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Five Tips for Communicating Your Office Move to Employees

Five Tips for Communicating Your Office Move to Employees

Communicating your office move can be a delicate matter. Whether you have an internal communications person or team – conveying the news about an office move is a big deal. And the larger your company, the bigger the task. It’s critical that you’re open and honest, and that information comes from the top down.

Here are 5 tips for communicating your office move to employees:

1. Build a Team
In a big company, you probably have several (or many) departments, each with a leader and maybe several layers of leadership. Each department will have different concerns – and responsibilities – when it comes to your corporate relocation. Assemble a “move team” with different representatives, such as IT, HR, Facilities and Internal Comms (if you have that). These trusted, well-respected employees will act as liaisons between departments and the move team.

2. Deliver the News ASAP
The move team should communicate about the move as early as possible. The last thing you want is for employees to find out about the move from other sources which will create unease and mistrust. Be forthcoming with your employees about why the move is happening, what will be taking place, and how it will impact them. Having a full understanding of the situation will help them get on board and prevent issues during the move. As soon as possible, discuss the move timeline, any office closures and the location of the new space. Anticipate questions such as: Why are you moving? Who is in charge of the process? What’s the new space like? Will I still have an office or will I be in a cube? Employees will need time to adjust to the news and to plan for a new commute, daycare and parking concerns.

3. Over Communicate.
How do you usually communicate company-wide information? Email? Town hall-style meetings? Bulletin boards and signage? If the answer is “yes” to any of these, consider employing all of these. Host a breakfast or “coffee chat” for people to ask Q&As. Create an e-newsletter called “The Monday Move” and blast it every Monday with information about packing or the new building. Decorate your office – the front door, the restrooms, the cafeteria – with posters. Do a “desk drop” to all employees with important info. These are just a few ways you can communicate – videos, podcasts, guest speakers are all good ideas, too! Remember: there’s no harm in over-communicating information about your office move.

4. Involve staff and employees.
Keeping staff informed and involved will help keep morale high. Ask them for feedback on the décor and design of the new office. Do people want an open floor plan, or cubicles? Invite people to help name the common areas and conference rooms – hold a contest! Ask them how to effectively purge unwanted things before the move. Do you host a pizza party with giant trash receptacles and music blaring? These are a few suggestions… involving your staff is key.

5. Celebrate Your Move
Relocating your staff, office furnishings and your entire company is stressful. Once you’re in the new space, it’s time to unpack and celebrate! Consider holding a moving-in party for employees and important vendors, clients or partners. Show off your new space and create some new memories so people will feel more “at home.”
A word of caution: if the move is a result of layoffs, loss of business or downsizing, it may be difficult to be positive and upbeat about the move when staff are feeling survivor guilt or missing their former co-workers. Scale your celebration accordingly… throwing a grandiose lobster bake may come across as insensitive when others are unemployed.

Eagle Transfer has been trusted by some of Manhattan’s largest corporations to provide office moving. For nearly 50 years, our professionals have been exceeding the expectations of businesses and corporations who need corporate relocation, moving and storage solutions. Reliably, safely and securely.