Did you know that business travel had become an established way of life under the Roman Empire? The practice may have been more nuanced than it is today.
In the postmodern era, taking multiple business trips in a year is more common than ever. Studies have discovered that business travelers normally spend nearly $1,018 for every trip.
Besides the costs, companies are responsible for employee well-being and satisfaction. Your road warriors will take up many more important corporate trips in the future.
It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure their team enjoys a safe and memorable trip. In this article, we will discuss how employers can streamline corporate travel for their road warriors.
Develop a Well-Defined Corporate Travel Policy
Also known as a travel and expense policy, the corporate travel policy dictates guidelines for employees going on a business trip. Such a policy can serve various purposes, including –
- Proper compliance with all protocols associated with travel and expenses
- Optimization of company budget
- Streamlining of travel processes
- Addressing emergency procedures and safety protocols
- Reducing the risk of fraudulent activities
Being super important, this policy can help your employees understand what to expect out of business trips. The policy can cover travel bookings, preferred vendors, approved expenses, reimbursement guidelines, and so on.
To implement a corporate travel policy effectively, businesses need to engage in some best practices. These would include employee training, effective communication, and periodic reviews.
Have All Associates Travel Together and in Style
It is a widely known fact that business trips involve a lot of traveling. It is the employer’s responsibility to bear the expenses of travel as well as accommodation.
Your employees want to be on time for each conference or event. Plus, they’d undoubtedly appreciate it if each commute is relaxing, comfortable, and an opportunity to bond. So, another way to streamline business trips would be to have all associates travel together and in style.
How to do that? Suppose your team’s associates head to Chicago for a business conference. This city has emerged as a business expo hub, hosting various international conferences every year.
Nearly 100,000 licensed businesses, both small and large, sprawl the city. Your team will surely have a one-of-its-kind opportunity to network with like-minded folks. The best way to have them all reach the venue together is by booking a Sprinter van rental in Chicago.
These services are easily available across the city for corporate and special event travel needs. According to Eminent Limo, as many as 14 people can travel together in the executive sprinter. If there are more associates, simply hire more vans.
Sprinter vans not only provide ample space for comfort, but they are also cost-effective, versatile, and safe. You can select the vehicles you need based on luxury requirements, group size, and more.
Incorporate ‘Bleisure’ into the Trip
Are you aware of the concept of ‘bleisure’ travel? This type of corporate travel is becoming popular as it combines business with leisure. Employers are incorporating this into corporate trips to increase employee satisfaction.
Just imagine – your team visits a new land and they have no time to explore it due to back-to-back client meetings and interactions. They would start experiencing the symptoms of burnout soon enough.
Balance out their business trips with room for exploring the local eateries, tourist spots, and fun events. You can even book them stopover flights to reduce the effects of jet lag. As you do, book them a hotel at the stopover destination for a chance to explore another new area!
Prioritize Employee Health
There are many reasons why employees may feel ill or unwell during a business trip. One definite reason is often jetlag. However, the symptoms can differ based on the direction of travel.
For instance, studies have found that 75% of people find jet lag symptoms worsening as they travel east when compared to the west. For that, having a day’s stopover is a good idea.
Other than that, conduct prior training sessions on safety. This will take the stress of corporate travel out of the picture. Before a trip, you can even have a company-wide poll to understand areas of employee concerns and ways to address them.
For instance, certain employees may have special dietary requirements. You can make arrangements for such needs to be taken care of. Similarly, if an associate wishes to take along wellness support on the trip, create provisions for them to do so.
Given how saturated the landscape of corporate travel is, we are certain that some of your employees may take 5 or more trips in a year. A recent study even confirmed this where 20% of surveyed travelers said they’d be taking 6 to 10 trips in 2024.
10% even admitted to having more than 10 trips on their schedule. With so many corporate travel opportunities on the line, don’t miss out on extending the best possible care. This will make your employees feel valued and they will look forward to each trip with enthusiasm and zeal.
