Switzerland
Germany
Belgium
The Netherlands
United KingdomUnhappy families are the #1 reason why an international relocation doesn’t work. Packimpex has advice to turn this around.
When a company decides to send an employee abroad without giving them support to properly integrate, they risk not only losing money but also losing their employee. One of the main challenges that corporate HR professionals face when relocating an employee internationally is helping them integrate into the local community and culture. This also happens to be an aspect of relocation that might not receive as much attention as it should before and after the employee and their family have moved.
Packimpex’s Relocation Consultants in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium are experts when it comes to offering guidance to HR professionals and the transferees (and families) they are relocating. Not only do they advise on best practices for packing and shipping, but they can also help find a home or school that suits the family’s needs and give them a tour of their new neighbourhood. This way, families feel comfortable in their new home as soon as they arrive.
Five tips that will help make your transferee’s expatriation a success:
1. Involve the transferee’s partner in the relocation
When we speak to a possible transferee, we invite their partner into the conversation as well. It’s very important that the partner is also committed to moving and integrating in the destination country and sometimes they have different needs than the transferee. Understanding their needs and worries can help you think of solutions that anticipate issues that might arise after they have relocated. The language barrier can be a challenge, so consider including language classes in the relocation package.
2. Encourage them to visit the destination before moving
From our experience, transferees who relocate by themselves (even from a neighbouring country) will work very long days because they are not sure how to spend their free time. On the weekends, they travel home to be with their families. In other cases, families are completely unfamiliar with their destination country and feel uncomfortable immediately upon arrival. To improve transferees’ quality of life after their relocation and ensure families and partners feel confident in the decision, we recommend giving them the opportunity to visit the country before they move. They can even schedule property visits and school tours with a Packimpex Relocation Consultant so they have a more personalised visit.
3. Offer language classes
As we mentioned before, the language barrier can be very intimidating for transferees and their family members. Fortunately, there is an easy solution: language classes. This can be part of the relocation package for before or after their relocation. Packimpex will provide assistance to book a language course at a great language school. Not only will transferees learn the local language, but they will also have the chance to connect with other expats going through the same experience in a new country.
4. Host a crash-course in culture
Integrating into the local community and learning about local customs is something that transferees can do even before they move. To do this, we suggest setting up webinars or video sessions with members from your local office in the transferees’ destination country so they can hear directly from someone who already lives there. Alternatively, you can arrange the same sorts of calls and presentations with Packimpex Relocation Consultants who take a “glocal” approach – keeping a global mindset while offering transferees a local perspective that will familiarise them with their destination in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. While this may be a bonus for the transferee, it is very important for the people who are relocating with them. Remember: the transferee will be automatically welcomed into a familiar environment – your workplace – but their family might not experience this in the same way.
5. Don’t forget the kids
If your transferee is relocating with children, finding a school or day-care centre will be a top priority for their family. The decisions about the children’s academic pathway and where they will go to school should be made before the relocation. For that to happen, they need all the necessary information and a comprehensive overview of the education options in their destination country. Our Relocation Consultants are very familiar with the different options in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium and can answer any specific questions families might have about education. We can also reach out to connections at the schools to arrange campus tours. It’s also important transferees consider what the experience will be like for their children when they are not in school – what sports are popular; what do students do after school; what are the day-care options for very young children? These are all topics that should be addressed before an international relocation takes place.
Packimpex can help you maximise the chances of a relocation’s success by ensuring your transferee has the information they need to feel confident in their decision. Our services include home-search and arrival services. Our solutions can be tailored to fit what you or your transferee need; and you can trust that they will be guided with a personal touch. Taking an empathetic approach to international relocation is key in ensuring your expatriation is a success – for you, your company and your employees.
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This article was originally posted on Linkedin by Guntram Maschmeyer, Director Corporate Business, Packimpex