With the SHRM24 (that’s Society for Human Resource Management 2024) conference coming up in Chicago, June 23-26, it’s a great time for business leaders to shift the mindset toward building success in a hybrid and remote work world. Creating a thriving, innovative workplace that empowers employees and attracts top talent are the ultimate goals.

To that end, the SHRM24 conference – recognized as the world’s largest HR conference – provides a key opportunity to learn about the latest ideas shaping the workplace. You can connect with hundreds of HR resource providers and learn from thought leaders on topics that range from personal growth to workplace culture. We attended the conference last year and found it so inspiring, we’re coming back as an event sponsor.

Jennifer Macadlo, director of talent management at American Express Global Business Travel will be speaking at the conference, delivering insights on the role of business travel in talent strategy. Plan on attending to hear from Jennifer about how future-focused companies can manage travel in smarter ways to enhance employer value.

From enticing job candidates to supporting employees, there’s a lot riding on employer value. That said, you may be wondering how business travel is perceived among job seekers. Is it a big draw? Interestingly enough, a survey from Business Travel News revealed that:

More than 84% said business travel was essential to their job satisfaction.
More than 83% agreed it was key to their job success.

Considering those facts, it’s smart to relook at how your company is using business travel to support employees. Thinking beyond the traditional view of business travel as a way to seal partnership deals, calls to mind the vast potential of business travel to foster a better employee experience. When travel is used strategically, it can drive the collective success of remote and hybrid employees.

Survey findings from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services (HBR-AS) give convincing evidence that business travel can enhance company culture when it’s used to bring dispersed colleagues together.

Over half of those surveyed say stronger company culture is one of the greatest benefits of in-person meetings among colleagues.

Additional findings show that meeting in person is the best approach when innovation is the goal. The HBR-AS report, Investing in Travel to Drive Innovation gives strong indications that the collaboration and communication that foster innovation happen more fluidly when people are in the same room.

Are you tapping into the full potential of meetings and travel for your company? A quick skim of this infographic shines a light on travel strategies to mobilize distant teams. It shows how travel can be used to:

• Unite employees and strengthen culture.
• Create opportunities for learning.
• Bring company’s purpose and value to life.

Managing people requires managing travel

Given all the upsides of business travel – from driving corporate culture to fostering innovation – it makes sense to manage travel intelligently. According to Business Travel News, companies can stand to gain from thoroughly assessing the way travel is managed within the company since the majority of those surveyed consider business travel to be a pathway to their success.

Whether you oversee a team of ten or 200, you probably realize that managing people is one thing but managing people who travel for work is a different story that has separate considerations. You need a travel policy and risk management systems to support your duty of care, easy ways to book trips and submit expenses, good travel rates, and 24/7 support for traveling employees. Let’s dive a little deeper into those points, starting with:

Travel policy: A well-crafted policy sets guidelines and expectations on travel and expenses and supports the well-being of all types of employees on an ongoing basis. It should be reviewed regularly to make sure it stays relevant to the evolving needs of employees and the overall travel environment. Low compliance to a company’s travel policy can drive up the cost of business travel, so it’s important to get it right. Need tips?

Booking and expensing: Streamlining and centralizing the booking, expensing, and approval processes is a win for everyone. Travelers enjoy a hassle-free experience while managers can track employees’ locations to support the duty of care obligation. It’s even better when you have an automated trip approval system like ours, that makes sure bookings follows the guidelines of your travel policy.

Good travel rates: In-person gatherings like off-site company gatherings, industry conventions, and educational conferences are often motivating to a remote workforce that want to unplug, reconnect with peers, and learn new skills. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice a good employee experience for the high costs of travel. When you work with us, you get pre-negotiated corporate discounts on everything from flights and hotels to car rentals set up on your booking platform.

24/7 support: Lost luggage, flight cancellations, flat tires – anything can happen when you’re on a trip. But when travel is managed right, you have back-up systems and service in place. For example, when our clients’ travelers face flight cancellations, they can get rebooked automatically. And they’ll have an app to chat or call for trip assistance any time there’s a sudden change of plans.

Software and service make all the difference

Having the right travel software and service in place takes away the time-intensive tasks involved in booking and managing trips. You’ll be better equipped to create the type of workplace that attracts and retains key talent. Not only that, streamlined systems make it much easier to broaden your talent pool to include top talent from all over the world. Interested in learning more? Stop by and see us at booth 1636 during the SHRM24 conference in Chicago and hear from Jennifer Macadlo on June 24 at 2:15 pm who shares keen insights on the link between travel and talent strategy. You’ll come away with more tactical tips on cultivating a thriving workplace through travel.