After spending years building your business and the team that supports it, the need to change offices can be startling for everyone involved. While you might have come to terms with the relocation, you’ll need to prepare your workforce for this significant change. When communicating the news and updating them throughout the process, use these tips to smooth things over.

3 Tips for Preparing Your Employees for Relocation

1. Formulate a Timeline

If you spring the relocation on your employees a week or two before it happens, you’ll probably be met with some resistance. However, by formulating a realistic timeline for the move months beforehand, you can avoid uprooting your workforce before they’re ready. Start with the most basic step of your office move—the initial announcement. Once your employees can see this milestone in the distance, they will be more open to future news, such as the organization of hard copies, a desk cleanup date, and other important deadlines.

2. Send Reminders

Once you have your timeline set up and confirmed with higher-level employees, you can start implementing a paperless notification program to alert every member of your staff. For example, you might want to send out emails reminding a certain department to scan and submit certain files, as well as memos about what to pack and what you’ll replace at the new office space. For in-person meetings, packing days, and of course, moving day, you can use email, text, or programs to alert your workforce of these important dates.

3. Establish Meetings

While convenient, you can’t carry out your entire office move from the computer. Your employees will feel much more comfortable with the upcoming change of scenery if they can discuss it with you in person. The initial announcement should certainly be in person, but you should also set up monthly meetings leading up to the move, so employees can ask questions and hear the answers in unison. In addition to making your team feel more unified and confident about the future, this will also save you plenty of time, as you can address 20 emailed questions in a single meeting.

If you’re preparing for an office move, you know that preparing your employees is just one piece of the puzzle—you’ll also need to plan out the logistics of packing and transporting your business. Luckily, A Smooth Move of Cincinnati, OH, has been facilitating commercial moves since 2000. In addition to relocation services, they can also provide essential supplies, such as tape and boxes. To learn more about their insured fleet, visit the website, or call (513) 481-1316 to request a free estimate.