When moving to new quarters, it's essential to involve your employees in every step of the process. Employees need to feel valued by the office relocation company, and that requires being an integral part of the discussions regarding any drastic change likely to impact them. If you cannot communicate with each employee directly, you will want to use human resources as an intermediary. During the final stages of your office relocation, you'll need to issue an official office relocation announcement, preferably in the form of a formal letter. But prior to this last step, you'll need to have face-to-face meetings to discuss the office move.
How to Prepare for an Office Relocation
Office relocations require providing employees with the reassurance that their needs will be met in the process. An office move can cause stress among your teams, as employees wonder what structural changes will be done to complement the relocation. You'll want your staff to be aware of all management decisions that could affect them to minimize the stress they may experience. Here are a few ways you can prepare for these announcements.
1. Announce the Move to Your Employees a Month in Advance
Announcing the move early allows your employees to feel prioritized by the company management, but too early could allow for rumors and "Chinese whispers" to fester. Instead, four weeks is the standard period to ensure that your employees' questions can be answered and their feedback can be considered.
2. Inform Clients and All Business Contacts
In order to adapt to the change quickly, your clients and business partners should be informed of the relocation early. This will allow them to get accustomed to your location's whereabouts and re-organize themselves regarding the transport.
3. Conduct Website, Social Media, and Print Announcements
Your internet audience must be engaged with all the considerable changes your company is experiencing. To establish your web platforms as reliable providers of all important information pertaining to your business, you'll want to announce your move online at least a week ahead of moving into your new quarters.
4. BlogSpot Announcements
Blogspot announcements reach wide ranges of audiences. This can draw in new potential customers and other business relationships based on the practicality and ease of access to your new location.
How to Announce to Your Employees for an Office Move
The process of announcing your office move to your employees can dictate their attitude towards the relocation. The office relocation announcement letter is only one part of the preparation; you'll also need to create a safe environment for questions and feedback regarding the move. Here are a few other tips for a successful office relocation announcement to employees.
1. Provide Employees with Office Relocation Information Early
Some of your employees may need to make different commuting arrangements to get to your new offices on time. They'll need to be prepared and feel that their comfort in their place of work is taken into consideration by their employers.
2. Write an Office Relocation Announcement
The official office relocation announcement should be a synthesis of your office relocation letter and a face-to-face meeting. Preferably, if sent via mail, the letter should be attached to your virtual message and feature a formal structure, management signatures, and appropriate stamps.
3. Show Employees the New Office
Taking your employees to the new offices is primordial. They need to get their own feelings of the place to prepare for the changes ahead. You can book a tour with office relocation consultants, who will guide your teams into the transition.
4. Decide on New Layout
The new layout should be relayed to the team. You'll want to work on a presentation to build the excitement for the move and the conviction that the new location is a satisfactory one.
5. Organize/Prepare for Move
Preparing the logistics of a move requires co-ordinating packing and pre-packing needs and anticipating the inventory or equipment changes that may have to be made.
6. Remember to Communicate with the Staff and the Office Movers
Inform both the staff and office movers of any potential changes in the moving process. Keeping them updated builds their trust in their management's intentions.
7. Ensure Everything is Where it Should Be
Organization is vital to an office move. You'll need to know the location of all your stocks, equipment, and other inventory.
8. Send Post-relocation Emails
Follow up on your office relocation announcement email by contacting affected parties after the move. You can hint with a celebration and the success of your move with optimistic wording and invitations to visit your new premises.
9. Be Honest And Emphatic
Humans can relate to almost any honest, unexpected issue that may require people or organizations to relocate themselves. Be transparent to your employees, let them know if the move was something you had little control over, and consider how they may feel about the change.
10. Get Them Involved
Encourage your employees to engage with the new place by involving them in the entire process, from the decoration of your new premises to the planning of your new office celebration.
11. Keep Them Updated and Enthusiastic
Showing your enthusiasm when you communicate with employees about your move is important in keeping them optimistic. Relay any relevant information that could affect them, but always focus on the positives.
12. Celebrate The Move
Celebrating the move is an integral part of a move. It allows employees to relax and unwind after a stressful process and associate the new location with good memories.
Why Send an Office Relocation Letter to Employees
Sending a relocation letter allows for a written trail of your important communication with your employees. As opposed to an office relocation announcement email, a formal letter suggests the importance of the communication and your efforts in ensuring it's received well. Your office relocation letter will translate the care you have for your employees and your hope that they'll feel included and considered in your decision to move.
How to Motivate Employees When You Are Moving Office
Motivation is all about optimism and the attitude of the people communicating about the change with other people. Keep your tone energetic and excited when talking to your employees about the move and highlight your new location's benefits. Incorporate their ideas into the new office celebration party and the decoration of the premises.
For your commercial move or commercial relocation, you can entrust Sarasota Sunshine Movers. Our teams of office relocation specialists are looking forward to giving you guidance on how to ensure the entire process is smooth and pleasant.
Renowned for providing the best office relocation services in the region, our dynamic teams are trained to remove your moving stress to make space for the excitement of your new thrilling change.