Controlling Relocation Costs …

… While Still Providing a Great Relocation Experience

Cost is often the number one concern for organizations managing their relocation program. Although an organization might want to make sure it’s taking care of its employees, there isn’t an unlimited budget.

While most organizations manage mobility programs through relocation policies, there are often still a number of relocation exceptions. This can lead to companies feeling uncertain about how much a relocation will cost until all is said and done.

Regaining Control

The first step to take more control is to understand what works and what doesn’t, and evaluate the investments you’re making in relocation.

• Talk to recent relocating employees. Understand their experience and what services they used and what they didn’t. You might get a sense of what your employees really use and how to optimize costs based on use.
• Evaluate high-ticket items first. Household goods, real estate services, and temporary housing often make up the biggest costs. If you can save money in those areas, you might be able to keep all of the features of your program while making smaller cuts to other areas.
• Customize programs. Most companies offer a standard policy to all employees, regardless of their individual situation. But if you can get a better  sense of each employee’s needs, you can take control and know your relocation budget before the relocation begins.

Take Control of Relocation Costs

The best thing you can do is to truly optimize relocation for each and every person who moves for your organization. It creates the right balance of organizational satisfaction, while keeping budgets in line and also ensuring that your employees’ most critical needs are being taken care of first.

Although this approach is hard to scale on its own, there are new technologies that help organizations create a collaborative, effective relocation strategy that is friendly to employees and to your budget.