Recruiting New Hires: Relocation Policies Play a Part
The biggest challenge employers face in recruiting new hires is the competition between companies for talent, notes Worldwide ERC®, the association for global workforce mobility management. And some of them are meeting that challenge by using their relocation policies and signing bonuses to attract talent.
“It has been more difficult for companies to recruit for executive-level and experienced technical positions than entry-level technical positions,” said Jan Hatfield-Goldman, VP, Research and Education for Worldwide ERC®. “The same is true for non-technical positions, though to a lesser extent.” 
The 2007 Worldwide ERC® New Hire report shows that the tighter labor market means that companies are seeking creative ways to enhance recruiting efforts. More than 90 percent of the companies surveyed reported having difficulty in recruiting the right people, and more than 20 percent considered the problem fairly severe. Nearly 80 percent of the respondents currently use their relocation policy as a recruiting tool. And most companies reported that they also use signing bonuses to appeal to candidates, although usually only for select new hires. About a third of respondents said that their company involves the relocation department in the development of their strategic planning for recruitment.
Worldwide ERC® is the membership association for over 13,000 professionals who manage or service a mobile workforce. Formed in 1964 and with offices in Washington, DC; Brussels, Belgium; and Shanghai, China; Worldwide ERC® provides leadership, advocacy, education and networking to global workforce mobility professionals and stakeholders through specialized training, credentialing, meeting events and information exchange. To learn about Worldwide ERC®'s membership opportunities, products and services call +1 703 842 3400 or visit www.erc.org.
