EMPLOYEE RELOCATION & ASSIGNMENT TRENDS Towards flexibility & personalisation
Simon Johnston, CEO, Icon Relocation
Icon Relocation’s CEO Simon Johnston discusses how trends in relocation are significantly changing to reflect broader shifts in work culture, lifestyle preferences and the economy. He tells Marianne Curphey how technology can help manage challenges like rent volatility, assignee expectations and communication.
T 60
raditional relocation practices, which are often focused on senior employees moving for long- term assignments, have evolved to include a wider demographic group, particularly younger
workers and those with expertise in the tech sector. There is also an increasing emphasis on short-term relocations and ‘bleisure’ trips, where employees add on extra days to explore a city after their business meetings have finished. “Companies are now more attuned to employees’
mental wellbeing, lifestyle needs and the role that technology plays in finding suitable housing and rentals, matching assignees to locations and answering questions in real-time,” Simon says. He has identified key trends shaping the relocation
industry today and says that technology is a powerful tool to manage relocation packages, mitigate budget constraints and communicate with an increasingly tech- savvy cohort of assignees. However, the human touch is still important.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE DEMANDS A NEW APPROACH While permanent relocations remain rare, short-term assignments have gained momentum, particularly among younger employees. These assignments are typically for a short period, often six months to a year, allowing companies to meet specific project needs without committing to long-term moves. Often, these employees are single and more willing
to embrace the flexibility of temporary relocation, with some happy to live in shared spaces. This shift has allowed companies to leverage talent more flexibly while avoiding the significant costs associated with permanent relocations. For longer-term relocations, senior executives still
make up a portion of long-term relocations. However, a greater number of younger employees are also being relocated. It is no longer just about high-level positions, but about new hires being sent out to gain experience and work on specific projects.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86
