“Your new job will be located in…” is enough to send shivers down many a spine.
Irrespective of whether you have been transferred or promoted to a new location, your company is moving its operations or you have found a new job, relocating to a strange place is both traumatic and stressful. Not to mention even time-consuming and expensive.
There are a lot of messy details; no wonder most people end up actually ‘dislocated’ instead of ‘relocated’!
So, first decide which is the better of two evils. Which monster would you rather face – relocate to a new location or find a new job in the current one (if the company is forcing your hand). If you are game for change or love adventure, your physical and emotional ordeal just got lesser.
Yet, there are umpteen things to consider like:
Family responsibilities – Your family will be uprooted, period. Relocation comes with its own share of intricacies like locating elder care, childcare, education, doctors, dentists and other service providers. You have to find good schools for your children and even job opportunities for a ‘trailing spouse’ who had to quit his/her job and start anew.
House hunting – By far the foremost issue is of finding a place to stay. While you can avail of cost-effective accommodation or temporary lodging facilities for a while, you will have to find a suitable home soon.
Cost of living – Moving from an economical city to a costlier one is not only about finding houses and schools. There is a significant difference in the cost of living in both the cities, which has to be factored in while making the move. Assess whether you will earn enough to live as comfortably as your current living standards in the new location. If needed, you can negotiate your new salary accordingly.
Quality of life – Every place comes with a unique and diverse culture. Can you adjust to the heat and humidity of Chennai, tolerate the commute problems of Mumbai or put up with the infrastructure (or lack thereof) in a place like Kanpur? Considerations of weather, safety, amenities, lifestyle and entertainment carry weight. Also, what if the new place is backward or obscure?
Apart from this, chew over personal considerations like leaving your relatives and friends behind. Consider whether the move will stimulate your professional growth, and if yes, is it enough to compensate for the other hitches.
Planning your big move
Relocation is never easy. But, proper planning can help ease the transition to a great extent. Here’s how to take care of the logistics once you have decided to go ahead with the move:
• Gather as much information as possible about the new area – country (for overseas relocation), state, city and neighbourhood. You can subscribe to the local newspaper or business journal, contact your old friends, relatives and acquaintances in the area or research the local market on the Internet. Compare average prices when it comes to utilities, transportation, food and education to understand the cost-of-life adjustment.
• Find out details about apartments, houses, and rent and property features through a real estate agent or from online sources. Visit the place first to have a close look at the environment before you select and finalise the house. There might also be the issue of selling your house in the current location.
• If possible, visit you new office and meet some employees to appraise yourself further. You can even go a step ahead and explore local landmarks, shopping centres, fitness facilities, hospitals, eateries, education centres, places of worship, and the like.
• The final step deals with the practical aspects like packing your bags, making an inventory of your household goods, getting them insured and hiring ‘packers and movers’. You can even hire the services of relocation professionals or repositioning specialists to conduct the move smoothly, though it is quite expensive.
• Do not overlook the fact that your company (new or old) may have a relocation policy that covers the relocation costs (at least partly, especially if you are moving at the employer’s behest). Take advantage of the relocations services available, which can include assistance in finding accommodation, school match service or spousal assistance for finding a new job.
Some companies bear the cost of house-hunting trip, moving and travel expenses as well as provide extra time off (with pay) for familiarisation and adjustment. Others offer hardship allowance and cost-of-living adjustments for a few years. They may even mitigate the ordeal with repositioning specialists, orientation tours, adjustment counselling, rental furniture and inventoried homes.
So, do remember to communicate with HR or other person in charge of relocating in your company to make a smooth and painless relocation!
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