Articles
« Previous | Return to Main | List All | Next » |
Follow Me
written by Jake Poinier
ArizonaWoman May 2005
As women rise to more prominent roles in American business, an interesting trend is emerging: husbands are moving to new cities for their wive's jobs and promotions in greater numbers than ever before.
"A third of our recent clients were men who were looking for jobs here because their wives had found work in the Valley," says Linda Baugh, president of Phoenix-based American Career Executives, who says the phenomenon is becoming more common.
"In the last three years, one woman was a controller at a corporation and her husband was a customer service representative at a call center; another woman was a hospital CEO and her husband was a part-time consultant. Many women are directors or vice presidents and their husbands are in managerial positions in engineering, marketing, sales...and in a growing number of cases, the man stays home with the children while the woman brings in the big bucks," says Baugh.
That doesn't mean all the traditional gender expectations and habits have changed. A national survey of married couples last year by Allied Van Lines revealed that 77 percent of women polled said they would relocate for their husband's careers, while only 58 percent of men said they would make the move.
"Probably one in four corporate relocations doesn't work these days, becasue there are so many variables for both halves of a couple," says Ann Zaslow-Rathaber, president of Tempe-based International Search Consultants. "Also, women tend to feel responsible for the entire familie's happiness, which is magnified when her job forces the move," says Zaslow-Rathaber.
A Checklist of Concerns
Valley relocation experts say their most difficult challenge these days is helping dual-income couples find a job for the uprooted spouse, a challenge that comes amidst some of life's most stressful events: moving, selling a home, buying a home, and starting a new job.
With almost 300 people moving to Arizona daily, corporations looking for new executives have a surplus of personnel to choose from, says Baugh, who estimates that in the Valley less than 14 percent of jobs here are obtained through headhunters, and the number of management jobs found online is in the single digits."
"More than 70 percent of management-level hiring here is done through referrals, knowing someone and direct meetings with decision makers," says Baugh. "That's a surprise to many couples relocating here."
The trailing spouse usually expects to find a job within six to eight weeks, but the search often continues past six months, Baugh says. "For a professional who was earning $100,000 annually, each week without compensation costs the couple $1,923," she says.
"The trailing spouse can lose self esteem and become resentful of a wife who has a job, professional colleagues and respect. There can be awkwardness in introducing the unemployed spouse now that he has no title or business card. The woman professional can get uptight and resentful herself, and begin to question her partner. In those situations, dinner conversation is not pleasant," says Baugh.
Some of these issues can be offset before making the move by doing heavy research and preparation, and creative negotiation with the corporation hiring the relocating executive, say Valley relocation experts.
"When a woman is being relocated, she needs to take into account the loss of income of her spouse or partner. Lay out to the employer what it will 'cost' you as a couple to move, and see if the employer will provide a relocation budget in the range of $8,000-$11,000 to hire a firm that will shorten the job search, or give you a sign-on bonus that will help you bridge the gap of lower income," Baugh suggests...
Start NOW To Improve Your Results!
Click Here to Complete Your Confidential Career Profile