Travelling the same old path of ‘Hire & Fire’ is not what the HR managers are doing these days. With changing times, HR manager’s perspective has evolved with ‘Hire & Retain’ as the new mantra for efficient continuity of business and by adopting certain practices for achieving desired level of success backed by innovative use of technology. The best HR practices lead to increased and enhanced efficiency by merging employee needs with organizational needs.
1. Selective Recruitment
Instead of hiring a candidate who ‘might’ be suitable for the vacant position, an organization should hire someone who is deemed ‘right’ for the position. HR shall identify the hard-to-fill positions and design and develop a strategy when hiring for them. This systematic approach reduces the recruitment cost as well as the time investment goes down while searching and hiring the apt candidate.
2. Knowledge Sharing
Access to valuable information always leads to enhanced productivity with better and improved results. Knowledge sharing should be a two-way mechanism. Internal resources and expertise within the organization should be given access to by the management. On the other hand, employees shall also share their learnings and knowledge acquired after any training or skill development session. Any innovative idea to achieve the desired outcome, should be shared via any internal knowledge sharing portals or forum.
3. Employee Motivation
An essential key to grow business is to keep your staff motivated. A tête-a-tete with employees, providing spontaneous assistance, making them the owners of their work and assignments, setting realistic goals, rewarding and awarding them on achievement of pre-set goals, arranging of learning sessions about recent developments in travel industry, enrolling employees in additional courses in tourism are certain ways to keep the staff motivation level high.
4. Engaging Employees
Employees who are aligned and engaged with the organization, tend to be more enthusiastic and focused about their work. Developing a culture of mutual respect and trust, creating impending opportunities, arranging fun activities at workplace, performing team building activities, following ‘Glass Door’ policy are certain ways to keep the workforce engaged and thus steadfast.
5. Improving Job Security
Employee retention depends largely on the assurance that an employee has about the longevity of his job tenure. It is an organization's responsibility to clearly prepare and share employment contracts mentioning all terms and conditions, whether for a temporary or permanent role. Further, the HR policies shall be both in favour of the employee and the business needs with pragmatic HR budgets so as to ensure nil retrenchments and curbed attrition rate.
6. Training and Development
To acclimatize to the changing times and technology, regular training and development sessions are of utmost importance. Training and development should be conducted in a well-defined way so that the value-adding employees are considered and their skills are uplifted.
7. Gender Diversity
With more men appointed as Executives and Managers the gender equality factor doesn't come alive. Hence more women should be hired, recognised and empowered to become an integral part of the top leader panel.
8. Fair Evaluation System
Evaluation should be based on the achievements and performance of the employee. To encourage employees, self-assessment should be the primary step for performance evaluation process. Further to make it fairer and transparent, a 360-degree performance appraisal method should be implemented and followed.
9. A ‘Go-To’ Workplace
The basic necessity of a conducive, hygienic, safe and happy workplace for any employee, if provided can work wonders as it boosts the level of efficiency substantially.
10. Zero Non-Compliance
All the best practices for an HR stand mendacious if they are not statutorily compliant. Being ignorant to laws and statutory compliances affects staff loyalty, transparency, fund position and thus company’s reputation, brand image and market share as well.
These practices if adopted as principles and dedicatedly pursued, will lower the attrition rate, ensure a workforce comprising of motivated and ‘giving their best’ employees, will influence the market reputation and goodwill of the travel agency and will assist in keeping the agency ahead of the curve in the competitive industry.
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