Corporate Hiring Practices?

What is up with companies today expecting new employees to relocate their family, yet expecting the new employee to travel 70% (out of town 7+ nights in 10 working days) and up? Where would it make sense for the new employee to up root their family and never be there. How does it make sense to the company to pay for the relocation expense and never have them in their office?

What is 70% plus travel? Try thinking of it this way; there are 5 working days in a week of seven days. If the employee is out of town over night seven working days in two weeks, that is 70% travel.

Traveling expenses on average traveling to one city in North America, flying out Monday morning and flying home Friday night, hotel, airfare, rental car, meals and misc. expenses; it averages about $1,500 a week. This is base on an average town and not a "big city". Big cities can be considered, Los Angles, New York, Toronto, Chicago, etc. This is based on my experienced of traveling 150,000 plus qualifying miles a year for the last three years and 200 plus nights in hotels per year. Call me a road warrior.

So you need me in the office, fly me there on the way to another meeting or on my way home. It costs a lot less than paying the relocation expense. My experience of 80% plus travel, I'm only in the office maybe 14 days a year. My experience of planned travel to the office has cost on average of about $700 per stop. Compare $9,800 for travel to the office versus $40,000 plus for relocation expense, what a cost save!

Next time you decide you need to hire a person for heavy travel that would have to relocate. Consider getting them a very good laptop, PDA mobile phone with unlimited minutes and extra batteries, and a corporate credit card. Have the travel into the office when you need them there for a meeting and get out and do what you need them to do for your company the rest of the time. It's cheaper for your company and easier on your new employee.

How is it easier on your new employee? First they do not have to go through the stress of selling their house. They don't have to go through the stress of buying a new house and moving. Their family is not up-rooted from where they are already settled. They are already going to be gone from their family a lot, but why put their family where they have little family or friends? You see, your company saves money, and your new employee is happier. In the end it can be a true win, win.

In the end it should be the new employees choice.