A TMS Special Report – TMS urges industry to look further
While in support of the recently launched Travel Industry Careers Project Group initiative to attract younger people towards travel industry careers, TMS Asia-Pacific has cautioned a one-dimensional approach is unlikely to solve the immediate problem.
TMS General Manager Mandy Scotney said the TICPG initiative was extremely timely in addressing the current industry staffing crisis, adding, “Attracting young people into travel industry careers is a really positive first step but this singular approach is unlikely to solve the problem”.
“The industry can’t rely on younger people to be its saviour.”
“The workforce is changing and the population is ageing.” “Within the next five years there will be less people entering the workforce than leaving and this will create significant challenges for employers across the country.”
“The industry needs to address these challenges with a variety of strategies and a much more flexible approach to the workforce.”
Strategies, she said, could include the implementation of progressive HR strategies to draw women back into roles after having children and attracting ‘Baby Boomers’ who represent, potentially, one of the best sources of available candidates for years to come.
“The travel industry could do well to mirror Federal Government efforts in attracting mature apprentices into areas of high need via the provision of government subsidies for both employers and trainees.”
Ms Scotney also underlined the need for organisations to ensure that they implement the appropriate human resources policies required to both attract and retain talented personnel, adding that organisations need to be more flexible in their HR approach and begin looking beyond candidates starting out in their careers as the only potential talent pool.
“It is important to remember that while the offer of attractive remuneration packages plays a major role in luring candidates, employee retention levels are not driven by salary alone.”
“Well thought out staff retention strategies will be key to attracting and retaining talent in an ever intensifying competitive market if organisations truly want to win the ‘war for talent’.”
Ms Scotney said this was particularly pertinent to candidates sourced from the ‘Gen Y’ pool, adding, “It’s interesting to note that with the Gen Y candidate pool, career planning is not just about vertical growth, it’s more about developing a range of marketable skills that the employee can take with them.”
“Gen Y’ers need constant learning and challenges – it’s been said that as soon as you notice that a Gen Y’er is at the 90% level of learning in their role then it is time to offer them new challenges and learning.”
“If you wait until they are 100% competent they will soon get bored and leave and this decision can sometimes be made in a day.”
“How many organisations can cope with that level of change?” she said
A TMS Special Report by the Mole
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