By Amelia Chan, CHRP

In building a productive, top-performing team, finding the right fit is essential. Sometimes that fit is found abroad and relocation is required to bring your newest team member to the table. As with international temporary work assignments, and often to the surprise of employers unfamiliar with the process, there is far more involved than a moving van and a start date. The subject of relocation can become quite complex when you look below the surface.

Does every business need a relocation policy?  Probably not.  What needs to be done is a proper review of the relocatee’s circumstances, the organization’s support system and the ultimate objective(s) for the relocation itself.

It is more than the immigration paperwork and the implications and impact of rash short term actions that can affect your organization.  There is a whole industry and area of specialization called ‘global mobility’ which encompasses relocation issues, immigration policy and expatriate matters.  Much like recruitment it is often misunderstood.

Too often, the immigration process takes centre stage and relocation (as a discipline) doesn’t come into play. Human resources officers and other operations professionals often concentrate overly in applying due diligence to the immigration paperwork process to the detriment of the bigger picture. As a result, whether the organization is relocating one person or a whole department, the immigration process overshadows the relocation matters. Unfortunately, this can leave employers both unprepared and unaware of the potentials and pitfalls – all of which directly impact performance and productivity beyond the individual(s) involved.

What are these relocation issues that do not get enough attention?

Cultural Fit – Has the employee (or newly hired individual) been assessed for suitability on the larger scale for the organization as well as for the regional fit? Even though you may be moving an existing employee familiar with our overall company culture, each office may have a different personality.  In the case of a new employee, the onboarding and orientation is just as, or more, important than hiring for a local position as the usual internal HR support systems may not be available or on place.

Management Training – Do the supervisors losing or receiving the relocatee understand the additional concerns of their diversified team?  If the relocatee is a supervisor, this requires additional consideration.

Operational Application – The practical impact of costs, policy implications such as salary bands and cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) and possible repatriation a few areas which require some attention.

Employee Engagement – What is the career impact of this relocation? How involved is the family behind the scenes? These will affect your assignment/move dynamics.

Organizational Philosophy – Is relocation in line with the overall company philosophy?  Is this a part of the succession plan and career development and/or might it be met with internal resistance.

Temporary or permanent – What is considered short term may vary between organizations.  Is there any impact on the longer term (and possible repatriation) of the employee?

As evidenced from even the short list of considerations above, the budgetary aspects aside, relocation yields many ramifications for consideration. Adding breadth to the due diligence duties reveals the more subtle ramifications of relocation.

Employees and their managers look to human resources for guidance not only for the expense reimbursement part but for all the questions that inevitably come up as they realize the depth of what is involved.  A good savings offer from a moving company is of little reassurance if your potential relocatee’s real estate market is less than favourable. Similarly, the individual who was excited about his/her career advance opportunities may soon realize that their spouse cannot resume their career at the destination so must consider whether to undertake the move at all. As with all primary people issues, the relocation is complex at its core. Fortunately, simple forethought is most often all that is required to forge and win-win scenario.

These are the types of issues that arise when I talk to people new to the concept of global mobility. For the most part, my colleagues are unfamiliar with the extent of the challenge until their first international relocation. Others who are more familiar in this area often approach it from an ad hoc perspective with results that resultantly vary.

The truth is that no organization has unlimited resources or time to anticipate every issue,but proactive forethought can save human resources professionals from putting out small fires before they take on a life of its own.  While in many ways, the world is smaller than ever before, the scope of the workplace has become global. As the quest for talent reaches ever further, so too must our grasp of global mobility. We can’t see into the future, but in the age of mergers, acquisitions and the global organization, it is prudent to see beyond the paperwork.

While a full blown policy might not be required for those only occasionally moving employees between locations, what is required is forethought; it is vital to think through the issues that will impact your business and the individual’s productivity.

(PeopleTalk Fall 2011)