Is relocation worth the risk?
Have you seen "The Proposal" yet? This latest workplace-centered movie, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, is sweet, funny, and steamy in places and can make even tough guys misty-eyed. Not to mention that incredible Alaskan scenery -- and the fact that there's no recession in sight. It's a nice escape.
But there is one current reality the movie does portray, in its tale of a transplanted Canadian and a dream-seeking Alaskan relocated to New York: the willingness of people to pick up and move almost anywhere for a job.
Talent Follows Jobs
Talent still goes where the best jobs are; recruiters still lure the best talent for those jobs. During a recession, the jobseekers and the job-fillers both think a little longer and harder about relocation decisions. But when all the questions are answered, the finger comes off the pause button and the moving van pulls up in the driveway.
Mayflower Transit's 2008 relocation study showed that more than 50 percent of respondents moved for a job in 2008. About 37 percent relocated for a new job, and about 13 percent for a company transfer.
If you look at the big picture, relocation (and in some cases retraining) of displaced workers could go a long way to pulling us out of the current recession. As Kris Dunn at The HR Capitalist puts it:
This just in -- there are over 3 million open jobs in America, but the right talent isn't in the right place. In order to plug people into those roles, retraining is probably needed, and then (and this is the big kicker), the talent has to be mobile to go where the jobs are.
Recruiting dollars may be tighter, but the pressure for corporate success in a competitive environment makes it even more essential to recruit the best talent. And that means finding the best candidate -- wherever he or she might be.
You'll Love it Here
For the out-of-work jobseeker, you might think relocation would be a no-brainer in a recession. Your talents are intact; you're itching to put them to use for a new employer. Relocating can be more than a rebound; it can be an opportunity to continue your career climb.
But there is always risk in moving. In an economic downtown, just how secure is the company recruiting you, or the position they want you to fill? These risks are multiplied if you are being recruited while solidly employed.
Recruiters may have to be a little more convincing these days to find just the right candidate. In uncertain times, familiarity is comforting.
Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk advises anyone considering relocating to look closer than ever at more than just the job offer. She writes:
There is a widespread feeling among Generation Y that transience is exhausting, and relocating away from family and friends for a job is a nonstarter.
Getting the Details
Trunk notes that relocation can be expensive (not every company pays for it) and high risk, so the job candidate needs to look at every detail.
That means recruiters must be detail-oriented, too. Reduced stress makes better decision-making possible. Unanswered questions may leave candidates clinging to home.
Fortunately for jobseekers, almost three-fourths of companies surveyed by Atlas Van Lines have a formal relocation policy. The policies vary, but most companies do cover moving and a range of other expenses.
And who knows? If you're really fortunate -- and engage a good screenwriter -- your career moves may end up fulfilling all your dreams, just as they do for Margaret and Andrew in "The Proposal."
Article by, Thom and courtesy of RiseSmart.com - RiseSmart: Search Smarter. Rise Faster.
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