Going It Alone

As more single employees become transferees,
companies are finding innovative ways to address
their particular relocation needs.

When relocation became a widespread practice shortly after World War II, it was a relatively simple process involving a check, a map and a "family meeting" to inform an unquestioning wife and kids of the impending move.

For today's work force, however, relocation is increasingly becoming a solo flight, as more and more unmarried employees find themselves making the trek around the globe.

"The profile of the typical transferee has changed significantly over the past 10 years, and now encompasses not only the new recruit, but also the 45-year-old single woman with children or the male partner in a divorce situation where he may have custody six weeks during the summer," says Laura Herring, president of The Impact Group, a St. Louis-based relocation consulting firm.

"You also have those people in their late 30s and 40s and early 50s who have always been single and are very connected to church and the community."

As relocation managers are rapidly discovering, the changing demographics of transferees has resulted in the need for a whole new menu of services designed to help employees adapt to their new environment. Without such assistance, experts warn, companies will likely experience more failed relocations and higher turnover rates, as unhappy, ill-adjusted employees begin to flee the nest.

Single Misconceptions

"Failed relocations are a real problem for some companies," says Ellie Sullivan, vice president of Relocation Institute Inc. in Norwell, Mass. "If a single transferee can't get acclimated in the new location, the company may not recognize their desired return on investment from the cost of the relocation."

Unfortunately, the majority of companies have been slow in recognizing this need. Instead, they have clung to the long-held notion that singles are a "lock and leave" commodity, an easy move that doesn't require the budget or the consultative services considered customary when moving an employee with a family.

"Management tends to feel that singles will probably relocate fairly easily because they do~ have any family issues or ties to really slow them down during the process," says Ruth Davis, manager of relocation services for Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, N.J. "In reality, the single employee really needs assistance with trying to get the social aspect of their life in the new location back to the way it was when they left the former location."

With friends and family left behind, singles often have a difficult time building a support group and adjusting to their new Community's social scene. In the beginning, their only relationships are with coworkers, most of whom are well-established and have friends of their own. Consequently, new transferees all too often turn to artificial stimulants as they seek out new friendships or ways to ease their loneliness.

"Singles tend to drink more, not necessarily because of depression, but because they're going out to bars after work just trying to meet and connect with some people," says Herring.

"You'd be amazed at the number of singles who told us they go home and because they don't know many people, they'll just have a glass of wine or maybe two. It's not that they become alcoholics, but they become much more chemically dependent for relaxation," says Herring.

The Buddy System

To prevent this plight among employees, a growing number of companies are adopting a variety of programs designed to hook transferees up with like-minded individuals in their new environment. According to Bobbie Hassett, vice president of service at Relocation Resources Inc. in Norwell,

Mass., young, flourishing companies, such as Seattle-based Starbucks, are spearheading the trend, largely because singles make up such a large percentage of their work force.

"One of the things we see happening that's really exciting is a buddy system, where they match their new employee to an employee with a similar lifestyle," says Hassett. "You want to make sure you've got someone else in the area that might share some interests and help integrate them into the community a little bit until they form their own network."

For Betty Rose, a senior engineer at Tektronix Inc. in Wilsonville, Ore., relocation is far from a new experience. Upon completion of graduate school in Blacksburg, Va., Rose moved to Rochester, N.Y., to accept a position with Eastman Kodak. Eight years later, a new job with Hewlett-Packard required her to relocate to San Diego. Rose remained there until this past December when she accepted her current position with Tektronix and moved to Portland, Ore. According to Rose, a lifelong single, this last relocation was the hardest. While in San Diego, she had become fairly entrenched in the community, actively participating in a dog obedience club and a non-denominational church activities she was concerned could not be duplicated in her new environment.

"If you belong to the Catholic Church, you know there's going to be a Catholic Church in every community, but these organizations were unique unto themselves," she says. "I knew it would be difficult to find something similar in the new community, so that was hard saying goodbye to those."

Despite concerns over her social life, however, Rose's major worries centered around her only dependent and sole family member~her dog, Shelley. Rose had never moved with a pet before and had reservations about abandoning her furry friend in the plane's luggage compartment. When it was discovered that Shelley was too large to fit in an under-seat dog carrier, Rose elected not to fly to her new location, but instead negotiated with Tektronix to rent a car and make the drive from San Diego.

Tektronix contracted with Portland-based Dickinson Consulting Group to find answers to Rose's questions about everything from temporary housing and fluoridated water to dog kennels and natural food stores. At their suggestion, Rose attended a dog show her first weekend in Portland. She not only met fellow dog lovers there, but also a woman who invited her to a church remarkably similar to the one she'd been attending in San Diego. Within one week of her relocation, Rose had already made some new friends and found a church where she was comfortable.

"Singles with pets seem to get settled more quickly because they have a tendency to make friends and explore a little bit more," says Tony Quintos, vice president of corporate human resource for New York-based Citibank N.A.

"They have a companion, and that allows them to get acclimated into the area; it provides a lot of immediate stability."

According to experts, Rose's strong desire for church involvement is typical of single transferees, especially mature adults who have chosen not to marry. Additionally, Herring estimates more than 90 percent of singles request information about area health clubs. These two seemingly disparate activities have one thing in common: They both present opportunities for newly relocated singles to quickly make friends with people who share common interests and values.

"Getting them involved in churches and health clubs is critical because that's where they're going to find relationships," says Herring. "Our job is to help them become entrenched in the community and volunteer work as quickly as possible. That way, the~l become more committed to the job."

Basic Necessities

Although after-hours recreation is an undeniably important aspect of singles' relocation, the basic matters of day-to-day living are the most urgent consideration upon arriving in a new community. While married couples are able to share the responsibility of

selecting a home, arranging for utilities and investigating daycare options, the majority of single transferees must bear the burden alone~a difficult proposition when trying to give their all to a new job.

"When you go into a new position, you're spending a tremendous number of hours on the job," says Jan Dickinson, president and CEO of Dickinson Consulting Group. Looking for an apartment or house or trying to get utilities set up, without any outside help, may be delayed. As a result, the process of settling in to the new location becomes more of a burden and puts more stress on the transferee, Dickinson says.

At San Francisco-based Gap Inc., 88 percent of its annual 250 transferees are renters, the majority of whom are single. To address the unique needs of these workers, the company developed an extensive program last fall. Transferees can now enlist the help of counselors, as well as a national rental assistance program, that reviews leases and helps the oftentimes low-level transferees locate safe, yet economically feasible places to live.

"We didn't want people who are maybe more financially sensitive to make poor decisions on neighborhoods," says Joseph Pernaselli, manager of international assignments and relocation. "Because most rentals are single, a lot of times they don't have the emotional assistance or support of another family member to validate their decisions or help in that process."

Although counselors and consultancy firms can provide helpful information on basic utilities, the department of motor vehicles and local day care centers, single transferees are almost invariably on their own when it comes to doing the necessary legwork. Oftentimes, that requires time off from work, something that, until recently, companies were hesitant to grant.

"Someone's got to be there when the phone company comes and someone's got to be there when the cable people come and someone has to arrange for utilities," says Hassett of Relocation Resources. "There's an awful lot of stuff that has to happen, and they really need more time to do it because there's no partner or service that can run around and do those things for them."

At Johnson & Johnson, single transferees are granted extra time to arrange for such services, but individual requests are handled at the discretion of management. Meanwhile, Citibank N.A. is pilot-testing a program in its Hagerstown, Md., facility, which allows a new transferee to get settled into their new job very quickly, so they may then take a few days to handle personal matters.

Significant Others

A growing number of singles have a domestic partner that moves with them and is available to help share the burden, much like a spouse would do in a traditional relocation. This scenario raises still more questions, however, as companies debate whether or not their relocation policy covers unmarried partners.

The majority of companies report paying for a significant other's moving expenses, regardless of sexual preference, as long as they were a member of the household for at least 12 months prior to the move. But attitudes have been slow to change and are often based on the convictions of top management.

"If the hierarchy are in their 60s or early 70s, their generation didn't live together, so they have a different attitude," observes Dickinson. "But a lot of them we ran into two or three years ago are now coming around a little bit because they're recognizing it's just a fact of life these days."

Regardless of individual employees' needs, experts say companies must take a proactive stance when it comes to tackling the challenges associated with relocating singles. That includes not only listening to their concerns, but also finding ways to elicit information they may not otherwise divulge.

"Single people are often afraid to ask for help because they don't want to look needy," says the Impact Group's Herring. "Don't wait for them to ask. Start holding focus groups and recognize that there's a need out there."