Talent-Centric Relocation - Insights from Dwellworks and WERC

Dwellworks, the world’s largest provider of destination services for corporate talent mobility needs, is also a contributing member of the WERC Content Workgroup. Composed of mobility leaders across service sectors and corporate mobility roles, the Workgroup, under the guidance of WERC, reviews topics of essential importance and interest, and develops timely content for our industry.

Recently, WERC published a blog on its Mobility News site: ‘Global Mobility Success Starts With Meeting Employee Expectations.’ The blog was developed by members of the Content Workgroup, including Dwellworks, and provides a comprehensive look at how a strategic combination of AI-powered support and local expertise can positively transform the relocation experience for both employers and employees. We explore this topic from Dwellworks perspective as a global leader in destination services below. 

How Can Relocation Services Deliver on Both Efficiency and the Human Touch?

Recent research from CERC and other sources underscores that employees considering a career opportunity that also includes a relocation expect more than just logistical support or a cash benefit. They want assurance of safety and duty of care, access to local resources and expertise, and a smooth transition for themselves and their families.

While AI and digital platforms have made information more accessible and ever more specific, the sheer volume and variability of online content can overwhelm employees and introduce risks of misinformation and worse, for them and for their employers. This is where the role of local subject matter experts – at Dwellworks these are our Destination Consultants - becomes paramount. Only on-the-ground experts can reliably validate highly fluid information such as apartment availability, rental rates, specific neighborhood amenities, and local regulations, ensuring that employees receive accurate, actionable guidance. 

What Are the Limits of AI in Relocation?

We all know we’re at the very beginning of the “AI age” in human services, so it’s premature to define the limits of this developing technology. It’s also true, as noted in the WERC article, that while technology and AI tools are key contributors to cost control and operational efficiency, they cannot fully replace the nuanced support that is often requested by employees and provided by local experts. Lump sum relocation programs and sophisticated digital platforms may streamline the process, for example, but they often fall short in addressing the unique, context-specific needs of relocating employees. AI-generated responses, while fast, can sometimes mislead or fail to account for local and individual realities, making human intervention critical.

It’s important to keep the objective of relocation services in mind. These services are designed to optimize the likelihood of job acceptance, the successful transfer of valuable talent, and the quick transition of that talent to value-producing productivity. Managing those services in a cost-efficient way, at a variety of price points, whether primarily through digital tools but with human informed support or through one-on-one dedicated personal service at every step in the process, can all include the deployment of AI orchestration. Beyond transactional cost savings made possible by self-managed relocation, the increased loss of critical talent and incidences of failed relocations can also create cost to organizations, especially in an era of increased global competition and the need to continually leverage talent to develop products, solutions, and technologies that keep corporations ahead of the game. 

How Does Dwellworks Innovation and Global Reach Make Talent Mobility Easier?

Dwellworks, a leader in destination services and temporary living solutions, exemplifies innovation in global talent mobility. With a global footprint supporting thousands of moves annually to key client destinations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Dwellworks leverages both AI-driven tools and the industry’s largest service network (over 2000 local Consultants) to address the most pressing questions from relocating employees. Ranging from “What local Social Security office has the shortest lines on Saturdays ?” to “What are the specific limits on pets in this building?” to “What is the cultural vibe of this destination?”, we answer every question with context and continuously add our knowledge and updates to myDwellworks, our online database accessible to every employee we assist for a full year.

While answers to many questions can be sourced online, through AI, or in myDwellworks, Dwellworks local experts also filter out noise and dated information, providing confidence in decision making and expediting the move. Our AI agent, Dwellton, complements human expertise by providing instant responses, and always with the option to connect with a local Consultant when nuanced, confidential, or location-specific questions arise. 

Relocation Involves Risk - What Are the Best Ways to Mitigate and Manage It?

Relocation has inherent risks for both employers and employees. As the WERC blog notes, bad advice, especially inaccurate information sourced solely online, can have legal and personal consequences. Local experts, like those at Dwellworks, are trained to provide guidance in compliance with local laws and regulations, such as fair housing requirements and the income/rental ratios expected in multiple housing markets worldwide. The objective of professional service management is both to reduce client risk and to increase employee satisfaction through a well-managed and well-informed process. A trusted advisor can redirect employees away from potentially problematic choices that they may not discern through digital channels alone. 

Best Practice: Early Engagement and Resource Integration

The most successful mobility programs engage employees early, providing digital as well as guided support well before departure. Local experts are most effective when they can address “go/no-go” concerns and answer specific questions about housing, schools, and registration requirements at the outset. Dwellworks has become a multiple award winner for its global destination services to over 500,000 professionals by deploying communications and connections that cut through generic intake and deliver informed, location-specific answers and advice. Increasingly, through APIs and smart complementary system design, core information and timely updates are integrated into end-to-end mobility management systems, enabling real-time, on-demand updates and insights for employers, administrators, and employees. 

The Human Advantage in a Digital Age

Ultimately, while operational efficiency, AI, and digital tools are indispensable for scaling and streamlining relocation services, the human touch—embodied by local experts—remains irreplaceable for validating dynamic information and providing personalized support. One does not have to come at the sacrifice of the other. Organizations that combine these strengths, as Dwellworks does, are best positioned to secure employee buy-in, reduce relocation risks, and ensure successful assignments in a rapidly changing world.

About Dwellworks:

Dwellworks is the world’s largest provider of destination-related services and temporary living solutions for the globally mobile workforce and business travelers. We provide business-to-business solutions for Fortune 1000 and emerging companies directly and through their relocation management partners. Whether a company needs to relocate its employees across the country or around the world, we provide a range of support services to help employees and their families transition successfully from their home location to a new destination.

Dwellworks supports the diversity of our clients’ globally mobile workforce with personalized destination solutions in 16 countries, covering hundreds of major relocation markets. Dwellworks Living, our global furnished temporary living solution, offers corporate housing accommodations for relocation and business travel customers in 125 countries. Our full-service real estate brokerage, Station Cities, supports home rentals, sales, and purchases in the Tri-State New York area and Chicago. Visit our homepage, learn about our services, and read our blogs to learn how we can help with your relocation and business travel needs.