Relocating an employee is a complicated process for your company, the individual, and their family. Among other things, your employee must find a new home, get acquainted with a new community, master a new job, and build a new support network – all at the same time.
If your company has a relocation policy or package, it may provide assistance with pre-move considerations such as financial compensation, finding new housing, and hiring a reputable moving company. However, many experts believe that the hardest part of relocating comes after the moving truck is unpacked. Individuals wrestle with their own challenges and parents struggle to ensure their family is happy while trying to adapt, settle in, and feel at home.
The stress and strain of uprooting their lives and starting over in an unfamiliar city or town can impact employees for up to a year after they move. Your HR team can help ease the transition by lending a hand with some of the more burdensome post-relocation tasks on your employee’s plate, and make it easier for him or her to focus their attention on tackling work-related projects.
Taking care of essentials
From filing insurance claims for items damaged during the move to activating local utilities and cable service, your newly relocated employee will have to juggle an endless list of tedious “to-do’s” once they move in. A local relocation service like Suburban Settlers can work with your employee to help with home setup, including recommending local handymen, arranging service appointments, and waiting for installers to arrive. Our custom relocation plans will help lighten the employee’s load, reduce stress and fatigue, and minimize distractions.
Finding the right schools and childcare
For employees with families, ensuring the wellbeing of their children will be a primary concern throughout the relocation process. Any risk that the kids will be negatively affected can cause stress to escalate. Finding the right schools or organizing childcare will go a long way towards establishing a regular routine and making it easier for the entire family to settle in. Suburban Settlers can be instrumental in doing the required research on your employee’s behalf, making qualified recommendations, and organizing onsite visits either before or after moving day.
Getting the lay of the land.
Once your employee has moved in and unpacked, they are likely to feel lost in their new town or city. The process of getting to know the neighborhood – from figuring out the best places to shop and eat to finding a new doctor, a dentist, or veterinarian – can seem pretty overwhelming.
Your employee can certainly find plenty of information online about their future destination. Recommendations from local coworkers also might be useful, but their tastes or interests may not be a fit for the relocating employee. Truth is, there is nothing like first-hand experience for conveying what the new community has to offer.
That’s where a service like Suburban Settlers comes in. We’ll create a customized roadmap to all the local resources that match your employee’s lifestyle and unique needs. We include detailed information ranging from schools, doctors, and local service professionals to museums, parks, and gyms.
We also offer a “confidence tour”, personally escorting your employee and a guest through their new community and the surrounding area. We show them the best restaurants, retail, and recreation options, as well as places locals frequent. Your employees get the benefit of our insider knowledge, and exploring the neighborhood quickly turns strange surroundings into something far more familiar.
Making new connections.
The change and uncertainty of relocating can trigger anxiety as your employee wrestles with getting used to a new lifestyle and establishing new relationships. Some people dive headfirst into their new environment, but others need more time to settle in. Still others may experience a phenomenon known as relocation depression as they mourn the loss of the familiar life they left behind.
Connecting with others is a key factor in relieving anxiety and sadness – and your HR team can help kick-start the process even before the move. If your employee is relocating to an existing office, connect him or her with coworkers or business colleagues in the new location. Encourage the employee to ask friends and acquaintances if they know anyone in the new town or city, or spread the word about their transition through their social media networks.
Once your employee and their family have moved into their new home, Suburban Settlers can help take things a step further. We’ll recommend groups, clubs, and volunteer opportunities to match the employee with people who share common interests. We will even make personal introductions. People often feel more at ease getting out and making new friends when they have the company of a familiar face.
Relocating can be an exciting opportunity, but dealing with post-move logistics and adjusting to new surroundings can make it extremely difficult for employees to focus on performing well in their new job. Knowing what matters most to your staff – and partnering with local resources like Suburban Settlers to address these issues – will save your employees time, reduce on-the-job downtime, and help them feel truly at home in their new community.
Sources:
https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/overcome-relocation-depression)
https://www.urbanbound.com/what-to-do-before-moving-to-a-new-city
https://www.thespruce.com/things-to-do-to-get-settled-2435798
https://lifehacker.com/5798087/the-stress-free-guide-to-settling-down-in-a-new-city
https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/overcome-relocation-depression
https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/overcome-relocation-depression)