The Changing Talent Landscape

by | Feb 9, 2017 | News

The “American dream” is known to include a home in the suburbs, but due to nationwide housing shortages and crippling student debt, people simply aren’t able to settle in the suburbs. (And they aren’t working there either.)
In fact, of the over 300,000 jobs created in Illinois in the past six years, nearly 90% of them were added in the Chicago metro area.

This flush of downtown talent isn’t exclusive to Chicago. Big cities across the nation are seeing a revival thanks to the large percentage of younger generations living in downtown areas.

Data reveals that more young people are living in the biggest U.S. cities than anytime since the 1970s.This makes it difficult for employers to fill open positions at their suburban headquarters as Baby Boomers are retiring.

It’s for this reason that companies are uprooting their quiet offices for higher rent but more plentiful talent in downtown office space.

Of course, not every company can afford to relocate its headquarters in order to have more local access to a larger talent pool. So, what can you do to remain a viable employer option for candidates that favor big-city living?

For those relocating to your office, add a sign-on bonus to your benefit offering. Already offer this benefit? Consider benchmarking your existing relocation policy to find other benefits to help attract talent to your area.

You also need to offer office perks that highlight a desirable workplace culture.

Younger generations value work-life balance more so than prior generations. They seek perks such as on-site cafeterias, on-site health classes or complimentary gym memberships, and flexible work schedules that allow them to work based on their energy levels versus strict start and end times.

Additional perks like mileage reimbursement can also help convince candidates that your suburban positions are worth the daily trek from the city. In fact, Wisconsin-based company Trek (located in a small suburb outside of Madison) offers an incentive to employees who bike to work.

Remote work flexibility is another value-add that many young job candidates seek. Offering even just one day per week for your employees to work remotely can help ease the idea of a commute for city-dwellers. Plus, remote work opportunities have been shown to increase employee engagement, happiness, and productivity levels.

With the bulk of today’s younger job candidates unable to save for a home in the suburbs, you need to be creative in attracting from this talent pool, especially if you’re competing with existing downtown employers.

Global Workforce Symposium 2016 Takeaways

by | Oct 10, 2016 | News

relocation

As the world around us continues to feel more accessible every day, employers are forced to reassess the way they manage their global mobility strategies. Compliance demands, immigration changes, and pricing tariffs are all examples of trending topics global mobility professionals deal with on a daily basis. The Worldwide ERC®’s annual Global Workforce Symposium is a fantastic opportunity to learn from some of the most talented, world class experts in our field.

WHR Group sent its own top experts to the symposium once again this year. Some of them were able to share their thoughts, takeaways, and experiences.

Roger Thrun: CEO

I took away these main items this year:

• International short-term assignments from 6 months to 2 years are rising quickly

• Ireland is no longer the “it” country in Europe… Germany is the “new one” because of its employment base to choose from.

• If you cannot offer technology to complete a relocation on a handheld device in the next 5 years, you’re out as a viable relocation provider

• Companies want to be able to measure ROI, spend, and future costs on a dashboard at any time

• Technology is great, but customer service is still the backbone of the relocation… We move people with family, not machinery.

David Bronder: Vice President of Business Development

WHR Group is a member of ERC®’s Government Affairs Committee, which focuses on regulatory issues that impact the global mobility industry. Along with other industry representatives, I met with Senate and Congressional staff members to review three areas of concern for our industry: 1. Federal relocation (cost savings through industry best practices), 2. Tax (moving expense deduction), and 3. Immigration (the need for high-skilled immigration into the US). The Government Affairs Committee divided into three groups based on industry experience. All meetings were bi-partisan with the focus on educating staff members on our industry, the impact of tax and immigration regulations, and government relocation best practices.

WHR Group will continue to work with the ERC® Government Affairs Committee to ensure these important issues receive the support for the challenges they represent in our industry. A Senate staff member in the government relocation meeting stated, “The meeting was very beneficial, and bi-partisan support should not be an issue.”

Paul De Boer: President

The keynote speaker, Mick Ebeling, demonstrated a conviction of purpose that guides his life, and we can all take lessons from his experience. His life is “rich” in helping others as he drives Not Impossible Labs to help people overcome obstacles previously thought of as impossible. His motto is “If not now, then when?” Meaning you need to find something in the world you want to change and associate yourself with an amazing group of people that can solve the seemingly impossible.

What he has done and what he is doing with his life makes your daily issues and problems seem like small hills compared to the mountains he is climbing. I would highly suggest anyone to visit his website to see his story and the lives he is impacting: http://mickebeling.com/.

How Millennials Really Feel About Relocation

by | Sep 10, 2015 | News

With an estimated one in three U.S. workers belonging to the “Millennial” generation, corporations have been paying special attention lately to fulfilling these young employees’ relocation needs.

The drive to prove themselves in their first “real-world” job, high student loan debt, and an interest in travel and exploring new cultures has driven many Millennials to search outside their hometowns and marked them perfect for a traditional lump sum policy. They’re willing to relocate to begin their careers wherever they can find work. Place the move experience online to complement Millennials’ love of technology, and even less involvement is needed from the employer and Relocation Management Company to manage these moves.

But are these assumptions? Generalizations? Are these factors true for every relocating worker aged 18 – 34?

We asked a few Millennials—who have never moved for a job before—how they would define a quality relocation experience. What are the most important aspects they’re looking for in a move? Their responses might surprise you, and question whether a traditional lump sum is really perfect for this generation.