What Is The HR’s Role In Organisations’ Employee Relocation Programmes

Relocating assignees

The role of HR is often underestimated when it comes to making the necessary steps to successfully relocate a company’s employees. HR leaders have a huge amount of responsibility and play a vital role to ensure that employees face a minimum amount of problems when making the move overseas. Firstly, it is important for employees to announce the reasoning behind the office relocation. Secondly, they work to identify which employees will be affected by the relocation, as well as working to evaluate if just a handful of staff members will be moving or the entire team. Talent mobility is becoming an increasingly crucial conversation point and poses many questions in the HR office.

Taking ownership of the move

One of the greatest morale crushers in any organisation is the generation and progression of rumours among its staff. HR personnel should be responsible for taking ownership of any relocation and should work to keep employees in the know when it comes to updates about the firms location change. From sending details over in post updates to emails or over a corporate intranet- they are essentially the team ambassadors of the move.

Dealing with relocation packages

While a standard, one size fits all relocation packages were once used to cater for all businesses and employees, this is no longer the case. Whether you are moving staff to a different office in the same country or to the other side of the world, they need to be provided with the best possible relocation package that benefits their needs and talent. For example a domestic relocation package might consider the following:

• Relocation bonuses
• Pay adjustments
• Legal assistance
• Family support
• Moving expenses etc.

With global relocation there are even more areas for HR to consider such as:

• Language training
• Appointments with tax professionals
• Storage facilities
• Moving assistance etc.

Ultimately, HR is responsible for making sure that different employees are able to have a tailored and personalised relocation package.

Provide culture training

Perhaps one of the most important things for HR to consider is the role they play when it comes to global expansion and how culture fits into that. Language training is not the only thing that needs to be considered when it comes to relocating staff to other parts of the world or hiring new employees etc. The study of the culture of the destination the employees are relocating to is a priority as it will allow employees to better integrate and immerse themselves- making settling in easier.

Act as a tour guide

HR work diligently in making sure that every step of the relocation process is easy and straightforward. It is important that HR provide as much information as possible when it comes to making the move organised and this can take the form of providing a list of local businesses an employee might need such as banks and pharmacies etc. They can also work on the fun things such as comedy clubs, gyms or tourists attractions.

Overall, a HR plays a key role in making sure that a company’s employees are well catered for in terms of information and other help that will make their ability to fit into a new home that much more easy, in turn making them happier and more productive in the workplace. Whether you are dealing with the relocation aspect from an employee or employer point of view, be sure to get in touch with Santa Fe. Our services extend to all areas of relocation which makes us the best port of call in any relocation related situation.