Workforce Issues: 5 Ways to Keep New Entrant Agents Engaged & Happy

by Marilee Crocker July 06, 2015

This is the second of two stories on attracting and retaining newcomers

Despite years of talk about the talent gap, the travel agency industry still struggles to retain newcomers.

One reason: Bringing new agents up to speed is a demanding and draining proposition for any employer.

“The training process is the biggest challenge. It is very time consuming and expensive to bring someone in, from the time they come in the door until they are productive,” said Connie Corbett, CTC, president of Ambassador Travel in Evansville, Ind., a member of the Affluent Traveler Collection group.

Ambassador devised its own solution three decades ago when it launched Ambassador Travel School, a flex-study program for would-be travel agents.

Today, the school is the source for all of Ambassador’s new-entrant hires, including the five newcomers the agency added to staff over the last nine months.

Most travel agencies aren’t likely to create their own travel schools to solve their staffing challenges. So what can agency owners and managers do to ensure the success and happiness of the new agents they bring onboard? We asked industry members for their advice. Here’s what they said.

1. Map a plan
It is absolutely critical to create a training plan for every industry newcomer that joins an agency’s team, said Heather Kindred, program director for Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, a program of Travel Leaders Group.

“When you’re bringing somebody new in, whether it’s an independent contractor or employee, set up a detailed training program for them,” advised Kindred, who has spent the better part of her career educating travel agents, starting in the mid-1990s as a regional trainer for AAA Washington.

There are lots of great training resources to draw on, Kindred said, pointing to ASTA, CLIA, The Travel Institute and supplier training. The important thing is to pull the ingredients together into a set plan that new agents can follow.

Kindred cautioned employers not to get bogged down teaching technology. “While technology is critically important, it is not as important as the right people skills. It’s relationships that make agencies successful. So keep it simple and offer lots of encouragement.”

2. Provide ongoing support
Owners and managers need to make sure they connect individually with new employees regularly during the work week. “Create a calendar and say, ‘Monday, Wednesday and Friday we’re going to sit down and talk about your training plan and what’s going on,’” Kindred advised.

“Leaving someone to fend for themselves because you’re so busy trying to keep up with the day-to-day running of your office––that’s where you lose them.”

At Ambassador Travel, employees who are new to the industry are paired with experienced agents who serve as their mentors, working alongside newcomers as needed “to ensure their quotes are accurate and details are complete for trip quotes and bookings,” Corbett explained.

It’s important to “assist new entrants in finding a level of confidence,” Corbett emphasized.

Role playing can be particularly beneficial in getting new entrants comfortable talking with customers.

3. Be flexible, adaptable
One key to Ambassador’s success with new entrants is the agency’s flexible approach to employment. Ambassador allows newcomers to get their feet wet and acclimate and grow at their own pace, Corbett said.

That means not all new employees start out fulltime––some begin as part-timers, some prefer a flexible weekend schedule, while others might move on quickly to an outside sales position.

“We do a good job of molding goals and expectations to individual employees,” Corbett said. “It allows their career to fit their lifestyle. With some agencies it’s, ‘Here’s what we do and how we do it. Either you fit or you quit.’”

4. Put employee needs first
Agency employers who place a high priority on the growth and wellbeing of staff members and independent contractors tend to be successful in business terms and have a high agent retention rate, Kindred said.

“I just talked to an agency owner who is bringing on someone new who doesn’t have any travel background. Her goal is to create a work environment that an employee, whether they’re commissioned or an actual employee, wouldn’t want to leave. Her whole philosophy is, what I can do for you?

“It’s very much a servant personality that makes an agency successful––when that owner or manager has that servant-leadership attitude. I see that in agency owners that survived the downturn and continue to grow,” Kindred said.

5. Cultivate a sense of belonging
Creating a workplace environment where employees feel engaged and connected to a community of peers is especially important for new entrants.

One way to facilitate that sense of belonging is to identify a common cause that the agency and its agents contribute to as an organization.

Sending new agents to conferences is also a good way to help them feel engaged.

“When you’re new and starting out, being connected with something bigger than you helps your success,” Kindred said.