Hire the Best Candidates With This VIP Interview Travel Experience

Despite the headlines, hiring rates remain high in certain sectors,and some candidates are looking for a company culture that encourages teams to work from the office. After all, working together in person offers benefits like higher productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. In fact, Navan employees are in the office at least three days per week for that precise reason.

“We're seeing the majority of companies, north of 80%, go hybrid. I think Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be the new norm. You'll see some companies do Monday through Thursday in the office also,” LaSalle Network staffing firm founder and CEO Tom Gimbel said on the Wall Street Journal podcast “Your Money Briefing.”

Whether the actual work is done in the office or remotely, there are many reasons to invite candidates—especially those interviewing for leadership roles—to book travel to HQ as part of the hiring process. It’s an opportunity for companies to stand out, exemplify how employees live the brand, and meet the candidate face to face, where it’s easier to read social cues, body language, and vibe.

Interview travel was traditionally a challenge that worsened the candidate’s hiring experience. It required calling an outdated travel agency or using a legacy booking technology like Concur. After that, the candidate likely incurred expenses on their credit card, making it feel like they were footing the direct bill for personal travel. Candidates had few templates or guidelines to follow about which airfares or preferred hotels to book, and the entire process left the candidate feeling uncertain, uncomfortable, and ultimately overwhelmed.

That’s no longer the case. Today, modern, all-in-one corporate travel software makes it possible to invite candidates to book through a dedicated guest portal. Travel is completely paid for by the corporate card, and guidelines on allowable travel expenses are easily accessed and integrated into the expense management process. The candidates feel like they won a VIP experience while interviewing with your company. They subtly begin to trust your systems and can see themselves as part of the company before even stepping on campus.

How to Use the Navan Guest Invite Solution

The Navan Guest Invite solution streamlines the process of booking guest travel and empowers those who book business travel to invite job candidates to book their own travel arrangements while following company travel policies. 

Why should companies encourage non-employee travel through a company’s travel management partner? There are several business purposes: The Guest Invite solution minimizes the back and forth necessary to book candidate travel and provides a better experience and smoother workflow for both travel arrangers and guests. The management software is so easy to use that anyone familiar with online travel booking tools can easily search and select preferred hotels, airfares, and rental cars. By inviting the candidate to book travel through Navan, the host company can ensure that candidates book within allowable pricing limits and receive an itemized receipt.

By simplifying corporate travel arrangements, Navan helps HR and recruiting teams save time and energy while giving their guests and candidates the best first experience with their company — no messy travel reimbursements or expense reports are needed for travel expenses.

Travel arrangers save time with a straightforward custom travel policy and spend limit controls for expense reimbursement, while employees and non-employees enjoy booking on a best-in-class platform backed by 24/7 global travel agent support.

Benefits of the Navan Guest Invite Solution

• Removes the complexity of travel arrangements
• Creates great impressions with new hires and guests
• Manages costs for guest travel
• Automates the expense management process and per diem limits
• Streamlines access to candidate contact information
• Offers 24/7 support for guests, candidates, and teams

Learn how to navigate business travel's shifting patterns in 2023.