The office leasing process brings many unsettling feelings and undeclared ideas among many staff and executives. The work load of the effort in relocating, insecurity or even fear make employment issues a priority to address throughout the process.
Relocations occasionally make the drive-time for some employees a sure thing that they will be leaving the company. Employers need to be very sensitivity that the fear of change is real in the minds of some. Frequent, honest communications is best.
Ordinarily, no one really knows where a company will move until a lease is finally signed. The nature of negotiations is confidentiality and in negotiations we frequently must play one building off another. In this way, not even the company owner can provide signals until the ink is on the lease and the announcement is made.
Your team needs to include a platform of “communications” to manage the internal conversation with employees, other companies in the family and to the street. Once the real estate market understands you are on the market, you will receive calls from every possible vendor – from moving companies to office supplies. Lead clubs exchange company lead information at laser-speed with the internet. Your competitors will know even before you have started your needs assessment. Employees will be solicited by headhunters. Just about every weird thing you can imagine can happen. Not communicating thoroughly is not the right idea.
Establish a policy of what can and should be said; what should not be said, and what can not be said. Set up a procedure for inbound calls for vendors to go to one person, and the press to the company head. Do tell employees you may not be able to answer some questions because they are unknowable, and others may be private, but that they will always be communicated with to alleviate any worry or stress.
