Business travel: how to meet employees' expectations

As we enter the next phase of post-pandemic global business travel and navigate through the Great Resignation, it’s more important than ever to respect the preferences and needs of employees. In short, employees’ attitudes towards corporate travel are changing, with a huge focus on prioritizing their own needs during work trips. 

While employees are “very willing” to travel for business, many want to do so on their own terms. In many respects, employees are in a position of power; just last year, research showed that more than half of employees globally would quit their jobs if they were not afforded flexibility in where and when they work - a huge blow to businesses across the globe.  

Below, we take a look at employees’ expectations when it comes to business travel, and how companies are quickly adapting to meet these needs. 

Be open to the concept of bleisure trips 

Following a long period of travel restrictions, the rise of bleisure continues. If you haven’t heard of bleisure, your millennial staff and potential future employees certainly will have. The blurring of travel and leisure on business trips is fast becoming the only way people want to travel. 

A study carried out by SAP showed a solid 89% of people intend to mix business with pleasure by adding untaken vacation days on work trips. What are the benefits? Not only do employees get to enjoy the sights of the locations they’re visiting for work, but bleisure trips can foster employee satisfaction, enhance motivation and improve wellbeing - a win-win for both sides. 

However, having employees travel outside business parameters highlights the need for clearer travel policies and duty of care. Employees will expect to know whether they are covered by insurance on these trips and the appropriate protocol should there be an emergency. 

Reshape how your business tackles sustainability 

With more industries than ever under increasing pressure to ‘go green’, it’s no surprise that sustainability is at the forefront of employee expectations when it comes to business travel. 66% of employees expect their employer to make sustainable travel options available to them; in fact, one in five young people (16-24) would consider leaving their existing employer as a result of their business travel policy. 

With this in mind, failure to offer sustainable business travel is likely to become a major business issue in 2022. It’s no surprise that employees are increasingly asking tough questions about sustainable business travel policies - and it’s crucial businesses are ready to respond. 

Prioritize health and safety on business travel trips 

There’s no doubt that business travel is bouncing back after the pandemic, but with its return comes a stronger focus on health and safety. 89% of business travelers expect their company to protect their health and safety while traveling by allowing them to select their preferred accommodations (46%) and preferred mode of travel (43%). 

Employees expect to have access to safe, vetted accommodations across the globe, with top security features in place. In addition, well-being is a priority. It’s important for businesses to consider the physical and mental toll of traveling; employees want a home away from home - somewhere they feel comfortable, relaxed and at peace after a day of work in a new city. 

Each employee has different needs and requirements, so it’s important for businesses to work with housing providers offering an extensive selection of accommodation options, curated to meet these individual needs. 

Forget everything you thought you knew about flexibility  

If it’s just one thing employees expect this year, it’s flexibility. Research shows flexibility is a top employee concern, particularly for younger generations. Above all else, business travelers want to make their own choices and travel on their own terms, in a way that suits their needs - and travel managers across the globe are quickly having to adopt more flexible travel policies. 

In a recent survey conducted by GoodFirms, 70% of HR manager respondents pointed to flexibility as a reason for resignation. In many ways, the lines between business travel and flexible working are blurred. With remote working options now being accepted as the norm, employees have the freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere - and they expect to do so. 

How can businesses become more flexible when it comes to travel? Self-booking employee accommodation platforms and the option for an extended stay are good places to start. 

Managing employees’ expectations and meeting their needs is more important than ever. Whether it’s flexibility, the opportunity for bleisure trips or more stringent safety measures, it’s time to start listening. 

3Sixty

3Sixty is a state-of-the-art marketplace that reduces the noise in extended-stay travel. Our HomeMatch™ technology leverages machine learning and human expertise to curate quality, cost-effective housing where your employees feel safe, comfortable, and at peace. 

With over one million accommodations in over 60 countries, we’re proud to be the go-to employee housing provider. Visit our marketplace to find out more.