How to Successfully Negotiate a Corporate Relocation Package

Corporate relocation packages are growing in popularity, because they can consolidate moving expenses for a business, which makes the process so much more manageable. . In fact, corporate moves have increased 30% since 2010, while 32.9% of corporate businesses considered relocation in 2013. However, the major majority (70%) of businesses who moved said that they wished it could’ve gone more smoothly.

The key to having a successful relocation lies in the negotiations of a corporate relocation package. After all, according to U.S. News 65% of firms offer relocated employees full reimbursement, while 87% of firms have a relocation policy already in place. This means that most these companies have a successful plan and strategy already in place. However, the terms of these plans can in fact be negotiated, which if handled correctly, could effectively make the relocation much more smooth.

The first thing to know about negotiating a corporate relocation package is the “it never hurts to ask” rule, meaning, well, it never hurts to ask the company whether or not they’ll pay for some items. Some of the most common and basic items open for negotiation are: family and spousal assistance, temporary living arrangements, housing and moving costs, and travel expenses. Keeping the rule in mind, it’s best to enter negotiations going for it all, but having a bottom line of items you expect to have covered in the corporate relocation package.

What makes the negotiations of a corporate relocation package successful is the mutual interest shared by both the employee and the employer. In the end, the two want the same thing: for the employee to relocate successfully so as to begin work as soon as possible for the employer. Of course, the employee needs to be reasonable with his or her requests, and as long as they are, there should be no reason that the terms of a corporate relocation package are acceptable to each.

If you have any questions or concerns about negotiating a corporate relocation package, feel free to ask in the comments.