Tick Tock — How Much Time is Wasted in Global Relocation and How Can You Prevent It?

When relocating your company headquarters or sending employees overseas for business matters, there are a multitude of considerations to weigh. Relocation is no easy feat because so many facets have to be handled carefully. In the management of global mobility programs and employee moves, one important factor can be overlooked – the toll it takes on employee productivity.

Most everyone is aware that the move itself takes time out of an employee’s schedule, but exactly how much time is lost in the relocation process overall? And, what if there was a way to not only quantify time lost to matters such as handling immigration and housing needs, or deciding on school options for accompanying children, but also ways to prevent this productivity drain in the future and improve a company’s ROI?

Altair Global’s Momentum Survey Series aimed to answer those questions and more. Our goal was to reveal just how much time and attention can be redirected due to a relocation, and what we uncovered was astonishing. Our international study found that an average of 39 days were lost in work productivity. This is equivalent to roughly $4 million in productivity loss for a program of 100 employees moving internationally per year.

So, what are the biggest productivity loss culprits? Through our research, Altair determined the top areas to be finding and establishing a new residence, learning and understanding compensation-related specifics, and immigration process activities. In regard to immigration, surprisingly, we found the country with the most likely productivity loss due to the impact of immigration was the U.S.

Apart from the quantified numbers we revealed, we also wanted to find solutions to assist our clients in managing employee output during a relocation. We reached out to participants to elaborate on their answers.

From these in-depth conversations, we found that assignees were longing for ways to interact with expats already located in their new location, to share their firsthand knowledge and cultural and settling-in support from someone who had been through the experience.

We also wanted to help our clients better understand where productivity loss was occurring and how to address the issue.

For example, one participating company’s data found that its renter population lost significantly more days than the average renter respondent. The company requested Altair Global’s recommendations for more formal assistance and benefits for renters. By spending a little more than $500 up front, the company saved thousands of dollars for each renter in more rapid and productive onboarding in the new location.

Other solution recommendations derived from our innovative research include encouraging participation in cultural and language training, offering international employees formal opportunities to network with current and former expatriates and other employees with prior international move experience, and treating all employees moving internationally as if they were “new” employees, rather than assuming they would be able to navigate the new location on their own.

For a better understanding of how your mobility program and policies could be impacting your employees’ productivity, request a copy of the international edition of our Momentum Survey Series. Our full survey provides in-depth details and insights for anyone looking to manage employee job output during relocation.

About Altair Global
Founded in 1989, Altair Global is an independent, global mobility management company that offers comprehensive relocation and assignment solutions in more than 180 countries. Our clients are as diverse as our workforce, and include members of both the Fortune and Global 500. Altair Global’s services are delivered from regional service centers across the Americas, EMEA and APAC. For more information, please visit www.altairglobal.com.

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UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
DRC partners are hosting exciting opportunities related to international business.

Dallas Fort Worth: Bridging Latin America-Asia Trade
Thursday, November 1 | 7:30 AM – 5 PM
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2200 North Pearl Street, Dallas, 75201

This one-day summit brings together local and global trade leaders from both the public and private sectors, to focus on how the Dallas Region’s global and regional competitiveness can increase business opportunities between Asia and Latin America, and how transnational organizations support and help advance global business efforts. Click here for more information and to register for the event.

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Sake in Dallas
Thursday, November 1 | 3 PM – 4:30 PM
SGWS Dallas, 2001 Diplomat Drive, Dallas, 75234

This sake seminar and tasting event will feature an introduction to sake by Sake Samurai Timothy Sullivan and a presentation of different sakes from across Japan. Come join us for an educational afternoon on the qualities of Japanese sake. This event is for food and beverage professionals only, and is not open to the general public. Attendees must be 21 or older to participate. For more information or to register, please email Kaori Uchida at the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) at kaori_uchida@jetro.go.jp.

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Take Off to Quebec
Thursday, November 1 | 6 PM – 8 PM
DFW Airport Headquarters, 2400 Aviation Drive, Irving, TX 75062

The state of Texas and the province of Quebec in Canada are among the world’s top clusters for aircraft, and aircraft parts and manufacturing. The supply chain between major companies established in Texas and in Quebec represents an annual trade value of about $1.4 billion. We invite you to join more than 120 aerospace and defense executives from Texas for a unique networking opportunity with representatives of the Government of Quebec, the Consulate General of Canada in Dallas, BCI Aerospace, the North Texas Commission, DFW International Airport, and Air Canada, among others. Click here to register for the event.

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KOR-US ICT Partnering 2018
Monday, November 5 | 10 AM – 3 PM
DoubleTree by Hilton, 4099 Valley View Lane, Dallas, 75244

Thanks to its advanced technology and innovation, Korea has been the leader in the global ICT industry and is expected to continue its competitiveness. This event, hosted by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), is the perfect opportunity for those who are not only interested in finding new Korean ICT products and learning recent industry trends, but also ICT project developers to establish one-on-one relationships with some of Korea’s best and most innovative companies for a future collaboration. To register, please email Melissa Maguire at mmaguire@dallaschamber.org with your name, title, and company name.

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Taste of France
Friday, November 16 | 7 PM – 9:30 PM
Fashion Industry Gallery (F.I.G.), 1807 Ross Avenue, Dallas, 75201

This fall, the French-American Chamber of Commerce is taking you on a journey through the wine, food, and fashion of France, which has become an American obsession. Sip French reds, whites, and rosés from the regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Chablis, and Provence. Taste pâtés, fromages, gateaux, macarons, and signature dishes offered by some of the area’s top chefs and gourmet purveyors. Excite your visual palette through French fashion and entertainment sprinkled throughout the event. And, as a souvenir of this event, outbid your friends and take home a trip to Europe or dinner at a fine restaurant in the silent auction. Venez voir! Click here for more information and to register for the event.