How to Prepare Staff for a Business Relocation

Now that you’ve decided to relocate your business to another area, you need to start thinking about your employees. It won’t be easy for most of them to leave their friends, homes, and sometimes even families behind, and some might very well choose not to do it. For the employees that do opt to relocate with you, it’s your job to make it as easy for them as possible.

There are countless things like employee housing and adjustment to figure out, as well as providing them with the right tools to get used to working in the new environment. You also need to navigate this whole new change at the office, making sure that your employees understand the reasons and are on board.

If you need some advice and information about how to navigate this change, we’ve got you covered.

Develop a Timeline

When you first decide you need to move business somewhere else, you need to set a timeline so you know when everything will finally happen. This is important because a lot of international paperwork can take a while, and you might need to either hire or consult an expert so they can help you figure it all out.

There are online resources like Express Entry PR that can help you figure out some of the details, and even if you do hire an expert, doing your own research will empower you to advocate for yourself and your employees during the whole process, as well as to ask the right questions.

Plan in Detail

Moving places is one of the most stressful things to do even if you’re moving houses – imagine the implications of that when you’re moving your whole business. This is why you need to plan almost every detail in advance, make a checklist, and know-how and when everything will happen.

Make sure your employees know all the details too but don’t end up asking too much from both yourself and your employees, or making a checklist and timetable that aims to micromanage everything more than it helps. No one needs their boss breathing down their neck while they struggle to detangle themselves from everything they have ever known and the life they’ve built for themselves where they currently are.

Your job as the business owner would be to offer support and structure to them. To keep them informed about what’s going on, and to make sure nothing on your end adds to all the stress.

Ask for Employee Input

There may be some needs your employees have that you might end up overlooking or something that your employees expect from you without you realizing it. They might even have some great suggestions on how to make the move easier and navigate it, which is why employee input can be essential.

If you have a small office, set up a meeting to discuss all these things. You can organize a survey, too, if the office is too big, and it can even be done via email – as long as you’re hearing them all out and understanding their concerns, wants, and needs.

A lot of people might need assistance taking their vehicles to their new place or might need a place to stay for a couple of weeks before they find accommodation of their own. Will they need some sort of extra allowance for their travel needs, or will their spouses need support looking for jobs in the new country or city?
All these things need to be considered, and maybe the best idea would be to go ask your employees what they want instead of guessing or deciding on your own.

Keep Your Staff Updated

Communication should always be open during the entire move, and you’ll need to keep giving your staff regular updates on what’s going on. Besides, it would be pretty strange if one day you announce that the company’s moving and a month or two later you’re surprised that no one is ready to move with you.

Keep your staff updated about all the details and progress on paperwork etc, and make sure you don’t leave them alone, gasping for breath in a sea of uncertainty.