Carlson Wagonlit has put a hold on recruiting trainees after claiming its new business contracts require more experienced staff, reports Isabel Choat from Travel ’99 in Manchester.
Human resources manager Elaine Francois said the business travel agent is focusing its attention on candidates withat least three years’ experience and who also have British Airways fares and ticketingqualifications.
But she also admitted that the current economic climate was making the company cautious about taking on juniors who would require more investment in training.
The company has also temporarily dropped its Passport to Business Travel course designed to help retail travel consultants convert to business travel. “Every company is seeing a downtown in trading and we need to be aware of that and take it into account when recruiting,” said Francois.
She said the company had decided to exhibit at Travel ’99 despite its low level of recruiting.
“Attending Travel ’99 in Manchester was a very good public relations exercise,” she said.
n Full report on Travel ’99 next week