Housing options for internationally mobile talent

Shelter continues to be one of those core human needs that is frequently an area of top concern and sometimes a challenge when it comes to moving talent across borders to locations all over the world. Finding the right balance between an employee's needs and the company's resources in each location is both an art and a science that can have a significant effect on the employee experience and impact the ROI. Sarah Jackson, director of global supply chain in Plus's London office shares with us some of her insights into the nuanced considerations for housing options for internationally mobile talent. Take it away, Sarah:

"The global mobility industry changes, almost daily it seems, at every level. So, how do you know which is the right approach to secure housing for your relocating employee? With long established destination service providers (DSPs) now offering temporary housing options as well as traditional home searches and private rental accommodation, it can be hard to differentiate the two.

Temporary housing is a hotel-like offering, with furnished apartments that often have extensive facilities such as a concierge services and a gym, even restaurants and bars. Securing housing through this route is likely to be online booking, with no opportunity to view the generally standardized property before confirming. In contrast, a homesearch with a DSP would involve an extensive needs assessment and a tour of housing options before making a choice and beginning lease negotiations.

So, often temporary housing can be quicker to secure, but the relocating employee may have less of a say in the end result. This works well if there is no time for a homesearch, or if the stay is going to be short. But what if there’s a family, or the assignment is extended?

In this recent article, Dwellworks explains that temporary housing can be family friendly, even for longer periods of time. Safety and security concerns can be addressed through their own properties and those in their supply chain. With the opportunity to extend the stay easily and quickly at relatively short notice, it does offer a flexibility and a reliability that is comparable to a private rental."

For more on the topic, try one of these Relo Tip Tuesday videos:

How Does The Rise of Alternative Housing Options Impact Your Mobility Program?

How do I Prepare a Relocating Employee for Their Time in Temporary Housing?