Should HR handle your business travel programme?
Rigid travel policies don’t put smiles on dials of travellers. But there’s likely an unused secret weapon within your company that could turn this around: HR.
By combining human resources’ inside track on workforce morale with travel managers’ operations savvy, you can deliver personalised, empathetic trips tailored to individual needs. The outcome? Happier road warriors who feel the love thanks to these business travel best practices.
Why is HR important? Human resources shape the company's culture, policies, and employee well-being. This gives them insight into what specifically bothers employees about the current corporate travel programmes. With their understanding of employee motivations, HR can identify sources of frustration. As guardians of company values, HR also promotes health, safety, sustainability, and wellness during business travel, which is crucial for duty of care and travel risk management. Additionally, HR is attuned to the changing needs of travellers.
"Younger talent insists on having eco-friendly options and expects support for their safety while travelling.” says Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director of FCM. “Since HR is guided by values, they can provide valuable advice in this situation."
Still, you need travel ops wizards
While HR plays an invaluable advisory role, you still need experienced corporate travel managers running complex back-end operations that enable smooth trips. We’re talking number-crunching, budget juggling, risk management and crisis response requiring specialised expertise that are cornerstones of corporate travel manager responsibilities.
“Managing volatile supplier relationships, tracking systems, crisis response - that's beyond most human resources teams alone,” Kelly says.
The best of both worlds for business travel policies
Rather than overloading already busy HR leaders, collaborative integration between departments enables optimal experiences, says Kelly. HR flags emerging employee concerns so travel managers can apply their insider operations knowledge to craft responsive programmes with travel policies that motivate rather than restrict.
Here’s how you can tap into the value of HR for your travel programme.
Tip #1: Have HR share exactly what's driving traveller discontent
With an intimate view of the organisational grapevine, HR is dialled into precise pain points fuelling traveller complaints. Maybe it's one too many back-to-back red-eyes and jet lag from hell leading to travel fatigue. Or loyalty programme rules more convoluted than the Da Vinci Code. Either way, HR can spotlight travel policies that are backfiring across different groups. Listen. Then brainstorm feel-good fixes: friendlier hotel options or airport lounge access.
Tip #2: Partner up to build more flexibility and inclusion in travel
Today’s talent expects travel perks tailored to their situations - disabilities, religious restrictions, family needs, and so much more. HR knows all about the rising expectations for customisation and where the current corporate travel programme drops the ball. Get their take on upping empathy in travel policies.
Tip #3: Conduct annual anonymous surveys and unpack insights together
An annual talent pulse-check survey on travel experiences provides a blueprint for continual optimisation. Develop questions together, then analyse results collaboratively to turn insights into action. What trip elements delight? Where do people struggle? What new needs bubble up? The insights allow HR and travel to adjust travel policies, and change vendors, services in-sync with rising expectations.
Tip #4: Track all talent performance metrics together
Travel should feed HR regular indicators around programme satisfaction scores, policy/inclusion feedback, and other markers of traveller sentiment. Monitoring metrics can be traced back to an upbeat, productive travelling workforce. Because when talent feels supported through personalised experiences, inspiration and retention skyrockets.
“Make time for informal ongoing check-ins around programme sentiment, emerging priorities, pain point patterns and more,” recommends Kelly.
When HR and travel band together around upgrading talent experiences, it unlocks major rewards: teams consistently feel supported and valued on the road and beyond. It’s a ripple effect where personalised travel spurs inspiration, productivity and loyalty across the board. Doesn’t that sound like a dream team?
We know about dream teams when it comes to corporate travel management. Chat to us about how we can help you optimise your travel programme – working hand in hand.
Ready to optimise your travel programme? Let's talk.