Ideas for Relo in the ‘New Normal’

It’s no secret that getting a new hire to uproot and move to a new city has become difficult. LD+A columnist Paul Pompeo offers three ideas for hiring managers trying to close the deal:

• Identify candidates who have friends and family in their company’s area or have lived in the area previously. That is often easier said than done, though, and narrows the candidate pool significantly.
• Think outside the box and determine if you can find a candidate that may not have industry knowledge but has other relevant experiences and attributes that could make them successful. Though this candidate may take a bit longer to get up to speed, it allows the chance to find a candidate who truly brings fresh ideas to the table versus someone who was doing the same thing for a direct competitor. They also may be more motivated to duplicate their past success in a new industry.
• While this may seem to be impossible or the most difficult for some employers or positions, try to re-evaluate how this person might be able to work remotely after all. It suddenly broadens your candidate pool immediately. Years ago, companies felt everyone had to be in one place and, at a time, it was perceived that employees could not work effectively or productively from their homes. Technology changed all that and, as a leader, you should press yourself and your team to identify if technology can help with this.