Higher travel prices are pushing employers to seek savings by requiring staff to fit in more meetings on work trips or take more convoluted, discounted journeys. "The return on investment has more focus today than I can remember," says KesselRun Corporate Travel Solutions' Brandon Strauss, while retail consultant Georganne Bender says, "It's exhausting."
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Job candidates with alternative thinking styles -- such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or dyslexia -- should be part of inclusive hiring policies for companies and recruitment firms, advise Anne Murphy and Cara Wood of executive search firm Odgers Berndtson. They explain how to handle recruitment and craft job advertisements, how to approach interviews and how work trials can help.
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Studies have indicated that employees who are overweight tend to experience more missed days and worker's compensation claims than those of average weight, and employers are paying more attention to the high costs of treatment for chronic health issues related to weight. Plan sponsors should consider whether providing coverage for recently approved weight-loss drugs as part of an overall health regimen would be in the best interests of employees, writes Dr. Jessica Lea of Tria Health.
Judith Spitz, founder of Break Through Tech at Cornell Tech, is using short-term "sprinternships" and other programs to help women and other underrepresented undergraduates break into the tech field and says they're looking to scale it to other universities. "We're also trying to figure out how to pivot companies from thinking about this as a social-good engagement to a strategic solution to their diversity pipeline problem," Spitz says.
Instead of a carrot-and-stick approach to motivation, Susan Fowler, CEO of Mojo Moments, recommends that leaders appeal to employees' values, purpose and joy in their work, which will ultimately enhance both productivity and a company's bottom line. "When you master motivational leadership you ensure that people flourish as they help you deliver the business results you're being held accountable for achieving," Fowler writes.
The first half of the year is my heavy travel season. It starts in February, with a trip to Texas, and runs through the end of June, with stops in the usual conference locales -- Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego, Denver, Washington, etc. The fall finds me in Las Vegas and Washington again. In a normal year.
The last three years have been anything but normal. Next week, I head to Denver for an education conference but after that, my next work trip isn’t until late June. The pandemic was to blame for the first two years of stall. Now, it’s budget. Travel costs -- in particular airfare -- is spiking. Flights that used to be $250-$300 are now over $500 -- for economy class. For that reason, only the most important conferences are on my docket, and I’ve got to be efficient with my time and activities while I’m there.
It appears I’m not alone in this, according to our top story today on business travel. Other travelers report having to take tortuous routes or forgo their preferred airlines (where they stockpile miles) in order to save money on fares. And once they get there, they’re staying longer in order to make the most use of their time.
How’s business travel for you? Any changes? Has your organization cut travel? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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