Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/136276
Relocation Strategic Moves Providers continue to source policies that make relocation the right choice for organisations and their best talent. By Russ Banham After several years of penny pinching that narrowed the volume of international expatriate and other employee relocation assignments at many global organisations, the seemingly improving economy bodes more activity in the year ahead. As assignments pick up in number and duration, several trends are emerging that warrant deeper consideration by companies dispatching their executives to far-flung places across the globe. Among these are ways to mitigate or avoid rancorous split-family assignments, innovative strategies to reduce relocation time intervals and costs, and cost-effective means of avoiding long-term international expatriate assignments. "As the global economy improves and companies look to further expand internationally, there will be a direct correlation to the needs for talent, which, in turn, will cause a strong increase in relocation activity," notes Bill Nemer, senior vice president of client services for Graebel Relocation. [29] HRO TODAY GLOBAL | SPRING 2013 Craig Selders, president of Paragon Relocation, has a similar perspective. "Assuming the economy continues to grow, interest rates remain low, and consumer spending continues to rise, these factors will drive company growth, which, in turn, will then lead to more relocation activity. The stronger the economy, the more moves (by executives). The weaker, the less." Splitting Up Without Splitting Up Despite this potential increase in relocation activity, organisations confront such probing questions as determining how to position talent abroad (and domestically) in ways that leverage the individual's skill sets and ignite his or her work ethic, without the routine distractions that can occur from living in a place with a different culture, language and economic challenges, not to mention the potential absence of one's family members. Such split family relocations, and even those in which the entire family is relocated, "can literally rip a family apart," says Selders.