Talent Mobility Trends Survey Compares Perspectives on Post-Pandemic Relocation Strategies Across North American Public, Private Service Sectors
The Senior Executives Association (SEA) and BGRS Relocation, a global leader in employee relocation solutions for public and private sector organizations, presented data from a global relocation trends survey indicating areas for improvement for American public sector organizations seeking to attract top talent from across the country following the pandemic.
From January to February 2021, SEA and BGRS surveyed federal senior agency executives, hiring officials, and relocation program practitioners across over 50 government departments, agencies, and offices. The research focused on the role relocation plays in allowing organizations to strategically recruit and retain premier talent.
In working with both American and Canadian government officials, the final report developed learning opportunities for both audiences based on comparison points. For example, when asked the purpose of relocation programs, 60 percent of Canadian respondents said relocation focused on talent attraction, while 42 percent said it focused on talent retention. In the US, only 11 percent reported relocation was an effective tool for attracting new talent.
BGRS Vice President of Government Client Services, Amber Tucker, expressed concern that the US is not benefitting from strongly using relocation to attract key talent from the existing workforce or attract new talent. While the private sector has evolved in this area, especially to attract millennial and Gen X talent which finds relocation incentives attractive, the US public sector continues to lag.
The presentation continued to discuss different models for delivering relocation services – from decentralized to hybrid to centralized. Corporations have moved towards an increasingly centralized approach, which aligns and integrates HR and talent management approaches with relocation. Canada takes a hybrid centralized approach with a single shared service center and relocation supplier but allows each government department to structure their programs in their own way.
Despite some interest in centralizing the federal government in the US’s approach through the General Services Administration (GSA), the US government still takes a largely decentralized approach.
In the US, the most desired change was more focus on employee experience, with 45 percent of respondents saying their agency was not doing well in making use of data-based decision making. Meanwhile, 39 percent said their agency was not doing well in integrating data environments, while only 19 percent were confident that they have detailed reporting available for full relocation cost-management. Still, the least wanted change in the US was a desire for better technology. Better technology was the most wanted change in Canada.
To address these challenges and opportunities, the report outlined several recommendations, including:
Determine which essential roles require physical relocation in post-pandemic landscape and re-consider policy benefits in accordance with the objectives of the move
Consciously align relocations to wider human capital and talent strategies
Consider centralizing the administration and management of relocation function into master contracts/use of a shared service approach
Improve technology platforms and data collection, integration, and usage
Invest time and resources in training and creating expertise in relocation practitioners
Benchmark against other government agencies/departments as well as the private sector to align with market competitive practice.