Stop by Paragon’s booth, 504, to register to win an iPad and get some fun beach-themed giveaways!

Filed under: Blog Post, ERC, Events | No Comments »

Two Paragon staff members have been invited to participate in Worldwide ERC^® committees.

Elaine Martin of Paragon GeoImmigration has been invited to join the Program Planning committee for the 2013 Global Workforce Symposium held in October. The committee will meet in Washington D.C. to develop the program content and then each committee member will take ownership of one session for the Symposium.

Kristin Eubanks of Paragon Global Resources has been appointed to the Worldwide ERC^® Communications committee. The Communications committee’s primary purpose is to offer recommendations for maintaining and enhancing the association’s messaging to members through existing communications vehicles to: increase member awareness, satisfaction and retention; support the global growth initiative of the organization; and build the brand of organization.

“Both Elaine and Kristin are perfectly suited for these positions and their appointments speak volumes about their levels of experience and expertise in the areas of immigration and communication. They will be welcomed additions to the committees and will represent Paragon well,” said Joseph Morabito, President and CEO of Paragon.

Martin is the Managing Director of Immigration Services for Paragon GeoImmigration, responsible for the management of Paragon’s global network of immigration providers delivering immigration services in more than 150 countries.

Eubanks is the Director of Global Marketing and Communications at Paragon Global Resources, where her role includes managing marketing, communications and proposal activities for all of Paragon’s entities.

About Paragon Global Resources

Paragon Global Resources is the parent company of various wholly owned subsidiaries including Paragon Relocation, Paragon Decision Resources, GenEquity Mortgage and Paragon GeoImmigration. Paragon Global Resources strives to be the premier partner of choice in the global mobility, human resource, mortgage and real estate service industries by providing innovative programs, value-added support, superior customer service and thought leadership to our clients and the customers we serve.  For further information, please visit www.paragongri.com.

Filed under: Announcement, Blog Post, ERC, Press Release | No Comments »

Paragon is delighted to announce that Craig Selders, president of Paragon Relocation has been invited to return as a mentor to young professionals at the Global Workforce Symposium on October 4, 2012.

Introduced during the May 2012 Worldwide ERC^® conference, the progressive mentoring sessions received rave reviews and are being brought back for a repeat performance.  The 20-minute roundtable sessions, specifically designed to cover topics of interest to young professionals, provide guidance from experts in the global mobility industry.

“I am thrilled to share this time and conversation with the next generation of leaders,” Selders explained.  “It is exciting to be asked back for another session.”

Selders will focus his discussions on managing and leadership.

The Worldwide ERC^® Global Workforce Symposium will be held in Washington, D.C. at the Marriot Wardman Park hotel October 3-5, 2012.

About Paragon Relocation

Paragon Relocation is the premier partner of choice in the global relocation management industry providing innovative programs, value-added support, superior customer service and thought leadership to our clients and the families we relocate. Our mission is to provide an extraordinary customer experience, one family at a time.  Paragon Relocation has been providing relocation services for 25 years and offers services in 150 countries. For further information, please visit www.paragonrelocation.com.

Filed under: Announcement, ERC, Events, Press Release | No Comments »

If you are in the San Antonio area, come see us at Booth 500 at Worldwide ERC’s National Relocation Conference.  Paragon Relocation along with our sister company, GenEquity Mortgage, will be exhibiting May 9-11^th.  Stop by for a free cupcake to celebrate our 25^th Anniversary. 

Registration for the conference is free to first-time corporate HR attendees so make plans to be there.  Additionally, Paragon Relocation’s President, Craig Selders, will be speaking on leadership during the YP40 session on Thursday.  So get on down to Texas y’all!

Filed under: Announcement, Blog Post, ERC, Events | No Comments »

Paragon has had a full exhibition schedule this year. Most recently, Paragon exhibited at Worldwide ERC®’s Global Workforce Symposium in Denver, Colorado. Attendees had the opportunity to win an iPad in addition to having the opportunity to hear about Paragon’s service offerings. To finish out the 2011 exhibition schedule, Paragon Relocation, along with Paragon GeoImmigration and GenEquity Mortgage, exhibited at the HR Southwest Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Paragon gave away a set of Dallas Cowboys tickets to one lucky winner.

We hope to see some of you at the upcoming Worldwide ERC®’s Global Workforce Summit in Shanghai, China on March 22-23, 2012. To keep up-to-date with Paragon’s events and conferences in 2012, please visit our Events page throughout the year.

Filed under: ERC, Events, ISM, The Best Thinking... | No Comments »

Corporate Relocation is an investment. It is an investment of time, money and human capital. When an employee is tapped to take a corporate relocation their company is ready to make a big investment in that person to share their expertise and knowledge with another office. The reasons to relocate an employee is often twofold, 1) the company needs to use that person as a resource in the new location and 2) it gives an opportunity for a deserving employee to bolster their experience with a relocation, which as we noted in the past is becoming an essential quality of corporate leadership.

The cost of the relocation is often the number one factor used to decide which candidate is right for the job. Understanding what benefits are needed to relocate an employee and their family prior to a move will significantly help to determine if the employee is a good fit for a relocation. Often times, companies rush into choosing a candidate for a relocation and then it turns out they weren’t the best choice in the first place which leads to frustration, excessive costs and even a failed relocation. This is why Paragon’s standalone service, Pre-Decision Consulting, is so popular. Pre-Decision avoids the mistakes before they happen significantly increasing the return-on-investment of a relocation.

To determine how much a relocation will cost it is important to understand the employee’s family and housing situation because this will dictate the amount of benefits they will need to successfully relocate to the new location. For example, relocating a Senior Executive with a family of five with a large home is going be a much larger investment than relocating a single new hire recent grad who lives in a one bedroom apartment.

What are the Average Relocation Costs?

In a recent Mobility Magazine, they published the Worldwide ERC 2011 US Transfer Volume & Cost Survey which included the below data on the average corporate relocation costs by move type.

Breaking Down Relocation Costs by Move Type

• How much does it cost to relocate a homeowner? – On average it costs $90,081 to move an existing employee who is a homeowner. An existing employee homeowner relocation costs more because it relates to the size of their home. Existing employee homeowners typically have larger homes which increases the costs of relocation benefits that relate to real estate and because their home is larger they also often have more stuff to ship using a household goods company which increases the price of the overall relocation as well.




• How much does it cost to relocate a new hire homeowner? – On average it costs $69,020 to move a new hire employee who is a homeowner. Similar to an existing employee homeowner relocation, a new hire homeowner relocation costs more than a renter relocation because it relates to the size of their home. The new hire homeowner may not always need the full array of benefits that an existing employee homeowner needs on a relocation and the costs to relocate these employees is less.




• How much does it cost to relocate a renter? – On average it costs $23,497 to move an existing employee who is a renter. An existing employee renter relocation typically costs considerably less than a homeowner relocation because benefits related to real estate are not needed for these employees and because often times renters have less household goods to be moved which results in smaller moving costs.




• How much does it cost to relocate a new hire renter? – On average it costs $20,168 to move a new hire employee who is a renter. A new hire employee renter relocation very closely resembles an existing employee renter relocation but with a little bit narrower scope of benefits.

Paragon Relocation uses complete transparency in pricing and reporting to show our clients the true costs of each relocation. We bring the average costs of relocation down with smart relocation program design that aligns our client’s relocation budget goals with their corporate talent goals. Relocating an employee is a big investment for any company to make, and while relocation management fees are a very small part of those costs, Paragon is always thinking of new ways to save its client’s money. In terms of reducing overall costs, the inclusion of the Pre-Decision Consulting as well as other cost cutting services such as our preferred household goods provider bidding engine, Partner Select, have saved our clients well above 10% on each participating relocation. In addition with the full launch of our industry leading Relocation Information Management System, PRISM 2.0, we are also saving our client’s time touching relocation with its user friendly features and robust reporting suite.

Would you like to save time and money on relocation? Contact us today for more information on how you can save time and money on your relocation program!



For more information on how much a relocation costs, please see this previous post: How much does it cost to relocate an employee?

Filed under: ERC, The Best Thinking..., Uncategorized | No Comments »

Worldwide ERC® CEO, Peggy Smith, has spoken to many workforce mobility and HR professionals and she has shared their desire to expand the Worldwide ERC® community. We support Peggy’s belief that a bigger community of employer members actively participating and sharing their experience raises the bar on everyone’s performance and success. Increased corporate attendance and engagement broadens the knowledge and capabilities of our entire industry, and that benefits everyone.

On behalf of Paragon Relocation and Paragon GeoImmigration and Worldwide ERC® we are excited to offer you a free registration to attend the Worldwide ERC® 2011 Global Workforce Symposium, which will be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver October 12-14, 2011.

This free registration is available to any corporate HR professional who has not attended the Global Workforce Symposium in three years or more and who signs up to attend. If you are eligible to take advantage of this outstanding offer, and would like to learn more please click here:

Free Registration for Worldwide ERC Denver

Filed under: ERC, annoucement | No Comments »

Managing Relocation in a Changing Corporate Environment

On-demand Information Required

By Joseph Morabito, SCRP – President and CEO of Paragon Global Resources.

With the advent of outsourcing the relocation function and the downsizing that has occurred in Corporate America during the past decade, the full-time, experienced, corporate relocation manager has, in many cases, become an endangered species. Instead, relocation companies today are, more often than not, dealing with HR generalists wearing many hats and sometimes doing two or more jobs.

As such, when normal day-to-day issues arise that are common in any relocation program requiring problem resolution, the interaction between the relocation company and the internal HR generalist can be less than satisfactory—sometimes it even could be characterized as strained. This is because old-style relationships that were predicated on relocation experience often are not there today. In other words, we are speaking very different languages.

This is the case because in outsourcing the mobility function, there may be an assumption that it actually will require little or no interaction on a day-to-day basis; yet perhaps 10 percent of moves involve exceptions to policy and/or problem resolution that requires both experience and intense interaction, often perceived as an intrusion into an already busy day for the HR generalist.

Corporate contacts today have so many other responsibilities that they just do not have the time to attend relocation industry conferences, or even webinars, to gain relocation specific knowledge. This makes problem-solving difficult because the HR generalist, who may have little relocation experience, just wants to focus on other responsibilities that may have a lower “noise level” and a bit less emotional visibility.

Face it: some of the issues we encounter in relocation are not fun, particularly if the HR generalist must interface with senior management for a bigger dollar exception that was unanticipated.

The Current Real Estate Market

The HR generalist may be ill-prepared to address the current real estate market, where we are not only facing old-style loss on the sale of the home, but short sales in which transferring employees are upside-down, owing more on the home than the current market value. That used to happen once in a while in the “Old Normal.”

In the “New Normal,” it is a scenario that is occurring increasingly and will continue to happen for the next several years. Yet, many corporations are still implementing relocation plans that were designed to respond to the Old Normal and really do not work well in the New Normal.

The real test is the incidence of exceptions to policy, which have become more frequent and more painful from a financial perspective, resulting in an even higher “noise level” than was common in the past. This is the reason that pre-decision move consulting should be implemented for all homeowners, in particular, to determine their home value and other factors that could negatively affect move cost so that there are no costly surprises after the move has begun.

Without pre-decision move consulting, when there are problems or costly surprises, there is a tendency for some client contacts to conclude that service levels have dipped when, in fact, major program revision may be needed to address the New Normal marketplace. Experienced corporate relocation managers who understand how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together to comprise a well-managed relocation program are in a better position to recognize the need for changes in program design.

In addition, flexible benefit relocation plans that often do not cover the cost of a move can be problematic, particularly if there are disconnects in policy elements (i.e., insufficient temporary living reimbursements to accommodate a home marketing assistance program without the potential for guaranteed buy out after a period of time).

Missing the Big Picture

Corporate HR generalists, who tend to be more transaction-oriented, often see the noise level from a transferring employee or individual policy issues, rather than the inter-relationship between policy elements that are needed to comprise an entire well designed relocation program. So rather than address issues from an overall cause and effect perspective, which should be the paradigm, there is a tendency for the HR generalist to miss the big picture and focus on the problem at hand, which only will ensure that the problem will reoccur with another transferee.

It can be much harder for relocation companies to maintain the working relationship needed to successfully manage a relocation program if communication occurs only when a problem arises. As such, new approaches in training and education are needed by relocation companies to better assist HR generalists concerning the relocation function they have been charged with managing. Relocation companies must be more proactive rather than reactive, attempting to grab “teachable moments” when we can, prior to the need for problem resolution.

Information must be provided in smaller bits, because the HR generalists often have so much on their plate that they cannot possibly absorb all the information they are encountering on a daily basis.To the degree possible, relationships must be built not on the basis of relocation experience, but rather on the basis of best practice HR management, so that together we are speaking the samelanguage.

The changing corporate environment is not going back to the Old Normal any time soon. As such, to be successful, relocation companies must adjust to the New Normal in dealings with our clients.

Related Recent Posts from Paragon Relocation:

Paragon Relocation’s Customer Reviews
Pre-Decision Consulting

Joseph Morabito, SCRP, is president and CEO of Paragon Global Resources, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. He can be reached at +1 949 635 6000 or e-mail jmorabito@paragongri.com.

Filed under: ERC, The Best Thinking... | No Comments »

Please join Paragon Relocation in congratulating:

• Brad Bianucci,
• Kristin Eubanks,
• Patrick Fleming,
• Judy Hammel,
• Sean Ireland,
• and Jennifer Morabito

for earning Worldwide ERC’s Certified Relocation Professional (CRP®) Designation. The Certified Relocation Professional™ is a highly regarded designation for all those within the U.S. domestic relocation industry who are dedicated to the successful mobility of employee transferees, and who consistently seek to better themselves and the service they offer through continuing education in this specialized field. Paragon Relocation has always held in high esteem those that posses the value of being life long learners, earning this relocation designation perfectly exemplifies that attitude. Way to go!!!

Click the facebook “like” to celebrate our CRP Designates!

Filed under: ERC, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Paragon Relocation, a leading international relocation company, is popping champagne bottles at the Worldwide ERC Global Workforce Symposium in Amsterdam 23-24 June, 2011 to celebrate recently opening Paragon Relocation Benelux. Please visit us at booth #9 for a chance to win one of our bottles of champagne.

How can I win a bottle of Champagne at ERC Amsterdam?

Paragon Relocation is giving away six bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne over the course of the ERC Conference to celebrate our expansion into the Benelux region. Delegates will need to drop by the Paragon Relocation stand #9 and leave their business card to be in with a chance to win.

For more information about the conference and to register please visit the Worldwide ERC Amsterdam EMEA Global Workforce Symposium website. (Registration is free for a limited number of HR attendees so register now!)

Filed under: ERC | No Comments »

Moving is stressful. In addition to moving the stuff you own into your new home you also have to worry about whether or not you are picking best the neighborhood for you and your family.

Thankfully when you relocate with Paragon Relocation we have our Relocation Consultants there every step of the way to guide you into a great neighborhood. In addition to the great service Paragon Relocation’s consultants provide there are also some great tools on the internet to use to make you a neighborhood expert even before you move there.

But first, you need to know what you need to know before you start your research.

What should I know about my new neighborhood before I move?

IMPACT Group, a employee and family transition services company, released a report that was cited by Worldwide ERC of the top 10 most requested important pieces of information that people request when they are moving to a new neighborhood. While the most important information might be different for each family, the most requested pieces of information include:

1. Demographic and Crime Reports
2. Employers in a Specific Industry/Occupation
3. Physician/Dental Referral Services
4. Recruiters/Temporary Staffing Agencies
5. School Rankings
6. Company Lists
7. Driver’s License/Vehicle Registration Facilities
8. School District Reports
9. Preschools and Day Care Centers
10. Fitness Centers

Now that you have some ideas of what to search for, now we will give you the tools.

How do I research information about a neighborhood?

Neighborhood Scout – this site provides abundant information about your new neighborhood. Enter the address (including zip code) of your new location and it will give you home values, crime rates and details on public schools in the area.

Wikipedia – search the name of your new city to find some additional information about the history of the city, demographics, in addition to information such as the largest employers in the city.

City-Data.com – although this site may not be the prettiest to look at it provides lots and lots of data about many cities through out the United States and Canada which may help you with your search to find the perfect neighborhood for you.

These tools above will help you find out as much information as you can before you actually visit the neighborhood and decide if it is a good fit for you and your family.

Paragon Relocation as part of its offering of full service international and domestic relocation programs helps moving employees all over the world find the best neighborhood for them through various forms of Home Finding trips. From US Domestic Relocation to International Assignments to Global Destination Services Paragon Relocation’s goal is to help each employee feel at home whereever their final destination takes them.

Filed under: Blog Post, Community Service, ERC, The Best Thinking... | No Comments »

Craig Selders is speaking today at the Worldwide ERC Industry All Star Panel at the National Relocation Conference in Las Vegas.

Please click here for more details: Worldwide ERC All Star Panel.

Filed under: ERC | No Comments »

New data from the Worldwide ERC 2011 New Hire Survey suggests that companies are willing to relocate new hires especially if it is for an executive position if the person is a good fit for their organization. The chart below indicates that 93% of companies report that they would relocate New Hire executives within the US.

New Hires are an essential part of a total talent management strategy and often times when the talent needed isn’t available in a certain location companies turn to a Relocation Services company, such as Paragon Relocation, to help their new hire get from point A to point B.

Here are some core elements for a great New Hire relocation policy:

1. It should be fair and the benefits should be equal for other New Hires based on salary level to avoid possible discrimination disputes.
2. It doesn’t have to be the same policy as existing employees although it can be. (This should be determined by the corporate talent management strategy. How competitive is the search for talent in your industry?).
3. As with any relocation policy it should be clear and communicate exactly the benefits that an employee will receive.
4. It should detail the process for how the New Hire employee gets relocation expenses paid for. (Are they reimbursed? Direct billed? Are lump sums provided for portions of the relocation?)
5. It should detail who is their “go to” contact throughout the relocation process. (Should they contact corporate HR first or their Relocation Consultant first?)

Paragon Relocation has helped many many companies develop their Relocation Policies over the last 20 years. We would be thrilled to help you develop a relocation program based on your needs. Let us know if we can be of assistance!

Filed under: Blog Post, ERC | No Comments »

Craig Selders, Paragon Relocation’s President has been invited to join a panel of Global Relocation Industry All Stars at the upcoming Worldwide ERC National Relocation Conference in Las Vegas on May 18th-20th, 2011. This panel called the “Industry Thought Leaders Panel” at previous conferences  is an opportunity for conference attendees to hear about the biggest challenges and trends facing the global relocation management industry today. This Q&A panel will be moderated with prepared questions from Worldwide ERC President, Peggy Smith.

If you haven’t signed up for the Worldwide ERC National Relocation Conference there are TWO days left before conference prices go up. In addition if you are a corporate HR professional your conference is on us (Yes, that’s right 100% FREE registration). For more information on the conference and free registration for HR professionals please click here: Worldwide ERC National Relocation Conference.

Filed under: Blog Post, ERC | No Comments »

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.

Filed under: Blog Post, ERC, Paragon Press, The Best Thinking... | No Comments »

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.

Filed under: ERC, Press Release | No Comments »