CWT at Business Travel Show Europe 29 – 30 June: Should you take a traveler-centric approach to staffing?
Hiring and retaining talent are becoming strategy drivers for travel managers around the world. Getting to grips with how is one of the topics CWT experts will be advising on at the Business Travel Show Europe 29 – 30 June.
In 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics saw the largest exodus of employees on record in the US. The American Staffing Association notes that "employers are pulling out all of the stops and using all tools in their toolkit to try to get talent to notice them.”
In fact, shifting priorities is the zeitgeist of our times. Even Beyonce has an opinion about your workforce. The newly released single by one of the world’s most famous singers, ‘Break My Soul’ signals “the death knell for grind culture” with references to quitting a job and building a new foundation.
People today place more importance on their well-being, work-life balance, safety and impact on the environment.
Companies that don’t keep up with these values will lose out.
The expectations around business travel and travel policies are often the clincher for people when applying for roles, as well as helping companies avoid burnout and build stellar cultures. Today’s traveling employees prioritize the planet and purposeful work and travel.
Planet
“We believe sustainability is the new digital – it will create the most powerful force of change in our generation.” - Accenture
Today’s environmentally-conscious traveler is much more aware of the impact travel can have on our planet. They want to make sustainable choices and understand their personal carbon emissions when traveling.
We surveyed our global customer base at the end of 2021, and an overwhelming 87% expressed that they would like information provided to their employees at point-of-booking to help reinforce responsible travel choices. That’s why tools like CWT’s carbon indicators, empower travelers to make more sustainable choices when booking travel.
Purpose
One third on business travelers do not want to go back into the office, saying they are happy to work remotely according to a PWC survey. Gone are the days of unnecessary meetings that are easily achievable online.
Instead, travelers want to make sure they travel for the right reasons. In addition to cost-saving, business travel needs to align with their personal values, make an impact on their objectives and contribute to personal success. Otherwise, employees might not consider a trip valuable enough for maintaining their well-being and environmental balance. If you’re going to wear shoes and commute it needs to be worth it.
People
Humans are social creatures. After extended isolation there’s a newfound appreciation for business travel and meaningful meet-ups with colleagues and clients. Many feel a renewed sense of emotional importance when it comes to in-person meetings. Having not seen colleagues, clients or suppliers for more than two years –if at all– and there is a profound desire for a deeper connection and quality interactions.
Find out how to build program optimization, cost-saving and traveler experience objectives around changing values.
