According to a Duxton Consulting study, Millennials do not have a high opinion of a career in travel. In the second of a two-part series, Laurenz Koehler, managing partner, offers tips on how the industry can become an employer of choice
Rebranding without the delivery to accompany it (e.g. better pay, wider job scope) would be absolutely useless. And vice versa. To make this work, structural issues have to be tackled first.
Hard work has to lead to success and opportunities. There must be clear career paths with opportunities to grow through the ranks, not only vertical but horizontal.
Job descriptions need to give a clear vision of the company/department/scope that Millennials can relate to. Millennials want to build and do something relevant in the bigger scheme of things. Not knowing what the vision is and their role within that vision kills their entire motivation.
Your employer brand should also embody the vision and carry it through not only in your company’s actions in general but also in relation to the Millennial’s job.
Training and education must be meaningful. They can play a huge role, but only if they are within the Millennials’ own progression and lead to something concrete. Millennials are quick to judge and dismiss training efforts if they are not perceived to be relevant for their own advancement. These include company-specific trainings for IT programmes, job processes and compliance.
Plan for training and education that builds broader skills in staff, so that these pay off independent of the company. For example, Singapore Airlines’ stewardesses know that the skills they pick up through training would make them an attractive hire for almost any service-related industry should they choose to leave.
Feedback mechanisms must also be implemented, allowing communication between Millennials and managers in order to facilitate growth. Managers must be trained to deal with and motivate Millennials.
Five great reasons to tell a Millennial why he/she should join the industry:
- Travel is a booming industry with very diverse opportunities for personal growth and contribution to the overall success of companies.
- This is one of the best industries to start in as the skills learned here are relevant for any other service-related industry.
- The rapid growth of the travel industry offers multiple ways to start your own business one day.
- Being a people business, your reward of doing a good job is immediate gratification based on the direct interactions you will have with customers.
- As this industry brings together people from all walks of life, it will give you a better understanding of different cultures, races, languages and continents, preparing you for this increasingly globalised world.
This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 1 – 14, 2013 issue, on page 4. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
By Laurenz Koehler, managing partner, Duxton Consulting
