The Critical Role of Family Integration and Support
Themes:
- Family comfort often determines relocation success
- Spousal employment opportunities
- Education systems
- Healthcare
- Social integration
A recurring theme across interviews was the critical role that family considerations play in relocation decisions, particularly for senior executives.
Leaders emphasised that the challenge is often not convincing the executive themselves, but rather ensuring that the family is equally comfortable with the move. Spousal career opportunities, access to quality healthcare, and suitable schooling for children are often decisive factors.
For many executives, the ability of their family to integrate successfully into the new location can outweigh financial incentives.
Several interviewees noted that organisations which proactively support family integration – including schooling assistance, healthcare coverage, and support for spouses – tend to achieve significantly higher retention among relocated leaders.
In some cases, relocation packages have even included assistance for partners to pursue new hobbies, professional activities, or community networks to ease the transition.
Executives also highlighted the importance of considering language skills of family members, particularly children entering new education systems. If children are not fluent in the teaching language of an international or local school, the transition can become particularly challenging.
The following two pie charts illustrate the clear correlation between receiving comprehensive support during a relocation and executives’ willingness to consider future relocations. We were particularly impressed by the extent to which some companies go above and beyond to support, what can only be described as a transformative life decision, for their executives and their families.
