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Relocation Strategic Moves Providers continue to seek policies that make relocation the right choice for organizations and their best talent. By Russ Banham After several years of penny pinching that narrowed the volume of Craig Selders, president of Paragon Relocation, has a similar international expatriate and other employee relocation assignments perspective. "Assuming the economy continues to grow, interest at many global organizations, the seemingly improving economy rates remain low, and consumer spending continues to rise, these bodes more activity in the year ahead. factors will drive company growth, which, in turn, will then lead 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. 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, organizations 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 "As the global economy improves and companies look to further routine distractions that can occur from living in a place with a expand internationally, there will be a direct correlation to the needs different culture, language and economic challenges, not to mention for talent, which, in turn, will cause a strong increase in relocation the potential absence of one's family members. Such split family activity," notes Bill Nemer, senior vice president of client services for relocations, and even those in which the entire family is relocated, Graebel Relocation. "can literally rip a family apart," says Selders. [10] HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | MARCH 2013