How Hubs reduced relocation costs and took the pressure off HR
Hubs, now Protolabs Network, partnered with Relocify to help international hires find long-term housing in the Netherlands. By making dedicated housing support the default, Hubs reduced reliance on expensive temporary accommodation, gave employees a less stressful start, and freed HR from managing housing problems.
- Relocations completed
- 21
- Continuous partnership
- 4+ years
- Lower onboarding costs
- 53%
- Partnership since
- 2022
Overview
As Hubs expanded its team in the Netherlands, supporting international hires became increasingly challenging. Employees could choose a relocation allowance or stay in temporary accommodation for a month, but neither option reliably helped them secure a long-term home.
With housing costs rising, temporary stays became expensive. Employees sometimes delayed their search until the end of their stay, leaving them stressed and HR scrambling to help.
Hubs needed a more practical solution: specialist housing support that could help employees find a home.
The challenge
Temporary housing was expensive — and didn't solve the problem
Hubs initially offered new hires a choice between a lump-sum relocation allowance and a month in a furnished studio. While temporary accommodation gave employees somewhere to stay when they arrived, it didn't guarantee they would find a long-term home.
Some employees only started searching seriously in the final week of their stay. When they couldn't find an apartment in time, HR faced additional questions, stress and the prospect of extending temporary accommodation or finding another last-minute option.
Hubs also explored traditional relocation agencies, but many offered all-inclusive packages that bundled housing with visa and immigration services. Since Hubs preferred to manage immigration internally, these packages were more extensive and expensive than the company needed.
The solution
Housing support, without the unnecessary extras
An option that became the default choice
Hubs introduced Relocify as another option for incoming employees. Over time, it became the default choice in the onboarding process, helping employees begin their housing search before arriving in the Netherlands.
“People would arrive in a studio and be super happy, they would stay a month there, and then a week before having to leave, they would start looking for something.”
Focus on what matters most:
finding long-term accommodation. Employees received hands-on help navigating the Dutch rental market, arranging viewings and finding a suitable apartment, while Hubs continued to manage immigration in-house.
The change gave employees dedicated support during a stressful transition and reduced the need for HR to answer housing questions, chase progress or intervene when employees struggled to find somewhere to live.
The result
Lower costs. Less stress. Less work for HR.
By making Relocify the default housing support option, Hubs created a more structured relocation experience for international hires. Employees had help finding a home, while HR spent less time dealing with housing problems and last-minute accommodation issues. Hubs saw average onboarding costs drop by 53% compared with temporary housing. Employee feedback also highlighted Relocify's responsiveness, clear communication and practical support throughout the search.
21
relocations completed since 2022
53%
lower onboarding costs
Lower pressure
on HR teams
Where the partnership goes next
As hiring in the Netherlands slowed, Hubs increasingly focused on local talent and candidates who could join without an international relocation. For some roles, the available salary budgets also made relocating employees from abroad less practical.
“For me, the best is that everyone is finding apartments and people are not stressed. No more endless lines at my desk for help. It’s a huge relief and way less work for us.”
Cristina BiancoPeople Operations, HubsTalk to us about your next hire
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