Getting your talent from assignment A to assignment B is no easy feat. They say it takes a village to raise a child – we say it takes a village to relocate your employee.
With a transferee having limited time to consider the offer, accept the move, and relocate to the new area or country, there isn’t time to worry about finding new sports clubs or activities for her children or locating specialized doctors and resources for her spouse. She is spread thin wrapping up unfinished business at her old office – and that’s before she starts thinking about her personal life and housing needs.
It’s no secret that family concerns continuously top the list of reasons relocations are refused or fail. Integration support is a small investment that can lead to huge rewards – a happier family and a more productive employee. This is especially true for global relocations, when the honeymoon phase fades quickly and families feel left in the dark in a culture they don’t understand.
Some companies believe they have the family’s needs covered when they engage a Destination Service Provider (DSP), but there is a gap between those services and the on-going support the family requires. Integration Support and DSPs are both an important part of a relocation benefit package – but they are not one in the same. Here are 3 ways these vital services differ:
1. The programs focus on two separate needs.
The overwhelming “to do” list often reaches beyond the household walls and hinders your employee’s performance at work. Integration Support provides the employee with a one-on-one coach to assess his needs and address the high-priority items that are pressing into his time at the office. Proactive coaching guides the employee on what to pay attention to during the relocation so he does not lose sight of important areas of his life. The dedicated coach ensures the family has the essentials that are needed to make them feel at home again. From medical providers and veterinarians to housecleaners and places of worship, Integration Support is there to take these items off your employee’s plate and organize his ever-expanding list of “to dos.”
DSPs often coordinate many critical aspects of the move, like home search, school search, initial registrations (bank accounts and driver’s licenses), and area orientation. These one-time services are needed to get your employee up and running faster, but they do not focus on the on-going, long-term integration needs of the entire family.
2. A dedicated Integration Coach provides invaluable knowledge for the family.
Integration Support pairs each family with a dedicated integration coach based on their needs and location. IMPACT Group’s coaches have relocated before, so they are well aware of the challenges relocation pose for your employee and her family. This one-on-one relationship allows the coach to build rapport with the family over time and discover needs that are vital for their successful integration. The coach is proactive from the beginning, reaching out to the family, pointing out items they might overlook, and serving as a sounding board from beginning to end.
DSPs provide assignees with a representative to join them on their house hunting trip and support immediate needs once they arrive in the new city.
3. Integration Support is in it for the long haul.
Before, during, and after the relocation, Integration Support provides families with coaching and resources to minimize the barriers that keep them from building a new life. This support doesn’t stop when the moving vans leave the driveway. Support continues well after the physical move to continually assist and monitor the family as they establish a new normal. This ensures arising needs that were unforeseen in the beginning don’t become an issue.
DSPs are available during a house hunting trip and for one or two days after the employee relocates to the new city. While this service provides families with on-the-ground support while they get their bearings, the family’s needs require continued attention.
Want your transferee to go from, “How am I going to manage this relocation?” to “How soon can I jump into my first project?” Provide her with a robust relocation benefit that will address her family’s on-going integration needs in addition to the important tactical, on-the-ground items. Explore IMPACT Group’s integration support services today!
