As it does every year at the start of the new academic year, the Univ'AirPlus event brought together the world of business travel. Organised in partnership with BFM Business, the theme of the 2019 event, which took place at the Châteauform' City George V, was the well-being of the business traveller, a subject that is becoming increasingly topical. It was an opportunity to remind everyone that, despite the digital transformation, the human element remains more than ever at the heart of business travel.
Testimonies from professionals and expert speakers supported this demonstration, starting with Professor Pierre-Marie Lledo, Director of the Neuroscience Department at the Institut Pasteur, who took us on a journey to the centre of the brain, in particular that of a business traveller. While the advent of the digital revolution is profoundly changing our lifestyles and our relationship with others, it is also forcing us to use our brains differently. The challenge now is to adapt the world of work to the reality of brain function, and not the other way round. With this in mind, Pierre-Marie Lledo invites us to take into consideration the notion of 'pleasure' that drives and motivates employees, against a backdrop of commitment and autonomy, but also cooperation and altruism, which are the hallmarks of human beings.
For her part, Anni Hood, Managing Director of Well Intelligence, stressed the importance of a genuine culture of well-being as part of travel policy, for example to avoid the feeling of exhaustion caused by stress on returning from a trip. Among the avenues mentioned by Anni Hood were respect for the fundamental principles that enable employees to feel "better" and a proactive mental health policy. In addition, the company has a role to play in encouraging its travellers to think about their well-being while on the move, in particular by respecting their sleep time or setting themselves rest periods.
The event was punctuated by a number of testimonials, including that of a keen traveller, Hélène Respondek, Export Area Manager at Boiron Frères, who visited 18 countries for her company in the first half of 2019 alone, and who spoke of her motivation in working with customers from different cultures, but also of her difficulty in maintaining the fragile balance between professional and private life. In this context, she would like to be given the keys she needs to free herself from stress.
For their part, the travel managers from Cap Gemini - Katharina Navarro - and Ikea - Pernilla Evinder - talked about how the essential well-being of travellers is taken into account in their companies. At Capgemini, for example, the HR department has been involved in an approach geared towards the well-being of travellers, and feedback from travellers is solicited in order to constantly adjust the offer to needs and new practices, while Ikea has created a 'health and well-being' department in which HR and Travel Managers are involved.
To conclude, a round-table discussion was devoted to the theme of 'Traveller Centricity' and the solutions that can be envisaged to reduce the psychological impact of business travel. For Dr Arnaud Derossi, Regional Medical Director of International SOS, the findings on the stress and psychological impact of business travel are unequivocal. It is therefore essential that Travel Managers and HR Departments really listen to their travellers. This is not always the case, although some companies have already understood the importance of taking travellers' well-being into account.
At Malakoff Médéric Humanis, represented by Anne-Sophie Godon, Director of Innovation, for example, barometers have been set up to measure the quality of life at work, but also to prevent risks. Critéo's travel manager, Emilie Nas de Tourris, explained that her company conducts traveller satisfaction surveys, a highly collaborative approach that puts the "power" back in the hands of business travellers. Lastly, Fabrice Fourcot, Vice President Human Resources at Groupe SEB, spoke about empowering the business traveller in booking practices, particularly in the context of 'bleisure', a practice much appreciated by business travellers.
