Opinion

Relocation, relocation, relocation – how to create the perfect relocation package

We’re really lucky to have so many brilliant organisations here in the eastern region. And we also have a great pool of talent available to them when they need to fill jobs. But sometimes we have to look to other parts of the country, or even internationally, to find people with specialist or niche skills (particularly in the current job market, which has many more open positions than people). So how can you persuade someone to up sticks and move to our region for your job? The answer could lie in a great relocation package.

Hang on, what’s a relocation package?

Relocation packages are financial incentives that organisations offer to people outside their geographic area to tempt them to take a particular role. Typically they include money for moving expenses – so that could be things like temporary housing, help with the sale of a property, bridging loans, travel and legal costs, and so on.

Some organisations have a tiered approach when it comes to these types of expenses. So the relocation package for an executive manager who already owns their own home could be different to those designed for mid-level staff members.

Why are relocation packages important? 

Get your policies right 

You don’t have to offer a relocation package. But moving across borders, even if it’s just a county line, is a big commitment for anyone. And a good relocation package will show you have that same level of commitment to your employees. That could be the difference between someone choosing your organisation over another, or simply deciding to stay put.

Relocation packages also give you access to a much larger pool of talent, which can be vital if you’re trying to fill roles which need specialist qualifications or skills. It also helps build teams from different backgrounds and cultures, which creates more diverse and inclusive workforces.

Going the extra mile – how to make your relocation package stand out

If you want to make yourself really attractive to potential employees, you’ll need a relocation package that’s more than just standard travel and property costs. Including extra incentives and assistance will help make your new employee’s transition go more smoothly. And that will ultimately benefit your organisation, as they’ll be able to get up and running in their new position more quickly.

Here are our top tips for getting it right first time.

1. Be prepared

Make sure you have a relocation package in place before you start recruiting. That way you can tell people about it right at the start of the process. And that could set you apart from other organisations they’re considering which don’t already have this.

The most important thing to remember is that relocation packages are all about making your employee’s transition as easy and stress-free as possible, wherever they’re moving from. Obviously your budget will play a big part in this. Will you cover the entire cost of someone’s move? Or just parts of it?

Don’t forget to cover your legal bases too. You don’t want to pay lots of money for someone to move, only to find they leave your organisation after six months. So you might need to add something to their contract which says that if they leave before a certain amount of time has passed, they’ll have to pay back some or all of your relocation costs. You’ll probably need to get some legal advice on the best way to do this.

2. Think about the employee’s family

Your new employee is likely to have people who depend on them. And offering family or spousal support is a brilliant way to show them you’re ready to invest in them. You could help them look for schools for their children, for example. Or even give them a hand finding their partner a role.

3. Include a relocation service

There are lots of third-party organisations that can take the pressure off by finding things like temporary accommodation, permanent homes, furniture, and even doctors and dentists in a new place.

Using a relocation service will help you manage everyone’s expectations, and leave your new employee more space to get settled into their role.

4. Include extra help for overseas employees

Help with immigration and visas can be really useful for people moving from abroad, especially as these processes are often time-consuming and confusing. Expat assistance, like language classes and cultural training, is another great investment.

You could also include orientation services. Not to be confused with cultural training, these are services which show people what makes their new location a great place to live and work. So you could include a tour guide to show them how to use local services and give them inside info on shopping, public transport, entertainment, and so on. Or help them with things like how to open a bank account, what insurance they need, how taxes work – all things which can be very stressful to understand without local support.

5. Be open to negotiation

Relocation packages are never going to be one-size-fits-all. So be ready to listen to and negotiate with your potential employee to work out what will get them over the line. You might need to add a lump-sum payment to sweeten the deal, for example.

Of course, you don’t have to say yes to everything. But try to make sure you have a little wiggle room for the perfect candidate.

Need some help?  

Relocating people is no small task. But if you do it right, there are benefits for both your organisation and your employees. If you’re not sure if your relocation package is enough to help you attract talent from further afield, you might want to have a chat with one of our recruitment consultants. We can help you recruit across the eastern region and beyond, and have a great track record helping organisations like yours find the very best talent.

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