WHAT YOUR NEW HIRES WISH THEY COULD TELL YOU · PART 6 OF 10
A short commute on a map can feel different in real life.
Give hires the office details they need before they sign a lease.
By HomeBase Services · For campus recruiting teams in Dallas–Fort Worth, Greater Houston and Greater Austin
The apartment is close. The journey may still have steps.
Imagine a hire choosing an apartment because the office appears nearby. On the first workday, they discover the relevant entrance is on another side, parking takes extra time or the final walk differs from the route they expected. This example is a reminder to test the whole trip.
Recruiters can help by providing accurate building and schedule information before the housing search. The hire can then compare door-to-door travel rather than two pins on a map.
A route begins at the real entrance
Confirm the assigned office, building entrance, work schedule and expected on-site days. Ask about employee parking, shuttle arrangements or other employer-specific travel details through the appropriate internal contact.
A route to a company’s headquarters is not useful if the hire reports to another office. Likewise, an apartment’s advertised proximity does not account for parking, the final walk or a transfer. Break the trip into its actual steps.
Ask the questions that a map cannot answer
Where do employees enter? Is parking assigned or paid? Does any employer shuttle run at the times the hire needs? Who confirms those arrangements? Collect the right contact rather than guessing or forwarding outdated instructions.
If transit is part of the plan, use the official operator’s current timetable and service notices. Check the final connection home as well as the morning trip. Keep the hire’s own transport preferences central to the comparison.
Test the expected working day
Encourage the hire to check the route around their anticipated start and finish times. For transit, review the current official timetable, stop access, service hours and the last connection home. For driving, include parking and the walk from the parking location.
Travel conditions can change. A route check is a planning aid, not a guarantee. If an in-person test is not possible, identify the remaining uncertainties and ask what could be confirmed before the lease decision.
Revisit the route when the schedule changes
A shift in assigned office or expected on-site days can change the housing calculation. Encourage the hire to confirm work expectations before signing and to ask the employer about any uncertainty that remains.
For Dallas, Houston and Austin searches, HomeBase can organize apartment choices around the confirmed office. Treat travel estimates as estimates. A practical shortlist should also account for parking charges, regular errands and the activities that matter to the hire.
Compare the whole week
A hybrid schedule can change how a hire weighs housing and transport, but the current employer expectation should be confirmed rather than assumed. Consider the trips that repeat: office days, errands and chosen activities.
HomeBase can help a hire compare apartment locations with the office in mind. Keep the hire’s travel preferences and budget central, and ask them to verify employer transport benefits and property parking terms directly.
Recruiter checklist
- Confirm the office entrance and on-site schedule.
- Identify parking or transit details with the right contact.
- Check routes for expected travel times.
- Include the final walk, transfers and service hours.
Add to your welcome email
Please confirm your assigned office and in-office schedule before choosing housing. Test the complete route—including parking or transfers and the final walk—at the times you expect to travel.
Adapt the wording to your team’s actual resources and policies.
Resources to share
- HomeBase relocation guides by employer and metro
- Moving-budget calculator and worksheet
- Compare apartment quotes
- Connect with Grant about your hiring cohort
HomeBase provides free apartment locating in Dallas, Houston and Austin. Rent, deposits, moving expenses and property charges are separate. Confirm current availability and written terms with the property.
These first-person perspectives are illustrative conversation starters, not individual testimonials.