As HR and global mobility teams pick up the pieces from the impacts of lockdowns and the Covid-19 pandemic, some things will never be the same again.
Certainly, Asia-based HR professionals are keenly aware that business travel arrangements are now more subject to sudden change and uncertainty than ever before.
Specific sectors may be eager to get travelling again, but working online has also become a viable alternative to many previous international assignments.
The technology that allowed employees to remain industrious during lockdowns, will remain a necessary cog in the day-to-day operations of almost all employers throughout the region. HR leaders will need to decide what constitutes “essential travel”, in order to ensure effective returns on those reduced travel budgets.
Interestingly, a new report on business travellers suggests that working online and business travel can co-exist. American Express’s Back to Blue Skies research surveyed business leaders from around the world, and found that while some meetings are easily done virtually, others are much more valuable when they occur face-to-face. The report expects many organisations will take a hybrid approach to doing business in the future.
Whatever the arrangement, employers and HR managers will need to be agile when considering if travel arrangements are necessary and, if so, how they should be organised. Setting up defined processes and company policies surrounding travel will go a long way to returning talent mobility to pre-Covid-19 levels
