Despite its popularity and the increasing necessity due to today’s shrinking labour market, many companies don’t necessarily have the time or core competencies in-house to run all aspects of a successful secondment or transfer program. There are many aspects that can make many employers apprehensive and HR specialist struggle.

Relocation of employees can also be one of the most costly services HR is required to manage these days and can run into tens of thousands of dollars plus enumerable lost man hours, depending on the assignment.

It is also important to always remember just how strange and stressful moving to a new location and a new job can be for your transferees.

Research has shown that many secondees/transferees feel that they are unsupported on arrival and find dealing with the domestic and other arrangements associated with their move particularly stressful.

Many have to spend too much time trying to sort out utilities, locating shopping centers, understanding the local infrastructure and other day to day matters. Given their lack of familiarity with the location and the limited time they have available, some will make less than ideal choices, which in turn may impact on their effectiveness at work.

These difficulties can be even greater when families accompany the secondee. Many find themselves in unsuitable locations where partners can feel isolated, suitable schools are difficult to find and facilities for families are generally limited.

Discerning Women Home & Lifestyle Managers are dedicated to supporting your company’s secondment and transfer programs. We can help your staff and corporate visitors make a smooth transition to their new location, leaving your Human Resources Department free to concentrate on their core responsibilities.

Some of the services we offer are:

Meet & Greet

A Discerning Women Consultant will be at the airport to meet your employee. We can then transport them in one of our vehicles or collect a pre-arrange hire car to transport them and their family to their accommodation

Support Pack

We can provide a Support Pack, which could include items such as:

• City Map/State Map
• UBD Street Directory
• Brochures - local attractions, dining out, entertainment, etc.
• Local Newspaper
• Real Estate Agent details

We can also provide a food hamper and some cold drinks in the fridge to see them through a couple of days.

Home Search - Rental or Purchase

• Intensive housing research prior to arrival
• An internet briefing of the current local real estate trends along with an outline of the standard practices; lease duration, tenant obligations, rental bond etc.
• Accompanied property inspections
• Act as a rental/buyer Advocate to negotiate on their behalf
• Prepare and submit tenancy/purchase applications
• Lease negotiations and finalisation
• Arrangement of utility and phone connections
• Conducting property condition & inventory inspection / report.

Area Orientation

An area orientation helps to identify housing, learn about commuting, and any special concerns such as:

• Identification of local supermarket and shopping centers
• Medical / Health consulting and facilities
• Local sporting clubs and venues
• Guidance to opening up a bank account, obtaining a credit cards, local health insurance and tax registration
• Internet and pay TV access

School Search Assistance

If required DW can arrange pre-arrival discussion regarding the public and private school system and identification of suitable schooling for each child and discuss childcare facilities. School visits will be made where appropriate.

Discerning Women can also assist in:

• Accompanied school tours
• The application review
• Understanding the test and interview requirements
• Enrollment and ongoing facilitation of school tuition payments.
• Spouse/Partner Support

Discerning Women can provide assistance to help people enter the job market or research education opportunities in the new location. We offer:

• Resume development or updating
• Co-ordinate course of action
• Development of interview techniques and negotiation
• Introductions to recruitment consultants and networking opportunities

Our all-inclusive service allows your staff to get on with their new career and lifestyle with as little inconvenience as possible.

Spending your weekends trying to find a new home is such a time consuming and stressful process. Allow Discerning Women help you to get your weekends back. We provide a range of services to assist you to move into your new dream home:

• Research homes for sale or rental properties
• Attend home opens & short list to meet your specifications
• Arrange agents & inspections
• Source & supervise removalists
• Unpacking
• Homestaging advice
• Organising utilities disconnection & connection

Phone or email us today to discover how we can assist you to make your relocation as painless as possible.

In our resource rich, booming economy a large percentage of our work force is now required to fly-in fly-out to remote mine sites to earn their living. Many people don’t have anyone at home to keep the home fires burning and return home to a cold house, an empty fridge and find that their errands and bills have piled up.

With only one week’s R&R the last thing people should have to do is run around paying bills or attending to tedious errands. At Discerning Women we realise that your free time is precious and our team can help give you back some of that time. Here is just a small sample of our services that can help enhance your lifestyle:

• Airport drop off & collection
• Pantry & fridge stocking
• Paying bills & running errands
• Booking your leisure & entertainment
• Birthday & special occasion reminders
• Gift purchasing & delivery
• Car detailing & servicing
• Arrange pet accommodation

If we can be of any assistance to you contact us by email or telephone and will we arrange an obligation free consultation.

Your CV has landed you an interview for the job you really want but now you need to make the most of the "face-to-face" meeting so you can be successful.

Why not rehearse your interview with a former HR Manager with over 20 years experience? I can help you in a variety of ways to be the lucky candidate. Including:

• Tips on how to prepare for the big day
• Conducting a mock interview using behavioral interviewing techniques
• Personal styling advice
• Body Language tips

With over 20 years experience as a Human Resources Manager Karen Marks can help you secure your dream job.

What is Homestaging ?

Homestaging is a technique of arranging furniture and accessories, choosing colours and de-cluttering, which will revitalise and freshen your tired or crowded home, optimise its potential for a quick sale by creating a “wow” factor, or ensuring that you achieve the high-end rental rate for your property.

• Statistics show that staged homes sell faster and for more money than non-staged homes.
• Modernising your home can really make a difference. Updating the style can be achieved easily with the use of accessories, fabrics and other materials.
• You will be amazed what difference a fresh coat of paint will make to a dreary home and it can turn it into one that really makes an impact.
• Or you may just fall in love with your home all over again and save $$$$ instead of relocating.

Our services

Regardless of its price, location or your budget we can make a difference whether we use your existing furniture, or hire or shop for new furniture and accessories.

Not all of us have the ability to visualise potential or maybe we know what we want but are not sure how to make a start. Let Discerning Women look at your home through fresh eyes, inside and out and recommend what needs to be painted, repaired, removed, rearranged or replaced.

If you would like to know more about our Homestaging services, please contact us at any time by email or phone.We look forward to helping you creating an inspirational look for your home.

Our busy lifestyles often cause us to put off those everyday tasks that are both time consuming and mundane. Things we’d rather not do but the longer we put them off the more run down, cluttered and untidy our house becomes.

In these times of tradesmen shortages trying to organise quotes, waiting for them to turn up plus staying around to supervise their work is sometimes impossible to fit into your day. Our services include but are not limited to:

• Cleaning & gardening
• Book & supervise tradesmen
• Obtain quotes
• De-clutter cupboards & pantries
• Arrange your filing system
• Homestyling advice
• Locate storage facilities
• Organise waste disposal bins
• Pest control sourcing

Discerning Women will handle it all for you so you don’t lose any time away from work or play or interrupt your busy schedule:

Many people hate shopping or simply just don’t get the time because they work long hours or work away from home. Let Discerning Women take care of it for you.

We offer a range of services to suit your needs:

• Personal styling assistance
• Makeover advice
• Furniture, accessories and homewares
• Purchase, wrap and deliver special gifts
• Stocking the fridge and pantry
• Flowers or gift baskets
• Hairdressers and health and well-being appointments
• Hire and return of formal wear

This service is available to you if you are down the road, around the corner, away from home; or in fact, anywhere around the world. If you just can’t get there in time or you’ve forgotten that special someone in your life, Discerning Women will take care of it for you.

In our busy and hectic lives we could all use a PA we can trust and rely upon; an extra pair of hands to whom we can delegate those every day tasks. These will be completed for you efficiently and with a minimum of fuss. Some of the services we offer at Discerning Women are:

• Internet research
• Bill paying
• Appointments and bookings
• Errand running
• Birthdays, special occasion reminders and gift suggestions
• Typing and document preparation
• Minute taking
• Virtual secretarial service
• Proof reading
• Arranging Professional Speakers or MC’s

If we can be of any assistance to you contact us by email or telephone and will we arrange an obligation free consultation.

Finding time to research and plan your social life is all too often put on the bottom of the long list of things-to-do. Don’t let your personal life and relationships suffer because you are time poor. Discerning Women have a broad range of first hand experience in the Western Australian social and leisure scenes. We will be able to make recommendations that will fit within your budget and lifestyle:

• Home entertaining – we will shop for your dinner party, set the table and prepare the ingredients for the meal of your choice. All you’ll have to do is just walk in the door and start cooking!
• Organising those surprise weekends away for someone special
• Restaurant bookings
• Researching and booking your travel arrangements, including insurance
• Booking your tee-off time for golf
• Airport drop off and collection
• Looking after your out of town guests while you’re at work.

(This service will be available after September 2008)

You’ve picked the perfect ring; an amazing dress and a wonderful venue for your reception now, who will you chose to perform the formal part of your day – the wedding ceremony?

Don’t leave your ceremony to just anybody; make sure you spend as much time researching your celebrant as you do on the rest of your wedding plans.

We are fortunate at Discerning Women to have as part of our professional team a registered Marriage Celebrant who is eloquent, charming and has quick wit. She will ensure that the service is well presented, audible, entertaining and memorable.

One of our Discerning Women will meet with you as many times as necessary prior to the wedding to plan your personalised service and venue selection. She will work with you step by step to ensure you that you have the wedding ceremony that you desire.

Contact us to discuss this service and how Discerning Women can assist you with your wedding plans.