What Factors Impact an Employee’s Decision to Relocate?

And How Companies Can Alleviate Concerns and Make Relocating Attractive?

Many factors can impact an employee or future employee’s decision to relocate, from family to climate to cost of living. While many of those factors are out of employers’ hands, there are ways companies can anticipate and address employee reservations about moving. 

Why Employees Might Be Hesitant to Relocate

The pandemic has caused many people to re-evaluate their relationship with work and what they value in the workplace. People may not be as keen to relocate solely for career development but are also taking into account other factors like lifestyle, climate, and their family. The pandemic only accelerated an already existing trend in employees being hesitant to relocate for work. Parents, whose kids may just now be going back to in-person schools, may be less likely to want to move them to a new school. People who have gotten used to working remotely may see relocating for an in-person job as giving up their flexibility. Even prior to the pandemic, moving for work is a major transition–one that a lot of people may now see as unnecessary.

If the Great Resignation is any indication, people’s values as it relates to the workplace are changing. Employees are placing a higher premium on companies working with them to define a model that meets their preferred work style and environment–whether that’s offering flexible hours, remote or hybrid work environments, or offering unique benefits. The wave of remote work that came with the pandemic showed a lot of people that they don’t need to be in an office, or tied down to a specific location, to do their work effectively.  

Shifting Dynamics of Relocating Talent   

Despite the remote work trend, many employees are still willing to relocate for the right position; however, they’re not necessarily willing to relocate for the same reasons. Generally, relocating for work is still seen as a way to advance your career, but in 2022 people aren’t prioritizing their careers in the same way. If an employee or candidate determines that relocating would come at the expense of other areas of their life, they may be more resistant to taking the position. In order to continue to attract people to relocate for your company, organizations need to make relocation packages more interesting and flexible.

The Wall Street Journal reports that employees want flexible hours more than remote work. Making this simple change to your workplace can be an effective way to not only attract new employees but also benefit existing ones helping to improve employee retention. 

Work-life balance is incredibly important for employees across the board–whether they’re parents who want to spend time with their children or younger employees who seek more free time. As companies begin to return to the office it’s important to consider policies and new ways of working that help employees continue to maintain their newfound work-life balance and flexibility.

Having a Solid Relocation Plan Is Essential 

Having a clear plan in place for relocating talent is one of the best ways that you can address their concerns and ensure they get off to a positive start. A good mobility plan not only alleviates stress for the moving employee but also streamlines the work your company will have to complete, creating an easier, smoother move for everyone involved. This can mean having a set policy that determines how and how much your company covers relocation costs. Knowing ahead of time how the financial side of a move will be taken care of is both helpful for your company and the employee moving. 

A solid plan can also include knowing what additional resources your company is willing to cover–like a trip to scout their new location. Additionally, maintaining clear and consistent communication with your moving employee is essential to making sure the relocation runs smoothly.