From Inflation to The Great Resignation: What’s Driving Relocation Trends in 2023?

As the world emerges from the challenges of the past two years, many companies are experiencing growth in their relocation volume and budgets.

The 2023 Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey was recently released. The survey’s findings revealed that relocation volume and budgets increased in 2022 and are expected to increase in 2023 for around half of all companies. 

In this article, we’ll explore the main factors that are impacting relocation, why employees may not want to relocate and what can motivate them to make the move. Plus, we’ll cover five simple actions your company can take to make its relocation efforts more successful.

What recent factors are impacting relocation?

While companies reported improved global economies and better financial performance than in previous years, economic conditions still had a big impact on relocation in 2022. These conditions include inflation, interest rates and whispers/fears of a recession. 

Companies are dealing with an increase in supply chain and logistics constraints and changing tax policies, which are also having an effect on relocation. “The Great Resignation” continues to be a big challenge for employers, too. Attracting and retaining talent while job-hopping and high “quit rates” are trending has posed a challenge. 

Why are employees declining to relocate?

Now more than ever, the average person is considering global and/or local conflict, climate threats, and inflation in their decision to relocate. The pandemic has also created several demographic trends that might make relocation harder, such as a spouse leaving the workforce to stay at home. There’s also been a rise in family needs related to multi-generational support, like caretaking for an elderly parent or having an adult child still living at home. Among those issues, inflation and the real estate market are also making the cost of living a key consideration for workers.

What are motivating drivers for employees to relocate? 

Relocation volumes and budgets are increasing for most companies, driven in part by workplace policies mandating a return to in-office attendance. Fully remote work is on the decline, though employees overwhelmingly prefer remote or hybrid office models. Voluntary relocation is a growing trend for employees who prioritize work/life balance and personal fulfillment. While competitive wages do matter, workplace culture is taking precedence.

How can a workplace respond to make relocating more desirable?

The most critical support for employees is partner/spousal support, childcare, and housing. Consider taking the following actions:

• Review and update job offerings and relocation benefits to make them more attractive and competitive to employees.
• Develop workplace management policies that take into consideration the changing attitudes and desires of employees, such as remote work, work/life balance, voluntary relocation, and flexibility.
• Account for lost or reduced incentives in relocation policies and provide resources and assistance to support the relocation of employees and their families.
• Consider building more extensive policies and resources for spouses/partners, childcare, and eldercare to help address pain points and make relocating more appealing.
• Additionally, remote/virtual hires can be used as alternatives for employees who report an inability to relocate due to family ties or a desire to stay local.

Ultimately, the success of a company’s relocation program depends on its ability to adapt to the changing economy and to prioritize the well-being of its employees. The Relocation America International team is here to make your relocation efforts easier and your employees’ experience as enjoyable as possible.

Review the entire 2023 Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey by clicking here.

DIY Projects to Hide the Bulky Items in Your Yard

Transform Your AC Unit

Your AC may be working overtime to keep you cool this summer, but that big bulky unit has your yard looking like a hot mess. Get handy this weekend by building your own AC disguise screen. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to check the clearance requirements of your AC unit. Make sure you are adhering to these rules before building or purchasing a screen to hide your AC.

Check out our favorite weekend DIY that’ll have that bulky AC unit coolly concealed for your next backyard bash.

LEARN HOW TO BUILD AN AC SCREEN

Camouflage Your Propane Tank

That eyesore in your yard sure puts the “pain” in pro-“pain.” Learn all the ways you can turn that gargantuan gas tank into the most fabulous feature of your yard. SAFETY FIRST! Before starting on Mission: Invisible Propane Tank, be sure there isn’t anything on top of or leaning against your tank. Remember to leave a path for service professionals and DO NOT put anything flammable on, near, or around the tank.

PLANT TALL SHRUBS
Bushes and shrubs like juniper and photinia grow at least six feet tall, beautifully concealing your propane tank. It’s important not to crowd the tank. Be sure to plant bushes and shrubs 5 feet away from the tank. Don’t forget to leave an access point so your tank can still be serviced without sacrificing your beautiful plants.

INSTALL A SIMPLE FENCE
Lattice-style fences made of wood or vinyl are very popular solutions to concealing the floating gray giant in the middle of the yard. Ventilation is needed to dispense propane fumes, so be sure not to fully enclose the tank. In some cases, a screen will do the trick to keep the tank out of view. The same rules apply when putting a fence or screen around your tank; be sure to give 5 feet of clearance around the tank.

CONCEAL WITH FAUX ROCK COVER
These items can cost a pretty penny, but it’s a creative way to hide your propane tank in plain site. Those who have purchased these pieces have made sure to drill holes to allow for the needed ventilation. Consider adding bushes and shrubs around the cover to help it fully blend in with your landscaping.

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Source: Apartment Therapy

Image Credit: Kevin Kory Studio

KonMari Method Crash Course

If “trashing” your prized possessions has you running for the hills, don’t stress. The KonMari method, described in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, takes the pressure off what you must decide to throw out and focuses rather on what you are deciding to keep. This decision is made by holding an item in your hands, maybe hug it and hold it close to your heart, and ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?”

If you feel you’re too busy to organize (or read the book), but are craving the clarity that the KonMari method promises, you’re in luck. Behold our “cliff notes” version of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” — 6 lessons of the KonMari method and the unexpected long-term benefits.

1. What, Not Where.

By habit, many of us declutter room-by-room. Kondo’s Rule #1 is to discard items by category. Gather all category items from each room, otherwise, items will continue to flow into other rooms. The method suggests you begin with clothing since these items carry the least amount of emotional weight. The order of objects to tidy goes in decreasing order of disposability: clothing, books, documents, komono (miscellany), and mementos.

2. With All Due Respect.

What if we told you that your belongings had feelings, too? Think of a day in their lives. Would you, a functional kitchen gadget, be happy shoved on the back of a shelf? Would you, a pair of socks with a very important job, feel respected balled up in a drawer?

If you begin to see your belongings as more than just items and more as tools that assist you in carrying out day-to-day tasks, you may appreciate these items more and be less conflicted in deciding which items aren’t serving you.

Kondo takes a moment to thank items for their work before discarding them and urges you do the same. What about the sweater with tags still on? What role did that serve? Thank the sweater for the thrill you felt when y0u took that great bargain up to the checkout line, even if you haven’t laid eyes on it since.

3. Not Now, Nostalgia.

Stay focused on the category at hand. Put on your blinders and look away from that stack of photos calling you from the closet shelf. If you don’t, you’ll have embarked on a 3-hour trip down memory lane and still end up stuck with an overflowing closet. Mementos certainly have their time in the KonMari method, but for this reason, it is last in the discard order.

4. Feel the Purge.

When gathering all the like items from your home, put them in one pile in the middle of the room to get started. Approach the task with focus and remove all distractions.

Allow yourself to remove items that do not serve you and that do not give you joy. This may be the ill-fitting, unflattering impulse buy that was marked down so low you had to take it, or the shoes that make you wince in pain every moment they’re on your feet. The home decor that no longer suits your taste. The pile of books you feel guilty for not reading. Why not donate these items and give them an opportunity to make someone else happy? You’ll be happy, too, with all the freed up space that was hogging all your joy.

5. Return to the Fold.

When all items are sorted, you can now assign a proper resting place for all remaining items.

Kondo believes that a lot of our clothing, like knits and sweaters, are happiest stored in dressers, not on hangers. She offers a vertical-fold technique that can be applied to nearly every article of clothing. Using this technique, everything is easy to see (no more forgotten tees!) and easy to remove (no more messy piles!). To help keep these rows in order, try using a shoe box as a drawer divider.

6. Your Dream Closet.

Imagine opening your closet doors to only your favorite items. Plan on spending less time searching for your favorite fall beanie from last season and even less time stuffing everything else back from where it fell.

The perks of KonMari extend beyond your living space. Below are some of the added benefits of making more room for joy in your home.

Time is on Your Side.

With less clutter comes less maintenance. Downtime can be spent quickly tidying up rather than avoiding stacks of junk mail and overflowing closets.

Quality, Not Quantity.

You may find you are happier to have fewer things that you love instead of a lot of things that you “kinda like”.

What’s Missing?

Now, with all joyless items removed, you can see what you really have and what you don’t. Did you realize all your dress shoes made you miserable, and yet you have a collection of sneakers you adore? Focus on buying joyful footwear that’ll complement your formal wear instead of gravitating towards the tennis shoes by habit.

Shopping is less frustrating when looking for only a few specific items that make your heart soar.

Ripple Effect.

Those who’ve tackled the KonMari method say the effects spill over into other areas of their lives. Better eating habits, more presence in the lives of loved ones, and overall peace of mind are all acclaimed by-products.

Measure in Love.

After weighing in on all your belongs, “Does it give me joy?” becomes a barometer for nearly every decision moving forward. Home improvement projects, dinner recipes, and future purchases are all influenced by this new mindset, not to mention the money you’ll save avoiding at-the-register impulse buys.