How to prepare your employees for relocation?

Preparing yourself and your family for a move is definitely not an easy thing to do. According to psychologists, moving is in the top 5 most stressful events for an average human being, along with death and divorce. So, to go through it in a majority of situations means to go through a lot of stress. But how do you deal with being the one responsible to help prepare your employees for relocation? This task is on a whole other level. When a company is about to move to a new place, it usually means that things are going well. That is, of course, reassuring. But, chances are that that won’t be enough to make things go smoothly for each of your employees if at all. Luckily, there are ways to not just cushion the blow, but to help prepare your employees for relocation in an efficient way.

Prepare your employees for relocation mentally first

The question of what makes a good leader is one of the oldest questions in the history of our civilization. There are many different contexts in which a person can become a leader – sports, war, volunteering organizations etc. One of the chief traits of a good leader is that he or she is able to inspire people. So, whether you are a soccer team’s captain, or, in this case, a team leader, one of your main objectives is to keep your people inspired. When you find yourself in a situation that you have to prepare your employees for relocation, the first thing that you have to do is have an honest team talk in order to truly prepare them mentally for packing the business properly and dealing with it the best possible way.

Moving to another city is definitely not a thing that should be taken lightly. If that is the case with your company, then your team will need your help. So, how can you do this? Do not lie to them. Tell them honestly that tough times are ahead and that things will not be easy. However, you have to show confidence that things will settle quickly despite any potential obstacles. You have to plant in their minds the faith that they can go through this despite any shortcomings. Prepare them for the worst case scenario, and once the move is on the way, they will be able to fight it more efficiently. Also, make sure that they know that you are there for them.

Hire a quality moving company

From wherever to wherever you are moving, there are going to be a lot of options for hiring a moving company. If you are moving Queens to Brooklyn, hiring commercial movers Brooklyn offers is a good idea always. Hiring a good, respectable moving company is a thing that is going to make all of your lives a lot easier. Sometimes, people decide against this due to budget reasons. However, it is important to bear in mind that hiring a good moving company is definitely worth it.

You are not giving your money away. You are paying for a service, and if you have to pay 15% more for a good company than you would have paid otherwise for another company of questionable quality, do not even think about it. Hire the one with a good reputation. This will provide you and your employees with a lot more certainty and make you feel at ease.

Be honest with how the move is going to be handled

When you are about to move with your family, things can look uncertain at times. However, when your entire company is moving, then things can feel a lot more uncertain. So, make sure that you present them with all things concerning the relocation process like how the furniture disposal will be handled, for instance. They will also be very interested to know how the financial aspect of the move is going to be handled. So, how are they going to be compensated and are you going to cover a portion of costs? Communication is really important, and in fact, it is crucial in general, not just during a move.

Assist them in dealing with the essential aspects of the move

Your work will not be waiting for you to relocate. That one is for sure. That is why you have to prepare your employees for relocation properly, so they can continue with doing their job to the best of their possibilities. Make a team in Human Resources for dealing with the most important moving documents and other important objectives like transferring health insurance, for instance.

Your employees are going to appreciate your help with helping them register their kids to new schools and dealing with their car registrations. Furthermore, the Human Resources team can also help your employees with dealing with their bank accounts and even driver’s license changes. These things can be really hard, and by assisting them with this, you can make sure that they can keep their minds focused on the job.

Help them find their new homes

The most important thing when moving is, of course, finding a new home. The ideal situation here is that your company has already planned out a housing solution for all of your employees. This could help prepare your employees for relocation much more easily. However, this is often simply not possible. If that is the case, then you have to aid them with this too. The first thing to do is to help them find at least some temporary housing. So, you or one of your assistants can look for temporary housing options.

Perhaps they can get discounts for a long-term group occupation of hotel suites. Checking out AirBnB is a great idea. Some very interesting options can be found this way. You can also help them look for permanent housing options by hiring a real estate agent. They can be extremely helpful in situations such as this. The important thing here is that you have to take care of your employees the best way you can. It is in yours and their mutual interest so that they can focus on their job.