Opinion
- There’s nothing like inertia in the face of a downturn
  
  Do you remember the big fanfare when Tourism Australia launched its ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign, and invited the nation to share its favourite Australian places and experiences with the world? I’m sure you do, we wrote about it extensively at the time, and TA managing director Andrew McEvoy even wrote a column for Thumbrella urging the backpacking sector to get involved. Read more »
- Here’s how to cash in on the gap year boom
  
  In this guest posting, Gapyear.com founder Tom Griffiths tells you how to cash in on disappointed UK students who miss out on a university place this year.
  
  UK media reports that 200,000 young people will miss out on university places this year may be overhyped – in truth about 100,000 don’t normally get in anyway – but it’s still a shocking statistic. And an opportunity for you guys Down Under to cash in. Read more »
- Lonely Planet – the gift that keeps on giving
  
  There’s nothing my kids hate more than hearing me start a telling off with the phrase “when I was a kid…” It usually follows them taking an ordinary household item – like the family computer – for granted. Read more »
- ATEC could do worse than appoint the next Matt Hingerty to replace the last one
  
  As a long-suffering England soccer fan, I’ve noticed a trend in the way the Football Association appoints the national team manager. That is, it tends to go for the polar opposite of the man who went before. If you don’t believe me, here’s the recent evidence… Read more »
- Another Wicked piece of marketing
  
  I’ve written about this before, but once again I have to confess to a sneaking admiration for the PR and marketing expertise of John Webb and Wicked Campers. Read more »
- Grounds for cautious optimism, but things could get worse before they get better
  
  Just got back from a couple of weeks in London – surely the world’s most depressed capital city at the moment, but more of that later – and everyone I speak to seems to be 20 per cent down. Read more »
- BOA successfully talks up the ‘Gong and south coast
  
  BOA president Katrina Greeves’ wrap-up on last week’s regional meeting in Wollongong.
  
  Over 10 local South Coast tourism operators joined BOA Committee representatives and members at the ‘BOA Talks South Coast’ event in Wollongong last Thursday to engage in lively debate regarding travel and tourism issues affecting the backpacker, student and youth market in the south coast region. Read more »
- What prison taught me about discounting
  
  Founder of Brokepacker.com Kevin Lippy explains there are three types of discounting ahead of the website’s launch tonight.
  
  A prison yard is a tough, volatile, dangerous, cut throat and an extremely unpredictable environment… Kind of like the Australian backpacking industry during low season. Read more »
- How many backpackers does it take to change a lightbulb?
  
  Thumbrella is conducting an exclusive industry survey this week, with just one question. How many of your customers are idiots? Read more »
- How’s business?
  
  So, how’s business? It’s a simple question, but it seems there’s no easy answer. Read more »
- Australian backpacking is the pulse we watch to gauge the health of the industry worldwide
  
  In this guest post, gapyear.com founder Tom Griffiths relects on the recent ATEC Backpacker and Youth Industry Conference and why Australia’s backpacking industry still leads the world.
  
  Like most of the delegates I spoke to, I found the recent ATEC Backpacker and Youth Industry Conference extremely interesting and useful. It’s very easy in these current times to set a safe agenda to cater for an industry licking its wounds, who want to hear good news stories and see rainbows ahead. Read more »
- McEvoy: ‘Put your tourism experiences on the map’
  
  Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy discusses the first stages of the There’s nothing like Australia campaign and urges the industry to get involved. Read more »

Talent management the key to success in the world post-GFR

In this guest posting, C&M Travel Recruitment Director Melissa Schembri considers the importance of talent management as the global economy emerges from recession.

With tentative signs of economic recovery, we can all be a little more positive about the immediate and longer term outlook.

With any upturn in confidence and opportunity, businesses need to look closely at their talent management policies to ensure they can attract and retain the quality individuals their businesses will need going forward.

Over the last 12 months, talent attraction and retention is not likely to have been anywhere near the top of most people’s priorities. Unfortunately, it will likely have been quite the opposite, with lay-offs and redundancies high up the list as businesses looked to slash costs and head count.

Smart businesses will now begin to look forward and staffing will have to become a key focus again. Many companies may have not had any significant attrition issues over the last year or so as people will just have been delighted to keep their jobs, irrespective of how happy they were at a work.

As things improve, we will see staff looking at how their employers handled the key moments during downturn and in particular how they dealt with any staffing reductions.

If companies were seen to have handled the situation poorly they may have damaged confidence and loyalty in those left behind and will need to work hard now at keeping their key talent happy and focused.

People have long memories and, as more job opportunities come to market, they will look to move if they are not convinced about the company they are working for.

Due to the job losses we have seen there is a lot more talent available and looking for work now. It is possible to find some high quality talent that normally you would not have been able to attract. So this is a key time in planning head count requirements for your future business plans and to hire if you are in a position to do so.

If the economy continues to show improvement and we can at last confidently say we are through the worst, the months coming out of recession will be key for those with the strategy, focus and application to out-perform their competitors.

The quality of your people and their morale will be a key factor in ensuring your business is one of the winners. Now is the time to look seriously at your talent management policies, both with retention and attraction, and ensure they are as strong as they can be.

If they are not, you run the risk of losing your current and future key people to your competitors.

http://candmrecruitment.com.au

By Martin Lane · September 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am