Your employees are a huge part of your business, so it’s important to ask yourself if you know what’s important to them. This shows that you have them at heart. We recommend creating a communication plan so as to ensure you’re in touch with their needs and you help them get organized for the company relocation.
While there are countless things you need to convey while preparing your employees for a business move, we understand that you’ve got a lot on the table. Moving a company requires a lot of work. There are lots of things in an office that have to be relocated - you will have to move the office equipment, furniture and the entire workforce along with you.
There are many reasons why a company could decide to move: it could be because of a new deal that requires the company to relocate near its customers or due to expansion of the company. Those are just two examples that come to mind. There are hundreds more reasons.
Management always has their hands full when it comes to moving a company. Not only are they responsible for moving all the furniture and equipment; they also have to deal with preparing their employees for the eventual move.
Below are tips on how to prepare the workforce for the move;
The first thing you should do when preparing for an office move is let the employees in the company know the details and reasons for the move hence the need for communication. The best way to start your communication plan is to let everybody know what is going on. Hold a meeting, sent of a memo or do whatever else you need to do in order to communicate the need for the move to your employees and anybody else involved.
You should also define how the move is going to affect the company and the employees in the long run to ensure that they are fully committed to the company move. If the move of the company is affecting the workflow of the employee or affecting their daily commute then you could consider giving them something to compensate them. It is the role of the office management to properly identify the exactly what's going to happen during and after the move to the employees so that they can prepare themselves for the challenge ahead.
Helping employees adapt for the move
You should clearly identify the roles that each employee will be playing if the move requires for them to relocate. Let them know when and how to pack their office and let them know if they have been tasked with additional responsibilities. You can even help the employees by allowing them a little leniency in their work to decrease the stress of the move and give them ample time to adjust.
Let the employees know where their new workstations will be and if they will be required to work on a committee with other personnel, as this will help them mentally prepare for the move. You can organize a small meeting and clearly define the goals of the move and what objectives or role the employees have to perform or have been given.
It is important that you allow the office staff to take their time for the move, but ensure that they have packed all their important belongings and stuff, so that the move takes place according to schedule. Giving your employees detailed instructions for the move will allow them to prepare for the move better and also allow your company to have a successful transition.
As the business owner, you should show plenty of excitement about the move. Whether you're moving into a larger space or a better location, it should be a positive, exciting thing. This will go a long way to set the mood with your employees. When you show excitement, they are more likely to get on board and become excited, too.
Nobody enjoys packing, moving and unpacking. If you expect your employees to be in charge of the move, they may not be very happy about it. This could add additional pressure and stress to their workday. Instead, hire a professional to pack, move and unpack all your things. This will help things go smoothly and it's one less thing employees have to worry about.
It's very stressful to move from one office location to another. Some stresses cannot be avoided, but they can be minimized hence the need for the above listed tips
Our best advice - begin planning as early as possible. Give Victory Van a call and we can help you with the details - including how to best communicate those details to your employees.
