October 4, 2023
As an experienced business leader with global connections, Amanda Coulson has helped organisations find the right candidate for key positions, wherever they are in the world. Here she shares her advice on achieving a successful job relocation.
In all the research, moving home and changing your job are consistently up there in the top five most stressful things we do in life. So when you put two of those things together by relocating for a new job, you know you are taking on a bit of a challenge.
During my many years in recruitment, I’ve seen job relocations go very well, and some go not so well, so I have learnt a thing or two about ways in which you can make the process smoother and mitigate against any unnecessary stress or lack of success.
At the heart of it all, the two key essentials are to be open and honest in your conversations right from the very beginning and to be clear in your mind about what it is you want from your new job and your new home.
Without doubt, the times I have seen relocations end in disappointment, the root cause has been a misunderstanding between the employee’s ambitions and the employer’s expectations. When this happens, the complexities of unravelling the situation are obviously quite extensive.
Communication and negotiation are therefore vital to making a job relocation a success, and in my opinion, having the expertise of a recruitment agency to negotiate a relocation package and ensure that the right candidate is moving to the right job, with the right ambitions and the right skill set, is absolutely priceless.
Naturally, relocation arrangements tend to occur at the higher end of the job market, as organisations search for specific talent and as candidates look further afield for the right career step.
For the right candidate at the right level, a business is very likely to offer a relocation package to help an employee move to a suitable new location, often covering the costs of moving house or arranging temporary accommodation while a house move is completed.
But there are responsibilities on the employee too, to make sure both the job move and relocation go according to plan and prove to be a success for all parties. It is really important that a candidate investigates the job thoroughly and is fully assured that this is the right step for them before the relocation process begins. A change of mind down the line can become very complex and leave the employee with some unwanted consequences.
Just as a skilled recruitment agency will support the candidate in negotiating the right relocation package, they will also have the expertise to ensure that the right questions get answered to give a candidate the greatest possible confidence that this is the right next step for them.
The significance of this decision should not be underestimated. For those of us in full-time work, we spend 80% of our waking hours in the workplace, so this needs to be a place we find fulfilment and enjoyment. Moving across the country, or even the world, to find that next job role means you need to be sure you will end up in the right job for you.
As much as possible, plan ahead. At this level of role, you are likely to be working to a three-month or six-month notice period, but even these time frames can be tight for finding new homes, new schools and a new framework for living. Do all you can to be as ready as you can during this transition period, and again, a good recruiter will be able to offer advice and support in the best way to make this move as smooth as possible.
By implication, I would strongly advise against relocating for your job in a knee-jerk reaction. The tales of disappointment following a move that I occasionally hear often begin with a heated exchange with a current boss and a reactionary job search with a sense of anger still in the air.
My advice would be to never move in a panic and at every step in the process be ready to assess the following criteria. Is this the right move for me? Is this the right move for my family? Is this the right move for my career? And is this the right move for my new employer? If the answers to these questions remain a yes, then you have the green light you need for an exciting next step in your career.
Don’t run the risk of getting a job relocation wrong. Speak to the experts at SVC Recruitment to get the help and advice you need to ensure it’s a success. Find out more at https://svcsolutions.co.uk/recruitment/
