Location, location

Location is a hot topic in the context of Brexit. Determining an organisation’s location strategy requires long-term thinking and the political and macro-economic environment are just two areas for consideration. The talent pool, cost, regulatory framework, business environment, infrastructure and the real estate landscape also need to be factored in. A location strategy is about much more than physical space and talent in particular plays a key role in driving long-term success. It is therefore crucial that an organisation has a clear view of its medium and long term talent needs and a detailed understanding of the presence and pipeline of that talent when considering its options.

Our location strategy team have undertaken over 9,000 site selection projects and work closely with organisations from a range of industries to support them in making informed decisions. We work with organisations who are looking to expand, relocate or rationalise operations and aim to strike the optimal balance between operating costs and conditions.

In the context of Brexit, we have been working with organisations to prepare for the various outcomes that may arise. By planning now, businesses will be in the best position to minimise any disruption, communicate effectively with staff and stakeholders and keep control of costs. From our extensive experience, we typically find that only 15%-20% of people within an organisation may relocate, and therefore it is important that detailed analysis is undertaken and all options are considered before a costly, time-consuming and potentially disruptive relocation decision is taken.

Experience shows that those businesses that have the greatest success in a particular location are the ones that have a clear market entry and recruitment and retention strategy and are those that work hard to integrate in to the local community. What differentiates our location team is that our emphasis is on the factors that contribute most to long-term success such as talent, as opposed to physical space.