15 Jun Relocation Guide: Who Shoulders Costs; Who does the Heavy Lifting

If your talent is thinking of moving to northern California, it’s common knowledge that some companies will usually shoulder some of relocation expenses. But there’s a difference lately. A lot more planning and preparation has come into play. Employees are spending more time educating themselves about the threat of the coronavirus from doctors and travel experts, including the safety precautions they should take. 

Below is a list of items that some employers offer for free to employees who are relocating. Global mobility managers will need to confirm from employers, so their assignees need not worry about their move:

• One trip that is typically up to five days/four nights for the employee and a spouse/partner
• Mileage reimbursement or a round-trip airfare per the company’s travel policy
• Reasonable meals, lodging and local transportation
• Destination services that typically provide for an area orientation and home search support for a specific number of days, aligned with the trip and often provided by a real estate agent, rental agent or destination service specialist

BGRS specializes in talent mobility solutions for corporate and government clients. It provides customized relocation services to 140 countries and counting. Each year, BGRS oversees more than 63,000 relocations. It provides end-to-end services, meaning it oversees as much of the relocation as you want and has the team in place to take care of every detail. 

Between the company and its network of vendors, it manages everything from the logistics of physically moving belongings to currency exchange, visa applications, home sales, and more. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Altair Global Relocation

Altair Global is an independent, management-owned company without any parent companies or subsidiaries, and prides itself on making quick decisions and giving clients the personal attention of a small company. 

It focuses on providing one-of-a-kind corporate relocation services and helps its clients settle in after their moves. Its hands-on, boutique approach, technology shows customers what is being done and what’s left to finish, and the company’s overall transparency. 

It offers domestic and international relocation services and has a network of industry suppliers to help with moving, home sales, immigration services, consulting, and technology services, as well as relocation reimbursement tracking. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business.

Xonex

Xonex is a third-party relocation services company. It focuses on combining customer service and technology to ensure each moving part of a relocation goes smoothly and with minimal interruptions. Each client receives a custom benefit plan that includes a transparent budget and exactly what services it includes. 

Xonex is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council as a Women’s Business Enterprise and is one of the largest third-party relocation service companies in the U.S. Xonex has an international network and handles corporate relocations worldwide. It has suppliers and vendors that are leaders in their field. It also offers an app so customers have 24/7 access to important relocation data. 

Aires

Aires was founded in 1981 as a freight-forwarding company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has since evolved into a global relocation services company with offices throughout the U.S., Mumbai, Hong Kong, and London. The company specializes in going wherever its clients need and has helped with relocations to over 175 countries. Aries has over 3,000 active service providers to help with specific needs. 

Aires was chosen as the corporate relocation company with the best customer service because every customer is assigned an individual from the company’s mobility team to be their relocation expert. This level of personal service makes the relocation process a bit easier, as customers have a single point of contact for all their needs.

Cartus

Cartus has over 2,900 employees and provides corporate relocation services domestically and internationally.  Besides moving and housing services, Cartus offers an array of additional services. These include language and cultural classes, property management, career transition, educational counseling, spouse employment support, insurance services, management training, and auto sourcing. 

Similar to the other corporate relocation companies, Cartus can handle all basic and not-so-basic domestic and international relocation needs. Because the company is part of a larger company and has connections to so many vendors, it moves quickly, but domestic moves still typically take a couple of months to complete, while international moves take longer.