Training people – a story continued

In the last three articles, we have talked about the philosophy behind running a successful business, whether in the travel industry or elsewhere.

Some simple points were raised such as:

• Hiring staff for their ‘attitude’ rather than their qualifications

Of course it’s not always practical to do this, however many successful agencies have made the decision to hire staff who do not necessarily have travel industry background.  A positive attitude and a real customer service and sales focus can be more valuable.

• As managers, working on the business rather than in the business.

This is easy for outsiders to say and, of course, it’s not always possible to commit as much time as one would like, to developing the business.  A successful manager is one who steps back from day to day selling and focuses instead on how to develop both the business and the employees.

A belief that if I develop and train my staff, they’ll leave me once they’re trained is not supported by any evidence.  On the contrary, staff who feel valued are more likely to remain in a job than those who are left to get on with it as best they can.

• Having a well thought out Induction Plan for every new joiner.

It’s sometimes tempting to throw new employees into the role, especially if they have previous travel industry experience.    Think of all the differences between the way your office does business compared to others.   Some points to consider may be:

þ      What’s your ‘mission’ and how are employees expected to act in order to support this?

þ      Who’s a good person for the new joiner to ‘buddy up’ with?  This may not be the most senior person, or a top seller.  Take a good look at your staff – who relates well to, and supports others?  That’s the type of person who will be good in this role.

þ      Is a new joiner aware of when and how performance reviews will be conducted?  Do you have progress checks during the first 3 months so that you are both aware of how the new employee is progressing?

þ      Of course, it’s also necessary to make new staff aware of all HR issues that affect them.  Topics such as annual leave (what it is and how you go about booking it), rosters (how far in advance are they available and what’s the protocol around changes), when is a doctor’s certificate necessary for sick leave etc.

Finally, all employees are different – individuals’ motivators vary enormously even in a small office.  Some may be motivated by making a sale, others by ensuring that all details are correct on bookings, and others by supporting colleagues and customers.  This topic will be explored more in future articles – make it your new years’ resolution to really get to know your staff in 2006!