Moving Offices? How to talk to your Employees (Plus Other Pro Tips to Ensure A Smooth Office Relocation )

You’ve heard before that communication is key to any lasting relationship. This is also true when it comes to creating a cooperative and stable environment in at work. The following blog outlines the best practices for informing your employees about moving offices.

One of the most disruptive activities for your staff will be to move your business to a new office. In order to make this move a smooth one, it’s necessary to effectively communicate the details  with your employees in a way that will alleviate their concerns and get them all on the same page.

Here’s how you create an effective moving strategy with your staff:

1. Inform employees of the move as soon as possible

You don’t want your employees finding out about moving through office gossip. Instead, you need to let them know as much as possible about the move as soon as you can.

If you wait until the “watercooler talk” starts, rumors and misinformation can start. (You certainly don’t want this move to make people worry about their jobs or their place within the company.)

2. Tell employees as much as possible

The first thing to communicate is where you’re relocating. Use this opportunity to motivate your staff. Help them see the move as an opportunity for a new beginning for the company.

Provide employees with a timeline for the move. Don’t just tell them the date of the move. Include all of the “stops” along the way including the different activities that will have to be checked off before the move can occur. If you give a detailed roadmap for this journey, you’ll ensure everyone feels better about the move when it happens.3

3. Involve staff as much as possible before moving day

As part of your communication with staff, include them on the team that has to be assembled to complete the move. Each department should have at least one representative on the team so everyone can be properly informed and have equitable input on how the move should be conducted.

This group will also be responsible for communicating news of the move back to their department members. For this team, include your administrative staff, human resources, IT, bookkeeping, and maintenance workers so you get complete buy-in from everyone.

4 .Celebrate

From the beginning, inform your staff you’ll be celebrating this move as the next step in the company’s growth. Once the move is complete, throw an “office-warming” party for all of your employees to become familiar with the new location and to make everyone more comfortable in the new surroundings.

Many people will tell you that moving is one of their least favorite experiences. But by communicating your plans early on to your employees and being completely transparent about the move, you can ensure your office relocation goes smoothly for everyone involved.

Office Moving and Corporate Relocation Professionals

Crescent Moving & Storage has been in business for over 40 years offering semi to full-service corporate relocation packages for single and multi-office businesses within Surrey, Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland.

We offer a full range of moving packages including full service, DIY or a mix of both. We work to make your move as easy for you as possible with sensitive time scheduling and flexible short and long term secure storage. Contact us for a free, no obligation moving estimate!