How to Answer: What would you do if you had to relocate?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an ADP job interview.
34. What would you do if you had to relocate?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
This question aims to get an idea of your flexibility, and how far you'd go to land the job. Travel isn't always a prerequisite but can be a benefit to them if one is willing to fill those shoes.
Written by Kevin Downey on May 16th, 2022
How to Answer
If you weren't aware travel was a prerequisite for the position, ask if it is. Tell them you're interested in the position and that you'd be open to discussing it further. If your understanding of constant business travel doesn't fit into your current lifestyle, take some time to evaluate how this fits into your long-term career goals. Ask more questions about the position, including if there is room for advancement from within, and if a willingness to travel is a prerequisite to growing in the company. Maintain your interest. Keep discussions open and exude flexibility with a focus on a willingness to go to batt for the team.
Written by Kevin Downey on May 16th, 2022
1st Entry Level Example
"At this time, I would not be interested in relocation. My family lives in this area and I have many ties to the community and my volunteer work that drives my desire to stay here. While I would be okay to commute up to an hour each way, I would also be open to remote work or a hybrid role as an alternative solution."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
1st Answer Example
"I'd have to take some time to consider what that means. I don't believe anyone would disagree that such a huge life decision should be taken with care. I'd have to weigh how such a decision would impact my personal life and my career goals. Once I had all the needed information, I'd consider all options carefully."
Written by Kevin Downey on May 16th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"Well, if it was today, as I have no real attachments at this point, I would inquire in what ways making such a move would further my career goals. Depending on the circumstances, I would likely express gratitude and begin planning and learning as much as I could for this exciting new opportunity. A while back, I worked for ABC International Corp. for five years as their HR payroll specialist. I felt like I had a powerful impact in my department with the systems I implemented that benefit our company-wide. During that position, I moved to Canada for 3 years. It was a pretty rural location and there was some initial culture shock involved which I overcame and immersed myself in the community, building lasting relations."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
About the Author
When I started my career in business management, branding, and marketing, I mistakenly assumed hard work and integrity alone would get me noticed. Back then, I assumed the harder I worked, the faster I’d rise through the ranks. Yet, even in a meritocracy, this is rarely the case.
The goals of my peers competed with mine, and too often, they were better at getting noticed for their accomplishments. And, some of them were all too happy to watch me working harder, as they worked smarter, rising through the ranks faster than me. At one point, a boss of mine labeled me a stealth worker. They said they had no idea I was the one performing all that great work. If only I’d drawn more attention to what I was doing, maybe I would have gotten rewarded for it. So I learned most of my leadership skills the hard way, and the journey was long.
As a leader, my favorite part of the job came to be coaching others. I took pride in sharing the secrets to my eventual success, and offering my outside-of-the-box view of the role. Where other leaders were only in it for themselves, I was genuinely in it for the company and the team. So I taught those I mentored not only what they needed to do, and how to do the job right, but why each step was important. I spelled out how everything fit into the big picture and shared every trick of the trade that no one shared with me. Every single individual I mentored advanced far ahead of their peers, surpassing those who were only in it for themselves.
Another favorite part of the job was recruiting and building the perfect teams. For me, conducting an interview was an art form. I later volunteered my services at career fairs and trade schools, offering advice, from crafting the perfect CV and resume, to delivering a perfect interview, to negotiating a decent raise. Now I am a full-time writer, and left my management career behind me. Yet, I still love coaching others to succeed, and I love writing for mockquestions.com for this very reason.
Here’s what I said to a friend of mine whom I mentored a long time ago: “Every single thing you do, at every stage, can alter the perception others have of your professional worth. My goal is to make you look like an asset worth fighting for.”
Learn more about Kevin Downey