Why Employees Choose to Relocate

Publié le 4 August 2023 Par Nancy Zafrani

If you’re worried about retaining your best team members, learn why employees choose to relocate and how companies can support their move.

Ask anyone to name two of the most intense transitions most adults face several times in their lives, and you’re likely to hear two answers – moving home and changing jobs. Combine the two, and it becomes clear why employees may be reluctant to relocate at a moment’s notice. By examining which factors influence employees’ decisions to move and relocate, companies can learn how to support their staff through this transition, including when they plan a move.

From an employer’s perspective, it’s easy to think only about the company-related impact of employee relocation. Perhaps the business wants to offer top performers a chance for a promotion. Perhaps the company is planning to move their office to a more suitable premises in another location. Or the leadership team is hoping to downsize the office space as more team members choose to work remotely. All those considerations are valid business reasons for a move.

When employees consider the same scenario, things tend to look a little more complex. Sometimes moving is part of a new job or promotion. Increasingly, however, people who are able to work remotely can choose their landing spot based on other factors. Aside from personal reasons, they’ll also assess the impact of the move on their family life. Depending on the distance between the old and the new location, a move almost inevitably means that kids need to change schools. Friendships and other relationships will likely also change.

Things become even more complex when there are two careers to be considered. A move that leads to a promotion for one partner in a relationship could disrupt the career of the other. Consequently, choosing to move is rarely a quick and easy decision for employees. Companies must consider all the factors that influence why employees choose to relocate or find a new job, or they risk facing a problem retaining their best team members.

Understanding the Impact on Work-Life Balance

In some circumstances, moving jobs may not necessarily require moving home. That is the case when the new location is within commuting distance from the employee’s home.

Being able to continue living in the family home may seem like a big advantage initially. However, the reality of a long commute could become problematic over time. Commuting by car adds time to the working day and takes away part of the time that a team member may have spent with their family or pursuing personal interests.

In those situations, hybrid working offers solutions that benefit companies and employees alike and result in a manageable work-life balance. The company benefits from retaining a valued employee who will spend part of their working hours in the office. The employee can maximize their personal time during days of working from home without compromising career progress.

What constitutes an acceptable work-life balance tends to differ between individuals. Rather than offering standardized packages, human resources teams should consider talking to individual employees about their needs regarding hybrid working arrangements.

Analyzing the Cost of Living in the New Area

Depending on where you are located in the country, a family’s cost of living can vary hugely. This variance can be both an advantage and a disadvantage in an employee’s decision to relocate.

Moving to a cheaper area could make buying real estate more affordable. For many families, being able to buy a larger home would be a big plus. At the same time, employees who are used to the amenities of living in a big city may find it difficult to transition to a more rural setting despite greater affordability and housing availability.

HR teams can support employees during their decision-making process or the relocation itself by providing relevant research and insights to guide employees and their families. It’s important to be honest with employees in this process and allow them to understand the benefits and potential downsides of their choices. Withholding information will only work temporarily and may diminish the employee’s trust in the company.

Considering Education and Schooling Options for Children

Whenever employers are asking families with school-age children to relocate, education options will be a big consideration affecting why employees choose to relocate.

Most parents prioritize their children’s education when it comes to choosing a place to live, for example. Being able to attend a school that is known for delivering excellent education has a huge impact on a child’s future college and university applications, for example. Asking employees to relocate to an area with limited access to great schools will likely be problematic for those with families.

Evaluating the Housing Market and Rental Costs

In theory, most employees will be happy to relocate for a promotion or a similar chance to further their careers. Granted, the coronavirus pandemic led many professionals and workers to reassess their quality of life and work-life balance, resulting in the so-called ‘Great Resignation.’ However, as we are approaching the middle of 2023, the expert who coined the term and others are predicting that the trend is coming to an end. As a result, employers may find it easier to convince employees to relocate.

Having said that, the housing market and rental costs in the new area will continue to be major factors in relocation decisions. Asking employees to move to a more expensive location without offering a major pay raise will most likely be unsuccessful. Offering a pay rise that only barely covers the difference in cost of living between two locations will do little to convince employees that they’re valued by the company. As a result, they may choose to look for another position rather than agree to move.

Giving Employees the Support They Need to Relocate

Aside from offering insights into potential housing and rental costs as we mentioned above, employers should also consider supporting employees through the move itself.

This type of support could take different forms, including:

Offering access to the services of professional moving companies,

Covering relocation costs, or

Offering PTO specifically for the move

Absorbing temporary rental costs while an employee’s family is looking for a new home.

Giving employees access to the services of a professional moving company does more than limit their relocation expenses. Professional movers minimize the stress and disruption that normally go hand in hand with moving house and jobs. As a result, your employees can manage their relocation while staying focused on their job as much as possible.

Final Thoughts

Moving homes and jobs at the same time is never easy. It is important to understand why employees choose to relace and how companies can support their move. By listening to and understanding the complexity of their employees’ concerns and offering practical, logistical, and financial support, employers can retain valued team members and minimize disruption to the business.