No, nope, no thank you…no matter what words they choose, sometimes people say no when you really want a yes. This is certainly true when extending job offers that involve relocation.
In fact, 64% of employers had their offers declined last year. That’s a lot of rejection, and a whole lot of talent slipping away.
Some professionals embrace relocation opportunities; others won’t entertain it, ever. But there are those in the middle who might accept a specific offer if it’s sufficiently compelling. That’s why it pays to work at overcoming relocation reluctance. And here’s how.
3 Reasons Why Relocation Offers Are Spurned
For many employees/candidates, the impulse to reject a relocation offer is due to one of three factors:
Family Concerns
Spouses, partners, children…these are ties that not only bind, but sometimes bind us to one place. Working spouses/partners may not want to give up a good job. Parents may worry how moving might impact their kids. Sometimes, employees are up for the challenge, but their families aren’t there…yet.
Financial Concerns
Relocation is costly: moving, transportation, the whole hornet’s nest of the housing market. And what if you’re moving to a more expensive area? Many candidates need reassurance that they’ll come out ahead.
Fear of the Unknown
Change is hard, even if something better may await on the other side. The good news is: eventually, the unfamiliar becomes familiar—and there are ways to accelerate the process.
5 Ways to Win Over Relocation-Reluctant Employees
Once you know what the common objections to relocation are, you can tweak your job offers to overcome them. Here’s five effective ways to do just that.
1. Make the Move Financially Rewarding
Look, money talks. Attractive compensation is a great starting point, but salary alone isn’t enough. Many employers sweeten their offers with relocation/sign-on bonuses, cost of living adjustments and guaranteed employment contracts.
And of course, employees expect to have their relocation costs covered, too.
2. Ease the Relocation Planning
One of the best ways to calm relocation-related angst is to not only pay for the move, but make it significantly easier. That’s what a good relocation provider brings to the table.
Offering employees support that includes easy-to-use relocation software, help from live relocation consultants and a screened network of quality vendors lightens move-related stress, making it less daunting in the candidate’s eye.
3. Provide Family-focused Support
Often, winning over an employee’s spouse or partner is the key to getting to yes. That’s why it’s smart to offer family-specific relocation services, including:
- Career assistance for spouses and partners
- Help with school selection and
- A destination services program, which helps families settle in
4. Offer Help with Home Buying
Most relocation packages include a house-hunting trip or two, but in this era of housing shortages and high mortgage rates, employers need to up their ante. After all, few homeowners want to exchange their 3% mortgage rate for one that’s double, or pay more for less home in a pricier real-estate market.
So, how can employers overcome that? Here’s some ideas:
- Find a relocation partner that offers mortgage rate discounts (see the UB Mortgage Solution)
- Pair your employees with experienced real-estate agents who specialize in relocation
- Offer extended short-term housing benefits in competitive markets, so employees are reassured that they’ll have time to find the right house
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5. Provide Great Information about Your Location
Remember what we said about fear of the unknown? The better you introduce your potential hire to your area in all its glory, the sooner you’ll leap this hurdle.
Lifestyle, climate, culture, amenities, quality of life…whatever you’ve got going for you, make sure your candidates know it. When they come in to interview, show them the town. Put curated information at their fingertips (a software-based relocation provider makes this a snap).
In short, the more helpful, welcoming and informative you can be, the more likely your candidates are to see this as a place that they could call home.
Getting to Yes
At the end of the day, relocation reluctance is normal. The good news is, there are many ways to overcome it.
For more ideas on making relocation easier and more exciting, reach out to us. That’s our specialty. And we’re here to help.
