Once you identify a candidate who is willing to relocate, the real work begins. There are two sides to every relocation: the departure side and the destination side. While departure benefits, such as home sales and lease breaks, are important, you can’t forget about the destination services your employee will require for a successful relocation. Ensuring that your employee is completely settled into the new location means you will have a happier, better adjusted employee.
Every move has its challenges, regardless if the move is U.S. domestic or overseas. Providing your employee with destination services goes a long way toward helping them to succeed, along with reducing any mobility risk factors. Because of this, many companies turn to a relocation management company, or RMC, to ensure all the pieces are in place.
Services de départ
For some countries, such as Switzerland and Singapore, departure services are critical to the success of your employee’s transfer or new assignment. RMCs such as WHR authorize departure services to our network of independent destination services providers. When the employee is prepared to vacate their property, the scope of work can include: assistance closing out lease agreements, return of deposits, final property walkthrough, key handover, property condition reports, and closing utility accounts. It’s also critical for your transferees to consider closing bank accounts, and filing change of residency or departure information as required by country. Last, but not least, WHR will review and recommend whether the employee and their family members should take immigration steps such as the cancellation of employment or dependent passes in their departure country.
Orientation de la zone
Navigating the complexities of international assignments requires a thorough understanding of the destination. Area Orientation services play a pivotal role in facilitating a smooth transition for relocating employees and their families. Beyond aiding in the decision-making process, these services provide an invaluable opportunity for expats to visualize their upcoming life in a new city, state, and/or country.
Our Area Orientation services encompass comprehensive guidance on various aspects, ensuring a well-informed decision:
- About the Country: Offering insights into the broader cultural and societal aspects of the destination country.
- About the Area: Detailed information about the specific region, including local customs, attractions, and community dynamics.
- Housing Overview: Providing a comprehensive view of housing options, rental markets, and neighborhood considerations.
- Schooling Overview: Addressing educational facilities, curriculum options, and enrollment processes.
- Q & A Session: A personalized question and answer session, allowing relocating individuals to seek clarifications on specific concerns.
WHR’s Orientation Tours provide a realistic overview, empowering transferees to make informed decisions and kick-start their assignments seamlessly. Whether conducted in person or online, these tours contribute significantly to a stress-free relocation experience, aligning with the diverse needs of global mobility.
Aide aux conjoints
L'une des principales raisons pour lesquelles un employé refuse une mission de relocalisation ou se retrouve dans une situation d'échec est que son conjoint n'a pas reçu suffisamment de soutien. Aider le conjoint de votre employé à trouver un nouvel emploi, à rédiger un CV, à établir un réseau dans le nouveau lieu de travail, à apprendre une nouvelle langue ou à s'adapter à une nouvelle culture peut faire toute la différence pour votre employé muté et sa famille. Cela vous aidera également à éviter que les employés refusent une relocalisation et à ne pas perdre de grands talents.
In WHR’s Culture + Mobility Benchmark report, we found that only 39% of companies offer spousal assistance to their international population. Because relocating internationally adds another level of stress for the employee’s family, we believe incorporating this benefit will go a long way in helping you secure the right person for the available role.
Recherche à domicile
Une fois que votre employé en aura appris un peu plus sur la ville, il pourra commencer à chercher un logement. Il peut être difficile de faire la transition vers une nouvelle ville. Travailler en étroite collaboration avec des agents locaux qui connaissent les tenants et les aboutissants de la ville rend le processus plus simple et moins stressant pour l'employé. Votre CMR devrait être équipé pour aider à mettre vos employés en contact avec des agents immobiliers locaux qualifiés afin de les aider à trouver la maison de leurs rêves, qu'il s'agisse d'un appartement à louer ou d'une nouvelle maison à acheter.
Programmes hypothécaires
If your employee is purchasing, they’ll need to arrange financing. Your RMC should be able to help connect your employees with a mortgage program. The employee should never feel obligated to use any referred mortgage providers, but it is an option many find beneficial because the mortgage provider will have a complete understanding of the relocation process.
Read more: Providing Mortgage Support to Transferring Employees in Today’s Housing Market.
Frais de clôture de la destination
Afin d'aider les employés qui déménagent dans leur nouveau lieu de travail, les entreprises offrent régulièrement un remboursement des frais de clôture de la transaction. Les frais de clôture peuvent être assez coûteux. Et si l'employé n'avait pas prévu de déménager, il peut ne pas avoir les fonds nécessaires pour couvrir ces frais par lui-même.
Incitation à la location
While not a common benefit, an “incent-to-rent” program offers you the ability to save significantly on future relocations. The “incent-to-rent” benefit gives current homeowners a bonus if they decide to rent in the new location instead of purchase. This is commonly offered to employees who relocate frequently and allows the company to avoid paying closing costs on the new home purchase and any future home sale costs.
Logement temporaire
Sometimes housing can’t be secured at the time the employee needs to report for their new position. In the event that this happens, they will need help coordinating temporary housing.
Most companies offer temporary housing as a benefit to their relocating employee population. While it may be costly, and isn’t ideal for the employee, it does help them feel less stressed and be more productive in the new location, making it an integral part of any great destination services package.
La relocalisation d'entreprise n'est pas toujours à long terme, c'est pourquoi nous entretenons un réseau de fournisseurs de logements d'entreprise ou temporaires et de chaînes hôtelières. Ce service permet aux personnes transférées à court terme de se sentir chez elles partout, quelle que soit la durée de leur séjour.
Votre prestataire de services de relocalisation devrait travailler avec des fournisseurs de logements temporaires qui, au minimum, inspectent les logements 24 heures avant l'arrivée des employés, fournissent une fiche d'inspection pour chaque logement avec des photos récentes, et fournissent un numéro de téléphone pour une assistance d'urgence 24/7.
In order to control cost, many companies choose to cap this benefit, either monetarily or by timeframe. For this very reason, it is essential that your RMC have a strong network of corporate housing providers. Using both local and national companies will ensure that you are able to offer a unit that meets all your employee’s housing needs.
Download now: WHR’s Global Temporary Housing Benchmark Report
Services d'aide à l'installation
When making a major move, there are many details to consider. When you look to an RMC to handle the arrangements, you can be assured that your employee has everything that they require upon arrival in their new location. For instance, your employees may need help setting up utilities, banking, or getting a new driver’s license. Other assistance given can include help in finding schools, churches, or any other details that they need to get settled in.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a successful employee relocation hinges on thoughtful destination services that extend beyond departure logistics. By partnering with a reliable relocation management company (RMC), companies can address the diverse needs of their relocating employees, ensuring a smooth transition to the new location. From area orientation and spousal assistance to home finding, mortgage programs, and settling-in services, a comprehensive approach enhances employee well-being and ultimately contributes to a more satisfied and productive workforce. Embrace the power of strategic destination services to facilitate successful relocations and cultivate a positive corporate culture.