From housing to leisure pastimes, singles have different needs than families when they move into unfamiliar territory. Companies should find a way to tap into the relocating singles market by providing more personal assistance to help new residents settle into the area.

According to Transition Coach Barb Singer, “Companies cannot assume that a new arrival’s coworkers will help support the new person since they have busy lives. And depending on where singles live, other singles they may meet at work may live on the other side of town, making it less convenient. The settling in process is physical, mental and emotional, and companies would do well to make sure the ‘whole’ person is well-acclimated.”

Here are some resources that can assist singles in adapting to their new community:

• Professional Associations, Societies, and Organizations
• Healthcare Providers (who accept your company’s insurance plan and are close)
• Local Clubs and Athletic Programs
• Area Attractions including nightlife, restaurants, festivals, and other events
• Places of Worship
• Meetup Groups
• Continuing Education Options (through a local community college)
• Biking, Hiking, and Fishing Options
• Crime and Demographics Report

Having a service such as Vandover helps to ease the employee through the moving process. It also can deliver several benefits and interesting options for singles in a new place. The more integrated the employee is, the more successful their relocation will be.

In speaking with transition coaches from Vandover, who talk about these issues with their participants, the following seem to be the greatest challenges they are faced with.

Numerous employees are unaware of the many details of their benefit packages. Transition Coach Marilen Pitler stated, “we must remind participants that there is always the possibility that benefits could be changing in December for the coming year, and before we provide assistance, they need to be sure if theirs is changing or not.”

Another coach, Kathy Riesmeyer, recommends that “people set aside an hour or two when they first get their insurance information and plow through it with a highlighter. Mark the items they don’t understand, make notes, and then either call the insurance company customer service department with their questions, or ask their HR contact.”

Providing resources for employees and their spouses is important so that they understand their insurance policies to the best of their ability. This can easily be provided with a competent and proactive human resource department.

“I currently have at least one participant who is still in the process of selecting insurance and hasn’t done so because she, the employee, is so busy at work. Consequently, they are operating without insurance or what may be obsolete coverage and have small children. It would have been nice if the HR department could set some time aside for the new employees to help them with the selection of their coverage, giving them permission to take time from a busy work day to address this need,” Trudy Marshall, Transition Coach, said.

According to Megann Blankson, Vandover’s Acclimation Team Lead, sometimes a person’s health insurance may not be popular in the new area, and therefore they will be spending more on office visits. Knowing what insurance is widely accepted in the area is a very important part of choosing a new healthcare plan for individuals you are moving.

In conclusion, communicating the key details about new insurance plans to relocating employees, and making sure employees understand their options, will greatly help them make an informed choice. Finding new healthcare providers can be a major undertaking, and being sure their plan provides the needed amount of coverage can eliminate some of the stress employees feel during a move.

For more information on corporate concerns when switching insurance companies, click here to read an article from Cort T. Malone, an attorney practicing in the New York office of Anderson Kill & Olick PC with a concentration on insurance recovery and corporate/commercial litigation. He lays out five issues that should be considered when changing insurance portfolios.

Inability to Work

In such a trying global market, the importance of dual incomes for many families is evident. This increasing need for two incomes can pose a serious challenge for families relocating to other countries, due to visa and cultural restrictions in some areas of the world. Additionally, many partners and spouses are choosing to work, not just out of need, but out of desire. They have invested as much time and effort into their careers as the employee. The sudden inability to work due to visa or societal restrictions can adversely affect their happiness, and in turn, the relocation.

Emotional Acclimation

For some, the detriment to a successful move is not the inability to work. Instead, the spouse faces the challenge of having no connections in the new country. Add a language barrier to the situation and you have a recipe for a very dissatisfied partner. Without the ready network that employment provides, they may be unable to form the vital connections they need to become acclimated to their new location. And once more, if they are unhappy, this puts the relocation in jeopardy.

Solutions

What can you, as an employer do to assist partners in embracing a move? Be aware of the working restrictions that may be placed on your employee’s spouse. In some cases, when the second income is a necessity, this may prevent the employee from accepting the relocation.

In the case that a second income is not a necessity, be prepared to provide assistance in finding suitable networking opportunities for spouses. These alternatives may be volunteering opportunities, expatriate groups, or other activities that will allow the partner to connect with locals in their new area. You also may need to provide language education resources to enable partners to communicate effectively and form connections.

A working spouse plays an important role in the success of a global relocation. Ensuring that you are caring for their needs, as well as those of the employee, will help create a successful relocation.

In these trying financial times, many families have gone from single income to dual income just to make ends meet. When one of these employees is asked to relocate, they now have to consider the effect the move will have on their partner’s career as well as their own. If their partner finds it difficult, or even impossible, to find a career in their new location, they may opt to stay where they are. This second income is just too important to their livelihoods.

Additionally, the career held by the employee’s spouse may be just that: a career. In years past, partners may have stayed home, or simply sought a job to pass the time and help support the family. In our modern culture, however, that is no longer the case. Spouses and partners have their own full-fledged careers, including years of experience, education, and goals of their own. Relocating to a new area that may or may not offer opportunities for them to utilize their experience and work toward their goals may not be something they want to consider.

What should employers do to assist these working spouses? Start by broadening the focus from just the employee to their spouse and family. Take into consideration their partner’s need for career assistance during the relocation. Make sure to communicate with the employee and their spouse, ensuring that you are aware of all their needs.

Second, be sure that there are tools and resources in place to assist the spouse with their career search in the new location. Ensuring that they have the support they need to pursue their career goals will likely create a successful move. Supply them with what they need to be successful in their new location, just as you would do for your employee.

More spouses and partners are working, both out of need and out of desire. Making sure that they are well cared for during a move is vital to its success. Strong communication with the employee and their partner may help ensure a positive relocation experience. Providing resources to help spouses find jobs in their new location may also contribute to a successful move. A happy spouse creates a successful relocation.

According to Vandover Transition Coach Phil Wright, many of his clients accept short-term transfers without moving their families. They then train local replacements in the interim in order to return home. More often than not, these jobs are located outside the United States.

The Brookfield Global Relocation Trends Survey found that 58% of companies’ revenues were generated outside of their headquarter countries for the second straight year, the highest-ever figure recorded by the survey.

In response to economic conditions, 75% of companies reduced assignment expenses, with the cost of a relocation serving as the most common assignment management challenge. 86% of companies prepared cost estimates before initiating international assignments. Only 25% compared estimates with actual costs – the lowest percentage in the history of this report.

For more information on the 2011 survey’s findings, click here. This recent Cartus blog post also explores the notion of diversifying global mobility packages.

Additionally, these project-based assignments have become a trend among Generation Y employees. Millennials may not need all of the traditional expatriate package benefits because they often prefer to receive financial assistance instead. This provides them with more flexibility to use the money as they see fit and do what works best for their lifestyle. This may also be due to their marital status, or because they believe that obtaining more global experience will advance their careers at a faster pace.

Short-term global projects are becoming more prominent among large international corporations. If one of your company’s initiatives for 2012 happens to be cost containment, it may just be the reason to give project-based assignments a closer look.