When I get a job order that requires relocation, I have to make sure the on-boarding package they have is strong enough to seal the deal, if a candidate can even be found. I say IF, because the likelihood of finding someone to relocate for a job is near zero – not zero, but close to it, especially if they are being asked to make a lateral move for about the same compensation.
My latest challenge is for an Operations Manager at a $40M truss manufacturing facility. The owner wants a number two manager to take over the day-to-day duties as well as grow into an overall business manager. The compensation, below $100K, is low for the size of the operation, but maybe the location will be the right place for the right person. Warm climate, lower cost of living, and lots to do in your time off is a great enticement. Still, the dollars are holding this one back. Other employers at the same volume pay in the mid-$100s++ for the same position. And then there is relocation.
I believe that, back in the Great Recession, our industry quit investing in the next generation of managers, designers, and sales professionals. For six years, we all had to focus on survival and that meant keeping a minimum staff and controlling costs. Today, because of the Great Recession, we are seeing a gap in the career path in our industry that is causing the lack of candidates who will relocate. Most younger candidates are not developed enough, or if they are developed, they are six years farther into their career and building a family. That usually means married, so a spouse and kids must be considered when they are asked to relocate.
Although many jobs have been going remote, there are still jobs that require you to be at the facility to manage process and people. Production Managers, General Managers, and Operations Managers know that their jobs are at the facility – but getting them to move is a challenge. The tools we have to lessen this concern include a hiring bonus, better pay, better benefits, and relocation assistance. But there are more tools that you can use, such as education reimbursement for their family, help buying a home, or stock in the company down the road. Just offering a job and saying relocation expenses are negotiable is not enough anymore. Candidates want the process to be as easy and trouble-free as possible for them and their family.
So when you are thinking about hiring someone who will have to relocate, be sure you think about how the process will affect their family, friends, and pocket. I am sure they will be thinking about it too.