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May 6, 2013
The Cartus annual Take Your Children to Work Day was held on Thursday, April 25, bringing 112 children to the Danbury headquarters. The theme of this year’s highly anticipated event was Building Your Future, One Move at a Time.
The Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation celebrates 20 years of program history this year, with more than 37 million youth and adults participating at some 3.5 million workplaces each year.
Cartus has been hosting our event, organized by the Human Resources staff and volunteers, for more than 10 years, and it never disappoints! The goals of the event go beyond just one day—the children see what their parents do at work, get an opportunity to spend a bit of quality time together in the workplace, have a chance to think about building their own futures, and experience some good, old-fashioned fun, all at the same time.
After registration, our guests were treated to a lively presentation based on the popular board game Life from Tony Bosco, vice president in relocation accounting. The interactive presentation got the children thinking about their future and set the tone for the day’s fun.
Groups led by volunteer guides then broke out into an array of sessions, including a modified game of The Price is Right, a presentation on technology in the workplace, a tour and hands-on exhibit of a car carrier and a moving truck, a session of Toastmasters’ “Public Speaking for Kids (101),” a Mandarin lesson led by our Intercultural and Language Solutions group, and a discussion about “The Feelings of Relocation” led by our Learning and Development group.
A move can be frightening for children, but they also bring a natural curiosity for new places, and it showed when we asked many of our visitors “If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?” and “What language would you most like to learn?” As always, when asking children questions, it was fun and sometimes surprising to hear their responses.
To watch video highlights from our Take Your Children To Work Day, click here or on the image below.
Email this contributor at Patrick.Lewis@cartus.com
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May 2, 2013
Yesterday, our parent company, Realogy, issued its financial results for the first quarter of 2013. For more information, click on the link to the press release. You can also listen to the recording of the earnings webcast via the Investor Information section of the Realogy website.
Email this contributor at kevin.kelleher@cartus.com
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May 1, 2013
People who don’t travel a lot love staying in hotels. They drop their wet towels on the bathroom floor, don’t make the bed and sometimes, they even order room service. What freedom! But frequent business travelers—or people in the process of relocating—are often a bit more blasé about their temporary accommodations. The charm of temporary quarters tends to wear off quickly.
All travelers have at least one thing in common, though: they frequently leave items behind when they check out. We asked our supply chain partner, Marriott International, for a list of the top 10 items left behind in their hotel rooms. Though there weren’t any big surprises on their list, we’ll bet at least a couple of items will have readers nodding in recognition. Been there, left that!
The Top 10 Things Left Behind in Hotel Rooms:
10. Alcohol
9. Contact lens cases and eyeglasses
8. Books
7. Food
6. Money (usually, loose change)
5. Clothing (most often: belts and shoes)
4. Jewelry
3. Hair dryers, irons, brushes, etc.
2. Cellphones
1. Cellphone chargers
Do you have any good methods or tips for remembering these items? Do you write out a checklist? Do you pile anything you’ve used (and might use again while in the room) in front of the door? Put everything back in your suitcase immediately after you’ve finished using it? Let us know in the comments below; we’d love to hear your best (and worst!) “forgotten” stories!
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April 30, 2013
Have you ever heard of “Sochi”? Do you know where it is, why it’s in the news, and how it’s pronounced? The Russian city Sochi is situated between Turkey and the Ukrainian city Yalta, site of the famous 1945 conference attended by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin. It’s located among the massive, snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and is a perfect venue for winter sports of all types. That’s a good thing, because even though it’s difficult to believe after last summer’s greatly publicized London Olympics, it’s time for another Olympic Games! In less than a year, it will be time for the next display of team and individual athletic achievements: the XXII 2014 Winter Olympics, to be held in Sochi, Russia (pronounced SO-chee).
Starting in early February 2014, the world’s winter-sport champions and contenders will gather in Sochi, on the shores of the Black Sea, for the latest series of competitions. Immediately following the conclusion of the Winter Olympic Games, the XI Annual Paralympic Games will also be held in Sochi.
If you currently live in, or are moving to, Russia, Turkey, Romania, or even Greece, you are in luck! You’ll have a relatively simple journey to the Games, should you decide to attend. Information on obtaining tickets, volunteering, buying mementoes, and much more is available on the official website: http://www.sochi2014.com/en/
Getting around Sochi should be eased by a new Light Metro that is currently under construction and is due to be completed in time for the Olympics. The public transportation system will include 80 trains, each capable of carrying 800 passengers, and it’s expected to transport 70,000 passengers every hour during the Games. For those relocating to Sochi, this additional means of rapid transit should be a real plus.
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April 25, 2013
Companies are telling us that the focus on linking their global relocation programs to their overall talent management strategies is intensifying—and no wonder. As new, challenging global locations and assignment types proliferate, getting maximum value from international assignments means more upfront preparation and communication and a better understanding of who is moving, how, and why.
Cartus’ new Pulse Survey delves into those questions, as well as the tactics companies are taking to tighten the links between global assignments, overall career development, and corporate value. Join your colleagues and share your thoughts and opinions by taking our quick Pulse Survey. You’ll receive a complimentary copy of the results and be entered into a drawing for a new iPad.
Want to see what some of our previous surveys have uncovered? Click the links to review our 2012 Trends in Global Relocation survey highlights and our Biggest Challenges survey results. Then take our new Pulse Survey, and share your experiences with us!
