EXHIBITORS welcomed the Travel ’99 show as a way to cut down on the time and cost of recruiting staff.
Going Places recruitment advisor Barry Swann said:”An employee can leave in four weeks, but it takes 14 weeks to recruit a replacement by the time you advertise and interview and the new person has worked out their notice. This way, we can get a lot of applications on file, which speeds up the process.”
Swann said 1,500 forms were handed out at last year’s London show and 900 were sent back. “It’s hard to tell how many of those got jobs,” he admitted. “We need to monitor it more closely.”
Travelscene was at the show for the first time because it has seven positions to fill. Sales ledger controller Marc Rowland said the operator decided to take a stand because recruiting staff was so expensive.
“This is more cost-effective than recruiting staff through an agency, and it also gets our name across to visitors,” he added.
“There are more people than we expected and many have the right qualities. If we see someone suitable we can take the time to talk to them in depth.”
First Choice recruitment manager Ruth Stubbington said the show had cost a lot – the operator had its own stand, and one for Travel Choice, Air 2000 and First Choice Ski – and was time-consuming, but added it was important to be there.
“We were looking to fill some marketing executive and manager positions and have met some excellent candidates,” she said.
Lunn Poly personnel officer Miriam Coller said the multiple had recruited a number of people as a result of the Manchester show. “We have 800 shops and 4,000-6,000 staff so recruitment is on-going and we are hoping this will also be a success,” she said. “Recruitment is very competitive and we have to do the chasing.”
“Useful, interesting and worthwhile -Êwe saw some good people at the show.”
Katie Marlow, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
“It worked better when Travel Weekly held the recruitment fair for just travel staff. But it is a good way to meet and talk to future personnel”
Tina Crowe, Travel 2
“We have learned a great deal and also raised the profile of Phone and Fly. A cost-effective form of recruitment.”
Sue Adams, Phone and Fly