Help to write a Transfer Letter
Help to write a Transfer Letter/Statement
A transfer letter/statement is a formal document written by a company staff requesting to be transferred from one job location to another, a scholar, to be moved from one university/college/course to another, or in school exchange programs. Depending on the type, these letters are usually addressed to the human resource department in a company, supervisors, school/departmental or faculty heads, stating the main reasons for the transfer with clarity and brevity. This article provides guidelines and tips on how to write an effective transfer letter/statement.
Categories of Transfer Letters
Transfer letters/statements can be divided into various categories which include corporate, job relocation, academic, and property transfer letters. These are discussed below:
- Job Relocation Transfer Letter/Statement
A job transfer letter is written by an employee requesting to be moved to another branch of the company. The staff maintains their former job positions in the same company but at different location. When the need to request for a transfer arises from personal reasons, sometimes the company management may be adamant to give into the employee’s request. It is upon the transfer applicant to present themselves as a valuable asset that the company would not want to lose, argue their case reasonably, restating their commitment to the company, and the desire to continue working together.
- Corporate Transfer Statement
These are the type of letters written when an employee is requesting to be transferred from one division of the company to another. Corporate transfers can be subdivided into lateral/horizontal and promotion/vertical transfer letters as discussed below:
- Lateral Transfer Letter
A lateral transfer letter is written by an employee to their manager requesting to be transferred to from one position to another at the same company, maintaining the level and pay grade without necessarily changing the location. The new job in a lateral transfer may have a title and responsibilities similar to the previous position held, or the responsibilities may be different despite retaining the level. This type of transfer may also be recommended by the company for the benefit of the employee or to meet its needs.
Benefits of Lateral Transfer in a Company
Despite there being no pay rise or higher rank involved, getting a lateral transfer has its benefits. These include:
- Acquiring New Experiences and Skills
Lateral transfers gives an employee an opportunity to learn from new job roles, different departments, and other staff in the company. It allows one to retain their job in the same organization as they grow and learn in a new position.
- A Lateral Transfer Enables one to Find New Opportunities
working with new colleagues in a new role exposes one to beneficial opportunities that may not have been available in the former position.
- It is a Way of Getting Job Security
Requesting for a lateral transfer can save the applicant from effects of downsizing and redundancy in the company. If there are open positions in other departments, the employee can request for a lateral transfer in order to have job stability.
- Promotion Transfer
Promotion transfers usually happens when an employee is moved from one position to another of a higher rank and prestige in an organization.
Purpose of Job Transfers for Employees
Whether lateral/horizontal or vertical, transfer of employees remains an essential aspect of a growing organization which is inevitable. The purpose is transfers is to address organizational politics among employees, promote openness at workplace, improve employee relationships, increase productivity and reduce laxity, and eliminate nepotism in an organization. sometimes the company may also use transfers as a disciplinary action for non-compliant employees.
- Academic Transfer Letters/Statements
Academic transfer letters are written by scholar requesting to be transferred from one school, college, university, or course to another within an academic year. At the university or college level, students may decide to transfer from one course to another within the same institution, or from one institution to another. Either way, it is important to note that, when transferring to a specific program, one must meet its minimum requirements and give clear reasons to support the transfer application letter. School or academic transfer letters are important to learning institutions’ management to determine whether students transfer is viable with reference to the curriculum in the student’s prospective school.
There are many reasons behind academic transfers which include changing majors, rejoining or returning to college after a period of absenteeism, financial reasons, when the current course does not align to the student’s future career goals, relocation, corporate reasons, social situations, changing career direction, and work-life experiences among others.
Academic transfer letters are also required when scholars are applying for school student exchange programs. These programs include MBA exchange program, nursing school student exchange, graduate school exchange programs, medical and dental school exchange programs, or even pharmacy residency fellowship programs.
- Property Transfer Letters
These are written in legal transactions when an individual want to transfer their property to another. It expresses the property owner’s authorization to transfer the original possession of the property to another individual, along with the legal rights to possess the properties.
Reasons for Writing Job Transfer Letters/Statements
One of the best ways to get an employer accept to give a transfer is by first making an assessment of one’s reasons for the transfer and creating an argument that the employee’s transfer is for mutual benefit between the employer, the employee, and all the stakeholders. The following are some of the most common reasons for employees to request for job transfers.
- Changes in Life
Life changes such as identifying a chance to further one’s education and further develop their skills while still working can influence an employee to seek transfer in order to remain in the company.
- Desire to Grow in One’s Career
It can be exciting for the employer to know that their employees are requesting for transfer because they want to grow professionally. After exhausting developmental opportunities in the current position, an employee can request transfer to a different location or department where they can get new challenges and opportunities for growth.
- Increasing Chances for Getting Promoted
Job transfers help in gaining experience in different departments and gives the employee an opportunity to familiarize themselves with different sections of the company. This familiarity and experiences from different sections makes one a better positioned candidate for promotion to a managerial or executive level position.
- Transfer for Job Security Purposes
In a situation where a company or a department is downsizing, an employee can request for a job transfer if there are open positions in another branch so as to secure their position and employment.
- To Create a Work-life Balance
Sometimes one needs a transfer so that they can get a chance to spend more time with their family, take care of themselves, and pursue personal interests while maintaining the responsibilities in employment. This enables the employee to create a work-life balance and improves their productivity to the company.
Writing a Job Transfer Letter
After ascertaining valid intentions for a transfer, the staff must prepare to talk to the employer or their immediate supervisor. This involves presenting one’s argument to the employer and convincing them that the transfer is for mutual benefit and that it is in the best interest of the employer and the employee. The following are some tips on how to request the employer for a transfer.
- Specify the Reasons and Purpose of the Transfer Request Letter
When requesting for a job transfer, one must be specific on why they need it. Genuine reasons, whether for organizational or personal gain should be highlighted. The way the employee approaches the employer and their case presentation skills determines whether or not the transfer will be accepted.
- Consider Who is In-charge
In order choose the right approach and the words to use when requesting for a transfer, the employee should have a clear understanding of the overall in charge of the whole process.
- Reinforcing Ones Value in the Company
Including the employees background with the company in the transfer requesting letter can help in convincing the employer that one is an indispensable asset in the company. This can be achieved through restating the job title, the years of experience within the company, and major achievements of the employee during their tenure in the company.
- Create a Rational Argument
One should argue their transfer case with more focus leaning in the side of the employer. The ability to convince them that the transfer will lead to improved productivity of the employee because they will be able to apply their skills better is an assurance of a positive feedback.
- Explain Mutual Benefits of the Transfer
When requesting for a job transfer, the employee should be careful not to lean on their side only, lets the request be declined. They must convince the employer how the transfer will be of advantage to the company and its value when it is approved. It is important to support one’s qualifications and abilities and how the transfer will lead to improved productivity and growth at the individual and the company level.
- Present Each Point with Precision
Before sending the transfer request letter, one must ensure that each point is well explained and the employer will not have to struggle to deduce what the employee is trying to say. Relevant details must be included under each ending and supporting documents should be attached. The transfer applicant should maintain an optimistic and polite tone.
How to Format a Transfer Letter
A professional transfer letter must adhere to a specialized tone and a standard business format. Below is a step-wise guide on how to write a well formatted transfer letter/statement.
- Contact Information
Contact information should appear at the top of the letter. In a job transfer letter, this information includes the employees full name, city/town, phone number, and email address. Below these details is the date when the letter is being written.
The recipients address is written bellow the applicants address. This should include full name, job title of the person to whom the transfer letter is addressed, name of the company as well as its full address.
- Normal Salutation
The letter should begin with a normal salutation, referring to the person being addressed so that they can know that the letter is intended for them and nobody else in the company.
- The Main Text/Body of the Letter
The introductory sentence of the main text if a transfer letter begins by giving the supervisor or human resource manager the reason for writing the letter. The sentences that follow are meant to give a factual support on the reasons for the transfer to be considered. If the applicant does not have any location of interest in mind, they can politely request the recipient of the letter to assist in getting a position in a one of the company branches.
- The Conclusion
When summarizing the letter, the employee should choose appropriate remarks that shows gratefulness and appreciation for receiving help. Complementing their current work location and co-workers is also a good sign of courtesy.
- Edit and Proofread Submitting
Before sending the transfer letter to the relevant recipients, one should review and edit it for any sort of grammatical, spelling, or readability errors. Confirming the right spelling for job titles and names of the recipient is important.
Disadvantages of Employee Transfers
Despite the many advantages of employee transfers, there are several drawbacks associated with the transfers. These include:
- Employee morale for work may reduce especially for those who had developed emotional attachment to the organization and the current location.
- Company initiated transfers may result to psychological disturbance to the family members of the transferred employee because the entire family may be forced to shift and adapt to the new location.
- The cost of shifting to a new location negatively affects the employee, especially when the transfer is self-initiated and not facilitated by the company.
- Sometimes when the company initiates the process of transferring employees, some may not be willing to shift and can opt to resign instead of leaving their current location.
- The organization may end up losing a great human asset due to transfers, which may result to reduced productivity.
Essentials of an Effective Transfer Letter
The following are the essential elements of an effective transfer letter:
- It states and justifies the reasons for applying for the transfer.
- A transfer letter has to support the reasons behind the employees wish for a transfer in order to convince the employer to approve it.
- An effective transfer letter highlights the background of the employee, their achievement as well as the skills they have acquired while serving that position.
- It has a professional format, and adheres to all the conventions found in a business letter.
When an employee is requesting for a transfer because of their personal reasons, the management may be reluctant to approve it especially when filling a new position in the company. It is therefore necessary for one to market themselves and stand for their value in the company, and convince the employer that they would not want to lose such an asset. When writing a job transfer letter, one must consider how their skills and work experience relate to the needs of the organization. However, not everyone has all what it takes to write a successful transfer statement. Professional transfer statement writers are there to provide excellent transfer letter writing services. These ensure that one gets a letter that is rational and justifiable to get the recipient approve the transfer.
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