Junior Assignees: How a Little Relocation Support Can Go a Long Way

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What do junior assignees like graduates and interns know about relocating? Very little.

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And how much support do junior assignees tend to receive when relocating? Very little.

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What’s wrong with this picture?

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Graduates and interns usually receive the least support when relocating - often a cash lump sum and nothing more - leaving them to arrange their entire move and find a home in the world’s toughest rental markets, when moving is likely something they’ve never tackled before.

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Here we’ll look at why junior assignees should be treated differently from their senior colleagues in terms of their relocation needs, and how a little support can make a massive difference!

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What sets junior assignees apart?

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●     They’re independent

This is a generation of go-getters who’ve grown up with the Internet, highly adept at searching for the answers they need. Browsing properties online comes as naturally as scrolling through TikTok! With the right tools at their disposal, there’s no stopping them.

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●     They’re inexperienced

Don’t mistake their self-reliant nature for relocating know-how. Remember, they’ve often never moved before, highlighted by the many and varied questions they usually have! From vetting property platforms to reviewing leases, it’s all completely new to them.

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●     They’re at risk of scams

Young assignees are far more likely to be preyed upon by scammers who aim to take advantage of their lack of experience moving. At PerchPeek we’ve seen (and thwarted!) numerous attempted scams on cohorts of interns, each more innovative than the last.

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What’s on their minds?

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Relocating is a leap into the unknown for most people, let alone young interns! To uproot your whole life and start over in a new place where you’re unfamiliar with local bureaucracy and procedures - and perhaps the language - is a big deal.

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This is compounded for junior assignees like graduates and interns. Since they’ve often never moved anywhere before, in PerchPeek’s experience they have hundreds of questions to ask. And without dedicated relocation support in place, it’s usually their HR team who fields them!

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What support do they really need?

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Junior assignees don’t expect to be hand-held through the relocation process - far from it! What they do need is to be equipped with the right tools, information and guidance, to ensure success in securing a property and avoid unnecessary delays.

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Here’s what PerchPeek recommends as a minimum level of support:

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●     Advisory call - Starting them off on the right foot from the get-go, to talk through the relocation process, manage expectations and maximise chances of success

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●     City-specific advice - Providing key information about the nuances of their destination city and its rental market, recommended neighbourhoods and property platforms

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●     Home-finding guidance - Sharing crucial advice on to help succeed in tricky rental markets, from application writing to standing out from the crowd at viewings

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●     Lease review - Helping assignees avoid scams by checking their rental agreement and highlighting clauses or requests that look unusual or downright dodgy

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Get your Core-Flex right!

A lot of companies, even when they offer a Core Flex model, are not cost efficient in their core services to make sure that all the above are catered for.

An example model is Half-Day Destination Service support, where only four hours of home search help is given to the employee, and frequent challenges appear down the road.

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So what’s the answer?

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Providing core support to assignees and setting them on the right path for success doesn’t have to cost the earth. It can even be rolled into your existing cash lump sum budget. The answer is technology!

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Tech solutions can easily answer all of these support needs, thanks to tools like instant messaging, in-app area guides and other content, and video tutorials.

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What's more, it can be done well within your existing budget! A base level of support can cost as little as £500 for a graduate if done right.

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While making little or no difference to your bottom line, it makes all the difference to your assignees:

●     They receive the guidance they need to self-drive their relocation adventure

●     They have an expert support network on hand for queries and concerns

●     They gain an exceptional first impression of the company culture and care

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Case study

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To find out how Framestore, an Oscar-winning creative studio, transformed their relocation scheme through PerchPeek, providing end-to-end support to all staff while keeping costs down at under <£5k per move, check out our case study!