Global, offering expedited relocation logistics for other companies and their employees to both domestic and international places. A relocation program management company works with an enterprise or business to relocate employees in an effective and cost-efficient manner. A business hires a relocation management company to warrant a hassle-free relocation process for the employees since it is a complex process. It is also time-consuming, personally challenging for the employee, and an expensive process. Especially when left to the employee or the HR of the business.

Well-established relocation management companies will provide software along with mobile and web applications that the employee and employer can access easily to get on board with the relocation process. All the required information for a smooth transition will be available to the employees about the new place and the procedures they must undertake for the relocation. 

Single Relocation Management Platform 

Relocation management software needs to be in place when employee mobility is part of a company’s process. The relocation software should be robust enough to clearly cover the process for management, HR, and the employee who is being relocated. Additionally, a single relocation management software platform should be able to handle the vendors engaged, the key compliances, and important dates pertaining to relocation. This greatly increases accountability by all the parties involved in the relocation process for a seamless experience. 

Signing Documents 

A talent relocation management company like WHR has the technology so that the employer, the employee, and HR can access the same relocation management platform for signing the necessary documents required for relocation. The automated service of sharing the data and documents with the signees makes the process smoother. It ensures all the documents are in place, and each one has their own copy without the possibility of missing any, which can happen with paper documents. There are numerous variables and a relocation management platform can help.

Summary

By integrating relocation management software and service into talent mobility, your company is preparing a better experience for your relocating employees. All the while ensuring you save money in the process. WHR Global, as a relocation management provider, offers a comprehensive relocation management program with years of experience in the field. You can trust that you and your employees are in good hands. 

It was reported that almost 22 percent of the US adult working population either moved or knew someone who moved during the pandemic, and those relocating also opted for remote working. With remote working becoming the new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many employees seeking to move back to their home country, organizations still face significant relocation requests. The reasons for relocation range from the desire to be closer to the family, and at times, also enjoying a ‘workcation’ while being in an exotic place. Employees believe that if they had managed to be fully efficient and effective during the pandemic for over a year, they wouldn’t have any problem working after relocating to their preferred place and working remotely.

While relocating employees has traditionally been a planned-out solution, a relocation request for remote working by an employee has increased dramatically.   In most cases, allowing the employee to relocate for remote work to a new country or region brings with it a set of potential legal and tax challenges for the employer and the employee; however, during the pandemic, companies have been much more flexible in approving these relocations to retain talent.

How can a company manage remote employee relocation requests due to the pandemic?

How To Master Remote Employee Relocation Requests? 

In light of the global pandemic there are many employees requesting a relocation back to their home country. These same employees plan to continue working remotely for the foreseeable future. As the request for relocation by the employees continues to rise, there are several steps the employer can use to master the relocation request made by the employee. 

Listen To the Request 

Don’t say no immediately when an employee comes with a relocation request and has a desire to work remotely. If you go by the findings of the research, 74 percent of employees will stay with their employer when they are allowed to relocate and work remotely. In the long run, agreeing to the relocation and allowing your employees to work remotely will benefit your company, as you can retain the talent.

Transparent Guideline and Procedure

The best way to ensure that the employees stay focused and committed to their company and job, is to create an environment where their requests are being heard, and that their wishes are taken seriously. A transparent procedure will allow for all requests to be known and provide insight into what employees may be at risk in leaving the company. It also creates a trusting atmosphere where all employees are treated equitably.   

Involve the Employees 

If an employee is interested in remote working and wants to relocate to a new country during the pandemic, use their enthusiasm to do the research. Make them research and understand the new country’s compliance-related policies and contribute to understanding how it works. It will also provide you with insight into your own company’s tax exposure and if you are creating a taxable burden for your organization.

Keep Track of the Employee

Whenever an employee engages in a remote working facility outside of the company’s entity locations, you need to ensure they are not creating a tax burden for the company and exposing the organization to a new country’s tax laws. Given this possibility, it is your responsibility to ensure your company is in compliance. You may have to say no if it creates a financial and tax burden for the company. 

Get A Professional 

Irrespective of whether you relocate an employee for your business or have received a request from an employee, involve a Relocation Management Company (RMC) like WHR Group, Inc. (WHR) to administer the relocation process. A professional RMC can provide the appropriate guidance to alleviate risk and engage and manage the right professionals needed in the process.  

If you follow these simple tips as an employer, you shouldn’t have any issues with remote employee relocation requests. Even after COVID-19, these are appropriate protocols to have in place as remote working doesn’t seem to be going away.   

Final Words

With social distancing remaining the new normal, remote working at least a few days a week has also become the trend. If you want to reap the benefits of managing from home, do listen to your employee’s request for relocation and allow them the opportunity to work from a place of their choosing. Leave the process of relocation to a professional relocation company like WHR and retain your company talent.

International employee relocations can be quite a challenge for employees, even if they are well-traveled. As a result, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the employee’s relocation goes smoothly. Your employee is making a life-altering decision to have a better life when they accept relocating to a new location. While they may face cultural differences, it can be a challenge for them to acclimate and make their family feel comfortable, too. The support you provide to the employee before, during and after the relocation can ensure their loyalty to your enterprise. Here are some steps that you can take to ensure a smooth international relocation for your employees, rather than one filled with stress and anxiety:  

1. Maintain Clarity of Expectations

Relocating for an international placement means a significant investment, financially and emotionally. Always maintain clear communications with your employee. This includes your expectations for them in their new role at the new location. The nature of the salary package needs to be discussed in length and if the employee wants to negotiate, be willing to hear them out. This will give you a clear picture of your employee’s expectations from the relocation, thus warranting a space to clear out any doubts. Also, you must discuss the length of the assignment, whether it’s permanent, contractual, or temporary. The other point that needs to be clear between both parties is the relocation process. It’s best if you figure out how you’ll work with the employee, i.e., whether you’ll provide the service, or if the employee will hire someone and you’ll reimburse the cost. We recommend that employers outsource to a reputable Relocation Management Company (RMC) such as WHR Global.  

2. Provide Cross-Cultural Training

Let’s look at an example. Moving from the U.K. to the U.S. is a relatively smooth transition compared to moving from the U.S. to Asia. The cultural and language differences between the two is quite significant. We always encourage employers to develop a cross-cultural training program for their relocating employees. This will give transferees the opportunity to learn and familiarize themselves with the other culture, etiquette and other important geographical aspects. Often, employees will find the information shared during the training helpful when they move to a new place.  

3. Prioritize the Employee’s Family Too

A good employer will give importance to the employee’s family. Hence, extend the support of your firm to the family of the employee as well. One of the best ways to do that is to offer spousal/partner career assistance and settling-in services. A good RMC will coordinate this for you.  

4. Maintain Communication

Just because the employee has moved to the new place and is settling in, does not mean you should cease communication with them. Keeping in regular contact with them will help the employee feel connected to the home network. As an employer, be willing to hear any of their issues and resolve them as quickly as possible. Maintaining regular communication will also help you monitor the employee’s performance and ensure they are achieving the targets for the assignments they have relocated for.  

5. Talk to An Expert

Relocating an employee can be quite expensive. Your costs are much higher for home buyers versus renters. When you hire a professional RMC like WHR, you and your employees get peace of mind during the relocation process. It is not only a cost-effective method, but a professional Relocation Management Company takes on the entire burden of relocation, plus they have the latest technology to facilitate a transparent moving process. Contact WHR Global to discuss your global employee relocation program.

Not all Employee Relocation Management Companies perform the same way. WHR Group, Inc. (WHR) knows no borders when relocating government or corporate clients, and we acknowledge the complexity of moving global workforces every year. Any experienced relocation management company should have comprehensive resources and strategies in place across moving zones. They should also ensure they have a network of relocation partners across the states, countries, and even continents to warrant a customized moving experience for clients’ transferees. It is vital, in this competitive market of relocation business, that an Employee Relocation Management Company should collaborate with other companies and develop a networking system to warrant a hassle-free move for their clients.

However, there are several strategies and tips that a Relocation Company can work on to achieve better collaboration with their partners. Here are tips for facilitating better collaboration between the relocation partners across the network.

Developing A Global Model

The world has become a global village and developing a model that focuses on offering the best localized experience is crucial. The concept should be to go global and offer an experience with short-time assignees, localized expatriates, and permanent transfers that is uniquely suited for today’s varied assignments and mobility models.

Getting a 360 Degree View

It is vital to have all the resources on the ground to get a complete view of the relocation process and develop the strategy. The best way to ensure that collaboration yields the best result for your company and your clients is by selecting destination partners carefully and training them per your requirement. Finding local experts can also assist with having a complete view of the process.

Transparency

When you act as the most trusted advisor in relocation for your clients and their transferees, developing a system with your logistic partners across the board that warrants transparency is critical. With the latest technology and software available at your disposal, utilize them to have a centralized information system that allows your partners to be fully informed about the procedures and get a well-rounded view of how assignments are handled.

Group Management

Meet with your team and networking partners to ensure that strategic planning is being implemented throughout the process. Regular checks and balances and following industry best practices are essential to offering good client service. Ensure all rules and regulations are being followed by all the partners, all the time.

The Move Management Platform (MMP)

While any relocation company can follow the above tips, MMP is exclusive to WHR. The technology provides cost-savings and fewer claims. Using technology like MMP, companies can save time and money, as well as gain efficiency.

When you follow these tips with your relocation network partners, it will help you to increase the overall productivity and the customer base. Clients look for a smooth moving experience, and when you forge a good partnership with your networking team, you can guarantee a hassle-free experience to your clients.