Hiring international talent can be a great opportunity for an organisation. It allows companies to access a broader talent pool, bring in new perspectives and fill positions that may be difficult to recruit for locally.
But once the contract is signed, the work isn’t necessarily over.
For HR teams, an international hire can bring a whole new set of practical questions and responsibilities. And while these may not all fall directly under HR’s traditional responsibilities, they often end up there simply because someone needs to take care of them.
Relocation is more than moving someone from A to B
When an employee moves to the Netherlands from another country, there are many practical things to arrange. Finding accommodation, registering with the municipality, understanding the Dutch healthcare system and opening a bank account are just a few examples.
And then there is the family.
If an employee is relocating with a partner or children, their experience of the move can have a significant impact on how quickly the family settles into their new life. Questions around schools, childcare, healthcare, housing and everyday life can quickly become part of the conversation with HR.
For an HR team, this can be difficult to manage alongside everything else.
Not every situation fits the policy
Another challenge is that international mobility rarely follows a perfect template.
Perhaps an employee has a family when the policy was designed mainly for single employees. Perhaps the housing market has changed considerably since the policy was last updated. Or perhaps an employee’s employment contract or personal circumstances don’t fit neatly into the standard relocation package.
This is where having a clear mobility policy is important — but so is knowing when there needs to be some flexibility.
A good mobility policy should provide clarity and consistency, without making it impossible to deal with individual situations.
That also means reviewing policies regularly. What worked a few years ago may no longer reflect the realities of the Dutch housing market, international recruitment or the needs of your employees.
Does HR have the right knowledge?
International mobility is a relatively specialised area. HR professionals may understand the organisation, its people and its policies very well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are expected to know everything about relocation.
What does the Dutch rental market look like? What can make it difficult for an international employee to rent a property? What should an employer consider when creating a relocation package? How can HR better prepare employees for cultural differences and the practical realities of moving to the Netherlands?
Sometimes the answer isn’t outsourcing the entire process.
It may simply be about giving the HR team the right knowledge.
Training sessions and masterclasses can help HR professionals feel more confident when supporting international employees and recognising potential challenges before they become problems.
International mobility is also about the employee experience
Ultimately, relocation is part of the employee experience.
An employee may have accepted the job because of the role, the company or the career opportunity. But if they arrive in the Netherlands and struggle for months to find somewhere to live, don’t understand how things work locally or feel that they have to navigate everything themselves, that can quickly affect their overall experience.
Supporting an international employee therefore isn’t just a practical exercise. It can also contribute to employee satisfaction, retention and the successful integration of international talent into the organisation.
Where can HR get support?
There isn’t one right way to organise international mobility.
Some organisations have a dedicated Global Mobility team. Others manage everything within HR. And for some companies, the number of international hires doesn’t justify building this expertise internally.
In those situations, external support can complement the existing HR team.
How Move with IRIS can help you
At Move with IRIS, we support organisations in exactly that space. This can range from hands-on relocation support for employees and their families to training and masterclasses for HR teams, reviewing and updating mobility policies, or providing ad hoc advice when a particular case doesn’t fit the standard process.
The level of involvement can be adapted to what an organisation actually needs.
"Move with confidence, Move with IRIS"
International Relocation & Immigration Services
