What is move management?
Move management is a process where an employer moves an existing employee, a new recruit, or an intern to a new location. During any move management process, the organization is expected to cover at least some or all of the employee’s relocation costs.
Move management is also known as relocation management. It’s an extensive procedure handled by human resources (HR) teams. With the help of move management, employers can optimize expenses incurred during relocation, streamline the moving process, and cut down on the time and effort taken to facilitate such a move.
Move processes include many activities: tracking employees’ movement, managing relocation costs, and gathering details about the target destination. With so many tasks involved in a move of this magnitude, it’s imperative that HR teams utilize relocation management software to streamline disparate processes and execute an efficient move plan.
Move management services
As established before, a comprehensive move plan involves various activities and services that need to be performed before, during, and after a relocation. Some office relocation services include:
- Request management: Employees may request a shift in location either internally or outside of the organization. These move requests need to be compiled and assessed in one centralized location. HR teams that receive these requests review each one carefully and come to a consensus regarding the employee’s movement.
- Expense management: Relocations cost money. The employer will be expected to cover most if not all of the expenses incurred in a move plan. Expense management also includes creating and maintaining a network of suppliers and providers that play a huge role during the movement process. These may include packers, moving companies, realtors, and homeowner associations.
- International documentation: Employees who are expected to move across borders need to have all their paperwork in order. Documents like visas and passports need to be arranged before the move. HR teams will be required to assist employees in setting up visa appointments and maintaining a checklist of all the necessary documents.
- Help desk: Employees will require assistance at various segments in their relocation process. Having a go-to person who can answer questions regarding the move process, make reservations at hotels, book tickets, and arrange for any additional resource like door-to-door transportation can be especially helpful.
Benefits of move management
Relocating an employee can be quite challenging. A move management plan cuts down on the time and effort spent overseeing the entire relocation process. Here are some major benefits of move management:
- Reduce downtime. When employees are expected to move from one location to another, work gets inevitably disrupted. If these employees are part of a larger team, team members will end up exerting themselves to fill the gaps left by this relocation. With a proper move planning process, the time required by employees to settle into their new area is significantly reduced, leaving more time for work to be accomplished.
- Report easily. Relocations can get extremely chaotic. A lot of crucial information can be lost during the move process. With the help of move management software, employers can create a comprehensive report of the entire procedure, track the move’s progress, note the budget and total expenditure, forecast costs for future relocations, and analyze the overall success.
- Prepare employees. A standardized move management system can help employees at every step of the process. Individuals will know exactly what to do, what to expect from the move, the total cost of the program, and how much time it’ll take for them to settle down in a new space.
- Plan spaces better. For internal movement (like shifting to a new building or moving to another floor), move management can help employers plan the efficient layout of workspaces. Floor plans and the room volume is assessed before any employee relocates to the new environment. This eliminates office crowding and resource mismanagement.
Best practices for a move management program
Here are some best practices to follow in any move management program:
- Maintain a database of vendors. Many vendors will be involved in a relocation program. Keeping a list of vendors required for different stages of a move can be extremely helpful. Make sure that this database is updated regularly to prevent any last-minute hiccups.
- Communicate clearly. Relocation can be daunting to an employee, especially for someone who has never moved away from their home. With proper guidelines and a clear line of communication, misunderstandings can be avoided. It also sets expectations regarding how the move process will pan out for the employee and ensures that they don’t receive any unwelcome surprises.
- Evolve continuously. Processes can always be improved. Exploring different options such as new vendors, different geographic locations, or enhanced spaces can not only improve employee experience but also provide opportunities to optimize the total cost of the program.
- Receive feedback. At the end of every relocation process, it’s a good practice to send out surveys or feedback forms to try and understand what worked for the employee and what didn’t. It also allows employers to improve the existing processes.
Ninisha Pradhan
Ninisha is a former Content Marketing Specialist at G2. She graduated from R.V College of Engineering, Bangalore, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering. Before G2, Ninisha worked at a FinTech company as an Associate Marketing Manager, where she led Content and Social Media Marketing, and Analyst Relations. When she's not reading up on Marketing, she's busy creating music, videos, and a bunch of sweet treats.
