2021 Baker's Best - 34

TOP RELOCATION PROVIDERS
Relocation
Growing
Stronger
An in-depth look at how the mobility market is evolving.
By Debbie Bolla
The relocation industry is no stranger to change. Often
driven by the current economic state, mobility has been
greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in
terms of volume, service delivery, and supply chain.
" The most visible impact of COVID-19 on corporatesponsored
relocations was a contraction in activity level,
typically reflecting scrutiny over avoidable or deferrable
expenditures, " explains Adele Rota, vice president of
client relations for NuCompass. " For some organizations,
this meant a reduction in relocations up to 50%, while
others may have experienced a more moderate decline of
10 to 30%. International assignments for most companies
declined by a greater percentage than domestic
relocations due to the relative complexity, expense, and
degree of potential change experienced by the employee
and their impacted family members. "
Steven John, president and CEO of Home Services
Relocation (HSR), says some industries took it harder
than others. " From a transferee volume perspective, we
saw many industries reduce transferee volume in 2020, "
he notes. " Hospitality, technology, air transportation,
energy, and certain retailers were hit particularly hard. "
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BAKER'S BEST 2021 - www.hrotoday.com
Many service options went virtual-and perhaps for
the better. " Virtual services for nearly every service
blossomed during COVID, including home tours and
household goods surveys, " says Rota. " Most of the
suppliers have maintained virtual options even as they
return to face-to-face service delivery, and often at a cost
savings to clients. "
As for the supply chain, disruption is the name of
the game, often causing additional obstacles to the
relocation experience. Rota shares three examples that
have caused wrinkles in the process:
* The shipping industry is experiencing a lack of vessel
availability and a decreased workforce.
* The housing market has skyrocketed with more
interested buyers than inventory.
* Auto shipping prices are on the rise due to a domino
effect from the rental car market offering premiums for
truck drivers, creating a driver shortage.
Many experts argue that relocation is on the rebound.
" Relocation volume in 2021 has increased over 2020-
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HRO Today Baker's Best 2021

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