Re:locate Magazine Summer 2011 by Profile Locations

Re:locate THE MAGAZINE FOR HR & RELOCATION PROFESSIONALS Summer Issue 2011

www.relocatemagazine.com

ÂŁ8

Culture at the heart of relocation Everything you need to know

Arab spring Lessons learned

Changing times

International assignments respond

Schools out

On boarding and single-sex options

s d r a ial w A ec ! 1 Sp010/1

n ou

2 inners an W

A SIMPLE INTRODUCTION TO OFFSHORE BANKING.

If you are an HR professional or global mobility agent, we will help you introduce your employees and customers to the beneﬁts of offshore banking, hassle-free. We have a simple introduction process and offer streamlined account opening. Our fast and dedicated account opening team will help your relocating employees and customers get their accounts set up before they arrive at their destination, so that they can enjoy their new life from the moment they touch down. Make a simple introduction, and let us do the rest.

Call us on + 44 (0)1624 657762 or visit lloydstsb-offshore.com/ employeebanking

Issued by Lloyds TSB Offshore Limited. Registered Office and principal place of business: PO Box 160, 25 New Street, St. Helier, Jersey JE4 8RG. Registered in Jersey, number 4029. Regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. We abide by the Jersey Code of Practice for Consumer Lending. The paid up capital and reserves of Lloyds TSB Offshore Limited was £709m as at 31st December 2010. Copies of our terms and conditions and latest report and accounts are available upon request from the above registered office. The Isle of Man branch of Lloyds TSB Offshore Limited is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission and registered with the Insurance and Pensions Authority in respect of General Business. Business Address: PO Box 111, Peveril Buildings, Peveril Square, Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1JJ. Lloyds TSB Offshore Limited is a participant in the Isle of Man Depositors’ Compensation Scheme as set out in the Depositors’ Compensation Scheme Regulations 2010. Complaints involving the Isle of Man branch of Lloyds TSB Offshore Limited that it cannot settle should be referred to the Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme for the Isle of Man. Lloyds TSB Offshore Limited is not and is not required to be, authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 of the United Kingdom and therefore is not subject to the rules and regulations of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme made under that Act for the protection of depositors. Legislation or regulations in your home jurisdiction may prohibit you from entering into transactions with us. We reserve the right to make final determination on whether you are eligible for any products or services. Telephone calls may be recorded and monitored.

SUMMER 2011

CONTENTS :

Re:locate

CONTENTS 4

Re:editor’s letter Fiona Murchie looks at what’s in store this issue.

Re:careers A new resource to support trailing partners.

Re:news & views Key industry happenings, personalities and comment.

Re:hot topic How employers are safeguarding assignees in the Middle East and North Africa.

Re:international Changes in the profile of international assignments.

Re:health Managing the needs of a globally mobile workforce.

Re:trends How expatriate demographics are changing.

Re:conference Reporting from this year’s Mondissimo Convention.

Re:culture Why relocation professionals are embracing cultural training.

Re:Europe Relocation in the Nordic Countries and Switzerland.

Re:Asia Pacific Re:locate revisits this vibrant region.

Re:awards The winners of this year’s Re:locate Awards take a bow.

Re:education Boarding schools as an option for relocating families, and the singlesex versus mixed-schools debate.

Security

Culture

Asia Pacific

Awards

Re:locate

SUMMER 2011

“With

TheTeam Managing Editor: Fiona Murchie editorial@relocatemagazine.com

globalisation come new risks, and, possibly, more risky situations. ”

Design: Gulp Creative hello@gulpcreative.com Photography: Andy Newson andy@novaphotography.co.uk Sub Editor: Louise Whitson Advertising: Garry Tester and Victoria Davies ads@relocatemagazine.com

Address Re:locate Magazine Spray Hill Hastings Road Lamberhurst Kent TN3 8JB Tel: 01892 891334

Advertising

Tel: 01892 891334 Subscribe www.relocatemagazine.com subscribe@relocatemagazine.com

Tel: 01892 891334

Re:locate Awards 2010/11

ollowing the tumultuous events across North Africa and the Middle East and the terrible tsunami in Japan, it is time to take stock and see what lessons can be learned for the future. As our correspondent Ruth Holmes puts it in her security feature, “with globalisation comes exposure to new risks, and, possibly, more risky situations”. Hand in hand with security goes health. We advise on how to keep abreast of the fastgrowing international private medical insurance field. The insiders’ view on life in Japan as the nation picks itself up, with a heartfelt call to support the businesses operating there, opens our Asia Pacific coverage, accompanied by an update on China’s growing importance as a relocation destination. In Europe, we focus on the Nordic Countries, which are setting the pace for economic recovery. Understanding cultural differences is at the heart of this issue, and no organisation, large or small, can afford not to take an interest. If you are dealing with diversity issues, talent management or strategic growth at some level, culture will impact on your organisation. From leading management thinking from Fons Trompenaars, which can transform a company, to practical tips, we aim to make everyone more comfortable with culture, backed up by more resouces on our website. As the schools break up at the end of another academic year, we investigate boarding as an option, and the pros and cons of single-sex education. Keep abreast of all the latest education developments via the website, which is generating a phenomenal amount of interest. With more entries than ever before and a packed Gala Dinner, relocation took centre stage on 12 May at the Re:locate Awards. We reveal the details of this fabulous evening and honour the winners for their achievements, with inspiring case studies to follow over the autumn and winter issues.

Fiona Murchie Managing Editor

Winners Coverage see page 32

Coming in the AUTUMN 2011 issue of Re:locate magazine • GENERATION Y Supporting graduates © 2011. Re:locate is published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. ISSN 1743-9566.

• COUNTRY PROFILE USA under the spotlight

• PROPERTY State of the housing market

SUMMER 2011

CAREERS :

Re:locate

Joined-up thinking for career development A new relocation-specific careers resource is promising to support international assignees, trailing spouses, graduates and outplacement. Fiona Murchie has the details.

Career

choices

Applying

ith companies getting to grips with talent management as they move onto a surer footing economically, it is good to weigh up the options on how to develop and manage that talent. There are a variety of circumstances where bringing in an external resource can provide a neat solution. Take the case of international assignees. In these cost-conscious times, exploring all the options before an international assignment is undertaken is common practice and accounts for some of the rise in commuter and short-term assignments. Persuading employees to undertake international assignments can be hard, particularly in difficult locations, with restrictions on policy packages removing the benefit incentive. The employee may also have concerns about their role when they return to the home base, and, equally, corporates are aware of the dangers of not planning repatriation and losing talent to the competition on their return – not to mention the loss of expensively acquired knowledge. We are all familiar with the high cost of failed assignments and the percentages due to unhappy families. Partner and spouse career support is included in the best policies, but, all too often, companies don’t know how to deliver practical support for partners. In the domestic context, this is equally critical, with most couples dependent on two incomes to the point where the loss of even a part-time job can make a relocation move unsustainable. Careers guidance and practical advice, CV and interview technique training, plus access to job vacancies in the UK and round the world, are of enormous benefit to trailing partners and can make or break a relocation. The third context where career development can be invaluable for overstretched HR and talent management teams is in graduate schemes. Following the recruitment process and the initial months of the development programme, it is easy to lose young graduates round about the 18 month mark, when the novelty of entering the workforce has worn off and the reality of the corporate world kicks in and they start to get itchy feet – either the call of travel or the seduction of job opportunities from your competition. At this stage, career development can be crucial to keep them engaged and ensure the talent plan is undertaken. A short-term assignment, some

for

jobs

Developing your

career

business travel, a stretching project or a social responsibility or environmental initiative may do the trick. With these three contexts in mind, plus the need for effective and competitively priced outplacement, Re:locate has developed a web resource that can be used for the career development of employees and graduates, and, with access to additional sections on career choice and applying for jobs, provides the perfect solution for the trailing partner, either in the UK or internationally. It is also ideal for outplacement programmes. The standalone website also benefits from career coaching delivered by expert coaches utilising technology for worldwide use and/or face-to-face coaching, as appropriate. Offering flexibility, the service can be accessed easily by all staff and family members, wherever they are located, at any time of day or night. It is instantly available, to get them started as soon as the relocation/outplacement process has begun. The scope of the service is invaluable for any size of organisation, for those with limited numbers of international employees or large volumes. It can be used not only for family members but also to support their own employees with many aspects of career transition – for example, deciding whether to accept a relocation offer, outplacement and repatriation, as well as employee onboarding and career induction. This allows companies to keep all their relocation and career support needs in one place, with a single trusted supplier. Employees like receiving independent advice from careers experts who are not employed by the company and, therefore, do not have an agenda. The focus is purely on employee support, to help them make the right decision for them and their families. Developed by experts in careers advice, and combined with relocation knowledge, this resource ticks all the boxes for international career development, and provides a much-needed solution for trailing partners and outplacement, cost effectively. For further details, visit www.relocatemagazine.com/careers

Re:locate

: NEWS & VIEWS

SUMMER 2011

INDUSTRY NEWS & VIEWS If you have news and views that you’d like to see aired on these pages, contact us at editorial@relocatemagazine.com

HOUSING MARKET difficulties continue

GOOGLE NEWS coup for Re:locate

As readers of this magazine know, finding the right accommodation for relocating employees and their families is central to a successful relocation. Currently, mortgages are hard to come by, while first-time buyers, who underpin the market, are finding themselves unable to get on the property ladder at all because of the high deposits needed. This is having knock-on effects at all levels. For some time now, price falls have been another significant feature of the property landscape. The Halifax reported recently that, with the average house price standing at £160,519 in May, prices are 4.2 per cent below where they were a year previously. However, this is by no means true across the board; some parts of the market are bucking the trend. According to Knight Frank, for example, prices for prime London property rose by 1.4 per cent in May 2011 and are now 1.3 per cent higher than at their previous peak in March 2008. Knight Frank confirms that international buyers are continuing to drive the central-London market. Around 60 per cent of new-build property sold between November 2010 and April 2011 went to Asian buyers. Hong Kong buyers were the largest group, at 24 per cent, followed by Singaporeans, at 12 per cent) Many commentators are forecasting continuing price falls. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicts that real house prices will fall by 4.5 per cent in 2011, and by an average of 1.5 per cent per annum in the subsequent four years, as borrowing costs rise because of tighter monetary policy. Investment bank Morgan Stanley believes that prices will drop 3 per cent this year and a further 7 per cent by the end of 2012, plunging as many as 1.3m homeowners into negative equity. The housing market’s problems, however, have benefited the private rented sector, where the beginning of 2011 saw an influx of family-sized homes available to rent, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). As the saying goes, it’s an ill wind … For the latest property news, articles and blogs, visit www.relocatemagazine.com

Re:locate is proud of its commitment to embracing the latest technological developments and bringing readers the most up-to-the-minute news in the most effective ways, so we are thrilled to announce that we have been named an official provider for Google News. This means that our news pieces now appear in the top search rankings, often within minutes. Another exciting new initiative is the Re:locate mobile app, through which our readers have the latest industry news, comment and job listings at their fingertips, wherever they are, whatever the time. The app is available via www.relocatemagazine.com now, and from the Apple iStore shortly. Recognising the importance of social media for business today, we are bringing on board more journalists to provide extra content, setting up specialist blogs, and using all aspects of social media, in particular, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Please email editorial@relocatemagazine.com to let us know what you would like to see included on our app or in our social media groups, or visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/likerelocate

NEW MD for Interdean International relocation services provider Interdean has appointed Robert Fletcher as its new managing director. “I will be looking to build on the good work to date and to drive the business forward with a crystal-clear relocation service strategy,” said Mr Fletcher. “We will continue to develop Interdean’s consistent international approach, which is a prerequisite for large multinational businesses today. In addition, we will retain the flexibility within each local office to provide the personalised service that assignees and local client business units look for. “Interdean has some of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the business. Therefore, training and development programmes via the Interdean Academy will be stepped up.” For the hottest relocation industry news, see www.relocatemagazine.com

SUMMER 2011

NEWS & VIEWS :

FREE PRIZE DRAW FOR

£250 AMAZON SHOPPING VOUCHERS To be in with a chance of winning £250 Amazon shopping vouchers, simply submit a survey entry online via www.relocatemagazine.com/lloydstsbsurvey or complete the magazine insert and post to: Amazon Vouchers Prize Draw, Lloyds TSB Bank plc, Expatriate Banking Products and Marketing, 48 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4XX by 12.00 noon on 01/08/2011.

IMMIGRATION: compliance is key Following a parliamentary committee report criticising the lack of progress made by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in controlling immigration, specialist immigration services provider Smith Stone Walters is warning employers to ensure they are complying with current legislation. Said director James Walters, “UKBA may seek to respond to this report by taking to task any employers they now find to be in breach of their responsibilities as a sponsor of migrant workers. In the period from October 2010 to February 2011, it revoked 93 licences and suspended 148. This trend is likely to continue. “Although many employers struggle to keep up with the continual changes to the immigration rules, this cannot be used as an excuse for non-compliance. With the prospect of an increase in the number of UKBA visits to employers’ offices, your organisation could be next on the list.” See p27 for coverage of Switzerland’s new immigration regulations, and keep abreast of the latest immigration news via www.relocatemagazine.com

Re:locate

NEW CHARITY INITIATIVE for relocation One of the highlights of this year’s Re:locate Awards gala dinner and presentation (see p32) was the launch of Making a Difference, a new charitable initiative for the relocation sector.

Said Re:locate’s managing editor, Fiona Murchie, “With a growing number of organisations committing to corporate and social responsibility projects, and in view of recent natural disasters and world events, now is the perfect time to put the wealth of relocation industry experience to good use.” Explaining the choice of charities for 2011, Fiona said, “This year, as Baroness Benjamin [guest speaker and host of the awards dinner] is president of Barnados, and as homes and the support of children are so fundamental to relocation, we will be fundraising for this charity, which is devoted to providing support and stability for children without the support network of families. “Our second charity for this year will be VSO, which works with so many companies and organisations to bring expertise where it is most needed.” VSO was represented at the Gala Awards Dinner by Helen Hambleton, of GSK, who described to the audience a fascinating project she had undertaken for the organisation. For details of how your company can make a difference, see www.relocatemagazine.com

In 1981, Shakin’ Stevens secured a number one hit with This Ole House.

In the same year we launched the number one serviced apartment booking agency for corporate clients looking for something a little better. Experience Matters

Call: +44 (0) 20 8944 1444 or visit: www.apartmentservice.com

Re:locate

: HOT TOPIC

SUMMER 2011

Rebounding from the Arab Spring Political turmoil across North Africa and the Middle East has been a defining feature of 2011. How are companies responding to the ongoing instability, and what lessons are being learned? Ruth Holmes investigates.

his spring, what began in December 2010 in Tunisia with pro-democracy demonstrations to unseat the president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, precipitated a domino rally of mass uprisings across the region. Egypt erupted into violent civil discontent in January, triggering February’s pro-democracy movement in Libya. In the Middle East, the pro-democracy movement gathered pace in the Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. The protests led to an evacuation of mobile workers by global corporate security specialists that was ‘unprecedented’ in scale and an uncertain future for some Western companies in the region. The situation also potentially raises new questions about where the line of employer liability should be drawn in a globalised economy that will take mobile workers to new frontiers. The corporate security response As well as the human costs and tragedy that unfolded among the civil populations, thousands of foreign nationals were caught up in this spring’s unrest, in both remote desert encampments and urban enclaves. The situation differed from country to country and city to city, but widespread looting and vandalism, supply shortages, security fears and major transport disruption were reported. For Lee Niblett, head of corporate intelligence at global security specialist red24, Libya saw the highest level of activity. “In the vast majority of cases in Tunisia, evacuations from the country were not required. In terms of Egypt,

however, we carried out several evacuations from Cairo, which was the focus of the unrest, and from Port Said, which was very isolated. “As you can appreciate, we’ve been very busy in Libya, mainly with clients in construction, telecommunications, oil and gas. We also evacuated some teachers from Tripoli.” The extent of the security operation for Western employers was large – and, for some, unexpected. David Johnson, CEO of Travel Security Services – a joint venture of International SOS and Control Risks – said, “Recent events across North Africa and the Middle East have created unprecedented, sustained demand for assistance. “We used our TravelTracker system to identify which clients had employees in the affected areas. Between January and March, we completed almost 3,000 evacuations, helping over 450 global clients get their travellers and expatriates home safely and securely from Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya.” Nevertheless, “The perceived low risk in Tunisia and Egypt meant that some organisations did not anticipate the requirement to evacuate personnel at such short notice, placing extra strain on their response,” said David Johnson, suggesting that some companies’ monitoring procedures could be enhanced in the wake of the rapid turn of events. The HR response Although of a different nature from the discontent in North Africa, the New Zealand and Japan earthquakes are still

SUMMER 2011

fresh in the minds of many global mobility and HR teams. A delegate at AIRINC’s timely Africa Breakfast Briefing, which took place in central London in April and attracted companies with African operations across all sectors, remarked on how these informed their recent experiences in North Africa. “We realised that everything would become more expensive, like flights and shipping. We also had to relocate and make large disbursements to hotels, because our offices had no power, and they, too, had become more expensive.” One company admitted to “throwing money at the situation” to get employees out and keep them safe. Leaving friends, colleagues and family pets behind added to the trauma of fleeing the country for their own safety amid chaotic scenes. Employee assistance programmes (EAPs), common in most Western employers, offered emotional support, among other services. However, working with an EAP that operates internationally has meant a softer landing for repatriated workers. Said one AIRINC briefing delegate, “To help our employees get back on their feet, our EAP provided information leaflets for evacuated workers on the plane home about issues like trauma support and schooling.” Future strategy Says Lee Niblett, “The situation in North Africa and into the Middle East remains very difficult and in flux. The momentum of the protests has stalled to a degree, but the causes of many of the demonstrations haven’t been adequately addressed in several quarters. As such, a resurgence in protests cannot be ruled out in Tunisia, Egypt or Bahrain.” “In Libya, for our company now, the next big problem is how best to get people back and when, and paying our local workforce when banks are closed,” said an AIRINC briefing delegate. “We are having to make policies up as we go along as the situation evolves.” The largely unexpected wave of discontent in what had been stable, largely Western-facing nations has sought to focus minds on employer liabilities and their duty of care. It also underlines the need for constant evaluation of crisis management strategies and practices, as the delegates’ experiences testify. The issue of insurance puts this in stark relief. It is also symptomatic of how HR teams are dealing with the uncertainties by redefining practices and policies. As one AIRINC delegate noted, “We are having to deal with the grey areas, too, like who is responsible for the financial cost of the theft of personal effects in the chaotic scenes at Tripoli airport,” not to mention the damage caused by looting or vandalism of homes following enforced absence. This is a pertinent issue in an era of local-plus packages, where the onus is increasingly on individuals to go it alone. “Most political evacuation insurance policies are only triggered when national governments issue a forced evacuation alert,” explains Dante Disparte, of specialist international expatriate insurer Clements Worldwide. “This means that it isn’t up to the individual necessarily to make the decision to flee, and it is then often too late to save personal items.” Moreover, “Currently, an insurance policy for forced abandonment is not a mainstream product at all, but the Arab Spring has exposed this as an emerging risk. Employers should leverage their buying power to negotiate a solution for this, or, at a minimum, consider setting aside a fund to cover losses.”

HOT TOPIC :

Re:locate

A lucky escape? One certainty is that leaders, HR and global mobility teams are likely to have to work harder to sell the idea of an assignment to the region in the wake of these unprecedented times. “The quest for growth and purpose in Western companies is taking them to emerging economies where one of the greatest threats is civil unrest,” says Dante Disparte. “Employers should be asking themselves whether it is fair that employees should shoulder the risks of forced abandonment. I’d venture that fewer highly skilled, in-demand employees would be happy to take up frontier jobs without employers taking the issue of insurance seriously following these events.” The events across North Africa and the Middle East this year serve as a reminder that with globalisation comes exposure to new risks, and, possibly, more risky situations. The question is how well companies are prepared for, and adapting to, these recent events, and how they are learning from previous experiences.

Vigilance advised following Bin Laden death “The death of Osama Bin Laden could serve to bring about a short-term increase in the terrorist threat, particularly in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen,” comments Lee Niblett, head of corporate intelligence at global security specialist Red24. “His death may prompt individuals acting alone or individual autonomous cells to commit isolated suicide bombings or attacks on foreign interests, but it is not likely to provoke immediate, large-scale, mass-casualty reprisals. “Such attacks take time to plan, coordinate and carry out. These organisations will not have been anticipating Bin Laden’s death, and are, therefore, unlikely to be able to mount such attacks in the short term. Furthermore, they are likely to aim to be successful rather than timely. “As such, it’s unlikely there’ll be a large-scale spectacular in the short term, but his death could certainly contribute to a spike in smaller-scale, opportunistic terrorist activity.” “In terms of what companies and individuals should be doing, this varies from country to country. But, in a broad sense, we would advise people anywhere to be cautious and vigilant, and to be aware of, and report, suspicious activity or behaviour, and to trust their instincts; if there is something or someone you don’t like, leave the area and report it.” “Our advice to companies is to monitor developments proactively, either in-house, if it’s a company large enough and with the ability to do so, or to work with a specialist company like ours collaboratively. “Companies also always need to know where their employees are and communicate consistently what’s happening, the company’s position and what employees should do. Companies should ensure contingency, evacuation and business continuity plans are tried, tested and up to date.”

For the latest on international destinations, see www. relocatemagazine.com, and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

Re:locate

: INTERNATIONAL

SUMMER 2011

The changing nature of international assignments A change is taking place in the profile of international mobility as assignment types take on new forms and the emphasis shifts away from the traditional notion of expatriation. Sue Shortland reports on how international assignments are changing, what they may look like in the years to come, and the implications for policy design.

n recent years, the practitioner literature and policy surveys have focused on the decline in use of the longterm assignment in favour of its more flexible cousins the short-term and commuter-style assignment. Yet, it seems that, perhaps, the tide is beginning to turn, and it is interesting to consider why this might be. Long-term assignments are usually defined as being over a year in length and typically up to five years, although the traditional long-term assignment UK average is around three years. Long-term assignments have always been the traditional form of international mobility, and expatriates were used to transfer knowledge and control mechanisms and ensure that subsidiaries followed the headquarters line, instilling corporate culture among local nationals and others employed in the foreign operation. Long-term assignments have traditionally been considered expensive (requiring the mobility of families and long-term compensatory packages). As organisations sought to cut costs, the benefits packages associated with this form of mobility have been whittled down and the length of time for which expatriate remuneration has been paid reduced. Alternative forms of international mobility grew in popularity, and the days of the long-term assignment appeared numbered. Cost-benefit analysis, however, suggests that the long-term assignment has much to offer organisations and assignees alike. It provides stability, and, as the academic literature indicates, cross-cultural competence, which is then repaid in higher productivity and more successful assignment outcomes. Replacing long-term assignments with short-term and commuter-style ‘flexpatriation’ has been shown to be less expensive in terms of benefit packages but also potentially less productive in terms of cross-cultural competence and associated assignment successes. It seems that the use of long-term assignments is beginning to increase again following periods of decline. Brookfield reported a rise from 61 per cent of assignments in 2009 to 64 per cent in 2010; in 2011, it notes an increase in long-term assignment policy provision to underpin this increasing trend. This may well be a reflection of organisations’ desire to achieve a more effective cost-benefit ratio.

Changing assignment lengths The picture is mixed as to whether assignments will get shorter (as might be predicted on cost grounds) or longer (as might be suggested from achieving greater cross-cultural competence). Some 15 per cent of organisations surveyed by Brookfield in 2010 (compared with 11 per cent in 2009) expected to increase their use of assignments of between six and 12 months’ duration. This led to the knock-on effect of a rise in the number of organisations developing policies for short-term assignments in 2011. Short-term assignments are usually defined as being between three and 12 months in duration, although companies generally try to keep them less than six months in length, for tax reasons. By definition, an assignment of six to 12 months is, therefore, a short-term assignment. Yet, although there has been little change in the usage of short-term assignments, the organisations in the Brookfield research appear to suggest that an increasing emphasis on their use may take place in future, as shown by the increase in the number of organisations developing policies to underpin them. Short-term assignments may also get longer. This indicates that organisations are cognisant of the culture shock that employees face in undertaking very short assignments and the consequent effect on productivity. Longer-length shortterm assignments may prove less costly and less disruptive to individuals and the business than very short assignments. Lengthy short-term assignments have, in the past, been accompanied as well as unaccompanied (compared with those of less than six months, which are typically unaccompanied). The use of lengthy short-term assignments could, therefore, have cost ramifications from accompanying family. Potentially, any shortening of long-term assignments and any increased use of short-term assignments could also be disruptive to families (either as a result of frequent moves or through family separation, if unaccompanied), affecting assignee productivity. The start-up costs of expatriation are high, and, potentially, lengthening an assignment reduces expatriate churn. The costs of expatriation/repatriation are, therefore, mitigated via reducing the frequency of replacement expatriation. (Keeping expatriates in post is also helpful if repatriation uncertainty is an issue.)

SUMMER 2011

Increasing localisation The Brookfield research also indicates an increasing phenomenon – a significant rise in the development and implementation of use of localisation policies. Although this may simply be the result of a formalisation of practice within policy, it may also be a consequence of the increased use of long-term assignments and the potential lengthening of those in use. Localisation policy and its implementation in practice provide a cost-control mechanism to reduce the expense associated with expatriation. Taking away elements from an expatriate benefits package has never been an easy action to implement, but if this is clearly spelled out in policy at the start of the assignment, it does provide a clearer and more equitable process. It is, therefore, interesting to see, in 2011, a greater level of interest in a flexible case-by-case approach to localisation. Commuter assignments and business travel Commuter assignments can be used to service both longterm and short-term assignments, and are generally used intra-regionally (rather than inter-regionally). The growth in international air travel and the use of smaller domestic airports and low-cost, no-frills airlines with a wider range of routes have fuelled this trend. The rise in dual-career marriages and partnerships, and the focus on stability of education (not to mention its rising cost) for children, also act as incentives underpinning the popularity of this assignment type. However, despite increasing and widespread use of international commuting and organisational action to support this via formal commuter policies rather than adhoc compensation arrangements, there is little data available on how many people are actually engaged in this type of international mobility. In essence, while an increasing proportion of employers are experiencing requests by employees to engage in commuting and are putting policies into place to support it, the stressful lifestyle that it engenders means that relatively few individuals will do it, especially long term. Before we can state with any certainty that this form of mobility will encroach on traditional expatriation, we need to know how many employees are involved, and for how long: an area that is ripe for research. While ‘commuter assignments’ typically refers to the regular servicing of international mobility to cover the demands of a short-term or a long-term assignment without moving family to the host location, ‘international business travel’ has traditionally referred to irregular periods of unaccompanied international mobility for periods of less than three months. ‘Extended business travel’ was considered an alternative to traditional expatriation, but its disruptive effects on employees have been widely researched. Its impact on productivity is, therefore, a cause for concern. It also raises visa and tax issues which can be costly to track and administer. As with commuter assignments, there is little data available on the numbers of employees engaged in this form of mobility. Given its irregular nature and flexibility in servicing local needs, it is likely that its use remains widespread, even though the trend appears to reduce organisational reliance on this form of international mobility. Brookfield suggests greater flexibility in relocation programmes in the future. For the relocation professional, this will mean a re-evaluation of assignment policies, to ensure a sensible and equitable approach is taken. For example, there may well be overlap between the treatment of longer short-

INTERNATIONAL :

Re:locate

term assignments and shorter long-term assignments. In addition, commuter assignments, extended business travel and virtual assignments are likely to experience a greater degree of overlap, as these various forms of international mobility are used to service a range of assignment lengths. This might sound complex, even contradictory, but, given that short-term assignments have attracted terms and conditions linked to their three- to 12-month status while the terms and conditions for long-term assignments attracted a different set of remuneration components linked to 12 months plus, and commuting and business travel policies attract yet different benefits provision, a fresh look at policy design may be required to accommodate issues associated with perceived inequities as these assignment types blur together. For example, assignees undertaking 12-month assignments serviced via business travel, commuting and/or virtual reality may potentially fall under a short-term policy, a long-term policy, or some other international mobility policy. The shortening of long-term assignments into the territory traditionally covered by the short-term policy could be a future scenario. Future assignment types Given the changes in evidence, international relocation professionals will need to give considerable thought to the profile of their expatriate assignment types and underpinning policies. Long-term assignments will remain in evidence, but policy design must take into account shorter terms abroad and the implications for crossover with short-term assignment policy. More lengthy international assignments will have implications for localisation policy and practice. The blurring of boundaries between commuter and extended business travel policies may require redefinition as more organisations find they need to formalise international commuter practices into policy but retain a distinction between extended business travel policy and practice. Of course, the changing nature of international assignment types has a potential knock-on effect on the expatriate demographics themselves. Organisations will, therefore, need to rethink any policy design in line with these, tailoring remuneration and benefits to suit a new breed of expatriate – perhaps more likely younger (or older), perhaps without family ties, and, therefore, more willing to engage in the new flexibility inherent in the changing nature of assignment types. This is a complex issue, and details of the changing nature of employee demographics require further consideration. For example, it may be simplistic to consider that the changing nature of assignment types is driving a change in the expatriate demographic profile; rather, societal changes resulting in new demographic trends may influence the use of different assignment types. It is difficult to divorce these intertwined aspects of international mobility. For the relocation professional, though, these issues are critically important in designing appropriate policies to support both current and future international mobility. The changing nature of assignee demographics is explored on p16.

For the latest news and articles, see www.relocatemagazine.com, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

Re:locate

: HEALTH

SUMMER 2011

Healthy options As the world moves out of recession and companies begin to expand again, or move their operations overseas, many are dealing with the challenges of managing an internationally mobile workforce. This is becoming an ever-more-complex process, not least in respect of healthcare provision, as Louise Whitson reports.

the emergence of new relocation destinations and global hotspots means that the challenges of managing an internationally mobile workforce are growing rapidly. As Matthew Reaney, of JAM Recruitment, puts it, “Expatriate management is a highly specialised discipline within HR, and detailed, territory-by-territory knowledge of regulations, processes and other complexities is required for transitions to be managed efficiently and cost-effectively.” This is nowhere more true than in respect of healthcare, where the global picture is, indeed, a complicated one. While some countries allow expatriates access to state provision, many are now, in response to the global economic crisis and the challenges of increased uptake and life expectancy, increasing the onus on individuals, or their employers, to meet their own healthcare costs. Increasing awareness However, according to a 2010 study by PMI Global, 20 per cent of companies that sent employees overseas for six months or more failed to provide them with international private medical insurance (PMI). Forty-eight per cent did not conduct full health assessments of the destinations they sent staff to, while 44 per cent did not organise vaccinations for their employees. Has the picture changed this year? PMI Global’s Chris Beardshall believes that companies are becoming more aware of the importance of providing the right medical insurance for their international assignees. However, many put off

making the arrangements until the last moment. As he points out, “Although health is a crucial issue for our clients, we’ve been approached by companies relocating staff to countries with a very different regulatory environment – Hong Kong, say – with only a few weeks, or even days, to source cover. This adds to the pressure on both employer and assignee at what is already a stressful time.” While some employers still regard PMI as an employee benefit, rather than a necessity, the more enlightened are realising that it also brings tangible benefits to the business. “Expatriate employees need to be fit to work, so it’s important that you make sure that they, and their families, have access to prompt, no-hassle healthcare, as, generally, they will be part of a small team or provide a specialised service,” points out James Henson, of Health Matters. “If your employee is ill, there will be no one else there to ‘pick up the slack’, as normally happens in a domestic operation.” There’s also the question of motivation and engagement. As Teresa Rogers, of Aviva UK Health, says, “Being relocated thousands of miles away from home can be a daunting process that can leave employees feeling anxious and isolated. Many assignments fail for just this reason, and ensuring that your employees have the best benefit structure and support in place can help improve the chance of a successful relocation.” Health reforms across Europe According to HR consulting firm Mercer, most European countries are seeking to reduce the costs of delivering

Your employees aren’t all the same. Neither are our International PMI solutions. Every company’s needs are different. That’s why we’ve improved our ﬂexible International Private Medical Insurance policy. Using a modular approach, Aviva International Solutions allows you to build different levels of cover with all the support you require. So wherever your employees are in the world, you can ensure they’re protected. For solutions as individual as your company’s needs, Aviva is now better than ever.

To get the cover you want, call 0800 015 5255, visit tailoryourcover.com or speak to your ﬁnancial adviser. Opening times Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm. Calls to and from Aviva may be recorded and/or monitored.

Health Insurance Company of the Year

Aviva Health UK Limited. Registered in England Number 2464270. Registered Ofﬁce: 8 Surrey Street Norwich NR1 3NG. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA Registration No. 308139. This insurance is underwritten by Aviva Insurance UK Limited. Registered in England Number 99122. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA Registration No. 202280. ADV0014 05/2011

Re:locate

: HEALTH

healthcare by restructuring service provision or negotiating terms with healthcare providers such as private hospitals and pharmacies. Some countries are looking to improve coverage and access by broadening the population that receives healthcare coverage, through either public-sector insurance programmes or private-sector insurance companies. “Each European country faces similar cost pressures in their national health programmes,” explains Paul Ashcroft, principal at Mercer. “They are grappling with the problems of ageing populations, increasing demand for healthcare, rising medical costs, and competition for tax revenues. Responsibility for healthcare – and the rising costs – is now being shunted onto employers and individual employees.” “Companies are having to rapidly adapt their benefit plans to ensure regulatory compliance and manage their costs – and, more rarely, to know when to take any advantage of increased coverage being provided by the state.” Mercer cites France, Germany, Ireland and Russia, in particular, as countries that are increasing taxes and contributions. EHIC causing confusion Some ignorance appears to persist among employers about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which allows individuals from all European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland to access state-provided healthcare in those countries at a reduced cost, or sometimes free of charge. Although the card is not intended for working expatriates, the PMI Global study indicated that as many as 36 per cent of companies staffed from within the EU relied on the card for their assignees’ health cover. However, as PMI Global’s Rachael Floyd explains, “While the EHIC entitles any resident in the UK to receive emergency healthcare treatment while travelling in the EEA and Switzerland, restrictions mean it isn’t a substitute for standalone international health insurance. “For instance, an EHIC will only provide access to emergency treatment and doesn’t pay for emergency evacuation or repatriation. Without an international health insurance policy, this could cost several thousand pounds.” Says James Henson, of Health Matters, “Most European countries will insist on some sort of medical insurance. This can be in the form of a pan-European scheme that provides cover for employees in most European countries, including the employee’s country of residence (if in Europe), so that they get the choice of where they receive their treatment.” Healthcare in Asia Pacific Assignees to the Asia Pacific region will need full cover for hospital and outpatient treatment, as well as primary healthcare. “Employees based in major cities are able, in most cases, to access very well-equipped international hospitals and clinics,” says James Henson. “If you have employees in more remote areas, the company will need to look more at evacuation and repatriation benefits, to make sure that your employees have the cover they need.” Data from a host of surveys – including one by InterExec, which reveals that China tops the list of countries that UK headhunters predict will need more senior executives in 2011, and Cartus’s recently published Destination: China – have shown China to be an enduring relocation hotspot. In theory, expatriates can use China’s state healthcare system, and are charged at the same rate as Chinese nationals.

SUMMER 2011

However, this often fails to work in practice, as most public hospitals are swamped with local patients, and the language barrier is a further drawback for expatriates. There is no Western-style GP service, so all medical treatment must be obtained through hospitals. China is reported to have announced a new social insurance law, which will apply to expatriate employees for the first time from 1 July. Details have yet to be released. Facilities in the big cities are excellent, but, as in so many countries in the region, healthcare provision in the provinces tends to be patchy, making medical evacuation cover a necessity. Most expatriates use China’s private hospitals – some of the most expensive in the world – located in cities. International PMI provider InterGlobal has offices in China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. Says Steven Conway, regional general manager for Asia, “We’re seeing a considerable increase in the number of expatriates in China, and there is also an emerging demand from high-net-worth residents who want access to international treatment and the high levels of protection available with international private medical insurance. “In addition, some employers want their local staff to be able to access the same high-quality healthcare as their expatriate staff.” Healthcare in Hong Kong, which took third place in the InterExec survey, is excellent, but extremely expensive. Insurance is mandatory for expatriates. Malaysia now attracts foreign talent from across the world, particularly people working in the manufacturing, IT, finance, and insurance and banking sectors. To qualify for a working visa, expatriates must have healthcare cover before arriving. Says David Pryor, of MediCare International, “Malaysia offers excellent healthcare for those living and working there who are adequately insured. The standards of diagnosis and treatment in the larger centres are world class; however, the position in some of the remoter areas is more complex, and costs can be high.” Making your choice With new international PMI providers constantly emerging, PMI Global’s Chris Beardshall emphasises the importance of seeking professional, independent advice at an early stage in the relocation, and of choosing a reputable, financially secure provider that is able to deliver what it promises and is fully conversant with all aspects of compliance. Says James Henson, of Health Matters, “Look at where you are sending your employees and research the local provisions, talk to a broker that specialises in these benefits, and then look at the products and services available. “Innovative policies are being introduced every month, which is providing much-needed competition, and thus more competitive rates.” Now Health International’s Alison Massey warns, “In such a complex, transient world, it’s imperative that you choose a health insurance company which is completely transparent about what is and isn’t covered, and at what cost. The insurer should also demonstrate local knowledge and an understanding of this ever-shifting sphere.” See also our Nordic Countries (p24), Switzerland (p27) and Asia Pacific (p28) features. For the latest health and international destinations news and articles, see www.relocatemagazine.com, and sign up for our e-newsletter, Re:locate Extra.

Extra support when your employees need it most Personal Medical Case Management

AXA PPP International is proud to offer our members exclusive access to Personal Medical Case Management from Medix, a provider of quality healthcare solutions. At AXA PPP International, we provide expert 24/7 worldwide medical insurance. We realise health concerns aren’t just about getting your claims settled. When someone is diagnosed with a serious medical condition, it can be difﬁcult to know what decision to make without having the right information or guidance from a trusted and objective source. In addition to our 24 hour assistance helpline, Health at Hand, our members can also take advantage of a Personal Medical Case Management service, giving them access to medical guidance from leading physicians around the world and quality treatment supervision. Just another way AXA PPP International can support your employees in making informed choices at a critical time in their lives. For more information on AXA PPP International and the Personal Medical Case Management service, contact us today on +44 (0)1892 508795.

Alternatively, for more details, visit www.axappphealthcare.com

AXA PPP healthcare limited. Registered Office: 5 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1AD, United Kingdom. Registered in England No. 3148119. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. © AXA PPP healthcare 2008. In order to maintain a quality service, telephone calls may be monitored or recorded.

Re:locate

: TRENDS

SUMMER 2011

The changing nature of expatriate demographics Recent research suggests that the profile of international assignees is changing. Younger, single assignees are replacing the traditional expatriate family demographic. In addition, it can be expected, with an ageing workforce, that older workers will also engage to a greater extent in expatriation in future. Sue Shortland explores the implications of changing expatriate demographics for international assignment policy design.

ccording to Cartus, the under-30s expatriate age group comprised 29 per cent of the expatriate workforce in 2010 (up from 19 per cent in 2007). Single assignees now make up 42 per cent of the expatriate workforce (up from 29 per cent). This trend towards young, single expatriates represents a dramatic change in the composition of a typical international assignee profile. It is also interesting to note that research by Brookfield indicates that the proportion of expatriates with accompanying children is falling: less than half (47 per cent) now have accompanying children (set against a historical average of 56 per cent). These data suggest that the expatriate demographic profile is well suited to the increasingly popular ‘flexpatriate’ styles of international mobility. As Cartus notes, the young and single profile potentially reflects the changing nature of international assignment types, as we see a shift from the use of traditional long-term assignments towards increased use of commuter assignments and extended international business trips. Policy design implications However, before relocation professionals begin to review their international assignment policies to reflect this new dynamic, it is important to consider other demographics which have a bearing on policy design. For example, married status remains the majority, making up around 70 per cent of expatriates. Although expatriates are recorded in some research as being ‘single’, this does not mean that they are ‘alone’. So, for example, while Brookfield reports 23 per cent of assignees as single, it notes that 7 per cent of expatriates have ‘significant others’. Employees’ married and partnered status has clear implications for policy design. Even if the proportion of

assignments that are carried out on single status is increasing, this does not mean that the assignees undertaking them are able to do so without thought for family concerns. Dual careers and eldercare responsibilities may apply regardless of marital status, and flexibility in policy may be needed to balance home-life responsibilities with expatriation. This may influence policy design in respect of travel frequency, airfares, flight allowances and home leave trips, for example, to address home responsibilities while working on single status abroad. Indeed, it appears that the proportion of assignees who are married or partnered who leave their spouses behind is increasing. Around a fifth of assignees who are married/ partnered undertake single-status expatriation. Gender issues The gender composition of the expatriate workforce is also a changing dynamic. Although female expatriation has fluctuated around the 19–20 per cent mark for a few years, the proportion of women assignees now appears to be falling; it currently stands at around 17 per cent. In the 1980s and 1990s, when women comprised only single-figure percentages of the expatriate population, they were, typically, single. Today, however, this is less likely to be the case. For example, in Brookfield’s 2010 survey, of the women expatriates reported, 7 per cent were married and 1 per cent had partners. This compares with the percentage of single women, at 6 per cent. This is a particularly interesting statistic for those involved with policy design, because women expatriates who have dualcareer relationships face particular difficulties on expatriation, owing to the lack of support systems and assistance with

SUMMER 2011

employment opportunities for their male partners. In reviewing policy design, focus is, therefore, necessary on how support offered can aid both male and female spouses. The ageing workforce A further consideration in policy design concerns the ageing workforce. Although recent survey data appear to indicate an increasing proportion of young people taking up expatriate roles, this is not the case in all industries. Previous economic recessions have meant that organisations did not take on graduates/school leavers, and these ‘gaps’ are now working their way through, such that the typical expatriate age group (mid 30s to mid 40s) lacks sufficient personnel. Although young newcomers present an option, they may not have sufficient experience, and older generations (who are past the child-rearing years) present a cost-effective, experienced expatriate resource. It is interesting to note, given that expatriation is usually undertaken to fill skills gaps, train local people and transfer corporate strategy, knowledge and culture, that over 90 per cent of expatriates are drawn from existing organisational staff (that is, they are not new recruits), and yet a similar proportion have no previous expatriate experience. Organisations may be staking a lot on young and lessexperienced personnel, given the cost and importance of the outcomes of an international assignment. Although the trend appears currently to be to use younger personnel (perhaps they are thought to be less expensive, as they receive lower salaries and expect fewer benefits), older workers may prove more cost effective through the knowledge and experience that they can bring to a position.

TRENDS :

Re:locate

Given that, in many of the newly emerging economies where expatriation is increasing (for example, in countries such as China), age is revered, older workers can bring added status and respect to an expatriate role. In terms of policy design, remuneration and benefits, issues valued by older workers tend to differ from those of younger employees. Older workers place greater emphasis on healthcare, medical facilities/insurance and pension issues compared with the younger employees, who tend to be more motivated by salary uplifts and gaining a foothold in housing. Addressing different needs It is debatable whether changing demographics drive assignment types or whether it is employers’ changing assignment rationales that influence the composition of the expatriate workforce. Most likely, both factors play a role. What is important, though, is that policy design keeps abreast, if not ahead, of the changing demographic profile by remaining sufficiently flexible to respond equitably to the needs of different employee groups. When reviewing and redesigning international assignment policy, it is important to consider the implications for all employee groups and to ensure that any policy design creates an efficient and effective talent management framework, both to support expatriation today, and to ensure a responsive approach to demographic changes as they arise. For the latest international assignments news and articles, see www.relocatemagazine.com, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

WHEN IT COMES TO TEMPORARY HOUSING SOLUTIONS, OAKWOOD DELIVERS THE WORLD

We understand that ﬁnding the right housing solutions provider is essential to your business. That’s why we are committed to ﬁnding the most cost-effective solutions that best meet your location and amenity requirements—no matter where in the world you and your associates are traveling. UÊÊ Ý«> Ã ÛiÊ >Ì > Ê> `Ê © ] xw { global inventory

UÊÊ Ã `>Ìi`ÊÀi« ÀÌ }Ê and billing © HJEM { y{ UÊÊ1 À Û> i`ÊÓ{ÉÇÊVÕÃÌ iÀÊV>Ài

Re:locate : EUROPEAN CONFERENCE

SUMMER 2011

Born in the USA – or vive la différence? Global mobility practices today owe much to relocation’s US heritage. And what happens stateside usually reaches Europe’s shores eventually. Reporting from this year’s Mondissimo Convention in Paris, Ruth Holmes asks what US relocation trends could reveal about the future EU picture – or, indeed, if EU companies are now leading the way.

he third Mondissimo Convention, which took place in Paris, France, in March, attracted well over 1,000 delegates and 200 mobility experts. Assembled attendees were intent on hearing more about strategic insights from Europe’s mobility movers and shakers, actively engaging in informed debate about current and future mobility practices in Europe and worldwide. Matching the wider economic outlook, the robust growth of this annual conference since its induction in 2008 – and with the support, this year, of Re:locate magazine as media partner – is a surefire indicator of the growing significance of global mobility to Europe’s fast-improving economies. With large-scale mobility in Europe – and, of course, further afield in the emerging economies – fast becoming the new normal, conferences such as these, where cross-border expertise is shared, will become increasingly important for EU-based HR and relocation professionals as they set the pace and drive real, sustainable changes in businesses operating internationally. The US outlook It was against this backdrop that US-based Laurette Bennhold-Samaan, managing director of global assignment services at Aperian Global, a management consulting, training and web-tool company, delivered an insightful comparison of international mobility trends. In her session Comparing Different International Mobility Policies in the EU and USA, Ms Bennhold-Samaan drew on her 25 years’ experience in director-level HR roles for multinational organisations like Accenture and the World Bank. She distilled disparate organisational practices into a compelling narrative that told the story of US relocation practices today and the driving forces behind them.

Many of the key themes would have been instantly recognisable to the EU-based delegates assembled in the audience – primarily, that organisations in all sectors anticipate the number of overseas assignments will grow, and that two-thirds of companies are responding to the economic conditions with cost-cutting exercises, including reviewing assignment needs more closely, reducing policy offerings, increased reliance on local hiring, and more selective assignments. There is also an increased integration between technology, thought leadership and mobility. In terms of where mobility practices are heading, Laurette Bennhold-Samaan drew on the new world order forecast in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 2010 report Talent Mobility 2020: the next generation of international assignments. This suggests an evolution in mobility patterns over the 50 years from 1970 to 2020. Most striking is the picture in 2020. Here, the world map is crisscrossed with myriad home and host countries. The result is an increasingly interconnected world where “mobility of talent is fluid – for example, a Chinese company engages a European team to manage an investment in Africa,” Ms Bennhold-Samaan explained. One effect of this is that the traditional fully loaded expatriate package characteristic of outbound US mobility practices – and of international companies competing with them for talent – is evolving, too. In the US, “Some of the key changes that I have seen over the last decade are a movement away from large expatriate packages to expectations that employees will have an overseas assignment in their career with the company, and this is seen as part of the fabric of the organisation,” continued Ms Bennhold-Samaan. “Even the terminology has changed from ‘expatriate’ to ‘assignee’, as there is often a connotation with ‘expatriate’ to a luxurious package.” The view from the EU In the first, primarily US-led, phase of global talent mobility, workers had to be tempted by generous salaries and allowances to travel to countries regarded as having a lower standard of living and where the costs of maintaining the ‘no worse off, no better off ’ maxim were high. The expatriate package made sense here. However, as mobility patterns change, the need for so many allowances and incentives is being re-evaluated. Responding to the question of whether US-centric policies are a myth or a reality, Stéphane Milhet, Paris-based HR director at Hoffman-La Roche and co-presenter, added

SUMMER 2011

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE :

another two decades of high-level international experience to the presentation. He believes they are a myth, and that policies are more to do with “HQ-centricity, or where a company or subsidiary is based”. For example, workers in the EU, which itself was founded on the principle of the free movement of labour and goods, mobility patterns frequently mean cross-border assignments from one part of the continent to another. This is similar to the pattern in the Asia Pacific region, another key exponent of the local-plus package. Describing the European approach, Stéphane Milhet – who has worked worldwide in key people-management roles for large international companies such as Mars and Microsoft – said, “If you look at it from an employee’s point of view, for outbound US workers generally, their costs are higher. “The state welfare system in the US is not as generous as it is in EU countries. Most outbound EU workers are going to be on a local-plus contract, because the welfare support is generally higher.” A global approach? So, perhaps, the influence of US mobility practices could be argued to have waned as we have moved to the next phase of mobility – one where greater numbers of companies headquartered all over the world are deploying talent globally, on a multiplicity of assignment types and durations. Could it be said, then, that Europe is now influencing practices elsewhere? “European assignees comparing policies with their American colleagues recognise the unfairness in the difference in packages between the EU and the US,” says Stéphane Milhet. “Now, with cost becoming an issue like it never really has before, companies have been moving away from full expat

Extending Ext ten Your Reach Global Mobility Consulting Services Glo Dom Domestic Relocation Services Inte International Relocation Services Glo Global Assignment Services Wor Worldwide Destination Services Gro Group Move Management Mor Mortgage Services Visa and Immigration Services

Serv Services Worldwide t: +353.1.811.6630 w: paragonrelocation.com e: info@paragonrelocation.com

Adagio City Aparthotel 11 rue de Cambrai 75947 Paris cedex 19 France Contact: Paul-Edouard le Bret T: +33 (0)1 55 26 32 63 E: pelebret@adagio-city.com W: www.adagio-city.com

Serviced Accommodation

packages and looking at the benefits that must be continued wherever you go, for attraction and retention purposes.” This focus on attraction and retention, of which equitable policies and fairness are becoming key factors alongside cost control, is a defining feature of both EU and US policies. Sending countries now frequently include traditionally lowerwage countries in the emerging economies, so this focus on equity and valuing diversity is becoming a pressing issue. The local-plus package is proving to be a neat solution here. While US and EU approaches are informed by different cultural values and have led to different approaches to mobility, companies – wherever their HQ – are now operating in a global context and have access to a much wider pool of talent, which is being recognised in mobility practices. “The purpose of an assignment has also changed over the years, as more and more assignments are for personal skills development and advancement into top leadership roles, in addition to the traditional purpose of transfer of knowledge and skills,” says Laurette Bennhold-Samaan. “Furthermore, in the past employees were selected for assignments based solely on their technical competence, knowhow and expertise. Now, employees are selected based not only on technical know-how, but also on cultural competence. “There is fierce competition for talent, and strategically placed assignments serve an important role in building the global mindset that every organisation needs today.” Looking at practices and customs across the pond is a valuable exercise for understanding where we have come from. Looking at where the trends are taking us, and the similarities between the two continents, is helpful for reminding us that, as Laurette Bennhold-Samaan concluded, “We now all operate in one world – the global playing field.”

Moving Home UK, European & International Moving Specialists

PR201-030211-ReLocate

Adagio City Aparthotel, a large and growing network of 32 aparthotels at the heart of main European cities: Basel, Berlin, Brussels, Monaco, Munich,Paris, Rome, Vienna... From studios to two bedroom apartments, for very short or long term stays, Adagio provides spacious, comfortable, and fully equipped apartments with many optional services and digressive rates. The perfect solution for every business traveller on extended trip or on a long-term relocation.

Re:locate

Providing high quality moves for corporate clients, with a personal service.

0800 1583373 www.fox-moving.com

Re:locate

: CULTURE

SUMMER 2011

Dancing with culture Illustration – Infinite Ideas Ltd

At all levels, from the strategic to the tactical, cultural considerations permeate companies operating in a global environment, says Fiona Murchie.

ulture is a curious thing, and it is easy to get hung up on the nuances. In the world of global mobility and international assignments, it seems obvious that managers should encourage their employees to take part in some form of cross-cultural training before embarking on a new project overseas. Equally, those managing global teams would, perhaps, naturally look for some form of cultural support. After all, it is difficult enough to lead and manage a team in a familiar setting without the added complication of cultural differences and national traits. However, as with learning another language, somehow trying to understand cultural differences seems to throw up obstacles. In the UK, we are also hidebound by political correctness. Cultural awareness is one of those areas where you think you should know more, and managers are often intimidated by their own lack of global experience. So the easiest thing is to stick your head in the sand and carry on regardless. There is also the question of the different interpretations of culture. At one level, what managers crave most are some simple truths to help them do their jobs better, to stereotype neatly. And this is where the various philosophies come in. When nationalities can be defined as hierarchical, it is easy, at a superficial level, to make sense of a situation that is causing problems. In a business context, if you are managing a global team, it is reassuring to assign behaviours to nationalities, and, at some levels, this works. There is nothing wrong in trying to understand how one nationality might react to a certain situation. But there is more to cultural awareness than this. Types of corporate culture Fons Trompenaars made his name in cross-cultural thinking with his bestseller Riding the Waves of Culture, which opened the eyes of managers and those doing global business to the

realisation that there was more than one way to manage, and that, in order to work successfully on a global platform, you need to understand your own culture first. This book underpins much of cultural awareness today and is worth reading for anyone working internationally. Fons Trompenaars and his co-author, Charles Hampden-Turner, defined seven key dimensions of business behaviour, and, from there, went on to explain how to combine and create four basic ‘types’ of corporate culture. • The Family (e.g. Japan, Spain, Belgium) • The Eiffel Tower (e.g. large French and German companies) • The Guided Missile (e.g. US, UK) • The Incubator (e.g. Silicon Valley) A new, updated edition is to be published later this year and will include updated country scores and new examples and case studies from client work. Trompenaars and HampdenTurner have acquired a huge database of information over 25 years, and this ‘living resource’ is an invaluable indicator of changing tides, management thinking and evolving cultures. The new edition will also include a special chapter containing an analysis of the latest trends in national cultures. Awareness is growing Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner have noticed an apparent ‘convergence’ in national scores. The reason behind this is not, apparently, that cultures are becoming more similar, but rather that peoples are becoming more culturally aware and will change their behaviours to fit different situations. For example, an American may be very ‘communitarian’ at work, because he or she is working in a team, but will hold an ‘individualistic’ orientation in his or her personal situation. Already, we can see the complexities of working across

SUMMER 2011

cultures, and this is magnified when you take into account different generations – younger people craving instant results, fed by the 24/7 mobile and technological world, and the more experienced executives used to a more formal corporate setting. In the mix, across the video conferencing table, will be young and older colleagues from a range of cultures and nationalities, with differing perspectives on corporate ethos. According to beleaguered HR managers keen to promote global talent across the generations, already those used to the world of instant messaging see such virtual team sessions as a chance to catch up with multitasking, texting and social media activities. So how do you get them to engage? We’re not just talking about a problem for big blue-chip corporates, but for all organisations, large and small, which are operating a cross-cultural team in a global world. They may be SMEs dipping a toe in the international water today, but the power of the internet means that global markets are accessible to all, and the economic downturn has fuelled international potential for every organisation, whatever its size. But, somehow, these global teams, and partnerships with overseas suppliers and clients, have to work together to achieve objectives or goals.

CULTURE :

Re:locate

at, and analysed, cultural and leadership dilemmas over 25 years, he sees the future lying with value-driven organisations where good leaders think and feel and act courageously within the context of caution. Fons Trompenaars believes that the paradigms we developed on leadership were great on a local level – the Americans operating in the US, for instance, and the French in France – but if you have to lead a group of French, Japanese and Dutch, for example, what management tome do you read? In today’s world, we have a complex mix of cultures and nationalities working together and doing business globally. In the M&A context, this is further complicated by corporate culture and the tensions and dilemmas there are between ‘dominant’ and ‘transitional’ corporate cultures. Having followed what companies are doing over many years, Fons Trompenaars believes that their data reveals that 12 per cent is ‘done by you’ and the rest – an enormous 88 per cent – is ‘done to you’. In the M&A situation, if you focus on one corporate value at the expense of others, there will, inevitably, be tensions among the stakeholders. The art of the skilled servant leader is dealing with those tensions. Fons Trompenaars and his colleagues have established that there are shared dilemmas around the world. How to reconcile those dilemmas is at the core of a successful merger or strategic partnership, and here, again, the servant leader is key. Avoid at all costs “bipolar thinking”. Instead of tugging at the opposite ends of a cord, imagine a continuous loop, where the human aspect is fully integrated with the business aspect. Creativity and innovation An appreciation of cultural differences is intrinsic to all forward-thinking organisations, and cultivating a culture of innovation is essential for growth. In his book Riding the Whirlwind, Fons Trompenaars offers his take on creativity and innovation. Innovative organisations require:

Fons Trompenaars, keynote speaker at EuRA congress

Cultural considerations during M&A How to reconcile cultural differences in a takeover situation, or when cementing a strategic partnership, is explored by Fons Trompenaars and co-author Maarten Nijhoff Asser in The Global M & A Tango. At the recent EuRA Congress, Fons Trompenaars explored decades of management thinking in his search for a new model for leadership. With his reported figure of 50 per cent of mergers and acquisitions failing, this is obviously long overdue. He champions sustainable servant leadership, which is defined as emphasising the leader’s role as steward of the resources (human, financial, and other) provided by the organisation. This model encourages leaders to serve others while focusing on achieving results in line with the organisation’s values. Martin Luther King and Gandhi are often-quoted examples of the servant leader. Servant leaders enable people to do better. They have the ability to be visible at the top of an organisation, working at a strategic level, but, at the same time, can be pouring coffee in an administrative office or passing the time of day on the shop floor. People are key As Fons Trompenaars says, “Corporate effectiveness and efficiency is great, but you can’t ignore people.” Having looked

• • • •

Recognition of organisational cultural differences Respect for those differences Reconciliation of both innovation and cultural dilemmas Realisation and rooting, in which the business benefits of sharing core values and behaviours, and connecting different viewpoints, are embedded throughout the organisation

Making the most of diversity by encouraging innovation and unleashing creativity at all levels is something that every organisation, whether large or small, local or multinational, can benefit from. Culture is for everyone. The Global M&A Tango by Fons Trompenaars and Maarten Nijhoff Asser published by Infiniteidease

See also our coverage of this year’s EuRA Congress (p22). For the latest cross-culture news and articles, see www.relocatemagazine.com, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

Re:locate

: CULTURE

SUMMER 2011

Culture at the heart of relocation At the recent EuRA Congress, European relocation professionals embraced cultural training as the way forward. Fiona Murchie reports.

ver 530 delegates, representing 39 countries, congregated for the EuRA Congress, held in Palma, Mallorca, in April. Every year, this event gets busier, with representatives from further afield – including Brazil, Japan and Africa, Egypt and India – joining this year, sharing knowledge and anecdotes born of their first-hand experience of dealing across nations. This conference is a great way of keeping your finger on the pulse of what is happening on the ground and the concerns of expatriates and their families on the move. The delegates are the people who deliver the services and feed in to the large global relocation management companies. This gives them a unique and valuable perspective. There was cautious optimism in the air as colleagues from across the globe reflected on the past year and built new connections for the future. As the world gets smaller and global activity increases, often as part of a talent management programme, the art is to discover smart ways of keeping costs down, providing innovative solutions that bring on board all the resources of new technology but still maintain people support at the heart of moving and growing businesses internationally – something EuRA members are particularly good at. Cultural issues were high on the agenda. Keynote speaker Fons Trompenaars, the great cross-cultural exponent, entertained and enlightened as he bounded through decades of management thinking in search of a new paradigm for leadership. We explore his theories in more depth on p20. Hands-on cross-cultural support There is no shortage of examples of the strong commitment

EuRA and its members have to supporting clients by helping assignees and their families to function effectively during their transition from one culture to another – and beyond. As well as the EuRA Quality Seal – the world’s first accreditation programme for relocation providers – EuRA also runs a globally relevant, flexible relocation coaching programme combining competence in coaching with cultural understanding, in partnership with the International Centre for Coaching and Leadership Development at Oxford Brookes University. Delivered using a web-based distance-learning tool, the programme was shortlisted in the Technological Innovation in Relocation category at this year’s Re:locate Awards. Cultural support was highlighted in other award categories, too. The BP and Pricoa Intercultural Team was crowned Inspirational HR Team of the Year, and Cartus was shortlisted in the Excellence in Employee and Family Support category, particularly impressing the judges with its crosscultural programmes. When considering cultural issues, the value of language training must not be forgotten. “The most effective way to ensure a successful relocation at a cost that is trivial compared to the total budget is to provide language training and cultural briefing to assignees,” says Osk Danielsdottir, of Robertson Languages International, which has just launched a new telephone translation service. “Industry reports, and the personal experience of our customers, show that a dangerous time is a few months after the move, when the feelings of exhilaration and newness have receded and the full extent of the life changes is

SUMMER 2011

becoming apparent. We would advise language learning and cultural awareness support before the move, or immediately afterwards, to counter this.” Recontextualising the message Speaking at the EuRA Congress, Professor Erin Meyer, specialist in cross-cultural management at INSEAD, urged those working in relocation to remember that the international clients they are supporting may well be ‘recontextualising’ their messages. In a monochromic culture, focusing on one issue can be seen as good customer service, but in India, a polychromic culture, for example, managing three tasks simultaneously is seen as good practice, demonstrating flexibility and organisational skills. The art is to think what kind of behaviour is appropriate for the people you are supporting. “You need to please people in a variety of cultures. What we know in our own culture is not how other people will look at space or an object, and this can be the case when showing a house or introducing a new location,” explained Professor Meyer. Cross-cultural training pays dividends A good illustration of this is provided by Isamar van Hilten, of the Netherlands-based Partners in Relocation (PiR) Group, which provides corporate immigration services in western, central and eastern Europe. We all know about the iceberg illustration (behaviour above the water, values and attitudes below), where there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that we don’t know about, so people can seem to be getting on fine but are, in reality, struggling. “Cultural differences can be a nuisance at best, a disaster at worst,” says Ms van Hilten.“To send employees to live and work in a foreign environment without cultural preparation is to set them up for failure. Intercultural communication training improves and accelerates cultural adaptation.” She cites cultural seminars her company devised and delivered for a large multinational company closing its UK facility and sending several hundred Romanians to the UK to shadow the local employees and then take over their jobs, which were relocated to Romania. The situation was a sensitive one, so careful handling was necessary.

CULTURE :

Re:locate

The seminars were divided into four parts: 1. Introducing the new culture. 2. Understanding the new culture. 3. Comparing the new culture with the native culture, highlighting potential issues of conflict. 4. Identifying solutions to make the relationship between the cultures work. PiR’s comprehensive programme set the scene with general facts about Romania, its economy, its population, its landscape, and the languages spoken. Sport, shopping, social customs, popular hobbies, the arts, and national costumes and holidays were all covered. The programme outlined the cultural context and explained how business etiquette in Romania differs from the approach taken in the UK, and how cultural tensions can arise. For example: • Romanians tend to address their superiors formally, using titles and surnames • Romanians tend to do everything at the last minute • Achievements are not bragged about • Office meetings are scheduled in advance • Not everyone has the right to their opinion; subordinates are not allowed to criticise their boss • People do not say what they think, which can create misunderstandings Says Isamar van Hilten, “The workshop allowed the participants to gain mutual understanding and respect, and provided the tools to avoid irritations. The handover process went smoothly, as the British employees appreciated the efforts their Romanian colleagues had made prior to moving to the UK. There was instant goodwill during the sensitive handover period. The managers of the project were able to deliver on time, without major culture clashes.” EuRA’s message to relocation consultants must be that they can best understand the values of the clients and relocatees they deal with if they first understand their own.

Keep up with cultural issues via www.relocatemagazine.com, and for employees and their families www.smartmoverelocate.com See our new International Destinations sections, including Romania.

Re:locate

: EUROPE – NORDIC COUNTRIES

SUMMER 2011

Relocating in the Nordic region: in from the cold? It may be at the northernmost limits of Europe’s continental mass, but the Nordic region – Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland – is a central force in its economic success. These countries’ growth is bringing benefits to relocation service provision in Europe and taking it to a new level in the region, says Ruth Holmes.

t might be easy to believe that the global financial crisis was, as its popular moniker suggests, a global event. Yet, as delegates discussed at January 2011’s Davos World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, which took the region’s resilience to this external crisis as a key theme, some countries were much better insulated from the financial deep-freeze than others. Having gone through its government fiscal and bankingsector breakdown in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and without a property bubble of the same proportions as the UK’s, the Nordic region has, by and large, found the post-2008 world to be very benevolent indeed, bouncing back from recession more quickly than most and delivering impressive GDP growth. Swedish government data published in March saw the country register its fastest-ever quarterly economic growth in Q4 2010, with 7.3 per cent year-on-year expansion, bolstering its position as Europe’s best-performing economy. Sweden’s neighbour, Finland, announced that its economy grew by 5.2 per cent in the same period. Rebounding consumer spending and strong export markets are underpinning these impressive post-recession renaissances. Meanwhile, Norway continued to grow during the post2008 period, albeit at a more modest and moderate pace, and

Denmark – whose key trading partners are Europe’s other high-growth performers, Sweden and Germany – came back from a massive 5.9 per cent contraction in GDP in 2009 to a healthy rise of around 2 per cent in 2010. The other side of the coin Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their isolated location and potentially inhospitable climate, the countries that comprise the Nordic region are some of the least densely populated in Europe. Norway, Sweden and Finland together comprise a total population of around 20 million, with Sweden accounting for around 9.5 million of this. This statistic gives rise to some of Europe’s highest GDPs per capita – aided by the region’s natural energy, forestry and fishing riches, and world-beating high-technology sector – and some of its lowest population densities, at between 12 and 22 people per square kilometre. Denmark, on the other hand, has one of the highest population densities, at around 124 people per kilometre, thanks largely to its ‘mainland’. The triumvirate of location, natural assets and relatively small population means that, despite its very highly educated and skilled workforces, the region relies on workers from

SUMMER 2011

other countries to fill its skills gaps. Finland and Sweden, in particular, both have reasonably large, settled populations of workers from overseas; from Russia, in the case of Finland, and, in the case of Sweden, from returning Swedish nationals first and then Somalians, representing the country’s progressive status as a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers. Globally mobile workers in the Nordic region For the globally mobile business population and the relocation sector, the Scandinavian nations represent a small, but potentially increasingly important, way station for globally mobile workers and multinational companies, particularly in the business services and energy sectors. The relocation sector here, and Sweden more broadly, was less affected than most other developed Western European economies by the 2008/9 crisis. “We, as a company, have been very busy, growing 25 per cent a year for the last four years. We have also recently taken on six new members of staff to support a large pharmaceutical company’s group move from Lund and the UK to the Gothenburg area,” says Åse Löfgren-Gunsten, of Swedish relocation services company Nordic Relocation Group, which has three offices around the country, in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. “This company is restructuring its research and development facilities across Europe and pulling together its competencies. It’s really interesting to see how Gothenburg, as a city, has rallied round to welcome this new business.” Yet what did change post-2008 for companies and mobile employees in the region was their expectations, as Åse Löfgren-Gunsten explains.

EUROPE – NORDIC COUNTRIES :

Re:locate

“Sweden was affected, like everyone else, by the financial crisis in 2008, but a lot less hard hit than other places,” she says. “So what has changed is that international companies here, as elsewhere in Europe, are still sending their executiveand managerial-level employees to the region, but they are more likely to be on commuter contracts, with their families staying behind. “Moneywise, it is cheaper for a company in Europe to have its employees leaving on a Thursday or Friday to go back to their home country.” With car manufacturers Volvo and Saab recently being the subject of international takeovers, and international manufacturing firm SKF another export stalwart, not to mention a regulated and forward-thinking financial sector that is an attractive proposition for global investors in a chastened banking sector, the opportunities for the relocation sector look rosy. New inbound destinations For Finland’s world-leading R&D institutes and technology companies, like Nokia, inbound highly skilled expertise is still very much a feature of the post-2008 picture, as the links between Eastern and Western companies become more enmeshed through mergers, acquisitions and manufacturing relocation. “We are seeing more highly skilled workers now from India and China, as well as from the traditional sending companies of the US and Europe,” says Liz Paavolainen, of Transite Relocations, in Helsinki, Finland. For Astrid Roheim, of Relocate 2 Norway, Europe – especially its best-performing economies – is still providing the bulk of her relocation business. “Most people I work

Norway’s largest relocation and destination service provider Covering all aspects of moving to Norway With our help, your employees can be happy and effective from the start, without having to worry about paperwork and other practical issues. We make sure that there are no delays and that the employees’ introduction to Norway runs smoothly.

Personalized service Many of our employees are former expats themselves. They know what it is like to move to another country and can provide the best kind of advice and support to our clients’ employees. We offer personalized services to meet the clients’ needs.

15 years of experience Relocation.no was founded in 1996 and has grown to be the largest relocation company in Norway. Our main office is in Stavanger, the energy capital on the southwest coast. We also have divisions in Bergen and Oslo – a total of 34 employees administrating 950 lease agreements throughout Norway. Last year, we had 1950 Visa applications from 87 countries. At the moment Relocation.no works with 50 companies.

Re:locate

: EUROPE – NORDIC COUNTRIES

with at the moment are specialists and managing-directorlevel employees from western Europe. I have worked with several French workers recently in the electronics and pharma sectors, and from Germany, too, for an aluminium company.” Norway’s oil and gas resources have traditionally triggered its inbound movement, but Astrid Roheim says that this pattern has evolved in recent years. “Oil is one of Norway’s main exports, and many foreign workers have gone to Stavanger, which is the country’s oil capital. I’ve seen an increase in people now going to Bergen [further north up the North Sea coast from Stavanger], the second-largest city, and Oslo.” Ensuring retention With restructuring moves widespread across many of Europe’s post-industrial nations, it’s not surprising to note that cost control was accorded top priority by 100 per cent of Nordic employers that responded to Interdean’s 2010 European Mobility Challenges Survey – way ahead of any other nation. What’s more, reflecting the tight labour market and broader demographic trends behind the war for talent, repatriation management in this buoyant region came in at number two, with 75 per cent. Service consistency made third place. Relocation service providers are reflecting these employer needs in the type of support they are offering. Some European Relocation Association (EuRA) members, for example, like Transite Relocations, Relocate 2 Norway, Nordic Relocation Group and House of Relocation, in Denmark, are setting up cross-region networks, like Absolute Nordic Relocation. These provide a one-stop shop for businesses in the region that offer a complete service for valuable mobile employees, which is becoming so important for attracting and retaining key talent in culturally alien environments. “In my experience, relocating to the Nordic region, especially from countries outside Europe, is quite different from relocating to elsewhere in Europe,” says Liz Paavolainen. “Here, because of the language and cultural differences, the climate and its isolation, it is really important to make sure that people feel supported and settled. In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, they share, to a degree, the same language and culture. “In Finland, the language and culture are very different, and that sets us apart in this country. My interest is very much in supporting individuals and families to settle and to ensure a successful assignment.” The importance of quality relocation services and successful assignments is an area that Astrid Roheim and her clients also understand. “Companies are using my services to support high-level employees in their assignments. Many prefer this approach, so that confidentiality is maintained and for an efficient service that isn’t always possible in house. “As well as accommodation searches, immigration and compliance services, we offer practical help and advice on what to expect. For example, on what the weather in winter is, and how to deal with it; this is a big fear for assignees.” All change for relocation While, in one way, it is very much business as usual in the Nordic region, the economic success story is changing the relocation sector there. With the promise of increased activity, both inbound and outbound, and forward-thinking practices like bespoke,

SUMMER 2011

high-touch personal services for globally mobile employees, the region’s burgeoning relocation sector is adapting and supporting global businesses and their employees as they continue to go from strength to strength.

Driving the business forward: international service at Volvo International service at Volvo Mirroring the Scandinavian economic miracle, the Volvo Car Corporation is bouncing back from the 2008/9 recession as a global success story. Galvanised by $11bn of investment plans for new products and facilities, plus a new approach to compensating international service, the car manufacturer has a route map for success in China – the world’s biggest passenger car market. Gothenburg-based Volvo Cars has an 85-year tradition of quality and innovation in the international passenger car market. Operating in 100 countries and, until recently, Fordowned, Volvo Cars was acquired by Chinese car manufacturer Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in a $1.8bn deal in 2010. The HR customer service team, as strategic business partner, seized the opportunity of the new ownership and the post-2008 reality to revisit and relaunch the company’s policies relating to international service experience. “Under Ford, like many American businesses, the company operated an allowance-based, tax-equalised approach to compensation,” explains Nic Bähler, head of HR customer support. “While this had a lot of value, it was bureaucratic and time consuming to administer. So, in 2010, our team spent a very busy first part of the year redesigning the international service package. “Previously, there were lots of allowances that assignees had to apply for. We wanted to maintain the value to the employee of the overall package, but reduce the administration involved. These cost savings were then diverted to a new, bigger standalone compensation pot for international service, which is now paid out in a hostcountry gross salary.” This more streamlined compensation policy better supports Volvo Car Corporation’s strategic goals, particularly as it expands into new markets from its Swedish, Belgian, Chinese and Malaysian plants. In 2008, the HR customer support team advised on around 100 international service moves. In 2011, that figure doubled to around 200, and “we expect it to level off in the next year or so to around 200 as we set up new production facilities in China”, says Nic Bähler. The new international service experience package is also more aligned with the company’s ‘people-centric’ culture and values, and acknowledges better the diversity of employees’ needs. Mr Bähler says, “With the standalone policy, everyone across the company is treated the same. “Individuals decide how they want to use their compensation. The company no longer pays for transportation of pets or household goods, but works with global relocation providers to offer fully furnished homes, which is also better in terms of limiting environmental impact.” Don’t miss our coverage of Asia Pacific, including China, which starts on p28.

SUMMER 2011

EUROPE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SWITZERLAND :

Re:locate

Switzerland opens it borders On 1 May, Switzerland removed its border restrictions on nationals from the A8 countries. Jamie Bolton explains.

Swiss government has a year to consider whether the arrangements need reviewing, as its first opportunity to do so is on 1 May 2012. As for citizens from A2 countries Bulgaria and Romania, they will have to wait until at least May 2014 for the same privilege. However, the restrictions do not apply for selfemployed workers from the A2 countries, who are free to move and work in Switzerland from June 2011. The quotas for short- and long-term work permits for A2 nationals are likely to be filled until the end of this year and next, the Swiss government announced recently.

n 1 May, Switzerland tore down its border restrictions on the A8 countries, allowing nationals from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia the freedom to travel and work there. Before the new arrangements, A8 nationals were subject to a strict examination of their work-permit applications, taking into account their qualifications and the availability of suitable local workers for the same position. Not only do the new arrangements spare them this ordeal, they also remove the annual work-permit limit that used to be in place. However, these remain transitional arrangements, and the Swiss government has reserved the right to rethink the policy until May 2014. That said, if any changes are made, they are only expected to affect the annual work-permit limit, rather than reverting to the scrutiny of applications as well. The

For the latest immigration news and articles, see www.relocatemagazine.com and our section on Switzerland, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

The Swiss specialist in international assignment services www.harsch.ch Tollfree +800 SWISSMOVE or +800 88 44 88 44 GENEVA - Head Office e-mail: harsch@harsch.ch

ZURICH e-mail: harsch.zh@harsch.ch

BASEL e-mail: harsch.bs@harsch.ch

LAUSANNE e-mail: harsch.vd@harsch.ch

Re:locate

: ASIA PACIFIC – JAPAN

SUMMER 2011

Japan: back to business as usual? Three months on from the devastating earthquake and tsunami, how are individuals and businesses in Japan faring – and how can countries around the world aid the recovery process? Louise Whitson talks to two relocation professionals on the ground.

here is no denying that the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March were major disasters. As many as 30,000 people were killed or reported missing, and the spillage caused by damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant has had implications for countries across the world – not least Germany, where all nuclear plants are to be closed by 2022 as a direct result of events in Japan. More than half a million people – some of them from the evacuation zone around the Fukushima plant – are still living in crowded shelters, but Japan and its people are determined to return to normal as quickly as possible. “Though the cleanup and rebuilding job is formidable, there is a clear recognition that things are improving,” says Ken Arbour, of Tokyo Orientations Inc. “The highways through the area were the first to reopen. Then, a couple weeks ago, the bullet train northward from Tokyo – an important symbol of recovery – also started operating again.” Mr Arbour feels that the Western media, in its desire to “whip up as much drama as possible”, may, unintentionally, have been less than helpful. “When they kept using phrases like ‘catastrophe in Japan,’ I thought, ‘You mean northeastern Japan’, because Tokyo, and much of the rest of the country, escaped relatively unscathed. “There was the threat of nuclear radiation from the Fukushima plant, rolling blackouts through the suburbs and outlying rural areas, and slower trains, but all in all, in central Tokyo, where I and much of the expat community reside, life was not very different.

“The whole thing again brought home to me how very civilised the Japanese are. They waited patiently in line when water and other emergency supplies were distributed in the damaged towns and cities. There was no looting. “Granted, there were some important lessons learned from the Kobe quake. This time, when the American military offered help, it was quickly welcomed. The Americans were great at getting emergency food and water delivered to survivors in the isolated and devastated communities in what is actually a very large area. And they deserve to be warmly commended.” Steve Burson, of Relo Japan, agrees. “The situation has been grim, but the Japanese people are resilient and have come together to help. Nationwide and throughout the world, governments, not-for-profit organisations, volunteer groups, companies, and people from all walks of life have responded with assistance for those whose homes, families and lives have been devastated. “While there is still much to do, the Japanese people have responded with one heart, to deal with the reality before them with charity and determination. “Thankfully, radiation issues are localised within a 30-kilometre zone from the reactors; outside this zone, there are few safety concerns. The Japanese government is diligently measuring and restricting produce, water supplies, and land use, to ensure safety. While the reactors are still a serious problem, the situation becomes more stable every day.” Of the effect on Japan’s expatriates, Ken Arbour says, “The impact of the quake on the expatriate population in Tokyo, which is where the majority of expatriates reside, has been huge. Many left. A lot have come back, but it seems like it is mostly the long-term expats. “Many short-term residents – those just here for a couple of years or so – may not return. We shall see. The conventional wisdom seems to be that it may be the autumn before their numbers start rising again.” Impact on Japan’s economy In the wake of the triple disaster, Japan’s economy has also suffered, with export figures having fallen dramatically. However, companies on the ground are noticing a real improvement. “For Tokyo and the rest of Japan, it is largely back to business – and life – as usual,” says Steve Burson. “People understand that a solid economy is needed to support the recovery effort. Smiles are coming back to faces, and businesses are returning to productivity, while everyone strives to carry on with respect for, and deference to, those still affected.” What have been the implications for Japan’s international assignments scene? According to the results of a pulse survey

SUMMER 2011

ASIA PACIFIC – CHINA :

conducted by Worldwide ERC, companies with business activity in Japan have responded to evolving conditions and changing needs in a number of ways. Respondents to the survey, who had between one and 50 employees on assignment before the crisis, mostly said they had moved at least some of their assignees out of Japan. In most cases, employees were sent back to their home countries. Some or all of the families of those assignees who remained in the country were relocated out of Japan. Companies usually moved employees not sent back to their home countries under an extended business-travel policy, or took a case-by-case approach. Short-term assignments were used less often. Respondents also reported offering home leave to those employees who moved back to their home countries, or simply ending the assignment by repatriating the employee. The survey also found that companies were using a variety of approaches to help local employees in Japan. These included more-frequent communication, the opportunity to move to a less-affected area within Japan or overseas for a temporary period, and counselling through an employee assistance programme or global counselling service.

Asia

Relocation Japan

Re:locate

Snatching triumph from disaster Has some good, perhaps, come out of a bad few months? Steve Burson thinks so. “There is a new ‘fight’ in the Japanese people post-disaster. An energy has emerged, especially among the youth, who share a renewed sense of meaning in their lives. This event, while horrible, has imbued Japanese society with a greater sense of charity, camaraderie and humility.” He adds, “Don’t use the nuclear radiation scare as an excuse. Do Japan a favour and continue your relationships and business as if there had been no disaster.” With thanks to Ken Arbour, of Tokyo Orientations Inc (www.tokyoorientations.com), and Steve Burson, of Relo Japan (www.ReloJapan.com), who were keen to comment following the EuRA Congress.

For more news and articles on Japan, see www.relocatemagazine. com, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

sold Asia Ads Lure of theNotorient When it comes to relocation, China continues to exert a magnetic attraction, as the results of two recent surveys show. Louise Whitson reports.

here’s no doubt about it: China, which, earlier this year, became the world’s largest economy after the USA, overtaking its neighbour Japan, is continuing on its seemingly endless upward trajectory as a relocation destination. If current growth continues, experts are predicting that China will replace the US as the world’s top economy in around a decade. Relocation service providers are flocking to the country, to take advantage of the increase in international assignees both entering and leaving it. They include two global corporate immigration specialists, Pro-Link Global, which has opened an office in Shanghai, and Smith Stone

Walters, which has a new office in Hong Kong dedicated to helping clients’ assignees transferring to the UK from the Asia Pacific region. “We have seen a great increase in case volume into China in recent months, and identified a need to provide a local point of service control for clients,” says Lance Elliott, Pro-Link Global’s vice president. “By opening our own office and hiring our own staff in Shanghai, we are able to provide top-notch, international-standard services locally.” The number of serviced apartments in China is growing – another sign that relocation is increasing. The Ascott Limited,

Re:locate

: ASIA PACIFIC – CHINA

SUMMER 2011

the largest international serviced accommodation owneroperator in China, has opened new serviced apartments in the cities of Tianjin, Wuhan and Xi’an. This brings Ascott’s current total number of apartment units in China to more than 6,300 in 34 properties across 15 cities. The company aims to increase this figure to 12,000 units by 2015. The clearest sign to date of China’s importance in the relocation world was the news, this spring, that the Hong Kong-headquartered Santa Fe Group had entered into an agreement to acquire moving and relocation services company Interdean. The combined company will offer professional moving, relocation and records management services through 120 offices in 50 countries. Corporate assignments growth to continue It comes as no surprise, then, that Cartus’s recently published Destination: China survey predicts that corporate relocation assignments related to China will continue to grow. Long-term assignments remain the most common policy type, but the fastest-growing assignment segment is short term – those typically lasting between four and 12 months. The survey reflects data and commentary from senior executives at 68 multinational corporations based in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, representing a total employee population of more than three million. It identifies trends in relocation assignments and destinations, as well as challenges faced by companies relocating employees to China. “Companies are now looking to China for its tremendous market opportunities, and it appears they will continue to do so as world economies improve,” said Kenneth Kwek, head of Asia-Pacific operations at Cartus. “Maximising opportunities for growth will depend on an effective workforce that has been properly trained to be deployed in non-traditional locations and assignment types. Getting the right people to the right place is always a complex yet critical goal, and, in China, the challenges are immense. Addressing talent shortages The Cartus report cites a significant shortage of talent in China, caused by the inadequate number of employees who are equipped with the skills and experience required to work in a multinational corporation. This is further illustrated by survey results indicating that 88 per cent of companies identify that the transfer of

skills and knowledge is the key motivation behind sending an executive to China, while 62 per cent state that the development of the employee is paramount for an outbound assignment. The study notes that intra-Asia relocations are also growing as businesses seek regional talent to fulfil assignments in an effort to overcome cultural challenges and costs associated with moves from outside the region. During this time of growth, 46 per cent of respondents to the Cartus survey expected intra-region volume to increase, compared with the 35 per cent who noticed an increase in the previous two years. Said Kenneth Kwek, “It’s clear that multinational corporations will also continue to deploy assignees from outside Asia to help establish and expand their presence in China. The survey shows that multinationals are going to need a combination of staffing approaches from both within and outside of APAC [Asia Pacific] to fulfil their needs in China.” China the No 1 new destination The Brookfield Global Relocation Services (GRS) 2011 Global Relocation Trends Survey Report reveals similar trends. When respondents were asked to identify the countries that were emerging as new assignment locations, China topped the list, followed by Brazil, India and Singapore. In terms of presenting assignment difficulties for international assignees, China ranked highest, followed by India, Russia, and Brazil. This, no doubt, reflects the assignee volume going into these locations. “The competition for housing and schooling, and other strains on infrastructure, will undoubtedly create delays and difficulty to the relocation process and have a negative impact on the relocation experience,” observed Rick Schwarz, president of Brookfield GRS. In future editions of Re:locate, we’ll put key Asia Pacific countries, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, under the spotlight, and examine fundamental issues for relocation to this region, including practicalities such as tax and immigration regulations for specific countries. For more news and articles, see the International Destinations section of www.relocatemagazine.com. China and Japan content is now live, with other Asia Pacific countries to follow. Don’t forget to sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

Relo Japan is committed to offering personalized relocation services, delivered with high standards and attention to detail.

Extending Your Reach Global Mobility Consulting Services Domestic Relocation Services International Relocation Services Global Assignment Services Worldwide Destination Services Group Move Management Mortgage Services Visa and Immigration Services Asia Paciﬁc Services Centre t: +852.2907.5880 w: paragonrelocation.com e: info@paragonrelocation.com PR201-051111-Relocate APAC

Relo Japan 2F EXOS Ebisu 1-24-14 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0013 Japan T: +81 (0) 3 5449 6061 E: InfoRequest@ReloJapan.com W: www.ReloJapan.com

Our professional team of international consultants has the detailed local knowledge and experience to make any relocation to Japan work the way it should: we worry about the details, so that our clients don’t have to.

Relax. Your Employees Are in Good Hands.

We Steer You Through the Complexities of Global Immigration.

People have needs, lots of them, especially when relocating to a foreign city. Needs such as support, safety and security. Pro-Link GLOBAL approaches global corporate immigration by focusing on the needs of your people as our top priority. We handle everything necessary to seamlessly transfer your human capital around the world using our specialized, high-touch concierge service. Our Keiretsu Global Network Members provide you with aggressive, proactive representation in over 120 locations worldwide. Every office is staffed with immigration experts intimately familiar with the cultural nuances and processes required to smoothly navigate the complexities of global immigration. As the first company in the industry to be certified by ISO, the world’s largest standards organization, Pro-Link GLOBAL understands that different people have different needs. Our expansive network of professionals has what it takes to provide the personal service to meet those needs, because corporate immigration is what we do… and it is all we do.

Immigration never sleeps™ Over 120 Global Locations | +1 (941) 794 6461 | 1 (877) PLG 8754

www.pro-linkglobal.com

Awards Special 2010/11 With every ticket sold, the Re:locate Awards 2010/11 Gala Dinner and Presentation Ceremony â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which many are describing as the relocation social and networking event of the year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was a resounding success.

Sponsors: Relocate Your Thinking

SUMMER 2011

AWARDS SPECIAL :

Re:locate

n what was a record year for entries to relocation’s premier awards, all the available tickets were snapped up, and there was a real buzz of excitement in the air as guests from across the relocation spectrum – including both HR professionals and suppliers – networked the night away as they awaited the announcement of the winners. The event was held on Thursday 12 May at the Institute of Directors, in London. Celebrity guest speaker and host Floella Benjamin, broadcaster, actress, writer, cultural ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games, international children’s campaigner and member of the House of Lords, entertained and inspired in equal measure. Her infectious enthusiasm and lively style perfectly captured the mood of an evening dedicated to celebrating success and innovation, and was greatly appreciated by her audience. Introducing Baroness Benjamin, Fiona Murchie, Re:locate’s managing editor, said, “I heard Floella speak as chancellor of Exeter University, and was impressed by her passion and energy. As well as giving an inspiring speech, she went on to present hundreds of degrees and impart an individual comment to each graduate, giving them something very special to take away in their new careers. I’m sure she will generate some of that special magic here tonight.” And indeed she did! Barbara Rees, of FOCUS, commented, “Re:locate always manages to find engaging and entertaining speakers. Baroness Benjamin was inspirational in her own personal story of relocation. It reminds us why we are in this industry: to benefit others and make transition a positive experience.”

confirming that these awards are now firmly established in the international arena. “Relocation is a growth industry. There is no going back. With economic recovery underway, and the world shrinking almost by the day, companies are reaching further afield in search of new opportunities and new markets. “Having the right people in the right place at the right time is key to this, making the role of HR and relocation professionals more important than ever.

Flying the flag for relocation Between them, the ten awards – including three new categories for 2010/11 – recognised individuals, teams, policy and innovation, with a choice of categories for HR and service providers. The high-calibre shortlist reflected the many different types of organisation involved in relocation. Our winners represented organisations large and small; their stories serve as glowing examples of best practice. Describing the Re:locate Awards as “an established date in the diary for the relocation industry”, Stella Savage, of sponsor Fully Furnished, praised the way in which the awards bring the industry together and celebrate high standards of service. In her introduction to the awards presentation, Fiona Murchie, said, “It’s wonderful to have full capacity at our dinner tonight, with more overseas guests than ever before,

38 Inspirational HR Team of the Year

Supporters:

New charity initiative Pursuing the theme of making connections, Fiona announced the launch of Making a Difference, a new Re:locate charitable initiative for the relocation sector (see p7 for details). She ended the proceedings by thanking the awards sponsors, supporters and those providing professional endorsements – not forgetting all who entered – for helping to make the fourth annual Re:locate Awards the best yet. Photographs of the evening (which can be ordered as prints or digital versions) are available at www.relocatemagazine.com Promote your brand alongside the Re:locate Awards 2011/12, to be launched in our autumn issue. For details of sponsorship packages, phone 01892 891334, or visit www.relocatemagazine.com

CONTENTS: 34 Best Relocation Strategy/Policy 36 Technological Innovation in Relocation 37 Creative Application of Technology 40 Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year (UK) 41 Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year (International) 42 Best Property Provider or Solution 44 Rising Star in Relocation 46 Relocation Personality of the Year 48 Green Achievement 49 Excellence in Employee & Family Support 50 Best International Destination Services Provider

Professional endorsements:

THE RELOCATION USERS GROUP

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

Leonie Lonton, Save the Children

Re:locate

BEST RELOCATION STRATEGY/POLICY SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

Save the Children SHORTLISTED: Cadbury/Bridge A ‘how-to’ for achieving long-term goals via an international talent management strategy, our winner demonstrates where strategic vision and focused leadership can take an organisation, says Ruth Holmes.

ave the Children’s was the nomination for the best relocation strategy that had everything. Absolutely grounded in the founding principles of relocation, its confident approach to managing global talent actively recognises the importance of deploying the right people to the right place at the right time. In a sector where cost-effective mobility and the rapid deployment of in-demand skills in crisis-hit regions are lifeor-death matters, for any organisation, and across the sectors, it is an inspiring object lesson in what can be achieved when vision truly aligns with policy and practice. Underpinning the award-winning approach to talent management, Save the Children’s radical ten-year plan sets in place “five breakthroughs for children”, says Susannah Parsons, Save the Children’s global HR good practice manager. “These are the handful of issues on which Save the Children will provide leadership to completely change what is accepted as the norm for children in the world today.” The implementation of the plan using new practices is having a clear delivery impact on children across the world. Just two of the 11 successes in 2010 achieved through Save the Children’s strengthened emergency capacity included the achievement of “several world-class top-three responses”, which increased the charity’s reach and impact and ensured that almost 12 million children received a basic or improved education in crisis and conflict zones. Achieving these impressive outputs has involved addressing key challenges in talent management, including ensuring an appropriate and workable balance of nationals versus expatriates. Challenges in compensation, language skills and leadership are also being addressed via an integrated global talent management approach.

A critical issue was the management of surge capacity when disasters occur and the demand for appropriate staff rises without notice. Here, the judges commended the screening and database of talent pools for disaster management and the implementation of simple and effective performance management at country level. Celebrating success “Save the Children works in an extremely difficult environment on tight resources across a range of cultures and languages,” said the judging panel. “The development of people to lead and manage in disaster situations, as well as in everyday locales where child poverty and health issues are of paramount concern, requires immense foresight, planning, innovation and tenacity, especially when resources are limited and timescales mean the difference between life and death. The talent management strategy and HR policies are at the heart of this success.” Commenting on winning the accolade, Susannah Parsons says, “We are thrilled that our programmes are being recognised and have been identified not only as role modelling within the NGO sector but across other sectors. We believe in developing partnerships to share good practice and learnings; however, most importantly, we believe in partnerships to deliver breakthroughs for children. “We will continue to learn from others as we grow, and we are happy to share our learning and experiences with others, and to engage others in our work.”

www.savethechildren.org

A Clearer View of Global Immigration Newland Chase provides a truly global service. We can help you with immigration solutions no matter where your staff are from, and no matter where they need to work.

Newland Chase, One Canada Square Canary Wharf, London E14 5DY United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)20 7712 1765

Our global work permit and immigration expertise coupled with our local knowledge enable us to provide services that are bespoke to your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific needs. Some of the services we can assist your company with: t Global immigration services t UK immigration services t Global visa services t Government liaison t Residence permits t Document Legalization The reason so many businesses choose Newland Chase is because of our first-class approach to immigration issues. All our immigration lawyers are highly qualified and we have experts in countries throughout the world. We are perfectly positioned to assist your company.

www.newlandchase.com

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

Kasia Pinska, Move One Inc

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN RELOCATION SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

Move One Inc SHORTLISTED: EuRA/Oxford Brookes University, Pickfords Moving & Storage, Lookseecity Ltd, maiden-voyage.com Second-time winner of this category Move One has come up with an ingenious new, easy-to-use tool that saves time and money – and improves assignees’ experience of relocation.

his category attracted a number of entries and gave rise to debate among the judges, who were looking for evidence of real innovation in what is an extremely fastchanging field. It’s definitely a category to be watched and encouraged as technology responds to market trends. Move One, a specialist in global destination and immigration service delivery, relocation management and international moving, took the award for its new Orientation Tour feature, which impressed the judges by pulling together readily available technologies, such as Google maps, social media and video, to create a community feeling which would be of immediate benefit to individuals and save them time. Summing up, one judge said, “A great new tool, both for staff and for assignees – and, because it saves time and cost, for employers, too. Tailored to the individual, and extremely easy to use.” Delivering service throught technology Move One has long been committed to using the latest technology to deliver outstanding service. However, while online technologies were frequently employed to help in tracking complex transactions and document exchange, they were not being used effectively to make the direct, physical experience of relocation more convenient, explains Move One’s Jon Harman. To address this, the company developed the Orientation Tour feature. “This allows destination services staff to create an orientation tour itinerary, in pdf format, with a picture, a schedule, and a map showing the destinations to be visited, all within a few minutes,” says Jon Harman. “The pdf tour itinerary can then be emailed to the client and assignee in advance of the tour. This innovation saves our

staff hours of cutting and pasting, and enables the assignee to ‘see’ the tour beforehand.” Move One consultants enter the address, web address, phone number, a brief description, and pictures of key Orientation Tour sites, such as medical and fitness centres, and shopping malls. To build an itinerary, the consultant simply checks a box next to each location they plan to visit. The system generates a list of selected tour stops. The consultant then drags and drops each of the tour stops into the correct order for the planned tour. Visit times are entered, and the system creates a page-sized map showing each tour location by number, in the order in which they will be visited. “By using technology that is readily available and adapting it to our systems, we are working to ensure that we are providing the best possible service for our clients and their assignees, and living up to our mission statement of making relocation easier,” says Jon Harman. Of the Re:locate Awards, he adds, “To be singled out by an independent panel of judges and recognised in front of the best in our business is not only gratifying to all of us who have contributed to developing this feature in our system, it is also good for business. “The Re:locate Awards help to keep our name out there in the industry and validate to our clients, and potential clients, the value of partnering with Move One. “The publicity is a huge step forward in building our brand and our reputation.”

www.moveoneinc.com

AWARDS SPECIAL :

Re:locate

CREATIVE APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY WINNER:

Pickfords Moving & Storage

Even for a large and highly successful firm, it’s vital to move with the times in order to stay ahead of the competition. Here’s how the winner of this special award used technology to do just that.

his year, Re:locate made a special one-off award for the creative application of technology, which went to Pickfords Moving & Storage for its use of the Destiny Digital Pen, a product that looks set to become an industry standard through what the Re:locate Awards judges called “its huge impact on service delivery, time and customer satisfaction.” Established for nearly 400 years, Pickfords is a household name in home moving and storage. Its wide range of clients includes private individuals, corporate customers, and government departments. Pickfords has 53 branches throughout the UK and Ireland, and moves more than 100,000 people every year. It regards using the latest technology in the most effective ways as vital to its continued success. Using technology creatively So what is digital pen technology, and how did Pickfords achieve the impressive results highlighted by the Re:locate Awards judging panel? “The Destiny product utilises digital pen and paper technology, GPS functionality and SMS to facilitate fast, simple data collection and transmission from the field,” explains national sales manager John Denton. “Data and photographs can be sent from a customer’s home back to the operating system at the local Pickfords office, which means we can process surveys and quotations quickly and react to short-notice moves, and the sales team can spend less time on administration and more time with their customers.” He adds, “Speed of response is critical when dealing with short-notice bookings. The digital pen technology helps Pickfords by raising all quotations at least a day sooner, which improves our customer service. It also has an effect on how

quickly invoices are raised, and thus payment is collected, so cash flow and reduced debtor days are additional benefits. “For our contract work, we’re able to provide our corporate accounts with real-time feedback of surveys completed, including time-stamp validation of a customer’s signature.” User friendly resource According to John Denton, the new technology is user friendly and has been well received by Pickfords’ staff, because they continue to fill in forms manually, using pen and paper. This means very little change to current working practices, very low training requirement and cost, no ‘threatening’ technology for new computer users, and easy integration with existing systems. As John Denton puts it, “This is innovation without disturbing existing best practice!” The technology has also been useful in the competitive new-business arena. At the time of introducing the Destiny Digital Pen, Pickfords was bringing new products to the market. The technology’s flexibility allowed the company to use the Automated Work Flow system, which provided the option to deliver information to the right people with just one tick of a box. This meant that the company’s new home insurance division was able to receive new leads in real time. “I am delighted that Pickfords has won this award,” said John Denton. “It’s a reflection of our commitment to continually advance our systems and processes so we can improve our customers’ experience.”

www.pickfords.co.uk

Lalit Saili and John Denton, Pickfords Moving and Storage with Tom Thiselton, Destiny Wireless

SUMMER 2011

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

INSPIRATIONAL HR TEAM OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

BP and Pricoa Intercultural Team SHORTLISTED: GSK HR Team Challenges define the global energy industry. Winners BP and the Pricoa Intercultural Team overcame the everyday – and the once in a lifetime – with inspirational results, as Ruth Holmes reports.

he ongoing search for new energy sources takes the oil industry and its mobile workers to new frontiers and difficult environments on a daily basis. It’s not just the living and working conditions that can present significant challenges. The sector is at the forefront of filling the energy gap in the next three decades, at a time of rising costs and the race for new technologies. In this highly competitive sector, investing in attracting and retaining staff makes the critical difference to project success or failure. And for BP, this is a mobility and cultural training challenge on a grand scale, given the diversity of locations, the number of employees and the complexity of some of the living and working arrangements. Says Anita Blanchett, BP’s global vendor manager for international mobility, ”BP has expatriates and rotators in 63 countries and in some of the most inhospitable locations on the earth. We relocate everyone from drillers to traders, and have to provide support to all. We have in excess of 3,000 employees on assignment (long and short term) and over 1,000 employees who live in one location and work in another on a rotational basis.” Impressed by its global reach and flexibility, BP has linked up with Pricoa to maximise the success of its mobility programme. Here, Pricoa’s dedicated team works with BP mobility team members to offer round-the-clock and roundthe-globe care on a tri-region basis to BP’s global expatriate population, preparing them for successful adjustments to their destination countries. On its own, this partnership between Pricoa and BP warrants award-winning status to reflect the internal culture change it effected. By introducing and offering a menu of pre-departure and post-arrival services, and in a variety of formats, the partnership has quadrupled take-up of intercultural training within BP over five years. This is no

easy achievement, considering the vast diversity of countries, employees and delivery methods required. Says Anita Blanchett, “Pricoa and BP work together well. A case is in point is how Pricoa recognised a need to adapt training for global teams to cover not only the location, but also the team. “In the last 12 months, the team has managed the movement of large numbers of staff to the Gulf of Mexico and evacuations from both Egypt and Libya, so it’s a great feeling to be recognised by our peers in this way.” Exemplifying the team’s success was its response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which demonstrated excellent leadership during a time of crisis, as well as faultless teamwork. The BP and Pricoa team worked quickly and seamlessly to develop specific guidance for global employees on handling negative comments, and coaching. This enabled employees to maintain an informed and neutral stance during this sustained high-profile event and in a highly sensitive area for a company and industry that takes environmental responsibility very seriously. Collecting the award on behalf of the team, Pricoa’s Stephen Fairn said, “A great HR team can make a huge difference, and this one has certainly done so, during what has been a very challenging 15 months for BP, not just in the UK but all around the world.” The judges concurred. “The team faced significant challenges and overcame them. A spirit of support and helpfulness shines through the entry. You can always tell if a team has the right dynamics by how it copes with problems and disasters – and this partnership between the company and its suppliers provides a model of good practice.” www.bp.com www.pricoarelocation.com

Rosemary Barber, BP with Stephen Fairn Pricoa Relocation and Lisa Tang, BP

Balancing every variable in your relocation equation. If experience is the best teacher, then no one can offer you a better relocation education than Cartus. Organisations of all sizes rely on us to address their precise needs by applying the insights we’ve gained through thousands of unique engagements. Your Cartus team will align your culture, your resources, and your objectives with the industry’s best practices and emerging trends—developing and delivering a programme that achieves your goals in the most cost-effective way possible. And as you move into new markets, know that Cartus is ready to give you and your employees seasoned guidance every step of the way. To put our experience to the test, call on Cartus at trustedguidance@cartus.com.

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

George Dawes and Simon Hood, HCR

RELOCATION SERVICE PROVIDER OR TEAM OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY:

UK WINNER:

HCR SHORTLISTED: BRS Relocation Services, Interdean International Relocation/BP Team, Pricoa/BP Intercultural Services Team, Pet.Relocation.com Applauded by the judges for its high service standards, HCR plans to blaze a trail into a new era of relocation, as Louise Whitson found out when she met the team.

eadquartered in Basingstoke, and with 124 employees, HCR is the UK’s largest independent relocation specialist and a leading provider of rented accommodation, both in the UK and worldwide through its World Connect supplier network. Its services include funded guaranteed sales price schemes, home search, school search, expenses management, relocation policy consultancy, and visa and immigration services. As well as government bodies and foreign embassies, clients include organisations in sectors as varied as insurance, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and aerospace. So far, so good. But what was it that made HCR’s entry stand out? The Re:locate Awards judges praised the company for its customer-first ethos, its high satisfaction rating, and the fact that, although it has been in business for 29 years, it is not complacent, but is still expanding, innovating, winning awards, and making acquisitions. Over the last 12 months, HCR has increased its number of corporate clients by over 35 per cent – an achievement it puts down to long-term organisational stability and a focus on customer service. “We operate on the basis that our customers do not want sincere apologies, they want us to deliver what we promise,” explains operations director Andrew Smith. “This ethos prevails throughout the whole organisation. By empowering and investing in our staff, we have built a motivated and flexible workforce that is dedicated to identifying, and exceeding, customers’ expectations. “Through our Customer First programme, we have client feedback systems in place to capture essential performance measurements. All feedback is discussed by the board of directors and communicated throughout the company.

Monitoring our service performance, we achieved, in 2009, a satisfaction rate of over 98 per cent.” Another aspect of HCR that impressed the judges was its ‘rescue’, in February 2010, of Phoenix Relocation Services, which had gone into administration. HCR acquired Phoenix’s trading assets, and employed the former Phoenix staff. Says Andrew Smith, “If clients had been left to struggle, it could have had a terrible impact on the relocation industry. Nineteen Phoenix employees were transferred, and our financial stability enabled us to provide continuous relocation service to the clients affected. We retained all the Phoenix clients.” He adds, “We are delighted to be recognised with the Re:locate award, particularly because the panel are fellow relocation professionals, who appreciate the commitment that goes into delivering a first-class service.” But what of the future? With expansion plans, new services and substantial investment in communications technology, HCR does not intend to rest on its laurels. The HCR Group now also consists of specialist rental web portal Rentright.co.uk and Bridgefast, an elderly-care relocation support business. The group has diversified into the student housing market, transforming a former Birmingham military nurses’ base into a hall of residence, and recently opened a second office in the US. Says Andrew Smith, “We continue to build a balanced portfolio of clients and income streams, and are developing long-term, sustainable and transparent client and supplier relationships based on service superiority, to retain contracts and win new business.”

www.hcr.co.uk

AWARDS SPECIAL :

Re:locate

Daniel Auwermann and Carolin Fleischer, ICUnet.AG

SUMMER 2011

RELOCATION SERVICE PROVIDER OR TEAM OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY:

INTERNATIONAL WINNER:

ICUnet.AG

German company ICUnet.AG wowed the judges with its in-depth knowledge and strong focus on customer relationships. Fiona Leney explores the secrets of this forward-looking organisation’s success.

s Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year is a broad category, attracting entries from large, small and specialist suppliers, six companies were shortlisted this year, and there were two awards, UK Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year and International Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year. The judges described international winner ICUnet.AG as “a hugely impressive leader in the German-speaking market” and “best in class”, with in-depth knowledge and a strong focus on customer relationships. They particularly praised its tailor-made concepts and services, its interculturally trained consultants, and its in-house Relocation Academy. Headquartered in the low-profile German city of Passau, ICUnet.AG could easily be pigeonholed as the typical product of that country – quietly efficient, coolly well organised. But the company’s success is actually based on a passionate attention to detail and a keen sensitivity to cultural differences. As Carolin Fleischer, head of assignment management in Passau, says, the company invests deeply both in academic research into the likely wishes and needs of people coming from different cultures and in training programmes to enable its own consultants to meet clients’ requests appropriately. “We offer local knowledge combined with global competence,” she says, citing research into housing preferences in Latin America that helped the company to find the most suitable accommodation for a group moving from Latin America and Spain to Germany. To ensure a smooth process, not least for family members, ICUnet.AG also allocated Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking consultants to the assignees. Flexibility, with a keenness to use new technology to deliver its services, has also enabled the company to keep pace with the changing nature of relocation.

“As our clients send their employees more and more on short-term assignments, we have adapted our service portfolio – for example, with last-minute packages, webinars and e-learning tools,” she says. ICUnet.AG has grown over its ten years, recently having merged with another German relocation business, but it is still determined, CEO Dr Fritz Audebert says, to maintain its personal and responsive character. Having been praised by the Re:locate Awards judges for its “one face to the client” approach, ICUnet.AG intends to continue offering its initial one-day workshop, where both sides can get to know each other. The single account manager or core team handling each client will also remain, but are now strengthened by an integrated IT system, which offers web-based contact and live tracking tools. Fast forward “As e-learning is becoming more and more important, we are proud to have an innovation also in this field – intercultural web-based training, comprising awareness training modules and country-specific know-how in one interactive online tool,” says Fritz Audebert. Expansion plans continue, with an eighth office due to open in Stuttgart later this year, and one planned for Switzerland This is clearly a company with an eye to the future.

www.icunet.ag

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

Clare Ace (second left), Siggi Foster and Emma Horton, SACO with Stella Savage (third left) of Fully Furnished

BEST PROPERTY PROVIDER OR SOLUTION WINNER:

SPONSORED BY:

SACO SHORTLISTED: BridgeStreet, Go Native, SilverDoor For third-time category winner SACO, success in business – and in the Re:locate Awards – is all about giving the customer ‘more’. Louise Whitson talks to the company’s head of account management. Entries for this category came, this year, from a variety of organisations, including serviced accommodation providers and relocation companies. SACO – which took the award for a record third time – is a serviced apartment company with a worldwide network. Both an operator of serviced accommodation and an agent for other serviced apartment providers, it currently has 12,000 apartments in more than 100 business destinations, including over 500 apartments across 27 locations in the UK. The judges considered SACO a clear winner, describing it as “best in class – an outstanding provider, with service delivery paramount”. Said one judge, “They do what they set out to do with aplomb and panache, using innovative and creative marketing. A worthy winner.” “To be recognised by Re:locate for a third time is a real honour,” says Clare Ace, SACO’s head of account management. “We’ve worked particularly hard over the last 12 months on striving for excellence in all that we do, and winning is a true reflection on SACO and the team spirit we have.” A winning strategy Asked what lies behind this latest win, Clare explains, “Our ‘more’ campaign helps customers to understand that serviced apartments give them more than a hotel room – for example, space and flexibility – and that we, as a company, give more in terms of service. “We sent cheese graters with the message ‘How many hotel rooms give you your very own cheese grater?”, promoting the benefits of a fully equipped kitchen. Thanks to these and other imaginative marketing campaigns, we’ve seen a year-on-year increase in enquiries of 35 per cent.” How does SACO achieve the single-minded focus on customer service highlighted by the judges? “We help our

teams to understand what they have to do to deliver excellent customer service,” says Clare Ace. “We’ve now developed a competency framework, The SACO Way, to ensure staff understand how we want them to work and interact with each other and our customers. “This year, we’ve invested heavily in developing our managers, believing that enhancing management capability will support success. “We’ve also invested in a job-shadowing programme, In Their Shoes, whereby each member of staff spends a day with another team, so that they have a better understanding of how the business works.” Partnering the relocation industry SACO is keen to be a key accommodation provider for the relocation industry. Acting on feedback from relocation companies and bodies such as the Relocation Users Group, it has increased the availability of two- and three-bedroomed apartments in key UK locations, boosted by 84 per cent the number of apartments it offers in London, and introduced new locations across its network, in places like Bracknell, Plymouth, Poole and Portsmouth. As Clare Ace says, “We ask for feedback, we use it, and we adapt our offering to support, and partner with, the relocation industry.” Where next for SACO? Says Clare, “We aim to be the most successful serviced apartment company delivering the best customer experience and admired for its expertise, product and people.” It looks as if they’re on their way. www.sacoapartments.co.uk

Committed to taking the complications and pressure away from private and corporate relocations, Fully Furnished offer a flexible and practical furnishing solution to suit all budgets and circumstances: • • • •

Short and long term rental options Stylish and durable ranges available from stock Nationwide delivery and installation network Award winning service provider

01784 449988 fullyfurnished.com

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

Anthony Gallo, London Relocation Ltd (right) with team members

RISING STAR IN RELOCATION SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

Anthony Gallo, London Relocation Ltd SHORTLISTED: Anna Fletcher, Interdean International Relocation, James Hooper, Oceanair International, Kasia Pinska, Move One Inc This award is all about rewarding exceptional talent. Step forward Anthony Gallo, who has navigated a rocky road to steer the relocation agency he founded to success, as he tells Louise Whitson.

ising Star in Relocation is always one of the most keenly contested of the Re:locate Awards categories. It’s easy to see why. According to the award profile, “The winner is likely to be making a positive impact in their relocation role already and becoming an influential player as their career continues to progress.” This category is, in other words, a real opportunity for entrants to showcase their achievements, to the benefit of themselves and their business. This year, the judges were pleased to see a number of international entries. Winner Anthony Gallo, who owns and runs London Relocation Ltd, fought off stiff competition to walk away with the trophy. The judges described Anthony’s entry as “outstanding”, and considered his entry statement, in particular, “excellent”, paying tribute to the high degree of innovation he had shown in building his business. London Relocation is a relocation agency specialising in one-day flat-finding services. It also provides assistance with setting up bank accounts and utilities, and otherwise getting acclimatised to life in the UK. An American who relocated to London, Anthony Gallo can empathise with the stresses of moving into unfamiliar territory. As he says, he learned the hard way, and, in turn, applies his knowledge of London culture, property and logistics to alleviate others’ stress. Key to this stress reduction is London Relocation’s approach to property placement. “We offer properties in a wide price range, allowing us to meet the needs of high-level executives, college students and everyone in between” explains Anthony. “Not only will we find a property that suits their needs, we will do it in between one and three days, enabling them to

settle into their new life as fast, and seamlessly, as possible.” Growing the business has not been easy. When Anthony incorporated London Relocation in 2005, he was a one-man band working out of his London studio flat and advertising solely through the US. He has since invested heavily in developing the company’s online presence. Having learned through trial and error, Anthony took the big step to expand the business in 2009, when he hired his first employee. Targeted recruitment has since brought on board the right people in the right capacities to double company growth in the last year. London Relocation’s staff, who are expatriates from North America and Australia, come from varied backgrounds, including property, customer service and education. Anthony is adept at knowing which functions to outsource – school search and life coaching being examples – to optimise limited workspace and money and maintain what he describes as “a lean operation conducive to adaptability and interactivity between staff and clients”. Inspiring the industry “It’s people like Anthony and the previous winners of this award who inspire the rest of us,” said Karen Counterman, of category sponsor Roomservice by CORT. “Nothing stays the same in this industry; there are always new challenges on the horizon. There are many talented and innovative individuals who inject passion and hard work into our industry. We believe the rising stars of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

www.londonrelocationservices.com

tur

nin g ho

us es

in to

ho me

s fo

Roomservice by CORT helps to make your relocation experience one to remember for all of the right reasons!

ove r 25 years

Whether you are an International assignee working to a budget or in HR and need help finding long and short term accomodation solutions to fit with your policy, we can help.

• Flexible rental - from 1 week to 5 years

With an expert team of dedicated consultants, experienced at assisting assignees and their families organise the right furniture, on time and within budget, we help to make your transition a smooth, stress free experience.

• Free professional design services

For more information on how Roomservice by CORT can simplify relocation for you, please contact us:

• Wide choice of furniture, soft furnishings & accessories • Home electricals and white goods available

• Nationwide delivery within days • 2,500 sq ft on-site showroom

Roomservice by CORT 28 Barwell Business Park Leatherhead Road Chessington, Surrey KT9 2NY

www.roomservicebycort.com E: rentals@roomservicebycort.com T: +44 (0) 20 8397 9344

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

Tad Zurlinden, ARP and EuRA (left) with Francis Docherty of SIRVA

RELOCATION PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

Tad Zurlinden, ARP and EuRA

Relocate Your Thinking

SHORTLISTED: Jonathan Haward, County Homesearch, Margaret Moes, Clearview Relocation, Susan Schneider, Plus Relocation Services This year’s Relocation Personality is a towering figure in the world of relocation, who has made a huge contribution during his quarter century in the industry. Louise Whitson analyses his achievements.

ad Zurlinden has been at the forefront of the relocation industry for many years. Through what one of the judges described as his “incredible dedication and hugely charismatic approach”, he has raised the industry’s profile since he helped found the Association of Relocation Professionals (ARP) 25 years ago and the European Relocation Association (EuRA) 14 years ago. His commitment and enthusiasm are legendary. As another judge said of him, “Tad is a huge character and excels in every aspect of what he does. He never stops breaking new ground.” All in all, this was, said the judges, “a very clear, specific and well-presented entry statement outlining the entrant’s considerable contribution to the ARP and EuRA”. “In the last 25 years, it’s hard to think of another person who has done more to promote, improve and support the relocation industry in the UK, in Europe, and across the world,” says Mima Hillier, of TTH Relocation, who nominated Tad for the award. And it’s true that Tad’s achievements are formidable. With the ARP celebrating its silver anniversary in June 2011, this is a good time to celebrate them. A quarter century of achievement Ever since he was one of the small band of forward-looking relocation operators who founded what was then known as the Association of Relocation Agents in 1986, Tad has, as Mima Hillier puts it, “shown an extraordinary grasp of how the industry would develop and led some of the most innovative initiatives for the industry, developing and implementing standards and ethics which now define service delivery across Europe.” In 1997, Tad was the driving force behind the formation of EuRA, which now has 358 members in over 50 countries. His

dream of having a global standard of excellence for relocation providers became reality in 2008, when the EuRA Quality Seal – the world’s first accreditation programme for relocation providers, based on an ISO 9001 process management model – was launched. By forming the European Academy of Relocation Professionals in 2002, Tad was able to implement a standardised training programme across Europe. Continuing innovation And Tad continues to innovate; over the last two years, he has worked with Oxford Brookes University to develop an online intercultural coaching programme, which has been successfully delivered across Europe. Interviewed by Re:locate, Tad said, “I am honoured and delighted to receive the Relocation Personality of the Year award. I feel privileged to have had a career in this remarkable industry, and to have worked with some inspiring people. “These awards are a great way to recognise the extraordinary contribution ARP and EuRA members have made to the lives of families and individuals at a critical life change, and I salute their professionalism and dedication.” Summing up the importance of this category, Francis Docherty, of award sponsor SIRVA Relocation, said, “Personality of the year means people. Relocation beyond technical and legal aspects is very much handling not only expectations but also emotions, so it’s a great challenge. “It’s a privilege to honour the person who has contributed to this industry in such a significant way.”

www.arp-relocation.com www.eura-relocation.com

Be conﬁdent. Face your organisation’s relocation needs without fear. In today’s uncertain economic climate it is even more important to have conðdence in your chosen provider’s ability to control the cost of your relocation projects. At SIRVA, we have developed innovative new strategies to manage all of your company’s relocation needs. Whether it’s a funded home sale service, domestic relocation, or global relocation management our specialist teams are here to bring true market-leading expertise. We focus solely on relocation and manage every element along the way – our business solutions meet today’s challenges head-on. That’s what you can expect from the global leader in relocation. That’s conðGence.

The new shape of relocation.™

Please contact Francis Docherty via email at francis.docherty@sirva.com or alternatively phone +44 (0)7917 178 380

w w w. s i r v a . c o m

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

Steffan Pandya, Les Elliman and Lesley Putnam, Crown Relocations (UK)

GREEN ACHIEVEMENT SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

Crown Relocations (UK) SHORTLISTED: HCR Group, Robinsons Relocation A new award for 2010/11, this was a hotly contested category, and many of the entrants had put in place industry-leading green initiatives. Ruth Holmes discovers what sets our winner apart.

t’s easy being green – so goes the rhetoric. But not many companies have made it as simple for their customers, suppliers and employees to reduce their impact on the environment as Crown Relocations – or worked as hard to improve performance here year on year. Key to its success is that Crown Relocations’ environmental policy is underpinned by one of the company’s five core values, that of positively impacting the communities in which the company works, as set out in the award submission: “Our commercial activities should be balanced with compassionate and responsible actions to make the world a better place for future generations. “Through environmental, charitable and employee activities, the company helps sustain itself and the communities it serves.” Crown’s championing of green issues, both inside and outside the company, has meant that the policy, which was introduced in 2004, has flourished to become a multi-award-winning approach that is fully integrated in the company’s practices. Accepting the Re:locate Green Achievement award, Steffan Pandya, account manager at Crown Relocations, said, “For us, as a global organisation, green awareness is at the forefront of everything we do. How we impact the communities in which we put a footprint is very important to us.” Crown Relocations’ environmental leadership translated into its being one of the first international relocation companies to earn ISO 4001 environmental accreditation, exceeding the requirements. The company continues to demonstrate a significantly reduced carbon footprint via ongoing initiatives like the 10:10 campaign. Here, Crown cut its emissions by 14 per cent in 2010 alone – again surpassing the 10 per cent target – by improving employee awareness, increasing recycling targets year on year, and adopting a strict purchasing policy, among other initiatives.

On the removals side specifically, packaging has 88 per cent recycled content and is 100 per cent recyclable, while driver training resulted in 23 per cent reduction of fuel usage. Said one of the Re:locate Awards judging panel, “Crown think holistically about their commitment to sustainability – considering both environmental and social aspects. Their positive impact through their 10:10 campaign, ‘Lights Out Friday’, their Green Committee and their Green Liaisons [a scheme using local champions to advocate green initiatives] is impressive. “They are are also working hard to measure their environmental impact and use this information to set targets going forward.” Forging ahead That Crown Relocations continues to work hard to measure its environmental impact, and uses this information to set tougher targets for the future, further consolidates its awardwinning status and sound environmental credentials. Steve Slade, environmental compliance manager at Crown Worldwide Group in the UK, said, “We are delighted to have won this award. To be recognised from within the industry demonstrates our true commitment and effort to minimise our environmental impact. “Crown Relocations has a clear commitment to corporate social responsibility and helping local communities. We developed our environmental policy in 2004, and, since then, have actively addressed the ways in which the business can be more environmentally friendly, and encouraged our employees and suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint.” www.crownrelo.com

AWARDS SPECIAL :

Re:locate

EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYEE & FAMILY SUPPORT WINNER:

FOCUS SHORTLISTED: Cartus, ICUnet.AG, NatWest Global Employee Banking New for 2010/11, this award reflects how important the right employee and family support is to a successful relocation. Rebecca Marriage assesses the contribution of our very first winner.

OCUS, a small but dynamic organisation offering personal advice and professional expertise to help international professionals and their families live and work successfully in the UK, became our first winner in this category. FOCUS was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1982 by four expatriate women with a simple vision of helping others in similar circumstances. Since then, it has grown into a trusted and highly recommended service, helping to ease the stress of relocation. It offers practical solutions to every member of an expatriate family, with personal, professional and committed service. In 2010, FOCUS supported more than 2,000 members through oneto-one meetings, seminars, emails and special events. The small but dedicated FOCUS team has insight and understanding into the needs of expatriates. It produces an astonishing number of resources and publications each year to meet the demands of a growing membership. Each individual team member goes above and beyond what is required, whether it is finding a French-speaking doctor, transferring professional qualifications for a spouse, sourcing the best karate school for a nine-year-old, or understanding the UK healthcare system. A range of support Member support is provided through personal contact, the FOCUS website, seminars, social events, the FOCUS Career Development Programme, a bi-monthly magazine, proprietary publications (Settling in the UK, Children in the UK, Working in the UK) and regular email updates. The Re:locate Awards judges were impressed by the quality of personal service that the organisation is committed to supplying. “FOCUS provides a value-added service to assignees and their families, takes real care, and is committed to

excellence in the support it provides. This service excellence is apparent in the approach to projects it has undertaken and the feedback it receives from client organisations.” Barbara Rees, executive director of FOCUS, who accepted the award, dedicated it to the 30 years of hard work that FOCUS had given to international assignees in London. “We were thrilled to be recognised by industry peers for excellence in employee and family support. The FOCUS team has been, and remains, committed to supporting all parties involved in making relocation into the UK as stress-free and easy as possible.” Making transition a positive experience Speaking about the Gala Awards Dinner, Barbara commented warmly, “There is always great energy, and Re:locate always manages to find engaging and entertaining speakers. “Baroness Benjamin was inspirational in her own personal story of relocation. It reminds us why we are in this industry: to benefit others and make transition a positive experience.” FOCUS is excited about the future, and buoyed up by its success at the Re:locate Awards. Says Barbara Rees, “In today’s ever-changing world, we intend to continue to improve the information and capabilities of our website to meet new assignee demands, creating a stronger, more vibrant international community.”

www.focus-info.org

Barbara Rees (left) and Alessandra Gnudi, FOCUS

SUMMER 2011

Re:locate

: AWARDS SPECIAL

SUMMER 2011

BEST INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION SERVICES PROVIDER SPONSORED BY:

WINNER:

The Relocation Bureau Ltd – Ireland SHORTLISTED: ERES Relocation Spain, NOVA Relocation, Relocation Support Services Ltd Small, but perfectly formed, describes the Dun Laoghaire-based winner of our third new category for 2010/11, as Fiona Leney found when she spoke to managing director Francine O’Byrne.

roud winner of the very first Re:locate Award for Best International Destination Services Provider was The Relocation Bureau Ltd – Ireland. Summing up its achievements, one judge said, “This company operates in the real world – with flair! Its impressive entry, substantiated by numerous testimonials and the EuRA Quality Seal Certificate, plus strong and relevant supporting material, also won the judges’ approbation. So what is the secret of this small company’s big success? When The Relocation Bureau opened its doors 21 years ago in Dun Laoghaire, seizing on the influx of international companies to the Irish Republic, not many people even knew what the terms ‘destination services’ or ‘relocation services’ meant, says managing director Francine O’Byrne. The company has come a long way since then, becoming the leading independent provider of destination services in Ireland, and providing services to inbound employees as well as an outbound service which works with partners worldwide. The Relocation Bureau has remained small, with a staff of 13, but the service it provides has won accolades from both clients and the industry; it was one of the first relocation companies in the world to receive the EuRA Quality Seal, and has since managed to retain it. Defusing cultural tensions Francine O’Byrne attributes her company’s success, at least in part, to its aim of treating each member of a relocating group as an individual, so that the account manager in any particular move will make a point of contacting employees before and after the move, to make sure their expectations have been met. The job can also involve understanding and smoothing potential intercultural tensions, such as those that

unexpectedly arose after the relocation of a group of Chinese executives. The Relocation Bureau discovered that tenants in China were not used to having to do any routine maintenance, such as changing their own light bulbs, and therefore needed a detailed document, with diagrams, of how to do so. The company promptly had one drawn up for them. Such culture-specific case studies were considered to be directly relevant to the category of Best International Destination Services Provider by the Re:locate Awards judges, who were also impressed by the company’s attention to detail, documented in the exhaustive quality appraisal checks constantly carried out internally. Francine O’Byrne believes that, although relocating to Ireland may present some difficulties for international executives – small-sized properties and a reluctance to rent to pet-owners, for example – the famous Irish hospitality and friendliness, and the country’s beautiful scenery, add to quality of life and make Ireland a particularly welcoming destination. Facing the future with confidence Francine O’Byrne also firmly believes that, despite its economic crisis, Ireland’s low Corporate Tax rate will continue to attract foreign companies. “We have built up a very solid company,” she says, “We have highly trained and experienced staff with over 80 years experience between them.” The company remains small and nimble. During the economic downturn in Ireland, it was able to act swiftly to cut costs by reducing office rent and cutting working hours – and Francine O’Byrne says it is now in a strong position to take advantage of any recovery. www.relocationireland.com

Francine O’Byrne and Suzanne Smith (left) The Relocation Bureau with Karen Pearce, NatWest Global Employee Banking

Global Employee Banking

Internationally mobile Arranging banking facilities for your relocating international employees has never been more straightforward. Our dedicated Global Employee Banking team can really make it easy. We can even have accounts open before your employees arrive in the country.

ThatĂ&#x2022;s one thing off your list Helpful Banking Contact us to Ă&#x17E;nd out more about how we can help Call us on +44 (0) 1245 355628 quoting NWRL or visit www.natwestglobal.com National Westminster Bank Plc. Registered in England No. 929027. 135 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 3UR. National Westminster Bank Plc. is authorised and regulated by the Financial Service Authority. Calls may be recorded. N3779 (02/08)

Re:locate

: EDUCATION

SUMMER 2011

Boarding bonanza Boarding schools have moved smartly into the 21st century, borne along on a wave of highly paid, highly mobile parents seeking the best all-round education option for their children, says Fiona Leney.

Roedean School, Brighton

hereas, in days gone by, boarding school was the preserve either of the aristocracy, who followed family tradition in sending their children away, or of the career expatriate, the last decade has seen a steady rise in parents choosing boarding over day school. In the last year alone, according to the Independent Schools Council, numbers at UK boarding schools have risen 1.7 per cent to more than 68,000 pupils – and this in a climate of economic austerity. The reasons are many and varied. Today’s boarding schools have had to become more flexible – and work harder – to attract parents, who now have more choice of schools than ever before. All but the most diehard traditionalist schools have also recognised that they need to offer a new flexibility in boarding arrangements to keep pace with the changing demands of families and students. Where, before, there would often be no parental contact from one end of the term to the other, now many schools offer weekly boarding, where children return home at weekends, or can offer day pupils occasional periods of boarding when, for example, parents have an intense bout of foreign travel, or have to be away from home for some other reason. Some international schools, such as TASIS, the American School in England, offer boarding to day students who need to stay on to finish their school-leaving exams when their parents are posted away. This may happen because they have only one year to go

and they want to complete their education in the same school, with their friends. Or it may be because the family’s new location isn’t ideal. Changing times In fact, talk to ‘old timers’ and it seems the genre has changed beyond recognition. Sarah Gallagher, head of Marymount International School, in London, recalls her own days at an Irish boarding school run by Franciscans as “poor food, education and behaving well”, but still speaks affectionately about the “richness of mingling with my peer group”. Frances King, head of Roedean, traditionally the embodiment of a girls’ boarding school, attributes the recent changes to the fact that schools are acutely aware of competition from international schools abroad, meaning that today’s parents are no longer obliged to send their children ‘home’ to get a good education. “We have to be aware of how the market has changed,” she says, emphasising that a boarding school has to sell itself as a unique product. “We are offering a package – not only education, but a community offering friendship, adult supervision and structure – which appeals particularly to teenagers who are wanting to be with their peers more. Here, they can do that while gaining a sense of community which, with the demise of churchgoing and the rise of the nuclear family, is not common in society today,” she says.

SUMMER 2011

EDUCATION :

The core constituency for boarding schools remains parents who, because of work, either live abroad (perhaps in an area without good school provision) or are regularly travelling away from home. But, increasingly, boarding schools also attract domestically based parents with heavy work commitments who want to give their children the sort of activity-based social life they would not have at home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Children who would otherwise get home from school to an au pair and an afternoon in front of the television or computer will get more from the sort of outdoor group activities a boarding school offers,â&#x20AC;? says Mrs King. And certainly, boarding schools sell themselves heavily on the variety of extra-curricular activities they can offer, from archery to football, dance to debate. This is a major attraction to parents of boys, particularly those who benefit from being kept physically busy or excel in sports. The existence of clear, firm boundaries, too, can often suit rowdy teenage boys. But all this does not come cheap. Fees at preparatory schools, for instance, for children up to the age of 13, are usually less than those at a senior school. The average termly fee in the junior years is just over ÂŁ4,000, while, for a sixth former, it may be more than ÂŁ7,000. At Marymount, the annual cost is in the region of ÂŁ30,000. A state boarding school â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of which there are just 35 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will charge for boarding, but not for tuition. Fees are, therefore, about half of those in the independent sector, ranging from ÂŁ2,000 to ÂŁ4,000 per term, representing a huge saving. Moreover, many of these schools offer the quality of education and pastoral care of the independent sector, with several rated â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;outstandingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Ofsted.

Re:locate

One drawback, however, is that admission to state boarding schools is limited to children who are nationals of the UK, nationals of other European Union countries, or those who have right of residence in the UK. Boarding will not suit every child, a fact recognised by both heads. A refusal to accept the discipline â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or learn the self-discipline â&#x20AC;&#x201C; necessary to make life in a community work can lead to problems, according to Mrs Gallagher. But she believes the most important gift boarding schools give their pupils is of lifelong importance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how to be independent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is such a confidence-builder to learn how to formulate your own needs and function well, and our girls learn, too, how to negotiate and mediate between each other,â&#x20AC;? she says. She denies that life in a single-sex boarding faith school is too sheltered. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The most edifying thing is to see how the girls enrich each other. Being an international school, our community is diverse, and the girls respect and appreciate the experience of their peers. We have sister schools around the world, and organise many trips abroad.â&#x20AC;? The aim, both heads agree, is to produce a confident, happy, well-rounded child. If academic excellence is part of that, all the better, but the emphasis of the boarding system is to develop the whole person. Both are equally in agreement that the single-sex aspect of their schools is a positive for their pupils. Mrs Gallagher points to the latest GCSE tables, which show that of the top-ten-performing independent schools last year, eight were all-girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have worked in co-educational schools as well as singlesex schools, and the pressures to succeed with the opposite sex

ď&#x;

Catholic Day and Boarding School for girls aged 11 to 18

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Experience teaching the IB Diploma for 31 years! Exclusive pre-IB Middle Years Programme Nurture and support: girls gain excellent results Places achieved at top Universities worldwide Scholarships and bursaries available Multilingualism: up to 9 languages taught All faiths welcome Internationalism: over 46 nationalities, yet one shared mission Please contact: admissions@marymountlondon.com www.marymountlondon.com Tel: 020 8949 0571 George Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 7PE.

T HE A MERICAN S CHOOL

E NGLAND

*# %JQMPNB t "NFSJDBO %JQMPNB "EWBODFE 1MBDFNFOU t &4$P FE %BZ t #PBSEJOH

4DBO UIJT 23 DPEF UP ĂśOE PVU NPSF BCPVU 5"4*4 &OHMBOE

4QBDJPVT $BNQVT t $MPTF UP -POEPO &YDFMMFOU VOJWFSTJUZ QMBDFNFOU XPSMEXJEF

$PMEIBSCPVS -BOF 5IPSQF 4VSSFZ 58 5& 5FM t 'BY VLBENJTTJPOT!UBTJTFOHMBOE PSH t XXX UBTJTFOHMBOE PSH

Re:locate

: EDUCATION

are tremendous inhibitors for girls,” she says. “Freed from the pressure of pleasing boys, they develop as independent-minded and confident. They aren’t afraid of being too bright, or of being teased if they aren’t very bright. By the age of 18, they have the strength of character to cope well in the mixed-sex environment of university,” she says. The argument for boys is similar; the fear of being ‘uncool’ if seen to be too keen on schoolwork, and the temptation to act tough to impress girls, can be devastatingly disruptive. These arguments are given short shrift by Sevenoaks School, a highly rated co-educational independent school in Kent with day and boarding places. The school’s literature argues that the statistics showing girls’ schools performing best in the league tables are coloured by the fact that these schools are all either independent or grammar schools, and hence do well because of the ability and social background of their pupils. It goes on to say that, although students can get distracted by members of the opposite sex, this is all part of growing up and an important lesson in social skills. It argues that, with

Marymount International School

SUMMER 2011

good pastoral care and teaching, boys and girls can enrich each other’s lives at school. Ultimately, it all comes down to individual choices and what suits each child best. Just as there is no absolute ‘best’ system of schooling, so what suits one child may not suit another. Choosing the right school But a few top tips could help with determining whether that boarding school is the one for your child. One housemaster at Tonbridge School, a top independent boys’ boarding and day school, told me, on condition of anonymity, that choosing the right ‘house’ for your child is key to their happiness. “You already know the academic facts. That pales into insignificance compared to how happy they’ll be in their house. That’s their family away from home,” he says. “Talk to the housemaster at length. Look deep into his eyes, and decide what you think of School him. That should Marymount International determine your decision,” he says. Mrs King, whose own son was a boarder, recommends what she calls the “15-second gut response test” – based simply on how she felt about each place, whether she liked the head as a person, and how the pupils in the grounds reacted spontaneously when she asked directions. “It’s got to be an instinctive response,” she says. “It’s an emotional involvement with the new school. After all, you are trusting them with your most precious possession.” For the latest education news, articles and blogs, see www.relocatemagazine.com, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

www.nlis.org

Are you looking for something different? i u s’ ‘Unc overing the spark of gen

Discover all three International Baccalaureate programmes at one of the UK’s leading international schools

6 Friern Barnet Lane, London N11 3LX, T: 020 8920 0634 E: admissions@nlis.org

www.nlis.org

Specialising in meeting the needs of students aged 7-18 with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, language and communication difﬁculties, Aspergers Syndrome and high functioning autism, The Holmewood School (THSL) offers: •

Individualised learning programmes and specialist teaching that address both academic potential and social development.

•

Sensory Integration, OT, Speech and Language and other innovative therapies integrated within the daily curriculum.

•

A unique opportunity, through our link school, to access mainstream curriculum experiences.

For more information please contact Angela Seeram, Head of Admissions on 020 8930 0665 or e-mail aseeram@thsl.org.uk 88, Woodside Park Road, London N12 8SH

SUMMER 2011

EDUCATION :

Re:locate

Education issues are of huge importance to relocating families and those responsible for managing their moves. Recognising this, Re:locate is introducing some exciting new online initiatives, as Louise Whitson explains.

ar be it from the Re:locate team to blow its own trumpet, but we have to say that the Education section of our website has been well ahead of the game in reporting, and commenting on, the wealth of education issues that have made the news recently. From the new admissions code consultation for schools to the latest on the International Baccalaureate and university tuition fees, you heard it from us first! Not surprisingly, our coverage of Michelle Obama’s recent visit to Oxford, where she inspired a group of girls from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School with the mantra ‘yes, you can!’, has been particularly popular. Education blogs go live Re:locate’s new education blogs are proving a huge success, generating increased website traffic and appreciative comments from users. Our specialist blogger, Rebecca Marriage, has worked in education publishing and communications for over 15 years, for organisations as varied as the Department for Education and the British Film Institute. She also writes education news and articles for Re:locate and our employee and family support website, Smart Move. Check out Rebecca’s latest posts at www.relocatemagazine.com/education New era Smart Move Smart Move is undergoing something of a transformation this summer, to become an even more valuable resource for relocatees – and their managers. While retaining quality content from our team of professional writers, Smart Move will evolve into a userdriven social network through which employees and their families can share their experiences of relocating and provide information to help others making a move.

As well as giving the site a fresh new look, we’ll be adding a number of brand new features, including blogs on the latest topics in education. www.smartmoverelocate.com

Summer schools: it’s not too late!

Marymount International School

Summer schools can be a real boon for relocating families, helping children to settle in their new surroundings and giving parents an opportunity to find their feet and make new contacts. Unfortunately for parents seeking last-minute places for their children, most popular summer schools get booked up well in advance. However, because of late cancellations, places are sometimes available, so it’s well worth suggesting that your relocating employees make enquiries. See also our summer schools feature in the Education section of www.relocatemagazine.com For the latest news, articles and blogs, see www.relocatemagazine. com, and sign up for Re:locate Extra, our monthly e-newsletter.

Re:locate

: EDUCATION

SUMMER 2011

Single-sex schools breed high hopes With Ofsted reporting that girls at single-sex schools are more likely than their mixedschool contemporaries to avoid “stereotypically female” careers, are single-sex schools becoming a force to be reckoned with again? Rebecca Marriage investigates.

Lizzie Neale (15) attends The Abbey School for girls, Reading, and competed in the ‘GB biathle’, which involves sea swimming and beach running

recent Ofsted report reveals that girls at singlesex schools are more likely to avoid preparing for “stereotypically female” careers than their contemporaries in co-educational schools. Despite a downturn in admissions to all-girls’ schools, this report, alongside news that almost a third of independent UK girls’ schools are turning out 2012 Olympic hopefuls, suggests that it might be time to sit up and take notice of single-sex schools again. In the recent Ofsted report Girls’ Career Aspirations, based on visits to 16 primary schools and 25 secondary schools, including 13 single-sex girls’ schools, it has emerged that girls in the UK are receiving poor careers education, making it difficult for them to take informed decisions about their future direction. It seems that the traditional stereotypes are alive and well. Beauty therapy, childcare and hairdressing – careers which often go hand-in-hand with lower pay and fewer opportunities for progression – generally top the list of career aspirations. However, the report also revealed that girls in singlesex schools, especially those in selective schools, had “more positive attitudes to non-stereotypical careers”. In these schools, girls did not view any career as being closed to them and felt that women should be encouraged into roles traditionally held by men. So, what makes girls’ schools so different, and how do they help girls to buck the gender stereotype? Dr Helen Wright, head of St Mary’s Calne and president of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), has observed, “Single-sex schools create a strong space where girls and boys can learn to feel comfortable with who they are, free of the

pressure to conform to stereotypical notions of how girls and boys should or should not be, look or act. “Being apart from each other during the school day seems to give both boys and girls greater self-esteem – which is, of course, at the root of successful long-term relationships with others of both genders.” Girls’ schools in decline? However, despite evidence that girls’ schools offer a successful route out of traditional gender stereotypes, it was reported last year that girls’ schools were in decline. The Good Schools Guide highlighted that the popularity of all-girls’ schools was waning as more parents chose to educate their daughters in mixed-gender classrooms. Girls’ schools now represent 13 per cent of the leading state and independent schools selected for the guide, reportedly the lowest proportion since the list began in 1986, when 27 per cent were girls’ schools. The decline might be attributed to a shift in attitudes towards education, a larger choice of top mixed-gender schools, and a growing perception that learning in a mixed environment encourages more rounded and well-adjusted individuals. However, with the recent news from the GSA that almost a third of independent UK girls’ schools have pupils who are hoping to compete in the 2012 Olympics, Dr Wright disagrees with this last point. “It’s a bit of a cliché for independent girls’ schools to say they produce all-rounders, but that’s because it’s generally true. The days when pupils were expected to follow one path narrowly have gone. We find that the more opportunities girls

SUMMER 2011

EDUCATION :

have to participate in a full programme at school, the more likely they are to excel in many different areas and find an area where they particularly shine.” The single-sex girls’ schools visited in the Ofsted report had strong approaches to challenging stereotypical choices, including the use of positive female role models and successful former students returning to the school to share experiences of work.

Re:locate

School and chair of the GSA sports committee, suggests that it is the excellent support mechanisms provided by the staff in independent girls’ schools – support that is apparently lacking for girls in the co-educational schools in the Ofsted study.

Debate set to continue The debate over single-sex versus coeducational schooling is likely to rage for years to come, and looks set to become a Breaking down barriers very personal issue for families. Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert But evidence continues to grow that supported this, and identified that more girls’ schools, in particular, offer raised schools needed to follow this example when career aspirations and increase confidence breaking down the barriers to achievement. in their own abilities, particularly when it “Schools need to develop more comes to bucking the gender stereotypes, as opportunities for young women to meet the Ofsted report confirms. Sisters Francesca, Georgina and professionals working in non-stereotypical As research carried out by academics Charlotte Summers, who attend St Teresa’s School for girls, Effingham, roles, and to learn more about what the job at Stamford University, published in 2002, ran, fenced, shot and swam their entails through diverse work placements. says, “Girls ... in the single-sex schools way to victory at the Pentathlon GB Schools should also consider ways in which received a benefit from the single-sex National Tetrathlon 2011 mentoring could be used more extensively school environment in terms of heightened to support young women.” career aspirations.” It seems that pupils at Truro High School for Girls have Lesley Watson agrees. “When you look at the schools been presented with just such an inspiring mentor. Barcelona which have girls competing at international level, there may Olympics veteran (1992 heavyweight women’s eight) Caroline be a disparity in terms of the facilities and resources that they Pascoe is now headmistress of the school. Here, young possess, but the common denominator in all is the support sportswomen are given an in-school academic mentor, a and encouragement they give. Girls are given the opportunity scheme which is supported by the Youth Sports Trust. to develop in their individual sports, and academic support So what else has made the difference for the young is given to enable them to achieve at the highest level. That’s sportswomen? Lesley Watson, principal at Moira House Girls’ what makes the difference.”

TWO SCHOOLS - One Educational Vision Serving the Schooling Needs of the Expatriate Community in London & Surrey • Offering International Programmes for Children Age 2 to 18 • Small Classes with Individual Attention • Inclusive Schools • Mother Tongue and Foreign Language Programmes • EAL and Learning Support Provision LONDON CAMPUS 139 Gunnersbury Avenue London W3 8LG Tel: 020 8992 5823

www.islondon.com

SURREY CAMPUS Old Woking Road Woking GU22 8HY Tel: 01483 750 409

www.islsurrey.com

Re:locate

: DIRECTORY

SUMMER 2011

Re:directory ESSENTIAL CONTACTS... AREA GUIDES Profile Locations Contact: Fiona Murchie Tel: +44 (0)1892 891334 Email: orders@profilelocations.co.uk Website: www.profilelocations.co.uk Area: National

BANKING

Rushbrook & Rathbone Contact: Sarah Rushbrook Tel: +44 (0)1462 420201 Email: enquiries@rushbrookrathbone.co.uk Website: www.rushbrookrathbone.co.uk Area: National

FURNITURE RENTAL Roomservice by CORT

Lloyds TSB International

Contact: Laura Shepherd

Contact: Kevin Ballard Tel: +44 (0)1624 638065 Email: kevin.ballard@lloydstsb-offshore.com Website: www.lloydstsb-offshore.com/ employeebanking Area: Worldwide

Tel: +44 (0)20 8397 9344

NatWest Global Employee Banking

AXA PPP International

Contact: Neil Barsby Tel: +44 (0)1245 355628 Email: neil.barsby@natwestglobal.com Website: www.natwestglobal.com Area: Worldwide

Contact: Karen Teasdale

DESTINATION SERVICES PROVIDERS

Email: info@roomservicebycort.com Website: www.roomservicebycort.com

Contact: Tony Squire Tel: +44 (0)1923 235360 Email: sales@360relo.com Website: www.360relo.com Area: Worldwide

Interdean International Relocation Contact: Rob Lucas Tel: +44 (0)20 8961 4141 Email: rob.lucas@interdean.com Website: www.interdean.com Area: Worldwide

HEALTHCARE

Tel: +44 (0)1892 508627

RECRUITMENT

Area: International

Alchemy Recruitment

InterGlobal Tel: +44 (0)1252 745900 Email: info@interglobalpmi.com Area: International

HR CONSULTANTS Mercer Contact: Carlos Mestre

Red Recruit Contact: Caroline Frostick Tel: +44 (0)1621 840600 Email: caroline.frostick@redrecruit.com Website: www.redrecruit.com Area: Worldwide

Tel: +41 (0)22 869 3090 Email: carlos.mestre@mercer.com Website: www.mercer.com

IMMIGRATION SERVICES Newland Chase Contact: Asma Bashir Tel: +44 (0)20 7712 1765 Website: www.newlandchase.com

Contact: FIona Murchie Tel: +44 (0)1892 891334 Email: relocation@profilelocations.co.uk Website: www.profilelocations.co.uk Area: London & the South East, Aberdeen

Area: National & International

Contact: Susanne Reienes Tel: +47 (0) 51 51 00 30 Email: post@relocation.no Website: www.relocation.no Area: Norway

Contact: Terry Page Tel: +44 (0)1376 322045 Email: terry.page@alchemy-recruit.co.uk Website: www.alchemy-recruit.co.uk Area: UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia

Website: www.interglobalpmi.com

Email: asma.bashir@newlandchase.com

Relocation.no

Contact: Kay Withell Tel: +61 (0)4271 33309 Email: info@relocationdirectory.com.au Website: www.relocationdirectory.com.au Area: Australasia

Website: www.axappphealthcare.com

Profile Locations

Contact: Lesley Hubbard Tel: +44 (0)1325 713213 Email: lhubbard@propertyfinderagency.co.uk Website: www.propertyfinderagency.co.uk Area: Northern England

Contact: Barbara Rees Tel: +44 (0)20 7937 7799 Email: brees@focus-info.org Website: www.focus-info.org Area: London & the South East

Email: international@axa-ppp.co.uk

Area: Global

Property Finder Agency

Focus

The Relocation Network

Map Relocations Contact: Eileen Money Tel: +44 (0)1233 227012 Email: contact@map-relocations.com Website: www.map-relocations.com Area: National, Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg

Contact: Tad Zurlinden Tel: +44 (0)8700 726727 Email: enquiries@eura-relocation.com Website: www.eura-relocation.com Area: International

Area: National

Contact: Paul Weigall

360 Relocations

European Association of Relocation Professionals (EuRA)

RELOCATION MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Cartus Contact: Nigel Passingham Tel: +44 (0)800 018 3880 Email: trustedguidance@cartus.com Website: www.cartus.com Area: National & International

Connells Relocation Services

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Contact: Tim Rose Tel: +44 (0)1635 271271 Email: tim.rose@connells.co.uk Website: www.connellsrelocation.co.uk Area: National & International

Association of Relocation Professionals (ARP)

Paragon Relocation

Contact: Tad Zurlinden Tel: +44 (0)8700 737475 Email: enquiries@arp-relocation.com Website: www.arp-relocation.com

Contact: Liam Brennan Tel: +44 (0) 207 559 3412 Email: lbrennan@paragonrelocation.com Website: www.paragonrelocation.com Area: Worldwide

Area: National

Pricoa Real Estate and Relocation Services Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Tel: +44 (0)20 8612 6200 Website: www.cipd.co.uk Area: National

Contact: Keiran Ward Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 1200 Email: keiran.ward@pricoa.com Website: www.pricoarelocation.com Area: Worldwide

Industry jobs at: http://jobs.relocatemagazine.com

SUMMER 2011

SIRVA Relocation

DIRECTORY :

SCHOOLS

Contact: Francis Docherty Tel: +44 (0)7917 178380

ACS International Schools

Email: sales.eu@sirva.com

Contact: Fergus Rose

Website: www.sirva.com

Tel: +44 (0)1932 867251

Area: National & International

Email: frose@acs-england.co.uk

Re:locate

Dreamhouse Apartments Contact: Nick Chaffaut Tel: +44 (0)845 226 0232 Email: nick@dreamhouseapartments.com Website: www.dreamhouseapartments.com Area: Aberdeen, Edinburgh & Glasgow

Website: www.acs-england.co.uk

Quintessential Relocation Consultants

Area: London & the South East

Contact: Jo Stoddart Tel: +44 (0)1481 257200 Email: jo@quintessential-relocation.com Website: www.quintessential-relocation.com Area: Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney)

International School of London Contact: Yoel Gordon Tel: +44 (0)20 8992 5823

Frasers Hospitality Contact: Virginie Viche Tel: +44 (0)20 7341 5599 Email: sales.london@frasershospitality.com Website: www.frasershospitality.com Area: National & International

Email: mail@islondon.com

TEAM Relocations

Website: www.islondon.com

House of Fisher Ltd

Contact: John Sammon

Area: London

Contact: Kelly Goff Tel: +44 (0)118 951 4151 Email: enquiries@stayhof.com Website: www.stayhof.com Area: Thames Valley, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey

Tel: +44 (0)121 329 5058 Email: john.sammon@teamrelocations.com

International School of London in Surrey

Website: www.teamrelocations.com

Contact: Marco Damhuis

Area: Worldwide

Tel: +44 (0)1483 750409

REMOVALS AND STORAGE 360 Relocations

Email: mail@islsurrey.com

Hyde Park Residence

Website: www.islsurrey.com

Contact: Katie Kelly Tel: +44 (0)7409 9000 Email: katie.kelly@hpr.co.uk Website: www.hpr.co.uk Area: London

Area: Surrey

Contact: Tony Squire Tel: +44 (0)1923 235360

Kent College Canterbury

Email: sales@360relo.com

Contact: Jayne Simpson

Website: www.360relo.com

Tel: +44 (0)1227 813 931

Area: Worldwide

Email: registrar@kentcollege.co.uk Website: www.kentcollege.co.uk

Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Move

Area: Kent, South East

Contact: Richard Hohler Tel: +44 (0)800 616 425 Email: corporate@bishopsmove.com Website: www.bishopsmove.com Area: Global

DT Moving Contact: Tim Daniells Tel: +44 (0)20 7622 4393

TASIS (The American School in England) Contact: Karen House Tel: +44 (0)1932 565252

Select Apartments Contact: Giles Walker Tel: +44 (0)845 055 6352 Email: gileswalker@selectapartments.co.uk Website: www.selectapartments.co.uk Area: London and UK

SPOUSAL ASSISTANCE/ CAREERS

Email: ukadmissions@tasisengland.org

Profile Locations

Website: www.tasis.com/england

Contact: Fiona Murchie Tel: +44 (0)1892 891334 Email: careers@profilelocations.co.uk Website: www.profilelocations.co.uk Area: National & International

Area: West London & Surrey

Email: london@dtmoving.com Website: www.dtmoving.com

The North London International School

Area: Worldwide

Contact: Amy Harris Tel: +44 (0)20 8920 0634

Interdean International Relocation

Email: aharris@nlis.org

Contact: Rob Lucas

Website: www.nlis.org

Tel: +44 (0)20 8961 4141

Area: North London

JOBS

Email: rob.lucas@interdean.com Website: www.interdean.com

SERVICED APARTMENTS

Area: Worldwide

Apartment Service Schmid & Kahlert S & K 2000 France

Contact: Melanie Degand

Contact: Philippe Lienig

Tel: +44 (0)20 8944 1444

Tel: +33 (0) 38896 5903

Email: melanied@apartment.co.uk

Email: info@schmid-kahlert.fr

Website: www.apartmentservice.com

Website: www.schmid-kahlert.com

Area: UK & Worldwide

Area: Worldwide

White & Co Contact: Louis Spies Tel: +44 (0) 1489 774907 Email: l.spies@whiteandcompany.co.uk Website: www.whiteandcompany.co.uk Area: UK

Cheval Residences Contact: Emma Dean Tel: +44 (0)20 7341 7031 Email: emma.dean@chevalresidences.com Website: www.chevalresidences.com

www relocatemagazine com www.relocatemagazine.com

Area: London

To advertise here please call: 01892 891334

Spotlight on overseas and UK destinations

All this and

so much more

Check out our latest developments and keep up with news and trends

from the

leading relocation Find the perfect job Select the perfect candidate

portal...

Managing international assignments and employee support

...www.relocatemagazine.com