Once upon a time, corporate travel was a much less complicated affair. Traveling for business was something the Big Boys Upstairs did. But now, with airfares more accessible than they’ve ever been, companies are sending more employees out into the field, creating a cohort of people across a wide spectrum of industries crisscrossing the globe in pursuit of new business frontiers. With that has come corporate travel policies which are sometimes unduly rigid, in terms of budget and what’s done to stay within those financial guidelines. Compelling employees to take the cheapest flight possible, travel coordinators subject employees to multiple connections and the frustration of missed flights, delayed flights and the more unpleasant realities of what business travel means. But the employee-friendly evolution of corporate travel has continued apace and now, we’re looking at a whole new ball game.
Corporate road warriors are weary. They’re away from home, exhausted, frustrated and stressed out. But if it’s so important to send these intrepid warriors out into the field to satisfy corporate goals, isn’t it worth smoothing their way and eliminating the unpleasantness of corporate travel? That’s what business leaders are figuring out and this realization is bringing many to the conclusion that something’s got to change, in order to honor the mobile work of the bloodied (but unbowed) road warrior. Making the travel experience of corporate operatives more pleasurable serves your goals. Your employees travel to do your business. If they’re burned out and irritable, how effective are they going to be at achieving whatever goal that is? Probably not very.
It’s in the best interest of every company whose employees travel on their behalf to support them with employee-friendly corporate travel policies. Road warrior wellness is in your hands. So, asking your corporate travelers about their preferences is a first step toward shoring it up. Once you have this information, your policies can be tailored to support individual travelers by acknowledging and honoring their preferences with respect to flights and accommodation. When you know what they need, the whole thing just gets easier. Rigid policies around corporate travel work against everyone involved. You need your people to shine when they walk into that meeting. That’s not going to happen if they’ve endured a multiple-connection flight, only to find themselves staying in a hotel with an uncomfortable bed, noise and light pollution or without room service. Incentive Travel Group can help you make the lives of your road warriors better by becoming an extension of your human resources and bringing you over 2 decades of experience in the sector.
The employee-friendly evolution of corporate travel needn’t be painful. With ITG supporting your corporate travel program, you get insight that ensures road warrior wellness, while honoring your budget goals. Does your corporate travel policy need a re-tool to make it more supportive of your travelers? ITG can help you identify employee need and deploy a friendlier way of deploying them in the service of your corporate goals.
