When I was at the sharp end of the travel management company business, I was a huge fan of employing clever people and, when possible, rewarding them for success in saving money for both my clients and my company. I undertook quite a bit of research which confirmed to me that a good agent could bring an annual savings ROI of between 300 percent and 500 percent. Only trouble was that people were so focussed on taking any manpower cost out that they did not delve into the deeper implications of doing so.
Glassdoor.com, a cool website where "anyone can find and anonymously share an inside look at jobs and companies" has provided an interesting peek at job satisfaction inside the travel industry.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts today announced that it would add more than 12,000 new jobs in 2010. Though the company
slashed 35 percent of its sales team in late 2008, the new jobs won't include corporate sales positions on the national or global level.
Found this courtesy of
TechCrunch and a blog called
Hacking Netflix. It's a way
different take on corporate policy, from an Internet company I have patronized for years. Actually, my family dumped cable TV because of Netflix. What's noteworthy for travel management pros?
Today's issue of
Management.travel includes an article on
job losses at travel suppliers, but what about job security for buyers? In past downturns, there was a conventional wisdom that the value of the travel buyer is greatest in tough times. But conventions change and senior management sometimes isn't wise, so nerves can fray. A recent report by the National Business Travel Association quoted an unnamed participant as saying, "It doesn't matter how skilled I am in bringing results and doing my job effectively. It's about cutting heads, and mine is just another one. Performance is not an issue at all."
