Categories
Corporate Relocation Corporate relocation tips Domestic Relocation Domestic Relocation Challenges

Temporary Housing Solutions in Times of Crisis: 2020 California and Oregon Wildfires

Temporary housing solutions have applications beyond providing homes for transferees on short-term assignments. Recently GMS was contacted by several clients and prospective clients seeking assistance for employees displaced by the 2020 California and Oregon wildfires. Many of these employees lost their homes to fires or had to be evacuated to another location.

Each of the stories is heartbreaking for the employee and their family members. Ultimately, GMS was able to provide immediate assistance for everyone who called seeking temporary housing.

Sam Hoey, Senior Vice President, Business Development, oversaw the GMS response for our clients and prospects. Sam agreed to share the solutions that GMS implemented.

Traditional Temporary Housing Solutions

GMS recommends clients choose traditional temporary housing solutions for a number of reasons. Important criteria that are addressed with traditional solutions include:

  1. Move-in Inspection covering several points
  2. Cleanliness meeting specific standards
  3. Emergencies and Maintenance Issues
  4. Security Standards including the Wi-Fi System

Traditional temporary housing gives clients and employees peace of mind that these major areas of concern are taken care of down to the last detail.

Scope of Client’s Immediate Needs for Temporary Housing

Destruction from the 2020 California and Oregon wildfires is vast and widespread:

California

Oregon

The wide area of destruction spread over both states impacts many employees. In some cases, over 400 employees were displaced in just a few days, with many actually losing their entire homes. Employers seeking to help for their displaced employees contacted GMS to discuss how best to help those in need.

GMS Leverages Temporary Housing Solutions

  • After receiving requests for assistance, Sam sent the clients and prospects a clearly written communication. The instructions were to send the communication to their employees about who to contact at GMS for immediate assistance.
  • GMS set up every employee in need with a GMS Relocation Coach. The Coach assessed their needs, and in many cases then sent the request to a client-directed preferred temporary housing provider, ATB Housing.
  • A few cases required specialized responses. One employee displaced in Salem, Oregon, also had 4 large dogs. Instead of sending the dogs to a boarding kennel, GMS sourced a nearby fully furnished apartment for the employee on a 30 day rental basis.
  • Some employees preferred booking extended stay hotels instead of temporary housing for the time being since they did not know what insurance would be offering them for their specific cases. ATB Housing also arranged the hotel options for these employees.

What Does This Mean?

GMS has a team of experts that help clients address nearly any relocation issue, including an emergency request for temporary housing. Clients should work with a Relocation Management Company (RMC) that has extensive knowledge and experience in housing solutions for employees.

Conclusion

GMS’ team of corporate relocation experts has helped thousands of our clients understand how to respond to emergency situations and changing employee needs. Our team can help your company understand how to find appropriate temporary housing solutions during any type of local crisis, including wildfires.

GMS was the first relocation company to register as a .com. The company also created the first online interactive tools and calculators, and revolutionized the entire relocation industry. GMS continues to set the industry pace as the pioneer in innovation and technology solutions with its proprietary MyRelocation® technology platform.

New SafeRelo™ COVID-19 Knowledge Portal

GMS recently launched its new SafeRelo™ COVID-19 Knowledge Portal featuring a number of helpful resources including:

  • Curated selection of news and articles specific to managing relocation programs and issues relating to COVID-19
  • Comprehensive guide to national, international, and local online sources for current data
  • Program/Policy Evaluation (PPE) Tool for instant relocation policy reviews

Learn best practices from Global Mobility Solutions, the relocation industry and technology experts. Contact our experts online to learn about temporary housing solutions for your employees, or give us a call at 800.617.1904 or 480.922.0700 today.

Categories
Domestic Relocation Domestic Relocation Challenges Domestic Relocation Tips Domestic Relocation Trends Relocation Best Practices Relocation Management Talent Management Talent Mobility

Healthcare Corporate Housing Solutions: Covering All the Bases

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, there is a dramatic rise in the need for healthcare corporate housing solutions. Many GMS clients in the healthcare industry suddenly find an increasing demand for a truly mobile workforce. These clients need to deploy their professional staff quickly and efficiently to several different locations.

Since GMS has many clients that already use corporate housing solutions, our team can implement a program almost instantaneously. This allows our client’s front line healthcare workers to focus on their immediate task and gives them peace of mind for their housing solution in a new destination.

What Do Healthcare Corporate Housing Solutions Include?

Direct Experience and Metrics That Matter

Clients seeking healthcare corporate housing solutions should expect a coordinated approach to its housing needs. Solutions should include a very high-touch level of service quality to reflect the needs of the client’s employees. Providers should have direct industry experience with proven long-term results. Metrics such as a 100% client satisfaction rating are indicative of an industry-leading program. As such, this reflects unparalleled dedication to service and quality by the provider.

Healthcare Corporate Housing Solutions: What are the Standard Services?

GMS leverages the strength of a multiple bid process to seek out housing choices among quality providers that meet clients’ budgetary restrictions and policy parameters. As a result, clients can save significantly on temporary living costs. Standard services include:

  • Domestic and Global Coordination
  • Auto Rental and Return Trip Management
  • Over 2 million properties worldwide
  • Fully Furnished Properties, with Utilities and Amenities
  • 95% or Better Match Guarantee
  • Online Tours of Properties
  • Electronic Lease Paperwork
  • Roommate Matching (if needed)
  • Direct Billing Arrangements Available
  • Available Signature Services such as Housekeeping, Grocery Delivery, Houseware Packages, and Special VIP Services

GMS also coordinates, reserves, and arranges the direct billing of fully furnished apartments, unfurnished apartments, and extended stay units.

Healthcare Corporate Housing Solutions: How Does the Process Work?

The general process for arranging temporary housing has three specific stages: Request, Reserve, and Completion. Each of these three stages follow a robust and client-focused set of steps designed to ensure client and transferee satisfaction.

Request

  1. Client submits a request for temporary housing to GMS
  2. GMS contacts the transferee to confirm the details and initiate the housing search
  3. Client approves housing search results (optional)
  4. GMS provides search results to transferee for selection

Reserve

  1. GMS reserves the transferee’s housing selection
  2. Lease documents and arrival instructions are sent to transferee (via DocuSign)
  3. GMS Relocation Coach contacts transferee to confirm selection is to their satisfaction

Completion

  1. Housing costs are directly billed to client on a monthly basis
  2. GMS Relocation Coach contacts transferee monthly to confirm satisfaction and comfort
  3. GMS Relocation Coach checks with client 30 days prior to housing term expiration to manage vacate or renewal
  4. Transferee vacates housing property at expiration

What Does This Mean for Healthcare Corporate Housing Solutions?

Employers seeking healthcare corporate housing solutions should work with a Relocation Management Company (RMC) that has the knowledge and experience to provide a full range of housing options across the entire housing process. RMCs should provide additional helpful programs such as Pre-Decision/Pre-Hire Services with needs-based counseling and mobility assessments, as well as Premier Travel Coordination throughout the entire relocation process.

Resources for transferees should include proprietary relocation technology, area tours, orientations, and virtual destination spotlights. All services should be provided either in-person or virtually, to suit the transferee’s need. By working together, we can all get through these rapidly changing times and help our healthcare workers to focus on what they do best—treating and helping patients to recover from COVID-19.

Conclusion

GMS’ team of corporate relocation experts has helped thousands of our clients with temporary housing solutions to meet their specific needs. Our mobility consulting team can help your company learn about the range of healthcare corporate housing solutions that provide the best options for the employer as well as its employees.

GMS was the first relocation company to register as a .com. The company also created the first online interactive tools and calculators, and revolutionized the entire relocation industry. GMS continues to set the industry pace as the pioneer in innovation and technology solutions with its proprietary MyRelocation® technology platform.

Learn more about healthcare corporate housing solutions from Global Mobility Solutions, the relocation industry and technology experts who are dedicated to keeping you informed and connected. Contact our experts online or give us a call at 800.617.1904 or 480.922.0700 today.

We're Here to Help! Request a Courtesy Consultation

Are you ready to talk to a Mobility Pro? Learn how GMS can optimize your mobility program, enhance your policies to meet today’s unique challenges, receive an in-depth industry benchmark, or simply ask us a question. Your Mobility Pro will be in touch within 1 business day for a no-pressure, courtesy consultation.

Looking for something?