Recruitment - The truth about why our business is different to other UK home working companies

It’s a familiar question when I talk to colleagues, industry peers and potential candidates. “You tell us your business is different when it comes to your team, what does that actually mean?”

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We have always been different. I hope it’s different in a good way, but you be the judge of that.

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We have grown our business gradually. A bit like fine wine, we don’t have to achieve huge numbers in record time. We don’t think of new starters as “cash cows’. Sounds a little rude I know, but what I mean by that is that we don’t rely on joining fees as an income source. We charge a relatively small fee to join, seeking the candidate’s commitment to the business, as opposed to tying them in by taking a large cash payment.

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We love new team member recommendations, especially if that recommendation comes via someone we know and trust. We have a warm and supportive culture at Designer and that’s so important to us. When we talk and meet a potential candidate, one of the key priorities is to make sure that the candidate will love being part of the team.

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We never sell our business to new associates. We explain how we work, ask the candidate to do their recruitment homework, with a view to finding the right business for them. This is so important. The basis home-working model is similar, but our package has differences that can be really positive for luxury focused candidates who want to hit the ground running.

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Each recruitment conversation we have ends with an explanation that we will never follow up on a recruitment enquiry. Weird maybe, but deliberate. We want candidates to join us for the right reasons not because they have felt pressured to make a commitment.

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Our commission structure is super fair. 100% of any incentives are paid to the Associate. Our structure rewards high achievers but also recognises those that take their jobs seriously but choose not to work 24/7. Our monthly charges and costs are minimal and any costs are always fair. We never charge our Associates for training; in fact, they get a credit applied if they attend the weekly 45 training webinar.

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Maintaining team spirit is vital. We explain about our quarterly, regional catch ups, pre-Christmas meetings our annual overseas luxury conference and more. We also have unique offerings, like our “on location” initiative, where Associates can enjoy a free stay at certain properties, just by completing a full report for the property they are visiting and social media coverage of their trip….. Our educational program is unique in that we have our own “exclusive journeys”, plus operator educational opportunities (with a fast-track process to the next trip, once certain targets for the supplier/destination or property have been achieved). Most of the team will enjoy at least two overseas trips per year.

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Our central admin team look after all post booking admin, giving Associates the chance to focus on sales and customer service.

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For those Associates who need support with business development, including getting the most out of social media channels, we have 121 opportunities and group training sessions. It’s all about the individual. We have a member of the management team available out of hours 24/7 - no one is ever on their own.

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Our academy was designed to give a limited number of new to travel entries a cost-effective route to join the travel industry. Candidates enjoy bespoke support to ensure they have the best opportunity to make their new career a real success. We currently only take on one new trainee a month. Each Trainee Associate has a personal mentor. They have the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of the business and graduate after completing a twelve-month program comprising of six modules and on the job training.

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Each Associate who joins us, full Associate or Trainee, undertakes a 121 induction with an appointed team member. There is nothing standard about the way we do things, yes we have a basic checklist, but the induction is formulated based on each candidates individual needs.

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I have only scratched the surface of why we are different. There is so much more, but after all we have always said that we’d like to be the travel industry’s best kept secret, so we better keep a few of the gems back for our eyes and ears only.

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Key messages: -

? If you are looking for a home working position always do your homework. Check the basics like commission rates, your commitment in terms of cost, training etc. and then focus on the points that are really important to you.

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? Ask for business recommendations - don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions.

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? Check what you get for any joining fee - is the fee realistic? Will you get everything included that you need to do the job from day 1?

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? Are you looking for a small or large company? Sometimes quality over quantity is the right way to go.

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? What level of support does the company provide - both in terms of day-to-day queries but also for when things don’t go quite to plan and you need help with customer service issues?

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? Talk to members of the company’s existing team. Find out what they think. Try and select team members randomly rather than being directed to the companies appointed contacts.

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? If you are new to the industry, take your time. Don’t be tempted by low fees and promises of growing a business with minimal effort. And, unless you are super keen to recruit other parties as part of your role, think carefully about models that are ‘pyramid selling’ focused I.e., recruitment of new candidates is seen as a revenue stream.

The travel industry is an amazing place to work. Reading this short piece may just help you in your journey to find the business that us right for you.

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Good luck x

#designertravel #recruitment #travelhomeworking #luxurytravelhomeworking