Moving abroad can be stressful – potentially one of the most stressful experiences an employee might undergo in their lifetime. There are the pre-move decisions – sell the house or not? Rent or buy in the new location, how do I even know the right neighborhoods? Where will the kids go to school? How will my family settle in to the new culture? Will we be lonely and homesick? And a myriad other questions, decisions and situations that the employee will continue to encounter long after their actual move.

It’s enough to make it challenging for any transferee to be all-in and stay fully engaged in the new job. A recent Gallup study shows a concerning 21% decline in global employee engagement last year. Perhaps not surprisingly, the largest drop was among managers, the people tasked with ensuring happy, productive workforces while they themselves are navigating a relocation transition.

That disengagement is a significant financial drain on global businesses, costing the global economy a staggering $438 billion. Notes Gallup, “Engaged employees produce better business outcomes than disengaged employees — and engaged teams have a measurable impact on organizational performance.”

Relocation Counseling: End-to-End Support that Eases Stress

HR teams can flip the switch on disengagement by making their employees’ moves less stressful. That’s what relocation counseling is all about.

Think of relocation counseling as having someone who becomes an extended member of the transferee’s family, someone who is their personal guide every step of the way — from location A to location B to location C and more. A designated resource who manages all the related services through the life cycle of a relocation, and ensures that every milestone is met as it should be.

Relocation counseling is not a one-time conversation; it is not uncommon for our relocation counselors to support the same family for years.

We start with a one-hour call with the employee. We ask a lot of questions to learn about the employee and their family.  How old are your kids and what are their interests? Do you have a dog? What is your house size and what do you owe on it? If it sounds personal, well, it is.

But that call is just the beginning. I have moved the same family four times over the course of 10 years, for example. Their kids have gone from littles to teenagers. These are relationships that build over time and through all sorts of life events. Our relocation counselors have helped people through housing crises where the market is fluctuating. We helped people manage through COVID. We’ve helped families who need to quickly leave a region due to civil unrest and even war. Our jobs are relational, not transactional, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Why Use CapRelo’s Relocation Counseling?

In two words: knowledge and experience.

Relocation management is what we do every day, and all we do. Unlike most HR managers who might have a dozen other duties on their plate, our full-time job is seamlessly, efficiently, successfully moving your employees to where they need to be.

The fact is, with a team whose least-experienced counselor is surpassing 20 years, CapRelo’s consistency and industry knowledge is simply unmatched. That experience can be a huge asset to global mobility teams, as our counselors spot potential issues that others might not notice. An HR team might not, for example, realize that sending a person from one location to another could be a cultural snafu and serious red flag. Our counselors have the background to watch for those potential red flags, and guide the employee as needed.

Vendor management is another invaluable part of relocation counseling. We continually evaluate and vet partners to be sure they are providing the best service for relocating employees. Our team handles compliance, invoice, and relationship management, so HR leaders don’t have to.

Want to ease the stress of relocations?

Put your transferring employees in the hands of CapRelo’s experienced and knowledgeable relocation counselors. We’ll take the stress out of their moves while we ensure your policies and procedures are compliant. We’re by your side, and theirs, from start to finish. Learn more.