JAPAN CULTURAL TIPS / IMMIGRATION TRENDS / MARKET SUMMARY: MILWAUKEE / DESTINATION PROFILE: STOCKHOLM

Magazine of Worldwide ERC® August 2019

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THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOBILITY LEADERS

SOCIAL MEDIA & MOBILITY 6 MUST-KNOWS

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We’ve reached the point where it’s hard to remember what life was like before Global Positioning System technology. Where we used to rely heavily on printed maps to find our way around, now they’re mostly used as classroom decorations, collector’s items and museum artifacts. Sure, you can still find your way with one, but why would you when it’s more simple to use GPS?

When it comes to corporate moving, think outside the van and look to ArcBest ®. It’s the easier, more efficient way to move. We serve as a GPS for our customers — a guide from start to finish. Your employees get fast transit times, customized moving options, reliable transportation, and a single point of coordination — all to help them get started quicker.

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PG 40 LUMP IT OR LEAVE IT PG 54 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT By Kristin White SOCIAL MEDIA AND MOBILITY Evaluating lump-sum and managed- By Geoff Williams care relocation assistance programs. Hint: “Everybody else does it” is not a good enough reason to be involved. PG 46 THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOBILITY LEADERS PG 60 DESTINATION PROFILE: STOCKHOLM By Morgan E. Wiedmann By M. Diane McCormick Read what they have to say about Innovation, research, and investment in priorities and experiences working in the “capital of Scandinavia.” the industry. PG 68 MARKETPLACE: NAVIGATING THE PG 52 MOBILITY MATTERS NOISE: GOING GLOBAL By Jon Ferguson By Brian David Johnson and Ashley Roy The many approaches to and attitudes toward performance evaluations.

COVER STORY PG 34 SMART CONTRACTS By M. Diane McCormick They’re a new chip off the old blockchain. But what do they do exactly, and what could they do for you?

2 Mobility | August 2019

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Visit us at fosterglobal.com to learn more. Contents COLUMNS

Worldwide ERC® Karen Cygal PG 8 PERCEPTIONS Vice President, Product Development The Audacity of Capacity

Chris Wilson, SGMS-T Vice President, Research & Education PG 26 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS What Happens If I Rent Out My Old Home Instead Kristin White Senior Manager, Content of Selling It?

EDITORIAL/DESIGN/MEDIA SALES PG 28 MARKET SUMMARY: MILWAUKEE The YGS Group Amy Norcross, Managing Editor By Tonya Krebs, CRP Steve Kennedy, Senior Editor Beth Hughes, Copy Editor PG 30 PATHWAYS: MY PERSONAL JOURNEY IN THE Charity Fox, Account Manager TALENT MOBILITY INDUSTRY Melissa Wiedemann, Photo Editor Aakanksha Bhargava, GMS Serena L. Spiezio, Creative Director Megan Meckley Hacker, Art Director

Jack Davidson, EVP DEPARTMENTS Zack Buchanan, National Sales Manager [email protected] +1 717 430 2291 PG 6 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Heather Macaluso, Account Executive [email protected] PG 10 TIPS & TRENDS +1 717 430 2224 U.S. Immigration Trends 2019: Key Takeaways PRINTING By Stephanie Lewin, GMS The YGS Group York, PA PG 13 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC® In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) ABOUT WORLDWIDE ERC® Worldwide ERC® Front Page Worldwide ERC® is the workforce mobility association for professionals who oversee, manage, or support U.S. Executive Spotlight domestic and international employee transfers. The Collective Wisdom organization was founded in 1964 to help members YP40 overcome the challenges of workforce mobility. OUR PURPOSE PG 32 THE NUMBERS We empower mobile people through meaningful connections, unbiased information, inspired ideas, and solutions. 52nd Annual Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey

PG 75 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

PG 76 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Cultural Tips for Companies and Individuals Entering Japan By Katheryn Gronauer

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 5 MOBILITY Vol. 40 No. 8 • August 2019

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chairman of the Board Calendar of Events SCRP, SGMS-T Sue Carey, Baird & Warner, Chicago, Illinois, USA SEPTEMBER 2019 Chair-Elect Tokyo Summit 2019 Edward Hannibal, GMS 5 September Deloitte Tax LLP, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Tokyo Vice Chair – Finance worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Robert Brezosky The Walt Disney Company, Burbank, California, USA OCTOBER 2019 Vice Chair – Talent Community Andrew P. Walker, GMS-T Global Workforce Symposium 2019 EY, New York, New York, USA 16–18 October Boston President and Chief Executive Officer Peggy Smith, SCRP, SGMS-T worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Worldwide ERC®, Arlington, Virginia, USA Mexico City Summit 2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Merritt Q. Anderson 23 October San Francisco, California, USA Mexico City Erik Eccles worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Urbandoor, San Francisco, California, USA Kerwin Guillermo NOVEMBER 2019 Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Singapore India Mobility Global Summit 2019 Heather Henry 13 November Netflix Inc., Los Gatos, California, USA Bengaluru, India Gustavo Higuera, CRP, GMS-T worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc., Miami, Florida, USA Sigrid Nauwelaerts São Paulo Summit 2019 Johnson & Johnson, Beerse, Belgium 26 November Shelby Wolpa São Paulo InVision, Austin, Texas, USA

worldwideerc.org/events-conferences EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Chairman, Foundation for Workforce Mobility Robert L. Giese, SCRP, GMS MAY 2020 Sterling Lexicon, Jacksonville, Florida, USA Americas Mobility Conference 2020 PAST CHAIRMAN 12–15 May Robert J. Horsley Houston Fragomen Worldwide, Santa Clara, California, USA worldwideerc.org/events-conferences

Mobility (ISSN 0195-8194) is published monthly by OCTOBER 2020 Worldwide ERC®, 4401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 510, Global Workforce Symposium 2020 Arlington, VA 22203-4195, +1 703 842 3400. Mobility 28–30 October examines key issues affecting the global mobility workforce for the benefit of employers and firms or individuals Washington, D.C. providing specific services to relocated employees and worldwideerc.org/events-conferences their families. The opinions expressed in Mobility are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Worldwide ERC®. Mobility is printed in the United States MAY 2021 of America. Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA, and ® Americas Mobility Conference 2021 additional mailing offices. Worldwide ERC members receive one annual subscription with their membership 24–26 May dues. Subscriptions are available to both members and San Francisco nonmembers at $48 each per year. Copyright ©2019 by worldwideerc.org/events-conferences Worldwide ERC®. All rights reserved. Neither all nor part of the contents published herein may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Worldwide ERC®. READ ALL ABOUT IT! About what? That’s our question for you! Send your suggestions for topics you’d like to read about in Mobility to [email protected].

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mobility, Worldwide ERC®, 4401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22203-4195.

6 Mobility | August 2019 2019 U.S. NEWS – BEST LAWYERS® “LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR” IN IMMIGRATION LAW IN AMERICA

BALGLOBAL.COM Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP 2400 N. Glenville Drive, Building A Richardson, TX 75082

Copyright © 2019 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP PERCEPTIONS

The Audacity of Capacity

here are many factors that have disrupted entire industries in the last decade, but one of the most significant ones is rooted in this concept: Leveraging seasonal and/or flexible capacity is a game changer. We’ve seen this in such industries as household goods moving, short-term housing and accommodations, cars for hire, airlines, real estate, and others—name an industry, and it’s probably happening there! Traditional providers struggle with learning how to compete against alter- native choices in their same market; to bring some flexibility to pricing and distribution strategies that helps them weather the ups and downs of supply and demand. An unfortunate miscalculation Tcan impact an entire year’s outcome. Traditionally, there’s been a fine line to walk between main- taining the capacity to serve and navigating seasonality or timing that can bring severe spikes. There are a few observations we’ve made that might make getting ahead of such disruption a little easier: Industry disruptions are multiple, and faster than ever. Today’s industries face more than one disruption—in fact, some of the new disrupters are impacting the older ones. (Think about digital cameras disrupting the film market and smartphones taking on the digital camera … and replacing many other technological tools.) It’s happening quickly, too. Remember that when overnight deliveries disrupted postal service, there were years to respond to the chal- lenge. Companies today lack the luxury of time—and lengthy decision-making—to respond. Anticipating disruption—and building disruption capabilities—is an imperative. This isn’t always easy, but one thing that can help flag where disruption might emerge is to look at other industries where it’s happening. How are they addressing needs and pain points for their customers, how are they speeding up or streamlining a process, how are they communicating and marketing, how are they measuring success? What can you learn from disrupters and apply to your own business? Try out something new while maintaining the core business. Developing and testing a pilot program for a new way to do business, without abandoning the legacy business, offers a way to take advantage of new opportunities and to reinvent without radical change for cus- tomers or internal team members. There’s one more thought that brings some camaraderie in a radical business environment. No matter what the industry, enterprise, or organization, we know that our “innovation mus- cle” will be tested: We’re all experiencing the audacity of capacity.

Cheers,

PEGGY SMITH, SCRP, SGMS-T President and Chief Executive Officer Worldwide ERC®

8 Mobility | August 2019 Sometimes bigger is better.

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U.S. Immigration Trends 2019: Key Takeaways

STEPHANIE LEWIN, GMS Harris Poll commissioned by Envoy Global reviewed the internal and HEAD OF GLOBAL IMMIGRATION, external global immigration processes and challenges of more than 400 ENVOY GLOBAL human resources professionals and hiring managers in the U.S., across multiple industries and company sizes. The following are some of the key Send your article ideas, insights that their responses revealed. letters, and feedback to [email protected]. 1.A In spite of increased government scrutiny, companies continue to hire foreign talent as a competitive advantage. A majority (80%) of employers said they expect their foreign national head count to either increase or stay the same this year, and 46% of that total expect it to increase. At the same time, 47% of respondents reported their company’s visa application process has become more difficult, with increasing instances of requests for evidence (RFEs).

2. Employers are focused on government policy changes that could simplify and expedite the immi- gration system. Quicker processing time, expedited filing, and improved insights for both employees and employers into U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) case processing and initiatives are among the most cited desired changes companies would like to see.

3. With immigration a C-level priority, employers are seeking a better way to manage their internal immigration process. Organizations recognize that any issues with their immigration process negatively impacts employee experience, subsequently affecting the company’s ability to hire and retain some of their most critical talent. While they may not be able to control gov- ernment policy and macro trends such as gaps in skills, they are looking at ways to reduce such internal pain points as uncertainty of outcome and inefficiencies in the immigration process that can increase the amount of time it takes and the costs involved.

4. Rapid green card sponsorship continues to be a critical aspect of a competitive recruiting strat- egy. Two-thirds of employers reported sponsoring green cards, with the majority (66%) starting the process within the foreign national’s first year of service.

5. Companies are targeting Canada as a future talent hub, based in part on its immigration policies. Canadian immigration officials announced plans to bring 350,000 foreign nationals into the country annually between now and 2021, and 65% of survey respondents view Canada’s immigration policy as more favorable than U.S. policy, with 35% indicating they are sending more people and hiring more foreign nationals there.

6. Data security is a high priority, and companies are making investments to reduce vulnerabilities. Data security is a top priority for many companies, but fewer than half (46%) of employers surveyed said they are confident in the security of their immigration data, and only 13% are currently requiring increased security measures from immigration vendors, indicating that demands for stronger protections and information management are likely to be on the rise.

© 2019 Envoy Global Inc.

10 Mobility | August 2019

AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

On worldwideerc.org, we reported on taxes, trade, and transition, among other topics. If you have employees currently in or moving to WHAT’S HAPPENING ON SOCIAL? Washington state, H.B. 1087 imposes a new payroll tax of 0.58% on all FOLLOW US! @WORLDWIDEERC employee wages. It is estimated it will raise some $1 billion annually, to be used to fund payments for long-term care insurance. As taxes recently Twitter – We shared a link to increased for many employees in the state, it is complicating gross-up Worldwide ERC® President and calculations and transfer discussions and necessitates a reprogramming CEO Peggy Smith’s conversation with of systems to collect and remit the new tax. “Through the Noise” podcast host Ernesto In our ongoing reporting on the impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Gluecksmann on workforce mobility Act (TCJA), we shared that Arizona conformed its state taxes to the trends. Have a listen @ListenTTN. federal law at the end of May, becoming the 16th “static” conformity state—which must explicitly act to conform to federal tax changes—to Facebook – Stay in the know on do so. Only Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota had not registration openings, early discount yet acted as of press time. deadlines, keynote speakers, and planned Trade has been a hot topic of late, too. We kept you in the know content for the Tokyo, Mexico City, India, about the likelihood of ratification of the United States–Mexico–Canada and São Paulo Mobility Summits and the Agreement (USMCA). Signed in Argentina at the G-20 summit, it 2019 Global Workforce Symposium. would effectively replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but requires individual ratification by all three countries. In LinkedIn – In addition to finding mid-June, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi excerpts from and links to articles announced the formation of a Democratic party trade working group both on worldwideerc.org and from this to identify ways to rework the agreement, particularly on four topics of magazine, look to LinkedIn for announce- concern: labor, drug pricing, environment, and enforcement. As we go ments of money-saving opportunities, as to press, approval of the agreement by the U.S. does not appear likely well as photos and information from in the near future. recent industry events. We shared news China has been at the center of U.S. trade negotiations as well. Tariffs about how to take advantage of a special were initially imposed on three separate lists of goods, and a fourth list was offer on Global Mobility Specialist (GMS)® added when talks stalled. An increase from 10% on $200 billion worth of enrollment, for example, and an invitation goods to 25% was initiated. We’ll be keeping you up to date on develop- for up to 50 relocation appraisers to ments and results following the meetings that took place between Presidents demonstrate excellent report-writing Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Japan. techniques by entering our annual And in transition news, we reported on Ken Cuccinelli’s appointment Relocation Appraisal Report Writing as acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Contest, sponsored jointly by Worldwide where he will oversee the agency responsible for administering the ERC® and Relocation Appraisers & immigration policies of the U.S. and is expected to continue to take a Consultants Inc. hard-line approach to immigration policy.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 13 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Worldwide ERC® Front Page

From left: Arpin Sustainability Committee members Ben Steele, Naomi Herzfeld, Ciara Nallen, and Ben Black. Presenting award is Dr. Karen Weber-Salamanca of Foundation for a Green Future.

ARPIN GROUP PRESENTED WITH ECO-EDUCATOR AWARD Arpin Group recently participated in a “Paris to “There is no aspect of our society, our community, Pittsburgh to New England” community action and our environment that won’t be affected. From event at the New England Institute of Technology. business to health to national security, climate change The event featured a panel discussion on climate is a threat that needs to be addressed.” change and a screening of Paris to Pittsburgh, a new Eco-educator Awards were given to all panel- film about the climate crisis. ists and to presenting sponsors Arpin Group and “Climate change is the defining issue of our time, Cardi’s Furniture. The award recognizes individ- and we are at a defining moment,” says Peter Arpin, uals and organizations that advocate, promote, or executive vice president of Arpin Group and presi- administer environmental education and awareness dent and co-founder of Renewable Now Network. to the community.

14 Mobility | August 2019 FURNISHED QUARTERS ACHIEVES ASAP MoveCenter named CWS a Corporate Housing QUALITY ACCREDITATION Supplier of the Year, the highest honor given to Furnished Quarters has companies in the top tier of their industry that have been awarded ASAP a dedicated coordinator, state-of-the-art facilities Quality Accreditation by and equipment, and the highest service levels. the Association of This is the third year for these awards, and also the Serviced Apartment third year that CWS has taken a top spot. “We truly Providers (ASAP). The value our partnership with MoveCenter, and we accreditation is a leading are honored to be recognized as a supplier of the global standard for the year,” says Hayes. serviced apartment Hayes was also named a finalist for the Central industry and one of its Texas Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Award. Founded most sought-after stamps of approval. by EY, the program recognizes entrepreneurs and Accreditation requires that recipients demonstrate leaders of high-growth companies who are excelling the necessary level of compliance in key areas of in areas such as innovation, financial performance, focus: health and safety management, fire risk man- and personal commitment to their businesses and agement, insurance, security, migrant workers, illegal communities. Hayes was selected as a finalist by a and antisocial behavior, discrimination, and quality panel of independent judges. and comfort. “Being recognized as a finalist among a remarkable In obtaining ASAP Quality Accreditation, group of Central Texas leaders is truly humbling Furnished Quarters was assessed to meet 250 service and such an honor,” Hayes says. “I couldn’t accept quality, regulatory, and safety criteria; comply with this recognition without acknowledging the support key legal, statutory, health, and safety requirements; I’ve had throughout this journey, from mentors to market all of its properties accurately; deliver a co-workers, and especially my team and family. Team quality guest experience; and adhere to the highest members are dedicated to turning the hardships of possible industry standards. relocation into a personal, welcoming, and positive “Furnished Quarters’ stated mission is to deliver experience for every guest we encounter.” exceptional residential experiences with passion, reliability, and integrity, always innovating and PORCHLIGHT IS NAMED A SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR putting people first,” says Steve Brown, CEO. For the third consecutive year, PorchLight Rental “Receiving ASAP Quality Accreditation furthers & Destination Services was named a Supplier of this mission in a tangible way.” the Year by MoveCenter. “We learned early on that supplier performance excellence is fundamental to CWS CORPORATE HOUSING RECEIVES AWARDS our own success,” says MoveCenter Executive Vice CWS Corporate Housing has received recognition President Heisha Freeman, CRP. from alternative accommodations provider RESIDE This award is MoveCenter’s highest honor for Worldwide Inc., MoveCenter, and EY. those that achieve the top-performance standards CWS Corporate Housing was one of the winners necessary to meet customer expectations and of the Top Block awards in RESIDE’s 3SIXTY part- remain competitive in the global economy. The ner network. The award recognizes partners who evaluation process assesses attributes such as avail- achieved Top Block rating by scoring over 8 on a ability, responsiveness and customer friendliness of 10-point scale on guest satisfaction surveys and coordinators, and willingness to go the extra mile. delivered an exceptional guest experience. “We are MoveCenter also evaluates quantifiable metrics honored to receive this award,” says Tracy Hayes, such as transferee survey results, variance between GMS, president of CWS Corporate Housing. “Our estimates and actual prices, timeliness and accu- partnership grows ever stronger, and we look for- racy of invoices, record of legal compliance, and ward to continuing to create solutions and enhance adherence to specific client requirements, including our clients’ experience together.” service level agreements.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 15 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Diane Ayres, CRP, president of PorchLight, says, Michael Manuel, who has been a Realtor® with “We are truly honored. This distinguished award Long & Foster’s Alexandria/Old Town Historic highlights the personal touch our team of committed, District office for 15 years, has worked with Greves passionate associates deliver to create predictable since she began providing her services to seniors. performance outcomes for our clients.” “I’m so happy Anna chose to bring her program to Long & Foster,” Manuel says. “Many of us that have LONG & FOSTER PROGRAM TARGETS BOOMERS worked with her over the last decade have been Long & Foster agents, so this allows us to keep that experi- enced team together.” Greves and her team of Long & Foster agents and home service providers are offering the Elite Concierge program in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and suburban Maryland. They plan to bring the program to more Long & Foster offices in the company’s markets. SHOREWEST NAMED TOP REGIONAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY Anna Greves, in red dress in center of front row, with the Elite Concierge team of Shorewest, REALTORS®, was named the top real Long & Foster Real Estate’s Alexandria/Old Town Historic District office estate company in southeastern Wisconsin in 2018 for For the past 10 years, Anna Greves, an associate bro- transaction sides and volume in the “REAL Trends ker who recently joined Long & Foster Real Estate’s Market Leaders” report. As part of the “REAL Trends Alexandria/Old Town Historic District office in 500” report, “REAL Trends Market Leaders” ranks the Alexandria, Virginia, has devoted her full attention top residential real estate firms in more than 125 met- to working with seniors. Greves created a program ropolitan markets. Ranked by transaction sides and to assist seniors as they downsize, coordinating the sales volume, the ranking is a geotargeted snapshot of services of Realtors®, organizers, contractors, movers, brokerage performance. and other carefully selected providers that can help Shorewest, REALTORS®, helped 11,194 families relieve the stress of the downsizing process. She and had $2.7 billion in volume for 2018. According to is bringing her program to Long & Foster as Elite the report, Shorewest exceeded all other real estate Concierge, with the tag line “Care-free solutions for companies in southeastern Wisconsin. all seasons of life.” Shorewest also ranks nationally as one of the “At the point in life when someone is ready largest real estate firms in the U.S. in the “REAL to downsize, they often have a home with many Trends 500” report, earning seventh place in pro- years’ worth of belongings that perhaps hasn’t been viding core services (mortgage, title, warranty, and updated or renovated in a number of years,” Greves insurance services), 19th among independent real says. “There’s so much to do and go through to pre- estate companies, 43rd in homes sold, and 73rd in pare their home for sale.” closed sales volume. The process begins with a client consultation that “We cannot say enough about how proud we are addresses recommended changes they can make to of our sales associates and support staff for providing the home they plan to sell. The focus is on making the exceptional service to so many families in 2018,” says most of their time and money to get the best results Joe Horning, president. from the sale of the home. It also includes a compre- hensive moving plan. ATLAS WORLD GROUP INTERNATIONAL “Frequently, home sellers making this transi- LAUNCHES PARTNER PROGRAM tion need guidance and for someone to walk them Atlas World Group International (AWGI), a subsidi- through the process to help them find the right solu- ary of Atlas World Group Inc., has launched an Atlas tions for their circumstances,” Greves says. Agent Partner Program, with Dallas-headquartered

16 Mobility | August 2019 Imlach Group as its first strategic partner. With the As an agent partner, Imlach Group will receive start of the program and in collaboration with Atlas the full support and expertise of AWGI to service Van Lines moving agents, AWGI will establish sales international shipments and storage needs for new and customer service centers in strategic markets and existing customers. In addition to its creation of nationwide to strengthen its global mobility offering. an international moving location in the Dallas market, “We’re proud to have served as an Atlas agent AWGI will work alongside Imlach to execute team for more than 65 years,” says Ian Imlach, GMS, vice trainings and coordinate territory marketing, lead president of business development for Imlach Group. generation, and sales support. “Taking this next step with AWGI will help us create “With a new Dallas storefront operated by Imlach, new lines of business in the international relocation we will have a team of skilled experts in international arena while we continue to serve our domestic cus- moving and related relocation services,” says Jim tomers’ moving and storage needs.” Gaw, president and COO of AWGI. M

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 17 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Executive Spotlight

ALTAIR GLOBAL’S STEWART NAMED TO take on a greater operational role and help continue MOVE FOR HUNGER COMMITTEE BridgeStreet’s evolution as growth accelerates.” Elizabeth Stewart, GMS-T, executive vice pres- BridgeStreet Chairman and Versa Capital ident of Altair Global, was appointed to Move CEO Gregory Segall says, “We are confident for Hunger’s Corporate Action Network (CAN) that Kamal’s in-depth knowledge of and close committee for 2019. The CAN team’s primary working relationship with BridgeStreet and its Elizabeth Stewart goal is to support Move for Hunger’s mission to management team enable him to help the com- fight hunger and food waste. pany reach the next stage of its evolution and “We have made some great strides through potential. We are grateful to Sean Worker for his our partnership with Move for Hunger thus far,” efforts and wish him the very best as he moves says Stewart. “With our shared commitment to on to his next challenge.” sustainability and corporate citizenship, it only “I’m proud to have had the opportunity to made sense to do our part at a higher level to work with exceptional colleagues at BridgeStreet help reduce food waste. I’m proud to be a part of to revolutionize extended-stay business travel the Corporate Action Network to do just that.” and look forward to pursuing my next chapter The CAN recently held its first meeting to personally and professionally,” says Worker. discuss Move for Hunger’s goals toward fund- raising, food collection, education, and industry DOUG KETZER JOINS BUDD VAN LINES adoption. Altair Global has dedicated its efforts Doug Ketzer, CRP, GMS, has joined Budd Van Kamal Advani over the past few years to helping Move for Lines as Midwest director of business devel- Hunger’s mission to fight hunger and end food opment. The appointment takes place in the waste, providing 165,000 meals and 200,000 context of Budd’s acquisition of Merchants pounds of food in 2018 through the partnership, Moving & Storage. with hopes of exceeding that total in 2019. Ketzer has more than 20 years in the moving and storage industry, starting as a personal BRIDGESTREET APPOINTS KAMAL ADVANI move/COD move consultant and progressing AS CEO to managing corporate and relocation manage- BridgeStreet’s board of directors has appointed ment companies. He is responsible for national Kamal Advani as chief executive officer, succeed- account sales in the Midwest region. He ing Sean Worker, who is leaving to pursue other currently serves as treasurer for the Wisconsin interests. Advani, a long-standing BridgeStreet Employee Relocation Council (WERC) and, in ® Doug Ketzer board member and a managing director of addition to Worldwide ERC , is also a member BridgeStreet’s controlling shareholder, Versa of the Corporate Relocation Council of Chicago, Capital Management LLC, brings with him an the Minnesota Employee Relocation Council, intimate understanding of the business and and the Northeast Ohio Relocation Roundtable. 30 years of operations and finance experience, leading companies to achieve sustainable and ARMSTRONG CRAVEN APPOINTS LAZARUS profitable growth. HEAD OF AMERICAS “In recent years, BridgeStreet has transitioned Global talent mapping and pipelining special- into a leading platform providing clients with ist Armstrong Craven is continuing its global immediate access to millions of extended-stay expansion with the appointment of Leslie options, all with price transparency and 24/7 Lazarus as its first head of Americas. Lazarus customer support,” says Advani. “I am excited to has an extensive background in executive

Leslie Lazarus

18 Mobility | August 2019

AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

search, including senior roles at firms includ- served on the global expansion team for ing Korn Ferry. parent company Jet Pets, based in Australia. During more than 15 years with leading Phillips spent the last two years as a busi- global and boutique executive search firms, ness development manager for Crown World Lazarus has worked with public and private Mobility, based in California’s Bay Area. companies, as well as private equity, in multiple “We are excited to have Drew join our team industries on senior and C-level placements, as we continue to build on our growing market with a focus on finance, tax, human resources, momentum,” says Mark Burchell, SGMS, chief sales, and operations roles. Her experience commercial officer. “California is an import- encompasses both in-house and consultancy ant market for Sterling Lexicon, and so we are roles in the U.S. and globally. pleased to have someone with Drew’s experience Drew Phillips Her appointment follows the opening of and background to support our customers.” Armstrong Craven’s New York office at the start of this year. Armstrong Craven’s other offices WIGGETMAN IS GLOBAL BUSINESS are in the U.K., Singapore, and Switzerland. DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR KINETIX Rachel Davis, deputy CEO of Armstrong Kinetix Relocation has named Michelle Craven, says, “Leslie brings with her a significant Wiggetman, GMS, as its new director of global amount of experience in executive search and business development. Wiggetman, who joins talent acquisition strategy, as well as an in-depth Kinetix with more than 25 years of experience in knowledge of the U.S. market and an established relocation management services, will be respon- network of contacts across HR and TA.” sible for new business development in the Prior to her move into executive search, Northeast region of the U.S. She will be based at Lazarus held senior roles in retail and sales. Kinetix headquarters in Shelton, Connecticut. Michelle Wiggetman “Michelle is a perfect complement to our STERLING LEXICON HIRES PHILLIPS personal and consultative approach to client AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR, BUSINESS engagements,” says Larry Brouder, CRP, DEVELOPMENT global vice president at Kinetix. “Her exten- Sterling Lexicon has appointed Drew Phillips as a sive knowledge of programs and an insightful regional director of business development. Phillips and caring involvement in the industry for has more than 15 years of experience in the decades has shown her to be an industry mobility industry, including global sales, account leader. Her innovative and global approach management, and business development. He has shown her to be a great fit. We are thrilled will focus on marketing Sterling Lexicon’s global to have her on board.” mobility services and driving continued growth in the key markets in California. RODRIGUEZ, HANGEMANOLE NAMED LONG Beginning in relocation real estate sales in the & FOSTER MANAGERS Yanira Rodriguez Northern California Bay Area in 2002, Phillips was Yanira Rodriguez has been named manager of named to the Top Producer list in 2004. Shortly Long & Foster Real Estate’s Capitol Hill office in thereafter, he received the Pinnacle award for most Washington, D.C. Rodriguez, who brings signifi- units sold in 2006. Phillips then turned his focus to cant career achievements to her new position, is building and managing several successful teams well respected in the local Realtor® community, within the real estate industry. the company says. After his success in real estate, in 2014 he “Supporting today’s real estate sales profes- took a role as national account manager and sionals takes a highly knowledgeable, expe- director of business development for global rienced leader,” says Larry “Boomer” Foster, third-party service provider Pet Express, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “We based in San Francisco. While there, he also are confident that adding Yanira to the Long &

20 Mobility | August 2019 Foster leadership team will result in the synergy be responsible for determining current and that our agents thrive on.” future infrastructure needs, overseeing the Gregory Hangemanole, a real estate profes- design and implementation of IT systems on a sional for more than two decades, has been network level, and monitoring and resolving named sales manager of Long & Foster Real network and service issues. He will also be Estate’s Woodley Park office. Hangemanole tasked with creating strategies and procedures is a member of the Long & Foster Chairman’s to support the functional IT infrastructure. Club and has been a consistent top producer “Derek has been key in the development for the company. and management of our IT systems,” says “I am very excited about the opportunity to Mario Lemme, senior vice president of lead these teams of highly trained real estate information technology. “He is a capable professionals at Long & Foster’s Woodley Park and skilled IT professional, and I am looking Gregory Hangemanole office,” says Hangemanole. forward to watching him excel in his new role within our company.” ARPIN GROUP PROMOTES DEREK LORD Lord joined Arpin Group in August 2002 as Arpin Group has promoted Derek Lord from a desktop technician and has been instrumen- manager of network services to director of tal in the development of several company IT infrastructure and operations. Lord will IT initiatives. M

Derek Lord

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 21 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC ®

Collective Wisdom

LOSS OF WORK AUTHORIZATION JAPAN QUESTIONS An employee wasn’t selected in the Some questions for folks with operations and employees in Japan: H-1B lottery this year and soon ends 1) What information (best practices) do others have regarding her F-1 OPT. We’d like to retain the departure procedures? How do you handle these departures? Do employee and are willing to transfer her you accompany the employee to the ward office and local tax to our Canadian office for a year before office to close out taxes? moving her back on an L-1. Do you 2) We have several employees who are in Japanese apartments offer relocation assistance, a lump-sum that are being leased in the company’s name and paid for directly bonus, and/or a stipend if an employee by the company. We are trying to move away from this situation, is being temporarily assigned to an but this is difficult in Japan due to the need to have guarantors. office in another country due to losing We had heard that if the company continues to lease the property U.S. work authorization? and then subleases the apartment to the employee, there may be a potential tax break to both company and employee. Would anyone who has experienced this be willing to comment on it?

MEXICO CROSS-BORDER EMPLOYEES How do you manage employees who live NONIMMIGRANT STATUS COSTS close to the U.S.-Mexico border and have We cover the costs for nonimmigrant status renewal for frequent travel into Mexico on behalf of the dependent family members. If the nonimmigrant status company? Do you fully tax-equalize them renewal requires travel abroad—usually if our external through your tax provider? immigration counsel recommends it—we would cover the costs of travel for the employee as well as the family. We have been treating these renewal costs as noncompensatory. How do you treat costs related to nonimmigrant status renewal for family? MEA IN INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION The miscellaneous expense allowance (MEA) is offered to international transferees as remuneration for miscellaneous RENTERS INSURANCE expenses that are not covered by expense reimbursement. This For your employees who spend payment is a nonaccountable allowance that is grossed up for extended periods of time in corporate tax liabilities. Does your company pay the MEA based on the housing (EBT/STA, etc.), do you employee’s salary or by a flat rate? provide a renters insurance policy to cover their belongings? If so, do you make recommendations on renters Read the answers or add your own comments insurance companies, or do you to these questions, or post a new one of your provide reimbursement for them to own in the Worldwide ERC® Community’s arrange it themselves? Corporate Benchmarking Forum.

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Young Professionals

Change the rules to get the jewels. Sometimes we overestimate the risk of trying something new. What is your best example of borrowing an idea or giving something new a go?

Having worked on the 2. Scorecards – If you have ever worked in supplier third-party provider side development, you know that scorecards are a key prior to moving into a way to encourage your suppliers to perform at their corporate role, I learned many best. I do monthly scorecards and reviews with both ideas when it came to our relocation management company and our immi- partnering with the supply gration vendor. This is a regular opportunity for us chain to provide the best not only to celebrate wins, but also to develop action experience to our relocating plans through which we identify opportunities within employees and their families. the program. Our program would not be as success- I have always had a hands-on approach with my ful without our suppliers. I value what they bring to vendors and see them as an extension of my team. the table and always want them to feel they are best As a result, we encourage and expect that our positioned to support our customers! vendors will provide the level of service that Ray Kirby, CRP, GMS Nordstrom strives for. Nordstrom Inc. To best position my vendors, there are two ideas that I took with me into my corporate roles to set our Great ideas can be in short suppliers up for success: supply when it comes to 1. Cultural training – You can’t expect a supplier to encouraging new growth in a be an extension of your team if they do not under- department. When I became stand the company and your core values. As part of the sole coordinator at my our new vendor onboarding, I meet with the entire brokerage in 2017, my director supplier team that will be supporting the Nordstrom and I decided to boil down to account and put them through a training program the basics. As a Ninja Selling that is specific to our values, what is important to us, company, we know how and what makes us competitive in the market. important a mindset of gratitude is in a successful

24 Mobility | August 2019 approach to business development. The Ninja Selling our brokerage’s culture of giving and recognize the system is based on the philosophy of building value of the relationships with our partners beyond relationships, listening to the customer, and helping just a thank-you note (also important!) or a small them achieve their goals. It is less about selling and gift. Ultimately our referrals increased, but with more about how to create value for people. that production we are also continuing to assist After attending my first Ninja installation in hundreds of children in our community. M October of that year, we got to the core of what Rebekah Zeitlin made us different and what propelled our agents Parks Relocation to the next level. By acknowledging this gratitude for our referral partners through a donation to our If you’re a professional under 40 who would like to be featured local charity partner, Make a Wish Foundation of on this page in a future issue, please contact Heidi Hume, Middle Tennessee, we were able to tell the story of GMS-T, at [email protected] or +1 703 842 3419.

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 25 WORLDWIDE ERC ® GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS 2019

What Happens If I Rent Out My Old Home Instead of Selling It? By Peter Scott

Employees sometimes elect to rent their homes rather former could be deducted only over time through than sell them while on temporary domestic or interna- depreciation or cost recovery deductions. tional assignment. Depending on the housing market Deductibility of rental property expenses by the and whether the employee will realize enough from the employee may also be subject to the Code Section sale to pay off the mortgage, employees who are perma- 469 limitation on the deductibility of “passive nently relocated also sometimes decide to rent out their activity losses.” Since any rental activity is deemed old home, either waiting for the market to improve or to be a passive activity, if the aggregate annual because they have negative equity or otherwise cannot deductions from all passive activities exceed the afford to sell. The decision to rent, however, should be aggregate income, the resulting loss (created by made with knowledge of the tax implications. the deductions) may be disallowed. An exception If the employer pays fix-up costs so that the is provided for $25,000 of losses from rental real house can be rented, these would be included in the estate activities in which the taxpayer was an active gross income of the employee. Because the costs are participant. This exception phases out, however, not administratively difficult to account for, they for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) would not qualify as de minimis fringes under IRS between $100,000 and $150,000, and it is eliminated Code Section 132, even if the fix-up costs are small if AGI exceeds $150,000. Generally, taxpayers who amounts. The costs would be subject to withholding employ a rental management company will not be and payroll taxes, and includable on the W-2 form. considered “active participants.” The same would be true of property management However, the limitations on deductions imposed services if paid for by the employer. by Section 280(a) in the case of residences that are Ordinarily, subject to the discussion below, the also rented out would not apply, because once the employee would treat the house as a rental property employee departs and converts the residence to a and deduct associated expenses, such as interest, rental property, he or she will not have any personal taxes, maintenance, upkeep, and depreciation. Rental use until the property is reoccupied at the end of the income would be taxable and offset by the expenses. assignment, or is sold. The Section 280(a) limitations However, some companies will pay rental “makeup” generally apply only to property that is both rented payments to the employee for periods when the home out and used by the taxpayer for personal purposes. is not rented. Such payments are not rent, but they are Rental income and expenses are reported on treated as additional wages for tax purposes. Schedule E of the IRS Form 1040 income tax return. Whether the employee would have a deductible A question is sometimes asked as to what effect expense with respect to fix-up expenses depends, in renting out the home has on the capital gains part, on whether those fix-up costs are in the nature homesale exclusion if the employee eventually of a capital expenditure—a new roof, for example—or sells the home. whether they are more of the maintenance, fix-up type The answer is that rental has no immediate effect of thing, which would be a normal repair. Normally, on the availability of the full homesale capital the latter would be deductible immediately, while the gains exclusion. Section 121(a) requires only that

26 Mobility | August 2019 the home has been owned and used as the prin- be entitled to a partial exclusion if the home is even- cipal residence for periods aggregating two years tually sold within the five-year measurement period. during the five years preceding sale. Consequently, Consequently, the bottom line is that employees if an employee owns and uses a home for two who choose to rent out their homes while away years as the principal residence and then decides on assignment or when permanently relocated to to rent it out after a relocation, the employee another city will generally be entitled to rental will still be entitled to the full $250,000 exclusion deductions to offset any rental income, and they ($500,000 married filing jointly) if the home is sold will remain eligible for the capital gains homesale during the first three years of rental. The fact that exclusion if the home is sold within the relevant the home has been turned into a rental property periods. However, the tax rules in this area are is not relevant. See Section 1.121-1(c)(4), Example complex, and it would be wise to seek advice on 1, of the regulations. (However, any depreciation specific situations from a qualified tax adviser. M claimed during the rental period will reduce the excludable capital gain.) Peter Scott is Worldwide ERC® tax counsel and principal Even if the employee has not yet met the two-year of Peter K. Scott Associates. He can be reached at +1 910 ownership and use requirement, the employee may 579 5332 or [email protected].

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 27 MARKET SUMMARY

Milwaukee By Tonya Krebs, CRP

ilwaukee means “gathering place built around public parks, or live in harmony with by the water” in its historical Native the stately lakefront mansions and modest bungalows American language. Milwaukee along the county’s North Shore. No matter where peo- embodies this translation through ple put down their roots, they will find a market that is itsM thriving economy, local attractions and festivals, accessible and affordable. neighborhoods, and cultural offerings, all of which Milwaukee is making a name for itself as a top city to flourish together on the shores of Lake Michigan and live in, thanks to its low cost and high quality of living. at the convergence of three rivers. Milwaukee’s average commute time is among the low- Located in the heart of the Upper Midwest, 90 est in the country, which means it’s possible to live any- minutes north of Chicago, Milwaukee is not only where in the Milwaukee region and still be close to city a city but also a larger gathering region, consisting life, job location, and the 15,000-acre Milwaukee County of five counties—Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, park system. Milwaukee is a diverse and vibrant area, Washington, and Racine. Together they have a com- and its geographical topography reflects that. bined population of 1.75 million, with Milwaukee Between the growing transportation infrastructure being the largest city at an estimated 595,000 people. and the evolving skyline, Milwaukee is a city on the The Milwaukee region offers distinct neighborhoods move. The Fiserv Forum, a new basketball arena and where people of varying tastes and means could entertainment district, is one of many projects fueling find a home. Residents can find a vibrant nightlife of Milwaukee’s ongoing downtown renaissance. “The restaurants, theaters, and sports downtown in a high- Hop,” the city’s newest public transportation route, rise apartment or condo, stroll along the “Greenbelt” connects 80,000 downtown workers, 25,000 down- community of Greendale with its homes designed and town residents, and a large number of annual visitors.

28 Mobility | August 2019 MARKET AT A GLANCE STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT 1 ECONOMIC CLIMATE STRONG TODAY 1 YEAR AGO CHANGE NEW CONSTRUCTION ACTIVE UNEMPLOYMENT2 2.9% 3.0% –3.3% SUPPLY SLOWLY INCREASING MONTHS OF SUPPLY 2.2 2.0 +10.0% DEMAND STRONG YTD SALES 4,725 5,156 –8.4% MARKET DIRECTION UP AVERAGE SALES PRICE $249,250 $238,237 +4.6% MARKET MOOD POSITIVE AVERAGE DOM 47 55 –14.5%

1. Four-County Milwaukee Metropolitan Area YTD through April 2019 vs. 2018. Data provided by Metro MLS. 2. Unemployment figures courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development/U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The city is known as the “beer capital of the world” LOOKING BACK due to its many large and historic breweries, includ- The Milwaukee economy has been growing ever since ing Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, and Blatz, and is also home it turned a corner in mid-2009, restoring jobs, fueling to a local beer scene with dozens of craft breweries. a recovering housing market, and raising the stock Milwaukee has been a leader in the New Urbanism, market to new highs. The Wisconsin housing market which focuses on creating walkable and sustainable is sitting at 3.8 months’ supply as of March 2019, communities. Visitors and residents can explore the which is well below the six-month point that marks hub of restaurants, bars, sports venues, theaters, arts, a balanced market. This limited supply of homes has and entertainment easily on the RiverWalk, while not diminished homebuyers’ desires to buy a home, enjoying the outdoor scene. even with rising home prices. Milwaukee’s melting pot heritage is evident at the The Milwaukee metro area’s housing market lakeshore Henry W. Maier Festival Park during a is benefiting from historical lows for state unem- series of lakefront festivals, including German Fest, ployment rates, sitting at 2.9% in March 2019 while Irish Fest, Indian Summer, Polish Fest, and Festa the nation is at 3.8%. The unemployment rate in Italiana. A “city of festivals,” Milwaukee has street Wisconsin peaked in January 2010 at 9.3% and has festivals and special events year-round, including been trending consistently downward since then. huge events such as Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair in the summer. LOOKING AHEAD Milwaukee has a robust job market, hosting entre- Healthy employment rates bring in buyers. First- preneurs, technology firms, global manufacturers, time buyers are continuing to find homes in the innovative service firms, and strong financial institu- Milwaukee metro area as a desirable community. tions, along with several Fortune 500 companies. The They are finding attainable prices for starter homes area flourishes with more than 47,000 businesses and with an expansive yard and friendly neighborhoods a gross economic product of more than $100 billion within a diverse geographical area. With Milwaukee’s that is a mixture of rock-solid manufacturing icons and thriving market, bustling metropolis on the shores of cutting-edge e-commerce and technology companies. Lake Michigan, and rich history, it truly is a “gather- Along with the ongoing presence of household ing place by the water.” M names such as Harley-Davidson Inc., GE Healthcare, and SC Johnson, Foxconn recently has thrown its Tonya Krebs, CRP, is relocation director for Shorewest, hat into the Milwaukee ring, creating 13,000 jobs in REALTORS®, in southeastern Wisconsin and a member southeastern Wisconsin, which in turn will turn up of the Relocation Directors Council (RDC). She can be the heat in the local housing market. reached at +1 262 289 6154 or [email protected].

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 29 PATHWAYS: MY PERSONAL JOURNEY IN THE TALENT MOBILITY INDUSTRY

Having Faith in the Intent of My Heart By Aakanksha Bhargava, GMS

I was born in Kolkata, India, but my family moved to Back in 2007, when I joined the company, it had 38 Delhi in 1992, and growing up there was a rewarding employees and three offices. Today, we have more experience. It was in Delhi that I embraced indepen- than 500 employees and a presence in 10 locations. dent thinking, made friends, got acquainted with But it took a lot of sweat and effort to take the com- powerful people, met my mentors, and married my pany to this level—it wasn’t easy for me to make childhood friend. I also learned to live, love, weave my mark in the maturing and often male-oriented my dreams, and work toward them. The city is the relocation industry here. I realized that there was a lot reason for the passion I have in everything I do. of potential, but I had little experience. Moreover, no As a child, I was always fascinated with the one took me seriously because of my age. Many calls relocation industry. From the beginning, at my for business didn’t yield satisfying answers. father’s company, PM Relocations (then known as Dealing with employees, partners, and clients was PM Packers), I saw him helping people to move their difficult initially. But strong motivation, hard work, household goods. It was his love, passion, hard work, and conviction made it possible to go against the tide and commitment that led me to join, strengthen, and and survive. I have always believed that surviving in expand the company into what it is today. this industry is just about the strength of our minds Hence, after completing my MBA from SP Jain School and having faith in the intent of our hearts. For me, it of Management in Singapore and Dubai in 2007, I joined was important to lead by example. I didn’t want to sit my father’s company as a manager in international in an air-conditioned cabin and instruct employees. sales. Initially, I was setting up and driving international So I stayed at warehouses till late at night, accompa- sales. Thereafter, I further expanded my responsibilities nied by fellow colleagues. to handle corporate sales, marketing, operations, and I always knew I belonged here and had to make a other verticals of the company, which gave me exposure difference in the ideas people have about our indus- to different departments and helped me learn about try. In India, the general perception of a relocation or my business. This indeed helped me to strengthen my moving company was, and still is to a great extent, core processes and operations and to define the strategy, centered around trucking or laborers with a van. vision, and mission of the company. Soon we had set Ever since I became a part of my father’s relocation up eight offices in Tier 1 cities in India, and some are venture, I have maintained that there is a huge gap underway in Tier 2 cities. to be filled in creating the right image in the mind of

30 Mobility | August 2019 everyone who is relocating or planning to do so in the one I get from my father at the start of every new the future. It is important to make them aware that year. Over all these years, one thing that has always professional moving companies also exist and that remained constant has been to stay honest in what you settling in after moving from one place to another can do every day, whether in your personal or professional be an anxiety-free experience. life. My father never doubted my capabilities. While My goal for the company is to be a single name my mother used to treat me as a daughter, my father in the market in India that customers can call as a groomed me in the same way as he would a son. complete end-to-end relocation service provider. Apart from this, your intent is very important To that end, we are certified as meeting interna- for anything you do. Also, there are no such things tional benchmarking standards as a FIDI-accredited as limitations, other than the ones that the mind company assessed by EY; we are a member of many acknowledges. It is important to have the right reason international associations, including Worldwide to do anything in life. The purpose should be very ERC®; and we have been repeat presenters at clear and should be the right one. Pan American International Moving Association So listen to your heart, follow your passion, and (PAIMA) conventions, an organization of which you’ll see the miracles of life. M I have now been elected to the board. So we see ourselves raising the bar higher in international Aakanksha Bhargava, GMS, is CEO of PM Relocations moving and are partnering with prominent move Pvt. Ltd. in Gurgaon, India. She can be reached at +91 981 management companies globally. 009 7361 or [email protected]. All this success wouldn’t have been possible without my parents and their faith in me. My father, Rajeev How did you get started in the mobility industry? To tell Bhargava, especially, gave me an independent upbring- us your story, contact [email protected] or ing in which I was encouraged to always take my own +1 703 842 3417. decisions. The best piece of career advice for me is

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 31 THE

NUMBERS52ND ANNUAL ATLAS CORPORATE RELOCATION SURVEY This year, 444 corporate relocation professionals completed Atlas Van Lines’ online “Corporate Relocation Survey.” Nearly all respondents (91%) work in human resources and personnel or relocation and mobility service departments, and 47% work for firms that relocate employees internationally. Each respondent has responsibility for relocation and is employed by a company that has either relocated employees during the past two years or plans to relocate employees this year.

RELOCATION VOLUMES AND BUDGETS RELOCATION COSTS NUMBER OF NUMBER OF What approximate percentage BUDGET BUDGET EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES of your relocations were 2017–2018 ANTICIPATED 2017–2018 ANTICIPATED (payment type):

Increase Fully reimbursed 40% significantly 13% 13% 13% 12% Increase Lump sum only 27% somewhat 30% 32% 33% 32% Partially Stay about reimbursed 22% the same 46% 44% 46% 45% Decrease Not reimbursed 11% somewhat 10% 9% 7% 9%

Decrease significantly 1% 2% 1% 2%

Excerpted from the “52nd Annual Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey.” Reprinted with permission.

32 Mobility | August 2019 INTERNATIONAL VOLUME BREXIT Compared to 2018, do you Projected impact of Great Britain’s exit (Brexit) from the European Union on: anticipate the number of employees NUMBER OF RELOCATION your company will relocate RELOCATIONS PERFORMED POLICY CHANGES internationally during 2019 will:* Increase Increase significantly 10% 8% significantly 21% Increase Increase somewhat 16% 16% somewhat 26% Stay about Stay about the the same 37% 41% same 39% Decrease Decrease somewhat 4% 3% somewhat 10% Decrease Decrease significantly 1% 0% significantly 4% Don’t know/ *of companies that relocate unsure 32% 32% internationally

TAX REFORM ECONOMIC OUTLOOK Changes to relocation policy in response to BETTER SAME AS WORSE U.S. tax reform* THAN 2018 IN 2018 THAN 2018 MADE ANTICIPATED 2018 2019 Emerging global market economies 43% 46% 11% Gross-up on taxable Developed global relocation benefits 70% 49% market economies 39% 52% 9% Withhold on taxable 42% 49% relocation benefits U.S. economy 46% 39% 15% Restructure relocation European Union policy/policy tiers 42% 49% trade bloc 28% 53% 18% Streamline relocation processes to reduce 41% 47% costs Excerpted from the “52nd Annual Expand use of Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey.” lump sums 40% 46% Reprinted with permission.

Other 2% 3%

*of companies that made/anticipate changes SmartSmart ContraContra cts cts What are they, and what might they be able to do for you? ContraContra cts cts By M. Diane McCormick

ust when you start to understand the idea of crypto- currency systems such as Bitcoin, along come smart Jcontracts. A world that started with the digitization of money to evade online counterfeiting is now writing business transactions into code. The core functions of mobil- ity, from real estate to shipping, fall into that wheelhouse, making the imminent use of smart contracts for everyday business dealings a distinct possibility. “Now that money’s uncopiable, why can’t assets around us be digitized?” says Rohit Tandon, founder and CEO of Chainworks, a New York–based enterprise blockchain consul- tancy. “In future, all these digital assets are going to streamline connections between digital assets.” Natalia Karayaneva, founder and CEO of Propy, a global firm facilitating real estate purchases via blockchain-based smart contracts, sees the use of blockchain and the smart con- tracts built on it accelerating into “real-life use cases.” “Propy had a real estate transaction in Spain where a smart contract was used as an escrow to facilitate the trans- action,” she says. “We believe that in the coming years we are going to see more use cases like this in different verti- cals, especially real estate.” Blockchain and Smart Contracts 101 prospective tenant. When the tenant pays the rent, the To understand smart contracts, it’s necessary to under- smart contract automatically releases the key code. stand blockchain first. Don’t panic. While the tech- Others cite supply chains, in which smart con- nology whirring away in the background is beyond tracts are gaining traction. A package equipped with comprehension by all but a few Big Bang Theory a tracker crosses a certain GPS location. With proof characters, its name neatly encapsulates the concept. of arrival, the smart contract releases payment from Blockchain is a chain of blocks. Each block is built with recipient to shipper. data entered by players on that chain. When enough “You can make an agreement with somebody, and data is collected to constitute a block, that block gets an it gets etched in stone,” says Hacker. “You can’t go immutable identification number. Then it connects to back on it. You can’t renege on it. You can’t back out the next block, or brick, being created. on it, because it’s in code.” “Every time a new brick is made, the state of the Among several use cases currently in play, smart brick is memorialized,” says Tandon. “The next brick contracts can streamline multiparty agreements, you lay will point to the previous brick.” says Tandon. The data in each block is verified, not by humans, “You’ve created a common record for a common but by all the computers tapped into the network. business process,” he says. “Where’s the business “With every new block, the network looks to logic? That’s what smart contracts are. You encapsu- make sure no one’s trying to manipulate it,” says late the business logic atop the blockchain to execute Andrew Hacker, cybersecurity expert in residence autonomously.” at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Hacker agrees that blockchain can be ideal for and CEO and founder of Thought, an artificial-intel- relocation businesses. ligence blockchain startup. “In a public blockchain, “Say there are six companies—movers, insurance, every other computer that processes it can see real estate, and others,” he says. “If they all agree to what’s in there.” use the platform and format, it can definitely speed At heart, blockchain is “a type of database, but it things up. Anywhere there are many different organi- has some unique qualities,” says Tandon. “It can be zations, putting that contract in digital form cuts out centralized or decentralized. It can be distributed or a lot of paperwork and legal fees.” not. Distribution ensures that all participating compa- nies have a copy of the database.” Launching Smart Contracts Unlike traditional databases distributed among Chainworks gets five to 10 inquiries a week from busi- users, blockchain databases are safe from hacking nesses considering blockchain adoption. It’s a notable and manipulation. increase from recent years, Tandon says. Any business “Blockchain is securing the data using cryptographic conducting transactions with others is already poised hashes, producing a key that can only be replicated by to reap the advantages, he says. Remember when a corresponding key from the owner of that data,” says products and transactions were translated into digital Tandon. “It lends immutability to the database so it value for the websites of the 1990s? That value “is now can’t be altered.” encapsulated in blockchain.” Smart contracts are “an innovation on top of Most businesses dipping their toes into block- blockchain,” allowing execution of agreements chain seek cost reductions and organizational “between party A and party B, as opposed to just efficiency, Tandon adds (while the next question— sending bitcoin back and forth,” says Hacker. It’s a that of monetization—remains largely untapped). usage being made possible by blockchain’s status Making the determination requires scrutiny of as a self-managing ledger. When parties agree to a current business processes, to determine the time transaction, the terms are written as code. As each and cost wasted on the back-and-forth of regular term is fulfilled, the smart contract automatically transactions. A blockchain-based shared ledger triggers the next term. with suppliers creates transparency, and “payments A frequently cited example of smart contracts in become immediate or real-time.” action is well known in the mobility world. It’s an How does a company, small or large, get started apartment rental, transacted between landlord and in blockchain and smart contracts? The answer is:

36 Mobility | August 2019 When parties agree to a transaction, the terms are written as code. As each term is fulfilled, the smart contract automatically triggers the next term.

however they want. The Goliaths of commerce are so user-friendly and easy that some brokers don’t creating their own blockchain universes, such as even realize that there is a complex algorithm that’s Facebook’s $1 billion investment to create its crypto- running in the background.” currency, known as Libra. Typically, a blockchain or smart-contract develop- But smaller businesses have inlets, too, says Hacker. ment team is multidisciplinary, convening blockchain Industry-focused groups can coalesce around block- expertise with industry and legal knowledge. chains of their own. Partnering organizations can “It’s like any large solution-based design project,” sponsor blockchain work groups, exploring techno- says Hacker. “You’re going to need the experts in the logical options and finding suitable solutions—per- right places to tie it all together.” haps joining forces to offer services to members, just Blockchain’s dependence on cryptocurrencies like the health insurance or product discounts that is not considered an obstacle to adopting smart have long been the bread and butter of affinity groups. contracts. While there’s no way—yet—to conduct Just like any software, blockchain technology transactions solely in dollars or other traditional can be open-sourced or proprietary. Today’s currencies, a range of online services offers the abil- dominant open-source blockchain service is ity to exchange U.S. dollars and other currencies Microsoft’s Ethereum, but there are many others. into cryptocurrency. Using such open-source blockchain capabilities, In the mobility sector, smart contracts are suitable businesses can create their own networks that for such transactions as real estate because they outside entities can’t access. allow them “to be more seamless and time-efficient,” “More and more of the larger tech companies says Karayaneva. “For example, Propy streamlines are creating or already have blockchain services,” the closing process for all parties involved—the says Hacker, mentioning Amazon and IBM. “Even buyer, the seller, the agents, the bank, etc. All these a lot of the big banks are starting to release their steps are done on our transaction platform, which own solutions. Like any other technology, it is built on the blockchain. At the end of the transac- starts out with the grassroots, and as it gets more tion, the consumer receives a recorded deed with a mature, the larger corporations start to adopt it blockchain address.” and offer the services.” Plus, she adds, “since everything was recorded on Brokerages using Propy don’t need special capa- the blockchain, there is an additional level of security bilities or software, says Karayaneva. “We made it of homeownership.”

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 37 Blockchain’s dependence on cryptocurrencies is not considered an obstacle to adopting smart contracts.

Challenges Ahead network not only on how to use Propy, but also on As with any new technology, blockchain and smart the advantages of blockchain and how it can help contracts need time to win acceptance and overcome make transactions more secure.” hurdles. Hacker points to the large price swings and volatility of cryptocurrency as a barrier to the uptake Smart Contracts on the Horizon of blockchain technology for financial transactions While blockchain is eliminating centralized owner- and smart contracts. ship of processes and transactions, the biggest chal- “In order to do retail transactions, you need to have lenge Tandon has seen is “bringing humans together stability,” he says. “You can’t have your prices change to agree on the consortiums and build a common every two hours.” blockchain and infrastructure for all the companies “Stablecoins” are knocking down that hurdle by that trade a certain thing.” pegging cryptocurrency values to price-stabilized Blockchain, he notes, “is a team sport, and bringing assets such as the U.S. dollar. In February 2019, the team together is the biggest hurdle.” However, JPMorgan Chase & Co. became the first bank to test he sees hope in such advancements as Chainworks a cryptocurrency. Africa, a partnership between Chainworks and “There’s going to be some kind of merger CompuLynx meant to promote innovation, security, between blockchain technologies that are more and identity management in African economies stable, with institutions backing them that are where blockchain is already taking hold. financial-based and have that reach,” says Hacker. Hacker sees takeup of blockchain and smart con- “Like the big credit card brands—once they start tracts accelerating. adopting cryptocurrency, you’re going to see that “There’s a lot of activity, even more so than last adoption spread like wildfire.” year,” he says. “Overall, it’s a new technology. It’s Perhaps the most problematic barrier to smart-con- a very powerful technology. It definitely has some tract uptake is scalability. Of all the financial trans- room to grow, but I think it is the next generation of action systems available, including credit card technology out there. You can’t use blockchain for networks, Bitcoin is the slowest in transactions per everything. It doesn’t solve all problems, but it is a second, says Hacker. very powerful technology whose acceptance and “If the transaction is within a specific industry and maturity will continue to grow.” M you’re OK with that level of processing, that’s fine,” he says. “Other times, the network is so congested M. Diane McCormick is a writer in Harrisburg, that it takes an hour to get through. That’s an exam- Pennsylvania, and a frequent contributor to Mobility. ple of not scaling the way we want it to.” She can be reached via [email protected]. A recent investment in Propy by SVC, the venture capital arm of the National Association of Realtors®, will help Propy address the biggest Keep the conversations going on this and barrier it sees—education. other topics by participating in our online “This program will allow us to work with real Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ community with your Worldwide ERC® estate influencers and advocates for emerging username and password. technologies,” says Karayaneva. “Our plan is to educate the 1.3 million members within this

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Evaluating lump-sum and managed-care relocation assistance programs

By Kristin White

n an educational session presented at What are other companies offering Worldwide ERC®’s 2019 Americas Mobility for their managed-care or lump-sum Conference, Lori Hassler, CRP, relocation relocation service programs? Iservice integration and strategy adviser, Jacknick: It’s important to understand that in reloca- Boeing; Kari Hatfield, CRP, GMS, account manager, tion, one size does not fit all. From a managed-care Aires; Pam Jacknick, CRP, GMS, vice president, program perspective, our research shows that 23% client development–central region, NEI Global of companies currently have three tiers, and 21% Relocation; and Patricia Ann Pollard, CRP, SGMS, use four. Of those, 54% have tiers that differ by job director, relocation and business development, grade or level, and 43% have tiers distinguished by United Real Estate Group, explored the pros and position or title. Having a defined set of benefits cons of the lump-sum payment and managed-care upfront really helps set expectations, and policy program approaches to employee mobility benefits. tiers offer flexibility while potentially reducing As session moderator, Pollard introduced the exceptions, because you can customize them based presenters and set the stage: Hassler represents a on past needs and data. One other thing to keep corporate talent mobility adviser from the fictitious in mind: If you’re working with any government “ABC Corporation,” a manufacturing firm with agencies, some contracts do not allow for the use of approximately 10,000 employees. The business a lump-sum program. currently has five different locations across the U.S. and is growing exponentially. Each location has Hatfield: We have found that a majority of companies diverse populations, company needs, and reloca- (60%) have at least one lump-sum policy option; some tion business drivers, and the company is exploring have more. About 75% gross up the lump sum to help the suitability of options from the budgeting, cor- offset any tax burden to the employee. About half porate cultural, employee satisfaction, and practical of those (45%) offer a lump-sum payment in lieu of administration perspectives. homefinding support, and to cover all travel and tem- The company is currently anticipating a volume of porary living associated with the move. Of those, 95% between 30 and 50 U.S. domestic moves. It now oper- gross up the lump sum. Some companies with govern- ates with a three-tier, full-service relocation program, ment contracts can allow their use, but there may be and the tiers are based on the seniority level of the limitations on what levels are payable, so it’s important employee: entry, middle management, and executive. to review the specific parameters in each case. Historically, a permanent transfer has been the norm, but the firm’s rapid growth is also providing a greater How do I know whether my policy is need for cross-division training and shorter-term or competitive and what other program rotational assignments. options might be available? ABC Corporation is concerned about increasing Jacknick: The best place to start is in reviewing your relocation costs and recognizes that its business needs current policy. Most companies will do that on an and employee demographics are changing, requiring annual basis, because not only are your own com- alternatives to its current policies and programs. At pany and employee move dynamics changing, but the same time, Hassler is quick to note, their corpo- industry developments and changes are happening in rate culture does not sacrifice service for cost savings, other companies, too. Looking at industry resources, and a favorable reception of any policy changes by competitive analysis, and benchmarks helps you employees is a top priority. While both Aires and explore alternatives and options that you can adapt to NEI Global Relocation offer and advise clients on your current program benefits. Another good idea is both program options, ABC Corporation is looking to to look at your exception history—that data provides Hatfield to tell them about the benefits of the lump- you with your specific company trends and can sum approach, and Jacknick to provide information offer personalized solutions to address unmet needs. on managed-care programs to help them make the Finally, consider your transferee feedback—their best decision for the company and its employees. survey results and comments are a great resource. The following recaps the question-and-answer When employees are openly engaged in the process, session designed to help ABC Corporation fully they’ll share valuable information that can help guide understand the options and make the best choice: the direction of the program.

42 Mobility | August 2019 Hatfield: We find lump-sum programs to be consis- tently well received and easy to administer. Average Some companies amounts can range between $5,000 and $20,000, depending on your employee needs and what will consider a benefits you want to provide. Those amounts can also be matched to the needs and benefits within your current tiered approach. We analyze the tiers to hybrid program, determine the levels and options of support in each one and arrive at budgeted lump-sum amounts to often known as align accordingly. If the costs of certain components of a program’s “lump-sum-plus.” benefits typically consume higher percentages of those amounts, some companies will consider a hybrid program, often known as “lump-sum-plus,” covering the costs of the household goods shipment, is that employees are empowered to spend it as they for example, or the temporary living portion, with a wish, and typically they are not required to com- lump sum provided to address anything else above plete itemized expense reports. Many appreciate the and beyond that. opportunity to be in full control of their move.

If we change our program structure or ABC Corporation is always focused on benefits, how can I be sure my employees budgeting—and knowing what each move are happy with the program? will cost. How do we account for cost-of- Jacknick: This is a valid concern. When making policy living differences, especially with a lump- changes, you want to ensure you have the buy-in sum approach? of the employees and that the policy is viewed as Hatfield: Lump-sum programs are the easiest to a benefit. It’s also important to keep in mind that estimate and administer, from both the client and program changes are not set in stone—they can be relocation management company sides. Together, we flexible and adjustable. We advise ongoing measuring determine the appropriate amounts upfront, based on and gauging, tweaking or adjusting as needed, or your volume of activity. They are flexible enough so even returning to the former program if necessary. that we can include a cost-of-living-adjusted amount You can also go beyond employee surveys with a along with the base lump sum, too, to facilitate moves deeper-dive approach, establishing focus groups with to higher-cost areas. The amount is determined based employees who have moved in the past, and asking on the needs and locations of the employees. for specific information on what they liked and what they would like to see changed or enhanced. You can Could the payment for a cost-of-living tap into your service partners for feedback, too. Your adjustment be stretched out over time, relocation management company can help facilitate or does it have to be paid all at once? focus groups. Many employees may feel more willing Hatfield: It could be phased in, according to the bud- to honestly share feedback with a third party than get and the company’s need. within their own company. When we manage these initiatives, we provide the feedback in general, anon- Jacknick: Each employee’s situation is unique, ymous terms, so the information remains confidential depending on their demographics and family and not tied to a specific employee. situations. Relocation management companies can help with cost estimates upfront, based on a Hatfield: Cash is king—everybody loves cash. One of few criteria and policy tiers, and they can also be the benefits of a lump sum is that many employees done at the candidate level. We look carefully at look for ways to be thrifty with it, based on their the data—comparing estimated and actual costs. needs, location, and benefits. There is a good chance Some clients like to use the accrual approach— they may not use the full amount and might be able which gives you the delta between estimates and to keep the difference. Another perk of the lump sum actuals and how much has been paid to date on a

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 43 fiscal- or calendar-year basis. As you look at what from a managed-care and counseling perspective, your increases or savings in costs are, you can see and take care of your employees and their unique them in the managed-care approach in each of the needs, the greater the benefit we’re delivering. The individual benefits and business lines, as opposed technology is certainly there to support and provide to just one lump sum. extra resources, but it does not completely replace that personal level of service. We offer digital tools What about nontraditional relocations, as supplements, but we also want to make sure that such as cross-training, short-term, or individuals are there to address special needs and rotational assignments? answer questions expediently. Hatfield: In reference to the lump sum, it’s flexible enough to accommodate one individual, or a group WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE? move, or even individual approaches within a Hassler acknowledged that it’s certainly not easy group move. We work with you to determine which to select just one approach or company for all asso- sums are appropriate for which benefits/tiers and ciates, business units, or types of moves. Typically, employee needs and go from there. the relocation package is considered part of a compensation package, carefully reviewed by the Jacknick: Alternative programs need special coordi- senior leadership teams at the employing organiza- nation. Managed care works well for these types of tion. Thoughtful and organizationwide review—as assignments, because the employee’s time is com- far as what the company is trying to achieve, what pressed, and the additional support allows them to the strategic objectives of the moves are, what the be focused solely on the business needs, and not on impact is to the employees, and what the overall things like finding accommodation or other details financial implications are—is an essential part of during that abbreviated time. Managed-care pro- the decision-making process. grams can be customized based on the specific needs of each assignment type. AND THE DECISION IS? … After meeting with Hatfield and Jacknick, and giving Will a change in my program affect careful consideration to their current policy, excep- the amount of time that I’m involved tion data, industry resources, and options, the “ABC in administration, and are there any Corporation” has decided to use: technology tools that can help with each • a lump-sum program for entry-level and rotational program and managing the costs? assignments; Hatfield: Once the dollar amounts are established, it • a lump-sum-plus approach for management; and is so easy to implement and run with the lump-sum • a managed-care program for site leaders and approach. Another advantage is that several reloca- executives. tion management companies have online self-service To access the full presentation of this session, tools to help employees manage and spend the including an audio recording, slides, and post-session money. They can enter the costs as they incur them, audience Q&A, please see the Past Event Resources at to see how much they are spending against the total worldwideerc.org/events. M amount, and make sure they are not overspending. It also enables the employee to use the relocation Kristin White is senior manager, content, at Worldwide management company’s resources for their partners ERC®. She can be reached at +1 703 842 3462 or if they wish, giving them access not only to vetted [email protected]. providers, but possibly also to better-negotiated, volume-discounted rates that can help employees get more “bang for their buck.” Keep the conversations going on this and other topics by participating in our online Jacknick: A central tenet of a managed-care perspec- Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ tive is that the client’s and their employees’ time community with your Worldwide ERC® is precious and that you both have a lot of other username and password. things on your plates. The more a company can help

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Traits that make our industry a compelling choice for TheNext younger professionals Generation of Mobility By Morgan E. WiedmannLeaders obility—it’s not something business needs, and incorporating insight into where you can study in school employees are relocating to and from. or receive your bachelor’s “I am excited to be a part of this industry eight degree in, so how are our months in,” Green says. “I have a lot to learn, but I younger generations discovering this industry? am eager to see where this goes—especially with my MI found mobility more than a year ago when I age group leading the industry as we get older—and began my career with Weichert Workforce Mobility seeing how it will change.” in their marketing department. Curious to know As our generation gains experience and progresses more about others’ stories, I decided to find out into managerial positions, some of us are relocating to from those working in the heart of the industry—the enhance our careers. counselors and HR practitioners—what led them to For example, Jaime Calero, GMS, 29, recently their careers in mobility. I focused on millennials, as relocated from Weichert Workforce Mobility’s I am one myself. With those born in the 1980s and LATAM office to the company’s New Jersey head- ’90s moving up their career ladders and reaching quarters. He joined Weichert straight from college midlevel and higher positions in the field, I wanted almost eight years ago with a background in inter- to learn more about what drives the next generation national studies, world politics, and diplomacy. of industry influencers. He worked his way to becoming one of Weichert’s So, where did we all come from? What back- senior international workforce mobility counselors. grounds led us here? What search words on LinkedIn He enjoyed working with LATAM countries, prac- and Indeed caused us to gravitate toward mobility? ticing his Spanish skills, and understanding their And how are our skills changing this industry? culture and relocation process. I interviewed colleagues and those working for A “Millennials at Work” report by PwC notes that companies with relocation programs, ranging from 71% of the members of this generation expect and want 23 to 35 years old, to see what the lives of millennials an overseas assignment during their career. Many of working in mobility are like. us have reached a point in our professional lives where we are ready to take on new challenges and grow our Becoming Mobile expertise and skills. Becoming mobile gives us the There is no shortage of statistics about our generation opportunity to do so in the same company, but in a and how we like to work, and I can relate to those different field or even a different location. findings about 90% of the time. Not surprisingly, I Calero talked daily to transferees who were relocat- found others who feel the same way, especially as ing to different cities and countries to gain expertise, those data points and traits align with talent mobility. and now he is doing the same as an international move Some are joining the industry right out of college; management coordinator with Weichert’s household others are coming to mobility with backgrounds in goods team. “I am very excited to move. I like the fact teaching, interests in real estate, or personal experi- that I can work anywhere in the industry, and there will ences with moving. always be a mobility position available,” Calero says. Rachel Green, 23, human resources associate for Moderna, is new to the mobility industry; she No Idea the Industry Existed started out as an intern in HR and was hired full Eve Espindola, GMS, 35, global mobility specialist time in May 2018 to administer the company’s with ASICS America Corporation, has moved several growing mobility program. times, starting in Brazil and transferring to many Green found this to be a great opportunity not states throughout the U.S. (She was on a short-term only to enhance her career but also to manage an assignment from California to Boston when she expanding relocation department in which she can commented for this article.) Three years ago, as she fully devote time and thought to policy design was finishing her MBA at California State University, and administration. Long Beach, Espindola saw ASICS’ booth at a gradu- On any given day, she’s answering questions, ate job fair and discovered the mobility industry. working with mobile talent, revisiting policies to ensure “Like everybody else, I had no idea that this that they are up to date with current best practices and industry existed,” Espindola says. “I was fascinated

48 Mobility | August 2019 “I like the fact that I can work anywhere in the industry, and there will always be a mobility position available.” — Jaime Calero, 29

by it, because even though I had never heard of it Part of a Big Transformation before, I was born and raised in Brazil, went through Millennials tend to have an “always something new” the immigration process myself, and moved a ton mentality and outlook. Most of us don’t want jobs around the U.S. So I was used to every aspect and with routine daily tasks that don’t involve change area of mobility, and I understood exactly what it or challenges. And that is one thing Bowlby enjoys meant. I just had no idea that I could actually work in about our industry. a field dedicated to it and understand what people go “It’s something different every day,” Bowlby through when they are on assignment.” Now she is says. “In my role I manage suppliers who deliver moving people around the world. services ranging from your traditional destination “Even if we are at our desks, we are all over services to language training, and each has unique the world—we aren’t really ever dealing with one challenges that come with it. There can be issues, single issue,” she says. “I like that, and that I get to as with anything, and I enjoy the challenge and interact with people from all over the world for so feeling at the end of the day that I did work on this many different reasons.” for a long time and then saw the impact not only The biggest commonality among the people I on our team but on each transferee.” interviewed for this article is that most of us were The global aspect also sparked the interest of not aware of the mobility industry before we Karina Alvarez, 31, international workforce mobility entered it. Of course, we had heard stories from counselor in Weichert’s Miami LATAM office. Two family and friends of people moving to accept new years ago, Alvarez joined Weichert with a back- positions, but most of us did not realize it formed ground in real estate and experience as a flight atten- the basis of an entire industry. dant. Although these backgrounds are very different, “Like most people, I just kind of fell into this she experienced going from one place to the next and when I had first applied for the job,” says Adam talked to real estate brokers in the mobility industry, Bowlby, 29, team leader, supply chain integration, which sparked her interest in learning more. in Weichert’s New Jersey headquarters. “I didn’t Like many of this article’s subjects, Alvarez even really know the industry existed. I have a enjoys the daily human interaction of mobility: “We background from a university in history and geog- are part of such a big transformation,” she says. raphy, so the global aspect piqued my interest.” “You don’t move to a new country and change

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 49 your life every day, so for us, orchestrating such an details of Brexit. Each day is different, and the work important change is very rewarding.” we do is important and rewarding. After all, we are We are part of a generation that constantly checks working with people and their families on one of the how many likes our Instagram post got or how many biggest journeys in their lives. retweets we had. We enjoy being recognized, which Burns, who joined global mobility 19 months ago, may be another reason why many of us are drawn shares that “compliance is the main focus of and rea- to this profession: In the life of a workforce mobility son for my job.” She helps get people into and out of counselor, we do not go unnoticed. their work country in compliance with immigration, Max Goldman, 23, a Weichert renter workforce tax, household goods shipping, and compensation mobility counselor, finds his career gratifying when rules and regulations for expats. at the end of the day he knows his transferees are When our family members or friends ask what happy. “Not only did I make their company happy our industry is, most of us will share a scenario by following policy and saving them as much money involving moving a family from one country to as possible, but I also moved a family, and there’s another. We say this entails helping them sell their that personal connection that you develop with the current house and buy a new one, managing their transferees,” says Goldman. household goods shipment, ensuring compliance Goldman joined Weichert a year ago with a degree with all applicable regulations, helping them in urban planning, previous work experience at an understand the tax implications of the move, and architectural firm, and an interest in real estate. Self- arranging for cultural training and school selection research—something millennials are good at—led assistance. That’s when people tell us, “Oh, I know him to the mobility industry. “When I learned about someone who moved that way.” relocation, it combined all of my abstract interests Weichert relocation coordinator Ashleigh into one fun expression,” he says. Manna, 25, describes our industry with a “giant Goldman and I are the only millennials in our tree” metaphor: If someone is to relocate, there office, but we embrace that and bring a fresh perspec- are many branches, and relocation counselors are tive. “It’s really an exciting time to be in the relocation the trunk of the tree. They are the main person industry,” he says. “There have been a lot of changes who is connecting that transferee to various local recently, and it will be interesting to watch what the resources. This is where Manna’s role comes in. future holds. I am very optimistic.” She connects transferees to their agent, helps them The observation that my generation has a passion find a new community that is a good fit for them, for traveling and exploring new cultures rings true. In sets up their intro emails, receives leases and the mobility field, we experience this daily, interact- contracts, and updates systems to make sure their ing with people from Los Angeles to Hong Kong and relocation comes to fruition. “My job is to help everywhere in between. people daily,” says Manna. This is one of the aspects of our industry that Manna came to mobility in June 2018 after Hayden Burns, 34, manager, global mobility, for beginning a career in teaching and realizing it Frank’s International, enjoys most. wasn’t for her. Her grandmother, who works in “I enjoy learning how countries and locations are so Weichert’s Referral Department, introduced her to different in every region in our business,” says Burns. the company. “It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach.” “Mobility is a cool sector in which you get to communicate with completely new people every Each Day Is Different single day,” says Manna. “I think it is a really good fit Do typical days exist for young professionals in for me, being able to connect and use my skills that I this industry? took from teaching and working in restaurants over Many participants interviewed for this article the years, and putting everything together.” responded that it’s impossible to simply keep working through a list of daily tasks. We are moving at a fast Digital Natives pace, adapting to constant changes around our indus- Whether your role is in workforce mobility coun- try, such as U.S. tax reform and the ever-changing seling, HR, supply chain, or any other position

50 Mobility | August 2019 within mobility, together we are all managing dif- professionally, it is an exciting time to see how our ferent areas of the relocation process, juggling large own journeys unfold and how we are influencing workloads, keeping up with the latest trends in the and shaping the mobility industry. M industry, and wearing many hats. With artificial intelligence (AI) changing our world Morgan E. Wiedmann is a content specialist with Weichert daily, our tech-savvy skills as digital natives can Workforce Mobility. She can be contacted at +1 781 982 give us an advantage. We are comfortable trying and 5006 or [email protected]. learning new tools quickly to help us better manage our responsibilities and find ways to automate some tasks to free up time to focus on others. Keep the conversations going on this and We learned the ins and outs of a variety of technolo- other topics by participating in our online gies in college, which helps us with keeping thorough Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ community with your Worldwide ERC® records about our transferees’ relocation journeys and username and password. tracking and reporting on relocation costs. We live in a Google world, where we can instantly find answers to almost anything and reach out to people anywhere in the world. We are communicating with people in many time zones and commu- nicating through apps such as WhatsApp and FaceTime. Manna recommends these communication apps to her internationally mobile employees and explains, “This technology helps them feel like they’re actually here, even though they’re not.” Having such skills enables Green to help transferees decrease the number of homes they have to visit during their homefinding trips by helping them explore more of them online. “I like being able to help people,” she says. “These people are picking up their lives and moving, which is scary, emotional, and a big life change. I like being able to speak with them through that process, that decision-making, and be a guide along the way.” All the individuals featured in this article came from different backgrounds, and have different skills, experiences, and degrees. The one thing we all have in common is our love and passion for the mobility industry. As we continue to grow personally and

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 51 Nobody really seems to like employee performance reviews, but it’s also clear they’re not going to completely disappear anytime soon. That said, the nature of the performance review does appear to be changing.

Formal performance reviews are undergoing something of a transformation, according to a 2018 WorldatWork survey. According to the survey, 91% of employers did reviews in 2017, compared with 94% in 2016. Also, 85% included performance ratings in 2017, compared with 80% the previous year. It also showed that 50% of the companies conducted at least four informal reviews in 2017, compared with 42% in 2016. And 16% of companies, mostly large ones, said they used crowdsourcing feedback as part of the review process in 2017. Source: worldatwork.org

As part of the performance evaluation process, some companies have what they call a “calibration” or “talent review” meeting, at which leaders provide a rationale for an employee’s rating. Studies done by the VMware Women’s Leadership Lab showed that the majority of criticisms of women’s personalities were about them being too aggressive. In contrast, the majority of criticisms aimed at men were that they were too soft. Source: hbr.org

The U.S. government has long been trying to get a handle on how to fairly and systematically evaluate the performance of its employees. In 1883, the Pendleton Act, also called the Civil Service Act, tried to establish a merit system to put an end to favoritism. It required promotions on the basis of merit competition but failed to install a centralized appraisal system. Source: humtech.com

A study by Wakefield Research shows that more than 90% of employees would like their managers to address mistakes and learning opportunities in real time. An evaluation system called “check-ins” tries to do that by abandoning a yearly review in favor of having managers and employees get together 12 times a year for informal, undocumented talks about performance. Source: forbes.com

Experts say that Western firms err when they try to impose an American or European style of performance appraisal on employees based in other countries. Researchers have found differences in how employees react to feedback even between similar cultures or within individual countries. Source: semanticscholar.org

52 Mobility | August 2019 Mobility Matters Interesting, challenging, and surprising stats and finds around the globe

By Jon Ferguson

A poll of British employees conducted by a human resources firm based in England shows that the annual performance review has largely fallen out of favor. Thirty-nine percent of those polled called them “pointless.” The same percentage termed them “time-consuming,” and 29% deemed them “stressful.” On the other hand, 26% found them “useful,” 24% said they were “supportive,” and 15% described them as “engaging.” Source: consultancy.uk

A relatively new wrinkle in the performance evaluation process that is gaining popularity is the “360 review.” This kind of review is more of a group effort in which feedback about a worker generally comes from the employee’s manager, several peer employees, and other managers with whom the employee works on a regular basis. The objective is to give employees the opportunity to understand how their work is viewed by the entire organization. Source: thebalancecareers.com

What many consider the toughest form of the annual review was instituted by General Electric’s Jack Welch, who was the company’s CEO from 1981 to 2001. Welch championed a rigid evaluation system formally known as the “vitality curve” but frequently called “rank and yank.” The system depended on the employees being judged against each other and ranked. The 10% of employees at the bottom of those rankings were then fired. Source: qz.com

Nobody has devised a universal approach to measuring the performance of an employee working in a foreign country on an international assignment because of variables related to the job, country, and culture. Because of this, it is paramount that employers early on in the assignment identify and communicate expectations and performance indicators. Equally important is establishing the criteria for and timing of performance reviews. Source: shrm.org

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 53

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND RELOCATION

Getting beyond ‘everybody does it’ By Geoff Williams

or better or worse, we live and work on our phones—and if not that, maybe an iPad or a personal computer. Which is why it won’t be news to you to read that it’s a good idea for relocation professionals to use social media. You’ve heard for years from your colleagues, business experts, and trade publications that it makes good business sense to be on social media. Heck, you’ve probably read that it’s a good idea to be on social media from some article you’ve found on social media. But just because you’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, or numer- ous other social media platforms and using them doesn’t necessarily mean you’re using them well—or can’t improve what you’re doing. After all, social media is constantly evolving. So if you’re looking for ways to expand your pres- ence online and continue developing your skills on social media, you might want to focus on the following. 1. You need to know why you’re on Well, possibly. Plenty of potential clients of yours social media. are going to YouTube. In fact, according to YouTube, If you can answer that question, figuring out how to 1.8 billion users visit the site every month—and those manage social media gets easier. are the people who are logged in. It doesn’t count After all, are you there to advertise your services? people who just drop by occasionally. To communicate with potential clients? To look like Granted, at the time of this writing, Graebel you’re relevant—because everybody’s on social Relocation’s YouTube channel had around 150 sub- media these days? Do you want a viable presence so scribers and 2,000 views. It’s easy to think that if your you can counter any negative reviews that you see videos don’t have hundreds of thousands of views posted? Are you trying to bring in more customers? and your content isn’t going viral, why bother? But Or maybe trying to strengthen your brand? if you check out a channel such as Graebel’s, you can It’s probably some or all of those reasons. Still, it start to see that they’re building a library of content helps to know what your mission is, experts say, so that can give potential clients and employees a good that you aren’t just posting the occasional comment sense of who they are. There are videos showing on Facebook and passively engaging on social media. Graebel employees talking about relocation and In fact, if you’re going to be effective, you can’t be how they aspire to have a people-first culture. There passive. You need to have an active presence, says are also people discussing their involvement with Joey Ham, who is based out of Denver and vice charities and how they hire and what it’s like to work president, global marketing and communications, at at Graebel. Graebel Companies Inc. It may not be the type of content that goes viral, “By active, it needs to be more than simply having like that rat dragging a slice of pizza somewhere an account,” Ham says. “In order to provide real on the steps of the New York City subway (any- value, [you need to] ensure you’re being responsive one remember that?), but you have to think that to comments and questions in a timely manner as if a potential client or an employee interviewing well as offering content that’s most meaningful to for a job goes to YouTube to learn about Graebel, your followers.” they’re going to like what they see, even if there Ham says Graebel is on LinkedIn, Facebook, aren’t 10,000 people seeing it yet. And by posi- Twitter, and YouTube. tioning themselves on YouTube, Graebel is making He suggests testing and analyzing the information it easier on themselves in the future to continue you’re putting out there, so you can weed out what having a robust presence as more and more people works and what doesn’t—and to help you decide presumably become as comfortable looking for what posts, videos, blogs, and other content you’ll be information on a company on YouTube as they do producing in the future. on LinkedIn, for example. After all, the upcoming Testing and continually improving what you’re put- clients and employees who are part of Generation ting on social media, Ham says, “also shows that you’re Z have grown up with YouTube, often preferring a company that cares and listens to customers and is it over, say, watching conventional TV channels. transparent—and your actions and content can fit with YouTube isn’t going anywhere. your company’s values and business practices.” That’s why some relocation companies also appear But again, this comes back to understanding on Instagram and Pinterest. You hang out where your why you’re on social media. For instance, posting customers and clients do. videos on YouTube may sound ridiculous to some of you. YouTube is, after all, well known for its cat 2. Create good social media habits. videos, music videos, and as a place where you can This is extremely important if you really want to get lost watching videos of just about anything. master social media. After all, becoming good at In other words, it’s a place where people go to be social media is like mastering any skill, from time entertained. Do they really want to see your videos management to organizing your desk or deliver- about your company? ing a speech. You need to follow a series of good

56 Mobility | August 2019 habits or best practices if you really want to up asset or biggest liability,” Johnson says. “With your game. technology at our fingertips and the wealth of Mary Beth Johnson, vice president of corporate information it provides, consumers are harness- marketing at Avail Move Management, a subsidiary ing the power of online feedback more than ever of Atlas Van Lines, suggests adopting the following in this day and age. This trend makes it vital to social media best practices: address online feedback effectively.” • Create contagious and engaging content. “Provide relevant information that pertains to not only 3. How you respond to online negative your agency, but the industry as whole,” Johnson reviews matters. says. “It is important to refrain from posts “Because negative reviews are inevitable, especially serving only as a commercial for your business. in the moving industry,” Johnson says, you’ll want to Sharing helpful tips and tricks or newsworthy make sure you follow five steps in replying: items will go a long way in creating goodwill 1. Respond within 24 hours. and interest with your followers.” 2. Show appreciation for the criticism, since that • Include visual elements. “Do not underestimate shows you’re listening and want to improve. the power of visual elements with your content. 3. Address the specific issues mentioned. Visual media provides visitors a representation 4. Validate the complainer’s concerns. of what moving day might be like and who 5. Provide contact information so the customer can might be in their home moving precious items,” get back to you and work things out. Johnson says. “Research also shows that includ- In other words, you want to handle the online ing a supporting graphic or video will grab negative reviews pretty much in the way you attention and drive engagement more than a post would if you were getting an earful over the phone with just a standard call to action.” or face to face. • Post regularly. “We recommend posting between three and five times a week,” Johnson says. “This 4. Don’t be a business on social media. number may be higher during the summer, when Be a business person on social media. peak season occurs, but we strongly encourage Yes, you’re representing your company when you falling in this spectrum year-round. A content post comments on social media. So, no, you don’t calendar is a wonderful tool to keep your posts want to start ranting about what’s right or wrong organized and on schedule.” about politics in Washington. And you want to stay • Include customer testimonials. Johnson is fine with away from most controversial topics, though for the the idea of sometimes sounding a little like an record, that dress that got everyone talking on the advertisement—especially if you’ve received internet a few years ago was black and blue, and not high praise from clients. “Have a customer with white and gold. a great experience? Or even a specialized move But, seriously, be a person. “Show personality that was done with the utmost care? Ask the without compromising professionalism,” advises customer to leave a recommendation on your Hilary Sauls, the customer experience and marketing Facebook page or other social media platform,” director for Armstrong Relocation & Companies in Johnson advises. “Customer feedback is key Memphis, Tennessee. and can ultimately be the deciding factor for She has seen relocation specialists—and other whether or not someone will choose a business. professionals as well—miss the mark a few times. Showcasing positive experiences provides val- “Far too often the informal nature of social platforms idation and proof that they can trust your com- seems to squeeze grammatical correctness out of pany and you will deliver on what you promise.” comments and messages and throw it to the way- • Respond to online reviews. Respond to even the side,” Sauls says. negative ones—and maybe especially the nega- She adds that she cringes to think of how that can tive ones. “Online reviews can be your strongest affect a potential customer’s impression of a brand.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 57 5. Make sure that social media isn’t took a photo that happened to have a woman in it— confusing your clients—and you. at a public beach in Abu Dhabi. That alone may have Another reason you need to be active on social media been all right, but the Bulgarian woman posted the is that once you engage, you might have clients reach photo on social media without the woman’s consent. out to you on a number of issues—and you could And the Bulgarian expat wound up in court and really frustrate them if you aren’t paying attention. was fined 150,000 dirhams. Fortunately, the expat For instance, Max Robinson, office manager at appealed and won her case. Guardian Removals in Edinburgh, Scotland, says that That’s the thing about social media. It isn’t all that many customers try to book jobs through platforms different from being social in person. When things go such as Facebook and Twitter. well, being social connects us all and makes our jobs “We’ve noticed that some smaller removals compa- and lives better, and the lives and jobs of our clients nies will actively encourage this from their customers, better. When things go off the rails, well, things and while it might suit them, it completely messes can really go wrong. For instance, earlier this year, with our processes and typically leads to what we Times of Oman reported that an expat (it didn’t say believe to be a less efficient sales process,” he says. from where) left the country—and then posted some That’s why Robinson recommends companies “immoral” photos and video of a female citizen of direct trafficfrom their social media platforms to their Oman. The citizen was arrested. At the time of this website, so that they can book from there. writing, her fate was still unclear. “This is much easier for us to manage than the typ- ically short and vague requests we receive through Finding Common Ground social media messages and will result in less time The bottom line is that many of the same behavioral wasted for your team,” he says. norms and guidelines that apply to us in person also Sauls echoes that sentiment. She says transferees apply to our social media use. We wouldn’t imme- and assignees will sometimes message them through diately try to sell our services or products to a total Facebook with questions or issues instead of emailing stranger we just met at a cocktail party, but we’d and calling. “This has required us to adapt our cus- instead engage in polite, respectful conversation tomer service and sales processes to an omnichannel to get to know something about them, and share approach,” Sauls says. something of interest about ourselves, in the hope of In other words, if you’re going to be everywhere finding some common ground. on social media, be everywhere. When people say We don’t monopolize the conversation; we also something to you on social media, make sure those take time to listen to what the other person has to say. stray comments, whether positive or negative or And if we find they have an interest in or need for somewhere in between, aren’t being missed. something we know well, then we offer some valu- able information or resources that can help them and 6. Educate transferees about social perhaps lead to a more lasting connection. Perhaps media. the best advice of all is to focus more on the “social” While you may still be continually learning how to and less on the “media” side of the term. M use social media more effectively, keep in mind that your client’s employees may need some help, too. Geoff Williams is an Ohio-based freelance writer with And helping them will only help an assignment go expat experience. He can be contacted via mobility@ more smoothly. theYGSgroup.com. For example, expats often need to be reminded that while social media has connected parts of the world more than ever, not every country has the same laws Keep the conversations going on this and governing freedom of speech. An expat’s innocent other topics by participating in our online mistake can get them into trouble—or put somebody Community. Sign in at worldwideerc.org/ else in peril. community with your Worldwide ERC® Last year, for example, an expat woman from username and password. Bulgaria who organizes beach cleanup campaigns

58 Mobility | August 2019 Boston, MA 16-18 October GLOBAL WORKFORCE SYMPOSIUM 2019

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DESTINATION PROFILE: STOCKHOLM

The capital of Scandinavia By M. Diane McCormick

tockholm, the capital of Sweden, can honestly lay claim to its nickname, “the capital of Scandinavia.” Innovation reigns. Research thrives. Investment flourishes. A building boom underway is giving a jolt to the construction and green products indus- tries. A centuries-old built infrastructure supports a vibrant logistics sector. That same infrastructure now extends to the sophisticated technology that startups need, giving StockholmS one of the world’s fastest-growing tech scenes. Finally, Stockholm is the Nordic world’s leading fintech center, crafted through innovation, global reach, and world-class talent. This metropolitan area of 1.5 million people, in a nation of only 10 million, occupies 14 islands in a lake that flows to the Baltic Sea. The Kingdom of Sweden has a blended economic system, mixing capitalism with hefty welfare components. The land of universal health care, extensive maternity and paternity leave, and subsidized child care met headwinds in the 1990s and in the economic downturn of the 2000s, but fiscal discipline has helped reintroduce balance. Sweden has belonged to the European Union since 1995, but Swedish citizens rejected euro participation in a 2003 referendum. Sweden’s well-educated labor force, excellent infrastructure, and political stability attract U.S. and international companies seeking a Nordic beachhead, making Stockholm the home of Fortune 500 com- panies, telecommunications giant Ericsson, and clothing retailer H&M. Stockholm is also home to construction behemoth Skanska, appliances stalwart Electrolux, music streaming service Spotify, and energy sup- plier Vattenfall, listed among the top 20 greenest utilities in the world. The World Bank ranks Sweden 12th in the world in its 2019 “Ease of Doing Business” survey, with high marks for starting a business, getting electricity, trading across borders, and enforcing contracts, although obtaining credit can be a challenge. Fiercely free-trade, Sweden is considered to have one of the world’s most internationally integrated economies. Much of the economy is built on exports—of autos and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, and packaged medica- tions—and the government has been diversifying its export base from a heavy reliance on the European market to seek growth in Asia, South America, and the U.S.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 61 DESTINATION PROFILE: STOCKHOLM

Doing Business in Sweden

The Swedish people have mastered the art of work- outside of work. The opinions of everyone involved life balance, and expats reap the benefits. Many carry weight, compromise is expected, and top enjoy about five weeks of vacation a year, plus executives are approachable by workers at all levels frequent national holidays. However, this can also of a company. Beliefs known as lagom and the Law mean that expats accustomed to fast-paced business of Jante encourage all Swedes to strike a balance climates must learn to temper their expectations. between too little and too much. Punctuality is Finding a person to move a deal forward takes highly valued, in business and leisure, and late patience, especially in July and August, as well as arrivals are considered rude. December and January. Expats might be surprised to discover that busi- The people of Stockholm are known for their nesswear is so informal that bluejeans are often the reserve—a shyness and respect for personal bound- norm. Those who own a pair of Converse All-Stars aries that can be mistaken for rudeness. Expats who should pack them, because they’ll fit right in. In fact, want to make inroads, in business or socially, should those who don’t own a pair should consider buying appear open and friendly but not loud or opinion- one before leaving, because those $50 shoes in the ated. Getting involved in social, business, and sports States can cost twice that in Sweden. clubs helps break the ice. Swedish is the official language, although English The Swedish reserve carries over into business is widely spoken. Locals appreciate expats who settings, which are formal in atmosphere but also make the effort to learn, which can be done for free egalitarian. Small talk is rare, as is socializing through a local Swedish for Immigrants course.

62 Mobility | August 2019 Immigration and Permits U.S. citizens planning to live in Sweden for more Sweden and the EU/EEA for at least 10 days before- than 90 days do not need visas, but they must hand. Employers initiate the work permit application obtain residence permits before entering. They through the Swedish Migration Agency. From there, can apply in person or by mail to the Swedish applicants should keep an eye on their email, watching Embassy in Washington, D.C., or at any Swedish for the agency’s invitation to apply for a work permit. consulate except the Consulate General in New The applicant submits passport information and, for York and its district offices in Boston; Jamestown, family members, such documentation as marriage New York; and Philadelphia. certificates or documents proving cohabitation, as well When it’s time for the residence permit interview, as birth certificates for children. expat hopefuls should plan to travel to Washington, Employers must verify that they provide health, because as of 1 January 2019, all residence permit life, occupational injury, and occupational pension interviews are conducted only in the D.C. embassy. insurance, valid from the first day of employment. In addition to standard application forms for the Spouses of expats with work permits exceeding six expat and family members, bank statements, and months in duration can get their own work permits. identification, the process requires a confirmation On arrival in Sweden, expats should arrange with letter from the insurance company affirming that the the Swedish Migration Agency to have fingerprints applicant has €30,000 (about US$34,000) in interna- and a photo taken for the residence permit card. tional insurance covering any emergency medical They should also obtain a personal identity number, expenses, emergency hospital treatment, and repa- the personnummer, from the Swedish Population triation for medical reasons. Register in order to qualify for health care, social Expats also require a work permit, which should insurance, and accounts. A national ID card is also be granted before arrival. Applicants must first have a suggested as the easiest way to confirm identity job offer from an employer that advertised the post in whenever needed.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 63 DESTINATION PROFILE: STOCKHOLM

Housing When it comes to Stockholm housing, here’s the been known to contract with a real estate profes- good news: Apartments are clean, modern, and well sional and buy their homes. maintained. Renovating is a popular pastime (in the For expats willing to brave the rental market, the land of IKEA, why not?), and apartment associa- center-city islands of Kungsholmen and Södermalm tions manage trash, laundry, and repairs. are popular. Kungsholmen offers lively restaurants, The bad news: Availability is limited, and costs bars, and cafes, plus a waterside path popular for are high. Apartment hunters who go through the jogging or strolling the periphery of the island. When official Housing Service, paying a fee to find space film legend Greta Garbo was born in Södermalm, it based on a set of preferences, usually land on a was a poor, working-class neighborhood. Now, it’s a long waiting list. Those who try to avoid that fate trendy hot spot for vintage stores, cafes, and breathtak- by renting directly from private landlords typi- ing views, with a vibe that earned it a Vogue magazine cally pay above-market rates and risk going toe- rating as one of the world’s 15 coolest areas. to-toe with landlords who take advantage of high Suburban Stockholm offers a bit more affordability, demand to inflate originally quoted rents. Expats plus access to such family-friendly features as schools, are advised to use only reputable online property museums, and beaches. Popular expat neighborhoods portals. Those with long-term assignments have include Bromma, Danderyd, Ekerö, and Lidingö.

64 Mobility | August 2019 kimson / Shutterstock.com

School and Family

Public schools in Stockholm are considered excellent, but instruction is delivered in Swedish, so most expats send their children to interna- tional schools, which may offer the International Baccalaureate or European curricula. Expats con- sidering homeschooling should be aware that it is heavily regulated and rarely permitted. Sweden does not impose vaccine requirements on visitors. Children up to age 9 are offered vacci- nations against nine diseases, including diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, and rubella. Girls can also receive HPV vaccines. All vaccines are free and voluntary, usually available to preschool-aged children at well-baby clinics and in the school years through school health services.

Alizada Studios / Shutterstock.com Transportation

The Stockholm public transportation system is a breezy way to get around by tram, bus, or subway. Many buses run on eco-friendly fuels, and subway stations are like minigalleries, adorned with the works of local artists. Holders of valid U.S. licenses may drive in Sweden, where roads are in good condi- tion. Wise drivers take note of Sweden’s maximum blood-alco- hol level—an extremely low 0.02%. Strict DUI enforcement can include severe fines and possible prison time.

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 65 DESTINATION PROFILE: STOCKHOLM Tommy Alven / Shutterstock.com Tommy Health Care Sweden is home to one of the best public health care systems in the world—open to all, including foreigners with residence permits. Waiting times can be longer than some expats are used to, but legal limitations require that nonurgent cases be seen within seven days and visits to specialists wait no more than 90 days. Private health care, once a rarity, is on the rise in Sweden but is more expensive than public care. Private health insurance can help holders circum- vent wait times.

Finances While Sweden’s quality of living is considered Roland Magnusson / Shutterstock.com among the best in the world, expats must remember at tax time that the piper must be paid. A standard deduction of 13,400 to 35,100 kronor (SEK) amounts to only about US$1,400 to $3,700. Earned income is then taxed at a 32.12% municipal rate, and for those earning SEK 455,300 or more ($47,900), a national income tax of 20% to 25% is imposed. Capital gains are taxed at a flat 30%. Some expats might qualify for exemptions based on gross pay, reimbursed mov- ing expenses, and schooling fees. A maximum SEK 35,300 ($3,800) social security tax can be fully credited against other income taxes. Expat residents are taxed on their worldwide income. Sweden’s high tax rates usually mean that the U.S. Foreign Tax Credit dimin- ishes U.S. taxes owed to zero on expatriate income. Among 449 world cities, Stockholm ranks at a fairly high 57th in cost of living, at about 75 on a 100 cost-of- living index. With apartment rentals exceeding $1,000 a month, housing can take a good share of income.

66 Mobility | August 2019 Alizada Studios / Shutterstock.com

Unexpected Stockholm

Stockholm offers a fascinating, livable blend of cos- mopolitan lifestyle with a laid-back vibe. Summers offer long, sunny days for cookouts and hikes. Winter days are long and dark, but the Swedes make them bearable with skiing and skating. For a city comprising 14 islands, the land is surprisingly open. Parks beckon with opportunities for picnick- ing or sledding, depending on the season. Best of all, expats reeling from the high cost of Stockholm living can save a few kronor by taking advantage of the many free and low-cost events and venues around town. The Swedish penchant for equality dictates that culture be enjoyed by all. Take walking tours of medieval alleys, stroll galleries featuring Warhols and Picassos at the Moderna Museet, let the kids crawl inside a human ear at the Natural History Museum, or catch a summer concert at any park in the city. Your wallet won’t be any thinner, because they’re all free. M

M. Diane McCormick is a freelance writer in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She can be contacted via [email protected].

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 67

MARKETPLACE

Navigating the NOISENOISENOISE GOING GLOBAL By Brian David Johnson, Futurist, and Ashley Roy, CHPA Marketing Coordinator

he following information is excerpted from the Corporate Housing Providers Association’s (CHPA’s) Navigating the Noise podcast series, in which Brian David Johnson, CHPA futurist, T shares research and insights from leading experts and forward-thinking professionals. CUSTOMERS OF TOMORROW Three Things To Do CHPA looked at the future of the workforce and 1. Find your customers’ true north. If you can how emerging generations are impacting profes- find that true north, your customers will sions that traditionally utilize corporate housing. come to you. Tomorrow’s customers will have different a. Think creatively to stay relevant to your desires and different decision-making processes, customer and client base. driven by technology and convenience. b. Innovate wherever you can; you must Faced with overwhelming choices, corpo- stay ahead of the curve. rate housing providers must understand their 2. Analyze your process of how you’re engag- customers to align with their truest desires. ing and communicating with people. Customers expect technology to treat them as a. Understand how you can enable end users individuals and intuitively meet their unique to become participants in the process. needs. The decision-making model is changing; b. Customers want to know why providers employees want to actively participate in the are doing things in a certain way; discover process, and they want answers and customized the challenges you must overcome to meet options immediately. the guest experience they’re expecting. MARKETPLACE

3. Rethink how you interact with and communicate others to identify the requirements you need with guests. for security. a. Understand the shift from a B2B to B2C b. Consider finding a trusted expert to help your model. Embrace the fact that in the future ALL company navigate digital security. interactions will be B2C events when you are c. Be vigilant and selective in the new technol- dealing with a client or customer. ogy that you choose and in the partners with b. Think about how to communicate with the whom you choose to collaborate. consumer. This could mean chatbots or simply updating your FAQ. BUILDINGS OF THE FUTURE c. Look critically at operations and see how to Buildings are evolving because of changes in technol- improve via technology. ogy, resources, global population growth, and the avail- d. The end user wants to engage with your brand, ability of skilled craftspersons. A shortage in skilled so look for new and interesting ways to connect. labor is leading to new construction technologies such as 3D printing and robotic bricklaying. Developers THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL SECURITY AND want to reduce the carbon footprint and make their BUSINESS buildings more sustainable and efficient, rather than the Cybersecurity is a major concern for business owners, “disposable architecture” common today. and many don’t know where to start. Protecting client The future of buildings is impacted by more data is an important element of duty of care; GDPR than just the design and building process, though. and other privacy laws have made this top of mind Consumer desires influence these changes as well, for many corporate housing providers and serviced and those expectations are already here. They want apartment operators. spaces that allow them to connect with others while When implementing new technology, it is import- traveling and expect technology they’d experience in ant to ask questions and understand what data is their homes to be available in their rentals. being collected and how it’s being used. Most of the The American Institute of Architects has estimated time, companies are using outside vendors for these that by 2060 we will have doubled the amount of square services, so security must be top of mind and compa- footage that we have in buildings across the globe today. nies must properly vet vendors’ policies. Security and That’s the equivalent of building an entire New York privacy must work together for an effective solution. City in 34 days every 34 days for the next 40 years.

Three Things To Do Three Things To Do 1. FOLLOW these three important steps for 1. Start small. Cybersecurity: a. Look at small opportunities that might a. Patch your devices and computers; apply improve ROI or make things easier for you or security updates as they become available. your guests. b. Question when applications and webpages ask b. Consider easy ways to retrofit older units such for your information. as smart appliances, smart outlets, smart lights. c. Don’t use the same password for everything. c. As you look at solutions or devices, consider 2. Prioritize security. an enterprise-level solution rather than a con- a. Just as physical security is always a concern, sumer solution. digital security should always be a concern. 2. Be creative with the resources at hand. b. Have a plan in place for a breach. Make sure a. Think through the guest experience from your response is quick and decisive; share it beginning to end. What technology powers internally within your teams and externally with your guest experience, and how can that be your customers so they are confident in your role enhanced? in the duty of care process for their employees. b. How will your buildings evolve? What will 3. Collaborate. they be like when they are the buildings of a. Digital security is a big and new problem, but tomorrow? it’s surmountable when you collaborate with 3. Create community.

70 Mobility | August 2019 Customers expect technology to treat them as individuals and intuitively meet their unique needs. The decision-making model is changing; employees want to actively participate in the process, and they want answers and a. How do you use your physical space when customized options you’re building your space, retrofitting, or redesigning? How do you create a physical immediately. space so that community can flourish? b. Avoid isolated guest syndrome. Create oppor- tunities to engage with others.

THE FUTURE OF MARKETS, REGULATION, AND 2. Review what impact changes to the market would BUSINESS have on your customers. The corporate housing/serviced apartment sector a. Would this impact ability to get visas? To is highly impacted by changes in markets, reg- create jobs in new markets? To import/export? ulation, and business. As markets shift between How would this in turn impact your compa- globalization and nationalism, corporate housing/ ny’s ability to serve your client base? serviced apartments needs reflect those market b. Understand the business impacts—businesses conditions. Both offer their own unique advantages will move where the market is. and disadvantages. 3. Consider globalization as a lifestyle. a. Ensure your properties are speaking not just Three Things To Do to domestic travelers, but also to the global 1. Analyze your market. Understand how your com- audience. pany benefits from globalism and how it benefits b. Ensure your properties are not isolating to from nationalism, and analyze what could happen guests who may be traveling long distances if markets shift one way or the other. from their homes. a. Every market is unique; take a step back and think about how these trends impact your THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY company, your supply chain, and the compa- The workforce of the future is mobile. Employees nies/guests you serve. want the ability to get out there, to work in

worldwideerc.org | Mobility 71 MARKETPLACE

different places, and have more flexibility—and mobile, they will rely on technology more this will only increase. often, and it must be intuitive and work imme- Over the past decade, a rising number of young diately. They cannot afford downtime. professionals, primarily from the United States and 3. Explore subscriptions. Europe, have leveraged the use of technology to a. What do you do in your business that might work remotely and live a nomadic lifestyle. A fore- be flipped into a subscription? Whether that’s cast of employment trends by the World Economic for your own business operations or for the Forum called flexible work, including virtual experience of the guest, subscriptions can pro- teams, “one of the biggest drivers of transforma- vide more flexibility and unique offerings. tion” in the workplace, while a Gallup poll found b. Instead of providing a certain product or that 37% of respondents have already worked service yourself, subscribe to it. This provides virtually. According to Upwork’s Future Workforce more flexibility and is adaptable for compa- Report, in a survey of 1,000 hiring managers, 55% nies of all sizes. agree that remote work among full-time employ- ees is more common now, and say they expect up Conclusion: to 38% of their full-time workers will be working While the future is unpredictable, these trends give remotely in the next decade. us a strong indication of where the industry could be headed and how to prepare business to adapt and Three Things To Do thrive in these new environments. 1. Design local experiences for global travelers. New technology continues to emerge, and with a. People don’t want to replicate their home it, new expectations, new security threats, new when they're traveling; they want to experi- business practices, and new workforce cultures. ence something local. Corporate housing and serviced apartments are b. Think of new ways to bring in this local expe- more global than ever with these shifts, and under- rience. It could be the brand of the city where standing trends to prepare your business for the you’re located, or the brand of the company future is key. using the unit. To explore these topics more deeply, visit www. c. Design the experiences you want for each chpaonline.org/future. M guest; experiences could be different based on length of stay. Brian David Johnson is a futurist and frequent speaker, 2. Make sure that your business infrastructure works. working with CHPA and other organizations, and Ashley a. Make sure your communication and technol- Roy is marketing coordinator at CHPA. Roy can be reached ogy infrastructures work. As people are more at +1 317 328 4631, ext. 5, or [email protected].

72 Mobility | August 2019 e Housing Designed F

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worldwideerc.org | Mobility 75 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Tips and advice from the global talent mobility community

Cultural Tips for Companies and Individuals Entering Japan By Katheryn Gronauer

As Japan takes steps to relax its immigration laws in the until after they have settled, which means they are face of a looming talent shortage, many companies are unequipped with enough survival Japanese skills finding it a great time to enter the Japanese market. Here until months after they arrive. Since the first few are some tips if you’re considering making the move. months are critical to settling into a new country, I recommend learning survival Japanese before It’ll Take Longer Than You Expect arriving, and taking advantage of cross-cultural Motivated CEOs who decide to expand in the Japanese training to lay a foundation for Japanese systems market often find themselves scratching their heads as and culture. Rest assured, Japanese people are to why their proven business models are taking longer known for their wonderful hospitality, so even if than forecast. The reason is twofold: Japan is a process- they can’t communicate verbally, they will try their and rule-oriented society, which means even simple best to help. procedures can take longer to execute compared with other cultures. Also, Japanese people typically place a Remember the Accompanying Family Members higher value on trust and relationship-building than on Businesspeople and their spouses or partners expe- how quickly an agreement could affect business out- rience many of the stages of the transition life cycle comes. Come to Japan with a driven attitude, but adjust (honeymoon, culture shock, depression, and accep- your timeline. And when partnering with an English- tance) at different rates. Businesspeople typically speaking Japanese businessperson, allow them to take have a support system through their employing the time they need. organizations as well as a fixed routine that may help ease the level and duration of culture shock. Other Establish Realistic Expectations Around Language family members, on the other hand, may have more and Communication idle time and a sense of urgency to create a suitable In many regions of the world, it is not unusual to routine that closely resembles how they lived in their find many local residents who speak some level of home country. English or are even fluent, particularly in business In Japan, even global companies rarely hire settings. But that’s not always the case in Japan; many people without Japanese language capabilities, so Japanese adults were not exposed to English enough most spouses who want to work end up spending outside of school when they were growing up to their time in Japan jobless. Companies can mini- retain their knowledge. mize failed assignments by offering assistance to Most expatriates who move to Japan face two par- spouses on accomplishing daily errands so they ticular language obstacles: First, tools such as Google can confidently build a routine, and by connecting Translate can be useless if you do not understand the them to volunteer opportunities or activities they meaning of the Japanese systems behind the transla- enjoy within the international community to help tion. Language tools might translate the words, but create their support system. M they can be insufficient in helping you make sense of what the words mean. Katheryn Gronauer is an expat transition consultant and The second challenge is that most travelers corporate wellness facilitator for global organizations in coming to Japan wait to take Japanese lessons Tokyo. She can be reached at [email protected].

76 Mobility | August 2019 NOT JUST A RELOCATION, THE START OF AN ADVENTURE.

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