In today’s healthy job market and increasingly global economy, implementing a scalable employee relocation program has never been more imperative. But employee relocation is dynamic, constantly changing due to new players, legislation and technology. In order to stay competitive and anticipate these changes, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the relocation and mobility landscape.
Check out this presentation to learn:
How consumer trends affect the way companies relocate employees
The impact of current and future legislation on global mobility
Shifting expectations from different generations in the workforce
How relocation will play a role in an increasingly remote workforce
What the most forward thinking companies are doing to use relocation to attract the best talent
And so much more!
2. MICHAEL KRASMAN
CEO & Co-Founder
TODAY’S PRESENTERS
REBECCA STEPHENS
Director, Global Mobility
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3. ABOUT URBANBOUND
CHICAGO BASED
TECH COMPANY
LEADING PROVIDER
OF EMPLOYEE
RELOCATION
TECHNOLOGY
WORKING WITH
TA/HR
PROFESSIONALS
SINCE 2011
GOAL TO
MODERNIZE THE
RELOCATION
INDUSTRY
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4. TODAY’S
AGENDA
Consumer trends affecting
relocation & global mobility
The rise of telecommuting
and the impact on relocation
An update on 2018 US Tax
Reform
An open dialogue with
Rebecca, Director of Global
Mobility, Indeed
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6. Approximately 250,000 jobs were created in the US in
October 2018 and the national unemployment rate
remained unchanged at 3.7%, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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9. 01
Rising expectations
for technology
● Millennials, or “digital natives,” will soon
make up 50% of the workforce
● Digital natives know the difference
between good user design and bad user
design
● The relocation industry is moving online
(finally)-—but beware of bad user design
● Millennials (and post-millenials) don’t just
want intuitive software—they expect it
● It’s not enough just to offer relocation as
a benefit, you must think about how it’s
administered
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10. 02
On-demand everything
● Consumers can get almost anything they
want, on-demand (car rides, food,
groceries, movies, etc).
● As a result, we have seen a major shift in
the consumer mindset: impatience
● People don’t want to wait for anything
anymore—including their relocation
benefit
● Lump sums should should be disbursed
into an employee’s bank account before
they move
● Relocation services should be available
for employees to book at all hours of the
day.
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11. 03
The desire to multi-task
● Consumers love to multi-task
● The increased popularity of audiobooks
and podcasts has contributed to this
idea that minds should not be idle
● Consumers own more devices than ever
before—which means they are more
distracted than they’ve ever been
● Employees should be able to plan their
relocation at their own pace, on their own
time, across multiple devices
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12. 04
Human-like chatbots,
voice assistants &
software
● Consumers are less tolerant of “dumb”
software
● AI is smart enough to understand a user’s
intent—in some cases—before the user
knows his/her own intent
● Relocation technology, and HR
technology in general, should be able to
take an employee’s unique data and
circumstance and provide them with
information that fits their exact needs
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14. 04
Human-like chatbots,
voice assistants &
software
● Consumers are less tolerant of “dumb”
software
● AI is smart enough to understand a user’s
intent—in some cases—before the user
knows his/her own intent
● Relocation technology, and HR
technology in general, should be able to
take an employee’s unique data and
circumstance and provide them with
information that fits their exact needs
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15. Consumer trends influence the expectations
employees have with their employers. When you
offer relocation as a benefit, how you offer it, can
impact what potential employees think of your
company.
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16. REMOTE
WORK
&
RELOCATION
It’s a war for talent,
and in order to be
competitive,
companies must be
flexible. But will
remote work
replace the need to
relocate?
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17. Relocation vs. Hiring
Remotely
● 40% more US employers offer flexible work than
they did 5 years ago...but only 7% make it
available to all of their employees (Global
Workplace Analytics).
● Telecommuting doesn’t work for everyone
● 57% of companies don’t have a remote work
policy (Upwork).
● Major companies over the last 5 years have
requested that their remote workers return to
the office. (Yahoo, Reddit, IBM, Bank of America).
● Remote work comes at the expense of company
culture
● Consider a flexible culture vs. a remote culture
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18. U.S. TAX
REFORM:
ONE YEAR
LATER
The Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act eliminated
the moving deduction
for 2018 and beyond.
Making household
good moves, storage
and final travel
taxable benefits.
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19. As of November 28, 2018*
States that have passed legislation to make
moving expenses deductible or excludable*
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20. As of November 28, 2018*
States that defaulted to keep moving expenses
deductible or excludable*
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21. 2018 US Tax Reform Impact
● The cost of relocation has gone up: either for the
employer or the employee
● Grossing-up provides the best employee
experience
● Relocation software provides increased
efficiency
● Donate and discard programs can greatly
reduce the cost of a household goods move,
offsetting the cost of grossing up:
○ Weight = Cost
● Managed lump sum tools can help reduce cost,
without sacrificing support
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24. Managed Lump Sum
Also known as a capped lump sum, is a credit that an employee can use for
relocation benefits, usually managed by an RMC.
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25. Managed lump sum
● Money doesn’t go into the employees bank
account—they can use it to book preferred
suppliers or submit receipts for reimbursement
● Historically, managed lump sum was too big a
burden for HR and Accounting because invoices
weren’t in real-time
● Managed lump sum tools solve this problem
● Benefit to employer: easy to budget, no suprises
● Benefit to employee: not held to specific
use-it-or-lose-it benefits
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26. Relocation Resources
Regional Relocation Council i.e. Austin Relocation Council, Midwest Relocation Council
Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC): www.worldwideerc.org
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27. What to consider when
building a relocation
policy
● Make sure internal stakeholders are engaged:
Tax/Finance, Payroll, Benefits
● Know your company culture: is relocation
considered transactional or strategic?
● Find a philosophy that aligns your company
culture and goals, and stay within that
framework
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28. Questions to ask when
evaluating a mobility
partner
● Does their philosophy match your company’s
philosophy?
● What problem are you trying to solve, and how
can they help solve it?
● Are they looking at relocation with a
one-size-fits-all approach?
● What size company is their sweet spot and does
your program fit that sweet spot?
● Ask to speak to clients that have moved on
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