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- Nick Elvin
Travel companies must adapt their strategies to attract, engage and retain the talent that will ensure their future success.
That’s according to recruitment and talent management firm Korn Ferry, which surveyed more than a thousand employees of some of the biggest companies in the tourism, travel and hospitality sector.
The study revealed that many workers do not believe their expectations are being met when it comes to their employer’s structure, size, approach, culture and pace. However, employees do have a clear vision when it comes to the personality of their preferred organisation.
Employees favoured ‘Innovator’ – an organisation with a reputation for innovation and the development of ground-breaking products – as well as ‘Champion’, defined as a supportive, collaborative and exceptionally people-focused personality. The least favoured personality traits included ‘Empire Builder’ and ‘Profiteer’.
A radical and daring attitude towards business was highly rated by professionals (64%), as was a business which is unconventional in terms of its culture (64%). This modern and entrepreneurial approach to the workplace was also reflected in the pace of work desired, with an agile and fast-paced environment being the ideal (61%).
Additionally, a good work/life balance was the most highly rated characteristic of an employer (35%), with ‘encouraging and supporting employee development’ (27%) a close second. However, this is not currently reflected in the industry, with both of these characteristics, alongside the need for a ‘structured approach to managing up’, receiving the lowest perception ranking from workers.
Bernard Zen-Ruffinen, president of Korn Ferry EMEA said: “This research comes at a pivotal time for the industry, which according to the latest World Travel and Tourism Council forecast, is set to expand faster than the global economy this year.
“With talent playing a pivotal role in growing organisations into better, stronger brands, companies must adapt their strategies to attract, engage and retain the talent that will futureproof their business.”
Neil Griffiths, global practice leader at Futurestep, a Korn Ferry company specialising in RPO, added: “With media consumption changing drastically over the last five years, the rise of mobile technology and social media has impacted employees’ attitude to the workplace.
“As a result, a more innovative, daring, but rewarding employer is required – one who is willing to be creative in their outlook in order to engage the talent that these qualities best resonate with.”
Futurestep makes the following recommendations for attracting and retaining talent:
1. Be more radical: organisations must be open to taking on ideas from employees, championing internal mobility and creating flexible career paths;
2. Become the ‘Champion’ or ‘Innovator’: support employee development, create brand ambassadors and continue to innovate to attract creative talent that drives further transformation;
3. Grow responsibly: empower staff to share ideas, learn and develop so they will go further for customers to facilitate business growth;
4. Incentivise customer focus: businesses must reward employees for customer-centric behaviour through relevant incentives.
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