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New assignments start with the relocation process

For an overseas assignment to be effective, the actual relocation of the assignee and his or her family needs to be a success. If this fails a company’s strategic planning may fall off the rails. Choosing a professional relocation company to assist in the process makes sense as an expert is more likely to point out major pitfalls than an HR professional working half a world away. It is the strategic preparation and planning of such assignments that determine its success or failure, which is why outsourcing to an Association of Relocation Professionals (ARP) member is a wise investment.

US companies relocating a single employee or an entire department/ company will know the level of time and attention to detail planning a relocation demands. Some assignments can take up to three years to plan and cost over $1m. So they need someone who can search for a property, find the right school, advise on professionals and offer help on more mundane matters like finding a plumber – everything needed for a smooth move. With over 200 members throughout the UK, the ARP provides a cross-country network of expertise. However, relocating to the UK raises one list of requirements, but should a company wish to further relocate their employee from the UK into Europe this, naturally, raises different, and more complex, requirements and potential reasons for an employee to turn down the assignment.

As the CEO of the ARP and also the General Secretary of the European Relocation Association (EuRA), with members throughout Europe and worldwide, I know the level of care these issues demand. It is always essential to remember that when a company relocates its employees, it wants them to be focused on their job and not on the hassle of moving. However, one of the first things a company should find out is if the employees are ready for an international assignment and we have members who, among many services, offer personality profiles and cross-cultural testing to see if people really are suited for this. It is this level of attention that makes professional relocation services essential. Relocation agents save time and money. They take the headache out of moving and know that, just as each country is different, so is every relocation and they are trained to help people assimilate smoothly into a different culture.

The Association of Relocation Professionals was founded in 1986 (EuRA in 1998) in response to the increasing need for an organisation to co-ordinate the activities of a growing industry in the UK. The membership, both in the UK and Europe, is growing annually and it includes organisations as diverse as destination service providers, to relocation management companies. The planning and execution of a successful relocation takes into account many agendas. These could be grouped loosely as: Assignee satisfaction: Will the partner of the assignee agree to the move? This is a common factor in the refusal by employees to relocate. An adjunct to this is that the partner may not be able to take up their chosen profession in the new location.

Some assignees also fear being “out of the loop”. Being relocated away from their home country for, in some cases, years, makes them suspect that when they eventually move back they will have been forgotten about and/or overlooked for promotion. Facilities available: This, to most assignees with families, involves their children’s educational needs; schools are obviously a priority and the most sought-after ones are not always available in many popular relocation centres, especially those that teach in the native languages of the assignee and his/her family. The relocation agent will always work with a suitable fallback in mind.

Facilities can also include activities such as skiing or sailing, the arts (opera and concerts, galleries and lectures) and quality-of-life benefits, such as eating out. Many relocation agencies report that security, given the threat of terrorism, is now a priority.

Property issues: A relocation agent can manage the rental of the assignee’s home if required and even manage the sale in their absence if necessary. When they reach the new location, the assignee and his/her family should be able to look forward to a “turnkey” home with all utilities taken care of by the relocation agency. From the relocation agent’s point of view, the project has to be undertaken with a “can do” attitude. The psychological importance of this peace of mind aspect of relocation cannot be underestimated and has a direct effect on the employee’s wellbeing and loyalty to the company. It also reflects on the HR department’s commitment to their employees’ wellbeing and therefore the company’s. Studies have shown that employees who feel they are treated like “cattle” when relocating are far more likely to leave the company soon after than those who are well-looked after through a well-planned move.

Relocation agents take the headache out of moving

Having their fingers on the pulse of UK and European relocation, the ARP and EuRA have the advantage of up-to-the-minute knowledge on who is moving where and why. It is advantageous for companies to be aware of the changing direction of relocation trends so that they can plan accordingly.

Here are some recent new trends and changes in mobility conditions within Europe in the last 18 months that members have identified:

• Percentage of female expatriates is substantially on the rise
• More companies are formalising “spousal assistance” within expatriate policies of their HR departments
• Dual-career marriages or partnerships have massively increased
• Rejection of international assignments is commonly caused by spousal or dual-career issues
• All types of spousal assistance by HR departments have increased in pre-assignment and substantially in the on-assignment stages. Organisations have reduced some services pro-rata on repatriation
• Significant increase in the number of short-term (typically, a few months to one year) assignments, mainly it seems, to accommodate dual-career relationships
• Changes in European Law: gay rights particularly. Since 2003, gay partners of either sex have had statutory partnership rights on a par with heterosexual couples in regard to property, last will and testament and children (if any)
• Easing of visa, passport and taxation issues for multinationals is making it easier for assignments to be mandated quicker than ever before

(Other sources: ORC - Dual Careers and Assignments Survey – EU website Brussels)

the business advantages of a successful relocation

There are many reasons why companies relocate employees. Employees are sent abroad to expand the existing business into new markets, to start or head up new divisions, to transfer technology, to hire and fire and to achieve a host of other business objectives.

Whatever the reason, success starts with the relocation process itself. If this is successful, business success is more likely to follow.

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