Professional 'Interior Arrangers' Hasten Household Setup for Relocated Employees - Brief Article

HR Magazine, May, 2001 by Bill Leonard

Relocations are very stressful on employees, their families and the HR professionals who manage the process. So any relocation service that might reduce stress levels can be a valuable resource to employers.

Contracting with professional interior arrangers is one way that a growing number of employers are finding to ease relocation headaches. Interior arrangers usually come into the relocating employees' home after the moving company has unpacked the boxes and left. They then arrange furniture, hang artwork and place decorative items and can make a new house feel and look like a home quickly.

"And this is really important to the families of employees who are relocating. The faster it feels like home, then the faster the employee will adapt to their new surroundings and return to a productive work schedule," says Joyce Hoelzer, president of InnerSpace Solutions Inc. in Ellicott City, Md. "There are many cost benefits to providing this relocation service, such as reducing downtime and also ensuring that employees come to work fully rested and focused because they didn't stay up until 2 a.m. setting up their new home."

The cost of providing interior arrangers can vary widely from city to city, and factors such as the size of the home and the amount of furniture come into play. However, Hoelzer says that providing the service to employees can actually be a bargain and save employers in the long run when you account for salary and lost productivity, as most employees take at least a full week off following a relocation.

"By using professional arrangers, employees return to work an average of three to four days sooner," Hoelzer says. "And at today's pay levels for managers and executives, the cost savings to employers can be quite significant."

Employers also are realizing that relocation services such as interior arrangers provide some added benefits such as improved employee morale and retention, Hoelzer says. "I know from personal experience that it definitely helps improve a relocating employee's attitude," she adds.

More information on interior arrangers and the services they provide is available online from the Interior Arrangement and Design Association at www.interiorarrangement.org or by calling (214) 826-2474.

Bill Leonard is senior writer for HR Magazine