Paragon Relocation proudly sponsored and exhibited at the recent Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Summit™, held in Shanghai. Focusing on the significant economic growth projected for Asia-Pacific, Worldwide ERC®’s 9th annual APAC Summit offered delegates the opportunity to listen to subject matter experts discuss and debate a range of mobility topics from legal compliance policies to social and labor relations issues. Over the course of the 2-day summit, delegates had the opportunity to share, network and benchmark with industry peers and suppliers.

Worldwide ERC® is the recognized leader in talent mobility education, research, benchmarking and education. For further information on Worldwide ERC®, please click here.

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Paragon GeoImmigration, Paragon’s newest subsidiary focusing on visa and immigration services, has recently launched a blog which is updated frequently with relocation-related news and breaking immigration alerts. When you have employees on the ground or en-route, you need to stay abreast of all issues that might affect them. For the Best Thinking in Visa and Immigration, please visit The Paragon GeoImmigration Blog!

Here is a sampling of recent posts:

Brazil – passports now include RFID chip

U.S. – export control certification required

Russia changes immigration registration rules

Key HR issues of next decade – new report

India and China ranked worst for over-regulation

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In February, Paragon successfully transitioned into our new 23,000 square foot office in Coppell/Dallas, Texas. This office is well positioned to provide continued excellent service toour clients around the world. The new office location offers expanded square footage to accommodate current and future growth and was built with eco-friendly design specifications which aligns with Paragon Relocation’s goal of sustainable business practices around the globe.

Paragon Relocation also used the move as an opportunity to reinforce the corporate mantra of “reduce, reuse and recycle” by donating unneeded office supplies to Emmet J. Conrad High School, a local Dallas area school, for their students to use. In addition to paper and miscellaneous folders, over 300 binders were donated. Elaine Martin, Director of Paragon GeoImmigration, led the donation efforts and said that the “students and teachers were thrilled!” To read more about Paragon’s Sustainable Business Practices, please visit our website.

Paragon Relocation’s new Texas office address is:

633 East State Hwy 121 South, Suite 520
Coppell, TX 75019 USA

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Message from Paragon CEO, Joseph Morabito
Paragon continuously strives to improve our services. As part of this process, we must recognize that we actually provide four services to six different customers. Today, we implement Relocation Services, Information Management Services, Payroll and Payment Processing and Reporting and Corporate Relocation Funds Management through several of Paragon’s subsidiaries around the world. And, we interface with six different customers on a regular basis including; our client’s Procurement Department, our client Contact, often as a conduit to their senior management, the transferring Employee and Family, our client’s Payroll Department, our client’s Treasury function and our client’s Accounts Payable Department.

Each of our six customers has different goals and objectives that we must recognize and address. Procurement is typically focused on the proposal process, fees, our contract and metrics to measure our services. Our Client Contact expects exceptional service for the employee and family to get them moved efficiently and cost effectively; but is also focused on critical information needed to report data to senior management. The transferring Employee and Family are typically focused on their relocation benefits, the move time line, home value if a homeowner and getting their household goods moved without damage, while at the same time the Employee is doing the new job. Our client’s Payroll Department needs accurate payroll reporting on a regular basis to reflect the monies being paid to the transferring employee. Our client’s Treasury Department deals with the money flows needed to fund the program benefits and supplier billings. And, finally, our client’s Account Payable Department deals with their purchase orders to pay the various bills we send each month.

All of these touch points should demonstrate that we implement a complex process to accomplish domestic and international relocation on behalf of our clients and customers. And, we often do so in multiple currencies. Ultimately, we want our six customers to be raving fans, which means that all Paragon employees and our suppliers interacting with these customers must be pro-active, responsive and detail oriented when implementing the variety of services and processes requested to accomplish relocation effectively. As a team, all of us at Paragon must function in tandem to get the job done. As such, in the months ahead, we will focus on our four services and our six customers with renewed vigor to make sure that we have the resources and talent in place around the world to best address their goals and objectives.

At the same time, I am pleased to announce that we have completed the necessary registrations to open Paragon Relocation – China with our new office in Beijing. In addition, we have identified our office location in Paris in La Défense to open Paragon Relocation – France in the coming months. Shortly, we will expand Paragon Relocation – Holland to become Paragon Relocation – Benelux Countries. We are making progress in setting up our Client Accounting Help Desk to better assist our customers with inquiries concerning expense reimbursements. We have launched our optional Gold Service for clients who choose to provide an even higher level of service than normal for their employees. We have successfully completed the move to our new 23,000 square foot office in Coppell/Dallas, Texas without any disruption to our clients and customers. Paragon GeoImmigration, our newest subsidiary, has hit the ground running filling a need in the marketplace for coordinated global visa and immigration services. Relocation volume is up over last year, which is very positive. At Paragon, there is one thing we can count on and that is change as we continue to grow and improve our company in response to the needs, goals and objectives of our clients and customers.

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Moving can often be one of the most stressful experiences in life because you are picking up all of your belongings and trusting that they will safely make it to your new home.

Lifehacker.com has writen an excellent article on the Five Essential Tools for Moving which could help make your move a lot easier for you.

Here is what they recommend having around to make the move easier:

1. Labels - labelling boxes when you are packing will save a lot of time and energy when you arrive in your new location.
2. Ziplock bags – these are good to put odds and ends in. The larger ones can be used for the contents of drawers, like pens, pencils, and even silverware.
3. Zip ties – these are great for keeping cables and wires organized so that you don’t need to spend time untangling them when you arrive.
4. Furniture Sliders – these make moving furniture a lot easier because it allows you to push the furniture across the floor without having to lift it.
5. Movers Stretch Plastic Wrap – this can provide extra padding around furniture to make sure that it doesn’t get scratched during the move and to help keep things in place.

At Paragon Relocation we want to do everything we can to help make your move easier. If you have any moving tips that you would like to share please post them below or share them with us on our Facebook page.

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Amanda Ward of Paragon Relocation has been appointed to the Worldwide ERC Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) committee.  The EMEA committee’s primary purpose is to provide information on global workforce issues in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, which will enable Worldwide ERC to develop services and programs to serve the industry in the EMEA region. This committee is comprised of a distinguished group of global experts that crosses industries and geographies.  Positions on the EMEA committee are awarded based on the invitation of Committee Chairman, Jane Collette Mabbitt, Associate Director of Global Mobility for Ernst & Young.

“Amanda is a key member of the Paragon’s staff, specifically in Europe. Her participation in the EMEA ERC committee will be an opportunity to share her wealth of knowledge with the industry as a whole.” said Joseph Morabito, President and CEO of Paragon.

Ward is a Director of Global Consulting Services at Paragon Relocation, where her role includes client implementations in EMEA and Asia. She joined Paragon in 2010 and brought with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from her previous positions in Price Waterhouse Coopers, GMAC and Emigra. Ward has also completed expatriate assignments in both Singapore and Moscow. Currently, she is based out of Paragon Relocation’s office in London.

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Paragon Relocation has for many years been a Global Relocation Provider, but the company also took on somewhat of an Irish flavouring when we officially opened our International Headquarters and EMEA Service Center in Dublin a few years back.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world because the Irish immigrated all over the world. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because it is very green; hence the reason many wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, a predominately Catholic country and as such it is a national holiday in Ireland. The legend goes that St. Patrick drove the snakes off the island of Ireland. St. Patrick is also known as the patron saint of travelers. So to all, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Here are some links around the web about St Patrick’s Day:

St. Patrick’s Day – Wikipedia Article

St. Patrick’s Day: Five Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know

South Lawn White House Fountain went Green for St. Patrick’s Day

President Obama Announced Upcoming Visit to Ireland Today (St. Patrick’s Day)

Dublin Streets Turned Green for Parade

Picture source: Kodak

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Paragon Relocation is a member of Worldwide ERC^®, the world’s leading workforce mobility membership association.  We support Worldwide ERC^®’s belief that a bigger global community of HR professionals actively participating and sharing their experience raises the bar on everyone’s performance and success.  Increased attendance and engagement broadens the knowledge and capabilities of our entire industry, and that benefits everyone.

On behalf of Paragon Relocation and Worldwide ERC^® we are excited to offer you a free registration to attend the Worldwide ERC^® National Relocation Conference, which will be held on May 18-20, 2011 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  Please click on the following link to view further details on this offer: Special Offer to HR Professionals

You must register to take advantage of this offer and attend the National Relocation Conference.  If you are eligible as a corporate HR professional to take advantage of this outstanding offer, simply complete the registration form for corporate HR Attendees. And please feel free to extend this offer to your co-workers! Please Note: There are a limited number of spaces, so your early response is critical.

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At Paragon, our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the destruction of the earthquake that Japan recently experienced. Please be advised of the following travel advisory from the U.S. Department of State:

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the situation in Japan in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake, measuring 8.9 magnitude, that struck northern Japan on March 11. U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Japan at this time. This Travel Alert expires on April 1, 2011.

The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Japan at this time. Tokyo airports are currently closed; other airports in Japan may be closed or have restricted access. Public transportation, including trains and subways are closed in the Tokyo area, and service has been interrupted in other areas. Many roads have been damaged in the Tokyo area and in northern Japan.

Strong aftershocks are likely for weeks following a strong earthquake such as this one. The American Red Cross recommends that in the event of aftershocks, persons should move to open spaces away from walls, windows, buildings, and other structures that may collapse, and should be alert to the danger of falling debris. If you are indoors, DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON: If possible, seek cover under a sturdy desk or table, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If there is no table or desk nearby, sit on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you. Avoid damaged buildings and downed power lines. Great care should be used with matches, lighters, candles, or any open flame due to the possibility of disrupted gas lines.

U.S. citizens currently in Japan should contact family and friends in the United States to confirm their well-being at the earliest opportunity. Where internet and telephone services are not available, it may be possible to contact people using SMS (Cell text message) or other forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook. U.S. citizens may contact the Department of State at JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov and the emergency contact numbers below.

U.S. citizens in Japan are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at the following website: https://travelregistration.state.gov. U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulates. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy/Consulates to contact them in case of emergency.

Updated information on travel and security in Japan may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Japan, as well as the Worldwide Caution, which can be found at www.travel.state.gov.

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At Paragon Relocation we have known for a long time the importance of developing a global mindset. Thinking globally informs every decision that we make, including our hiring and our strategic corporate plans.

In addition, many of the transferees/assignees that we are thankful to assist spend some portion of their career on an international assignment or take a global permanent move to a foreign country to gain that unique experience that someone gets only from living and working in a country that is not their home country.

According to USNews.com this is a frequent pattern for those headed for upper management: “…one stripe is common to a full three-quarters of Fortune 100 CEOs today: They have all spent at least two years working in a senior position overseas, according to a new study by Healthy Companies International.”

In addition the article goes on to point out that the statistics have dramatically changed over the last 20 years. ” It’s not just CEOs who are going abroad. The percentage of Fortune 100 “C-suite” executives—those whose titles often begin with “chief”—who have had senior responsibilities overseas has jumped to 71 percent from 48 percent 10 years ago, according to the study. Go back even further—to, say, 20 years ago—and you’ll find many companies in which overseas assignments actually took employees off the internal executive track.”

It is clear today that having a global mindset is an essential element to succeed in an increasing globalizing world. Today many employees are understandably jumping at the opportunity to “go global” and Paragon Relocation is always pleased to have the opportunity to come alongside our client’s employees to help them on their way at this exciting stage of their career path.

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Yes! Home Staging can instantly attract potential buyers to homes that are being sold as part of a relocation and can really make the home stand out from comparable houses in the area. In addition to the opportunities for more showings of the home it actually leads to a higher sales price as well.

Here are the Home Staging stats, courtesy of The HomeGain Real Estate Blog:

By staging the home before it hits the market, it will set you up to sell your home quickly at a much better price. Paragon Relocation Consultants and our experienced and independent Real Estate Broker network specialize in setting up your home to achieve the best possible results on the open market. Ask them for any advice they have on staging a home when it comes time to sell your home.

In addition to the chart above you can find other helpful tools for staging your home at HomeGain.com.

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There may be a plethora of reasons an employee may decide not to take a relocation on behalf of their corporation but as the Worldwide ERC graph below indicates the overwhelming amount of turned down relocation opportunities relate to the adjusting real estate market.

In addition to assisting employees wade through the tough waters of this current real estate market Paragon’s Relocation Consultants specialize in helping employees who are considering a relocation achieve each of their goals for relocating.

Also, Paragon Relocation’s consulting group provides an increasingly valuable service called “Pre-Decision Consulting”.

Pre-Decision Consulting provides a transferring employee and their company all the tools necessary to determine if a transfer is the right fit for that candidate given the current real estate market and other factors which may determine the success of the relocation. We have found this service to provide Corporate HR and Global Talent departments a protection against the risk of possible short sales and loss on sales which can often amount to dissatisfied employees and their managers.

In conclusion, because of the costs that can result from these types of moves, Paragon Relocation recommends using Pre-Decision Consulting in conjunction with a Program Design that is attuned to the realities of the New Normal.

To hear more information about Pre-Decision Consulting, please contact Paragon Relocation today!

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