Executive Recruiters and Global Mobility Specialists are often faced with the challenge of getting prime candidates to move from overseas or somewhere else in the U.S. The focus on recruiting and placing of top talent across all industries is a priority.
A healthy salary, signing bonus and stock options can all sweeten employment packages but often making the decision to move comes down to very personal lifestyle choices. Factors that many employees weigh are: moving family, proximity to relatives, climate and activities, school ranking, commute time and cost of living. Relocation resistance is one of the top factors in losing prime talent and the resistance most often comes from family members not wanting to relocate.
Traditionally, employment offers that require moving come with a relocation package. These packages provide real estate services, lodging, packing, moving and basic logistics. While relocation companies help with those details, often the family, whether coming from overseas or the next state, may still feel displaced. The biggest stressors are getting to know a new area, home set-up, integrating the kids into schools and finding basic resources like service professionals, child care and doctors. If a family has special needs like mental health, physical therapies or elder care these can be big factors in hearing “No.” to an offer.
For many HR professionals and executive recruiters, corporate relocation contractors take care of the logistics for new and transferring hires. However, there is so much more that goes into moving a new employee and their family and that’s why I developed the ground-breaking programs offered by Suburban Settlers. Suburban Settlers is not a relocation company, but rather a service that brings a customer oriented, white glove approach to the relocation process.We work in tandem with RMCs. Every transplanted employee has unique needs and that’s where Suburban Settlers offers an innovative solution. Their process begins with a very detailed interview and collection of information about the individual/family through their online portal. Here the employee answers a series of questions and provides specific details on what they need to set-up their new life. Once that information is gathered, our team puts together a customized plan and a list of resources for the newcomers. This 30+ page relocation plan includes recommendations for schools, doctors, services, activities, gyms, pet care, markets, elder care, classes/lessons/tutoring and more. During an in-person meeting, the newcomers are walked through the plan and given any additional information they need.
The plan is only one part of the service because getting to know a new neighborhood and area is all about familiarity. The program includes a half day tour that shows the new arrivals the streets, hotspots, where to dine, shops, parks, houses of worship, daycare, pet care, hidden gems and more. This customized tour gives the family a thorough introduction to the area and teaches them how to get around. The services Suburban Settlers provides are all about the personal touch and the Suburban Settlers team is always just a phone call away. The newcomers now have a local friend they can rely on. The company will even make personal introductions to help kids set up playdates or to assist the family in joining clubs and civic organizations.
Suburban Settlers also offers additional services like a Home to Desk Tour. This service maps out the best routes for the employee to travel to and from work. Then, a Suburban Settlers team member will take them on a trial run. Whether it’s driving the highway and then catching a bus or taking the train from Bergen or Westchester County to Manhattan, this guided tour shows the new employee the exact route to travel from their front door to desk with the comfort of having a guide.
Starting a new job can be very hectic and time-consuming. Employees often have to work late or stay in temporary housing. Suburban Settlers offers in-home concierge services where their staff will meet service professionals to help with home set-up. We can be on hand while movers place furniture in rooms or IT professionals wire the cable and sound system. Our company also provides a list of pre-approved professionals so employees can be sure they are hiring someone reliable and reputable.
These additional custom relocation plans can be ideal incentives to offer potential candidates as part of their relo package. As our digital world becomes so highly customized, providing services that are also specific to the needs of employees can help reduce relocation resistance and allow newcomers to get settled in their homes sooner.