Mind the Gap: Key Relocation Insights for a Multi-Generational Workforce

Study into accommodation requirements and buying behaviours across four generations of business travellers

The white paper, “Mind the Gap,” reports the results of a YouGov survey of more than 550 business travellers as well as a selection of industry leaders.

Commissioned by Global Serviced Accommodation provider, Situ, it analysed the accommodation requirements of business travellers and highlights notable shifts that impact how assignments are managed.

The Evolving Assignment Profile

Relocation professionals should note a significant change in both the length and location of assignments, particularly among younger staff:

1. Longer, Non-Urban Stays: While all age groups still travel most frequently to urban centres for short stays (1-3 nights), Generation Z (Gen Z) and Millennial travellers are taking longer trips (4-7 days) more frequently in suburban and remote/rural areas than their older colleagues. This suggests younger professionals are being deployed to field or project sites more often and for extended durations.
2. Implication for Policy: This suggests policy may need to be adapted to source and manage high-quality, long-term accommodation options outside of primary city centres.

The Move to Non-Hotel Accommodation

Gen Z is driving a clear preference away from traditional hotels, which presents both opportunities and duty-of-care challenges for corporate housing and mobility programmes:

1. Preference for ‘Living’ Spaces: Gen Z heavily favours non-hotel accommodation, with 72% reporting choosing serviced apartments, short-term rentals, guesthouses/B&Bs, or staying with friends/family, compared to 48% of Millennials.
2. The Wellbeing Driver: This shift is largely driven by a desire for improved wellbeing, as younger employees want to be able to cook for themselves, live with colleagues (especially graduate employees), or take personal items, like bicycles.
3. Implication for Policy: Making serviced apartments and quality short-term rentals integral and easily bookable components of the accommodation policy would be an attractive benefit for younger employees.

Flexibility and Compliance Challenges

The desire to choose one’s own accommodation is high, but the preference for how much flexibility is generational:

1. Who Wants Full Flexibility? Both Gen Z (47%) and Baby Boomers (44%) are most likely to want full flexibility to choose their accommodation.
2. Who Prefers Vetted Options? Millennials (58%) and Generation X (51%) prefer some flexibility, opting for a few vetted options.
3. Blending Travel: Younger generations want to stay near friends and older generations often want flexibility to bring family members along on longer assignments or trips that cross major holidays—the “blended” business stay.
4. Booking Platform Disruption: Gen Z’s preference for self-service extends to booking, with 66% using popular booking platforms, compared to only 21% who book via a company travel portal.
5. Implication for Policy: Travel and relocation programs must balance the employee demand for flexibility with the need for compliance and duty of care, especially when staff are booking outside of approved channels, or wishing to share non-hotel accommodation with colleagues. Integrating non-hotel accommodation options into company booking platforms may be a way of covering some of the gap.

Wellbeing and Sustainability: Not to Be Overlooked

Wellbeing and environment factors are no longer seen as optional extras by younger assignees:

1. Health and Fitness: The importance of access to a gym/wellness facilities is dramatically higher for Gen Z (60%) and Millennials (47%) compared to Gen X (22%) and Baby Boomers (11%).
2. Self-Catering: 69% of Gen Z view having cooking facilities as important, underscoring the appeal of apartment-style living for long-term stays.
3. Green Credentials: The importance of sustainability/green credentials increases with youth, with 66% of Gen Z valuing this, compared to 34% of Baby Boomers.
4. Clearer Wellbeing Demands in Younger Generations: Gen Z and Millennials are more aware of, and vocal about, their wellbeing requirements, compared to a large percentage of Gen X (44%) and Baby Boomers (44%) who replied “didn’t know” when asked which wellbeing options they would like.
5. Implication for Policy: Relocation policies should concentrate resources on these generational gaps, explicitly offering and communicating wellbeing considerations as part of their duty of care towards travelling employees.

For the full white paper please click here. 

Preparing for the future of corporate travel

Phil Stapleton, Situ’s Founder and CEO, commented, “Exploring these generational differences – or ‘gaps’– is a vital and ongoing conversation for the corporate travel industry, which faces growing pressure to better understand and respond to the evolving needs of a multigenerational travelling workforce.

“The nuances around generational needs and preferences are yet another dimension for the buyers and suppliers of business travel services to consider, alongside priorities such as flexibility, tech, and duty of care.

“An understanding of these different needs is yet another piece in the mosaic of how we understand the individual traveller and will help us to continue our mission to optimise traveller experience and prepare the industry for the years ahead.”