Expert Spotlight: Focus on CoPilot Express™

NuCompass’ Latest Technology Innovation

Welcome back to our Expert Spotlight where we chat with our subject matter experts about everything relocation. Today, we’ll take a deep dive into CoPilot Express™, NuCompass’ new relocation platform that is reshaping the world of lump sum payments for employees and companies alike.

Join us as we interview NuCompass expert, Scott Padgett, Senior Director of Client Relations, who provides insights into CoPilot Express from the corporate perspective and explains its key features, real-world impact, and the exciting future it holds in store for NuCompass’ clients and their employees.

1. What do you consider the top features of CoPilot Express?

SP: I think the key benefits to the CoPilot Express platform are the real-time payments and the integrated access to our trusted supplier network. These areas are crucial to the employee experience because they address the two major pain points that we’ve often heard from those receiving lump sum payments - not getting their money fast enough and feeling overwhelmed trying to find companies to assist with the various needs associated with moving. CoPilot Express eliminates, or at least significantly mitigates, those concerns.

2. Can you explain how CoPilot Express benefits the corporate client?

SP: I think the biggest thing CoPilot Express does for employers is to give them peace of mind that they are providing meaningful support to employees who “only” receive a lump sum payment for relocation assistance. It’s no longer the sentiment of, “Here’s a check, good luck,” which often worried talent acquisition and HR teams that they weren’t offering enough support to retain or recruit key talent. With CoPilot Express, employees receive guidance, get their funds quickly, and have access to vetted suppliers with pricing for every budget. So, they’re not spending their valuable time searching for moving companies, lenders, or other suppliers. Most organizations immediately recognize the value this can bring to their lump sum programs.

3. How does the platform match employees to the best supplier in each category, and what level of control do employees have in making these selections?

SP: If you think of relocation as a journey, we help the employee get prepared for that experience by first asking a series of simple questions to determine what services they may need or areas where they may want more information. For instance, it asks, “Do you need to move your stuff?” or “Will you need to sell your house?” The platform matches the employee with suppliers who can assist them with the services they need, as well as cash back offers. Employees have complete control over which suppliers they engage with and which services they choose to use (no unsolicited calls or emails!). CoPilot Express also builds a plan summary for the employee with all of their supplier contacts, quotes, and cash back info in one place.

4. Could you share any insights or data on the impact of CoPilot Express on employee satisfaction during the beta testing phase?

SP: Absolutely! We really appreciate our clients who agreed to participate in beta testing the platform. The clients were excited about the concept but understandably were a little worried about what sort of employee feedback they might get. I’m happy to report that the beta was highly successful overall, and the clients were excited to continue offering CoPilot Express to their lump sum employees going forward.

During the beta period, we learned a lot and had an overall employee satisfaction score of 95%. The great thing about the employee surveys is that they provided valuable insight and identified any hiccups quickly, and we were able to leverage that throughout that phase. We could tell from the employee comments that they really valued the real-time payments and appreciated the fact that we took the guesswork out of finding qualified providers. Many employees also expressed appreciation for the level of support offered by their employer through the platform, which is exactly what our clients hoped to hear!

5. How does the live chat feature with experts benefit employees using CoPilot Express?

SP: While we’ve worked hard to make the CoPilot Express platform as intuitive as possible, we know employees might still have questions — and some simply prefer a little more “hand holding” as they go through the relocation journey. The chat feature provides live access to a relocation consultant who can address their questions and otherwise provide expert support. NuCompass also backs all of our vetted suppliers, so the experts are available if there are any service issues or specific supplier questions.

6. What resources are available in the educational library?

SP: I think the Educational Library on CoPilot Express is a great feature in that it provides employees with a single source of helpful information that they would otherwise have to find on their own. It includes articles, checklists, and tips on buying and selling a home, moving belongings or cars, moving with pets and kids, instructions on how to break a lease, etc. It also includes a FAQ about the various automatic cash back offers through CoPilot Express.

7. Can you share insights on the impact of the lump sum amount on employee satisfaction with their move process, given your expertise in Client Relations?

SP:  I’m sure if you asked any employee they would say “More money is better!” Who wouldn’t say that, right? But in practice, I think employee satisfaction has to do more with the company culture, the expectations set by the recruiter or hiring manager, and the level of care and support the employee feels throughout the process. That’s one of the best things about CoPilot Express ‒ it provides the employee with support and tools that they would otherwise not have. I think that demonstrates to the employee that their employer cares and is not just cutting them a check and leaving them to figure it out all on their own.

With that said, moving is expensive (not to mention stressful!), and I would encourage any company considering a lump sum program to consider the typical costs an employee is likely to incur and set amounts that cover as much of that cost as possible, taking into account budgetary restraints, company culture, job positions, etc. With CoPilot Express, we’ll provide clients with aggregate data on lump sum trends, amounts, and service use.

8. What distinguishes CoPilot Express from other relocation platforms in the market?

SP: I think one of the main differentiators is the fact that CoPilot Express is designed for lump sum programs specifically. So, it provides a different experience than our full-service CoPilot® platform or other relocation platforms primarily designed to support employees receiving traditional relocation packages. Those platforms typically offer relatively limited support for the person receiving a lump sum.

As the trend towards lump sum programs continues, CoPilot Express provides corporations with an option they didn’t have before. Key differences of CoPilot Express, compared to other lump sum platforms, include real-time payments, direct connections to the same trusted suppliers that NuCompass uses for its full-service relocations, and the ability for the employee to receive cash back for common services, such as real estate, household goods, and auto shipping.

Especially for clients who have significant budgetary restraints, CoPilot Express offers a low-cost way to provide more meaningful support than a sign-on bonus or traditional lump sum only program.

9. Looking ahead, what enhancements for CoPilot Express are you most excited to see?

SP: In the short term, I’m excited that we are continuing to add services and suppliers, including free services. For instance, we just added two new services to CoPilot Express that are free to the employee and their employer: personal insurance (home/rental/auto) and utility setup services. Both services are needs we know most employees have, and these services add value to our clients’ programs without adding cost—and what client doesn’t like that? Beyond that, we will continue to refine the user interface based on employee feedback, and we’re continuing to build resources for employees, such as expanded destination information and more tips and info on other aspects of the relocation process.

10. Finally, can you provide information on the rollout of CoPilot Express?

SP:  Yes, we’re very excited for our public launch, which will be during the Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium in Boston on October 16-20, 2023. We are looking forward to introducing the platform to the Symposium attendees. We’ll be providing demos in our exhibit booth, as well as offering online demos and access to those not able to attend the event.