The company/local relocation director team can devise and execute an effective game plan that makes it hard for employees to say no to relocation.
An important first step is to control the company grapevine by reinforcing the professional and personal advantages of the new opportunity and community. Every echelon of management needs to position relocation in terms of the benefits to the individual and family, not as a tour of duty in exile.
The best, most convincing campaigners are senior management who have been pleasantly surprised by relocating. Having corporate leaders share such experiences with potential transferees broadens perspective about relocation. These executives are a living example that careers and lives won’t derail by moving to a “non-A list” location.
A former chief executive of an international housewares company climbed the corporate ladder with promotions requiring relocation to cities throughout the United States. After his company was acquired, he moved to New York to become a partner in a global consulting firm. With a fabulous home in Westchester County and Manhattan minutes away, one could assume this was the epitome of living.
“The best place we ever lived was a college town in Indiana,” he said. “It had everything — entertainment, good restaurants, an intellectually stimulating and diverse community, excellent health care, nice people and good employees, short commute times, access to transportation, good housing, and reasonable cost of living. When we retire, we’re moving to a college town. We can visit New York.”
Some companies prime the pump long before relocation is official. High potential employees become acquainted with possible relocation areas as part of executive development and regular career responsibilities.
During a Chicago-to-Los Angeles flight, a colleague struck up a conversation with a businessman, an Orange County resident who had been in Central Illinois visiting the corporate headquarters.
“Everyone in the group I came with thought this would be dull, but we had a great time. There was a lot to do, decent restaurants, great people, a really nice community. Do you know what kind of house you can get here for what we have to spend? I’d have no trouble moving here.”
Even the gray, bone-chilling cold in late January didn’t dampen the Orange County resident’s enthusiasm for the Central Illinois community. “You just dress for it. I bought this coat for the trip. I was very comfortable.”
The Comfort Factor
Most employees need more than a coat to be comfortable with relocation. The emotional, personal factors are the deal breakers.
Employees considered on track for executive development are usually in the 35-to-44 age bracket. While they have the drive, capabilities and energy required for senior posts, they are likely to have children, soon be more involved in the oversight of parents or senior relatives, and be part of a dual-career relationship.
Today, a trailing spouse is more likely to be a male. In 32 percent of dual-income families, women earn more than men. However, Atlas Van Lines research found that 70 percent of women would relocate for their spouse’s career while 58 percent of the men would.
Subtle yet influential demographic changes make continuous review and revision of corporate relocation imperative. Flexibility is key. Some companies tier benefits according to corporate position or offer a menu of benefits.
These changes also underscore the importance of selecting highly qualified local relocation professionals with track records of success and high conversion ratios.
These measurements are indicative of their ability to earn the trust of transferees. They fill the role of counselor and friend by providing emotional support and communication necessary to establish the employee and family quickly and with minimal distress.
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