Before committing to a relocation partner, it makes sense to take a step back and look at your options. If hiring international talent is part of your company culture, relocation will eventually become part of the conversation. It’s at this point that many HR teams start asking the same question: should we manage relocation internally or work with a relocation partner or advisor.
In that case, and unless someone in your team has the knowledge and the time (tricky one) to manage immigration procedures, housing searches, and administrative follow-ups, relocation can quickly become more complex than expected. So let’s dive into understanding what relocation partners actually do, and when companies typically decide to work with one.
What relocation partners actually do
We are slightly biased on this one since, after all, immigration matters are something we work with every day at YourExpats (check out our options),but let’s keep it broad.
Relocation partners usually support companies with things such as:
- Immigration support and residence permit applications;
- Housing search assistance;
- Municipal registration(BRP);
- School search and family support;
- Settling-in services.
For HR teams recruiting expats, as you can intuitively imagine, this type of support can significantly reduce administrative workload. Of course, you can also handle this internally, but here are a few things to keep in mind.
When companies handle relocation internally
Companies have different priorities and internal capabilities. Some organisations prefer to manage relocation themselves. However, this is usually more common when:
- Relocation volumes are low;
- HR teams already have immigration or global mobility expertise;
- relocation cases are simpler, often within Europe.
In these situations, relocation processes can be coordinated directly between HR, the employee, and the relevant authorities.
When it makes sense to go for a relocation partner
For scale-ups hiring multiple international employees, relocation can quickly become complex and distract from the company’s core focus: growing the business.
Housing shortages, immigration timelines and administrative processes require careful coordination. And if international hires come from outside Europe, visa applications, family relocations, and additional documentation add extra layers to the process, making it more complex (especially if there is no in-depth internal expertise).
Relocation partners, such as YourExpats for a very competitive price (promotion inserted), help companies structure these processes, reduce delays and bring more predictability to the relocation experience for both HR teams and employees moving to the Netherlands.
Long story short
Relocation partners are not mandatory. Some organisations manage relocation internally without major issues. Yet, as relocation cases become more complex or more frequent, things can quickly become difficult to track and pretty messy without a structured system in place.
Platforms like YourExpats help HR teams monitor relocation processes, automate workflows and keep everything organised in one central place. Whether you manage relocation internally or work with a relocation partner, having a clear overview of each step helps ensure the process runs smoothly and remains compliant.
And of course, if you ever want to explore how this could work for your team, we’re always happy to help!
