Written by Head of Global Mobility, FMCG sector, Europe

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned about employee experience came when I was relocating overseas to take up a role as Head of International Mobility for a major multinational company.

At the time, I had plenty on my mind. A new job. A new country. A baby due in just three months. And a house full of belongings to move. Besides, we had a growing collection of baby equipment, gifts and essentials, and no idea what to do with them.

Like many relocating employees, I was feeling the pressure

Moving day sticks in my mind for several reasons. Not just the obvious ones.

Communication up to that stage had been perfect. We knew what to expect and when to expect it. And they didn’t let us down. When the moving crew arrived - exactly on time - I offered coffee in anticipation of a long and stressful day. In turn, they politely suggested that I disappear for a couple of hours and leave everything to them.

When I returned, the transformation was truly remarkable. The house had been professionally packed. The truck was loaded. Everything was organised, labelled, and under control. It was genuinely humbling and it made the move so much more straightforward.

Getting the relocation company involved right at the start of the process was a huge help. It meant that every step was clearly mapped out and optimised to be as easy (for us) and efficient (for everyone) as possible.

They also did a great job of managing cultural expectations. They knew more about our new home that we did, and they shared so much information with us. Little things, like how to set up a bank account, and the best places to buy nappies and medicines and all the stuff that you can’t go without when you have a newborn.

Small gestures amount to big impacts

More than the logistical efficiency, however, the thing I most remember, even now, is the humanity.

Just one small example - the crew chief noticed a brand-new pushchair that a relative had bought for our soon-to-arrive son. Seeing that I hadn't even had time to take it out of its box, he proudly boasted that he could put it up and down one-handed. And then he showed me how. That little gesture helped me out so many times over the coming months - and I even got to teach another friend “my” little trick.

Personal and sentimental value

These days, people aren’t taking as many belongings when they move internationally. What they call ‘household goods’ in the industry. Sometimes, especially for shorter-term moves, it's easier to store or sell things, then buy new items when you get there.

We didn’t want to do that. Ours was a long-term transfer and we had too many things that we didn’t want to leave behind. Yes, we stored some things with our parents, but we wanted to take the possessions that mattered most to us. And that meant putting our world into a container and setting it off on the sea.

What impressed me most was that this crew understood that. They recognised the lives they were handling and the personal and sentimental value of the possessions they were moving. Crucially, they understood that this was one of the most stressful periods of our lives. Especially with the new addition soon to join us.

Home comforts

Some friends who had relocated a few times told me that the most important thing is to make yourself feel at home as quickly as possible. Knowing that our precious belongings were being handled with kindness, empathy and respect made a massive difference throughout that difficult stage where most of our home comforts were still in a container somewhere on the sea.

Good communication helped - directly with our dedicated relocation specialist, and via the mobility team at my employer. From the initial conversation, through to our truck arriving with our precious belongings - those household goods that we couldn’t wait to see again - we knew where we stood in terms of timing and process. Not that anything did go wrong, but we also had access to round-the-clock care, in case anything did. That was a huge peace of mind for both of us.

We settled quickly after that, and our son arrived not long after. Slightly early, with a lot less kindness, empathy and respect than the moving company showed! He has more than made up for it since. With love, cuteness and cuddles.