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The Critical Role of Moving Companies in Employee Relocation Programs
10-03-2024 | Armbruster Moving Company

The Critical Role of Moving Companies in Employee Relocation Programs

Employee relocation is the process involved with moving an employee from one location to another for work-related reasons. This can include moving within a city, to a different state, or even to a different country. If you found this article, you are probably an HR professional doing it alone. Maybe employee relocation is new to you and only makes up 10% of your job, or you handle less than 25 moves a year. Whether it's your first time or you are just looking for more information, you have come to the right place.

My name is Gus Armbruster; I’m the owner of Armbruster Moving and Storage, a preferred Employee Relocation Moving Company. I am also a Certified Relocation Professional (CRP) and a Subject Matter Expert regarding employee relocation, and I have helped many corporations develop and implement their relocation program. Today, I want to discuss what employee relocation entails, what you must manage in the employee relocation process, and the importance of partnering with moving companies.

The Basics of Employee Relocation

There can be many different business needs to relocate an employee either temporarily or permanently, such as for training, to satisfy a promotion, or to accommodate the perfect candidate from out of town. This means that while handling a domestic or international transfer within your organization, HR professionals can be expected to help those transferred employees handle the details regarding where they live and how they will get there. Many companies offer employee relocation packages as a benefit, including compensation for moving household goods, buying, renting, or selling a home, and other services. Besides financial compensation, HR professionals generally work with employees to plan the move, including finding housing and arranging household goods and auto transportation.

Managing and Planning an Employee Relocation Process

There are many different aspects of the employee relocation process that you will manage as an HR professional, including but not limited to the following:

  • Temporary housing: Providing accommodations before employees find permanent housing. Minimizing disruptions is crucial for employee morale. This can be a useful tool in a tight housing market like we are in today.
  • Mortgage Assistance: Processing a relocating-based mortgage for buying and selling. This can entail coordinating with a preferred bank or lender who specializes in these mortgages
  • Moving: Transportation of belongings, including vehicles and household items: Working with a preferred employee relocation moving company like Armbruster Moving and Storage can ease this process. Optional services like packing, unpacking, custom crating, and more are available.
  • Legal and immigration support: Managing work visas, permits, and foreign tax laws for international moves. Working with the government can be stressful, making it an essential facet of the process.
  • Real estate assistance: Selling existing homes, finding new ones, and managing property transactions. Select realtors specialize in relocation transactions. Again, The fewer disruptions to an employee's quality of life, the better.
  • Family support: Helping the employee's family, including school enrollment, destination tours, cultural training, and spousal employment assistance.

Partnering with a Certified Corporate Relocation Professional, CRP

Remember: Your goal as the HR Professional  managing  an employee relocation is to minimize stress on the employee and the company. I want to discuss why partnering with moving companies certified as Corporate Relocation Professionals (CRP) is crucial to managing your time and the program efficiently and effectively by having access to tailored solutions, helping to manage employee stress, and mitigating risk.

Tailored Solutions

Moving companies provide customized moving plans to meet individual needs, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness for the organization. Tailored solutions can include the following options:

  • Tech solutions like virtual surveys allow a transferee to get a moving quote using a smartphone or tablet—without a representative coming to their home. This option provides more flexibility, especially if they prefer scheduling an evening or weekend appointment.
  • Not every transferee will need a traditional full-service moving solution. In fact, more than 40% of booked moves today are for households moving less than 5,000 pounds. These moves can be treated as full-service container moves and have the advantage of guaranteed moving dates, shorter shipment times, and $10,000 of protection per container. Moving companies like Armbruster Moving and Storage offer solutions for any move and any size:
  • You can choose a la carte your service options like full and partial packing services, unpacking services, short-term and long-term storage, debris pick up of packing materials, and auto shipping.

Reducing Employee (and Company) Financial and Emotional Stress

Moving is stressful; moving companies offer full-service support, from packing to unpacking, which minimizes the burden on employees. Hiring a reputable moving company like Armbruster Moving might seem expensive; however, remember that many of the "hidden costs" – including temporary storage and delivery – are included in your estimate. While your first instinct might be to go with the lowest-cost provider, be aware that the moving business is in the midst of a "scam mover" surge. By partnering with a moving company you can receive discounted moving rates that are not available to the normal consumer.

Most reputable long-distance movers — including Armbruster Moving & Storage — have experience moving transferees with lump-sum relocation packages and will work to ensure you get the best service and value for every dollar the organization  spends. Employees  can handle the aspects of the move you're most comfortable handling, and let us take care of the rest. In addition to a dedicated move coordinator to help handle all the large and small details, we also offer Full Value replacement coverage, special services such as auto  shipping, and other customized help that will save you time, money, and stress. Contact Armbruster Moving & Storage  to receive discounted rates for household goods and auto shipping.

Mitigating Risk

Movers prevent common relocation risks like damaged goods and delayed shipments by using best practices and experienced teams. One of the biggest risk corporations incur on the DIY approach is the risk of an employee getting injured doing their own move.  If your employee is a homeowner, a lump sum usually means the employee is responsible  for selling their  old place and finding a new. The same goes for renters who may feel pressured to sign a lease on the spur of the moment for a less-than-desirable space. If they rent a truck or trailer and go the total DIY approach, they must remember that all those helpful friends and family members at one end of the journey won't be around when it's time to unpack. They'll need to hire labor to get your belongings inside — and usually pay a premium for the one-way truck rental. This leads to another cost they'll need to factor in insurance coverage. Eliminating all of this coordination by partnering with a trusted employee relocation moving specialist keeps all of this planning and coordinating off of their shoulders and yours, meaning that you're covered no matter what happens.

Final Thoughts

It is so essential for the Corporation and the employee morale to have a comprehensive and employee relocation program in place. Smooth employee relocations allows for both talent retention and business success, and it gives valuable time back to HR professionals. The best way to ensure efficient and stress-free employee relocations is by partnering with a preferred Employee Relocation Moving Company. I encourage all HR professionals to consider moving companies as integral partners in the relocation process for the best outcomes and cost for their company and employees. When considering the large sums of money that global corporations invest when relocating employees, HR professionals need a partner to control these costs while maintaining the highest standards possible. 

No move is ever one size fits all. That's why our corporate relocation policies are tailored to meet the unique needs of individual transferees and groups of transferees. We will mix and match our menu of moving services, including full and partial packing, unpacking, storage, debris pick up, moving protection options, and even certain convenience services. Make sure to contact us today if you or someone you know is in charge of employee relocation, and check out more resources for HR professionals at the WERC's official website.

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