Working in the travel industry is often fun, rewarding and can come with a lot of perks, like cheaper flights and discounts on hotels. But, like many other industries, peel away the glamourous layers and you’ll find that there’s plenty of hard work going on behind the scenes.
One of the largest and busiest industries to work in is the tourism sector, and by all accounts, it’s only expected to grow.
For those that work in travel, there’s often a lot of pressure to provide exceptional customer service, attend every industry event and wear a constant smile. Not to mention those who work odd hours, are in a perpetual state of jet lag and can’t remember the last time they felt in-tune with their internal body clock.
There’s targets to hit, work-related travel, and if you’re client facing, the need to read the body language of hundreds of people a day so you can act accordingly.
If you’ve got a family at home, pets to feed, a lawn that hasn’t been mowed in weeks and an active social calendar, at some point you’ll probably crave some normalcy.
Does this sound like you?
If this seems all too familiar and you’re tempted to throw in the towel, hold up a second! There are plenty of travel companies out there that value your abilities as well as your wellbeing, and this focus on work-life balance is definitely gaining ground.
Wanting to find a company that values you as an employee? Here are a few perks you’re likely to come across.
1. Corporate wellness programs
Plenty of companies are showing that the health of their employees is important by offering access to onsite gyms, exercise classes, as well as discounts on gym memberships and private health insurance.
Flight Centre Travel Group’s Healthwise is currently sitting on the finalist short list for the WORLD’s best corporate global health program. Currently on offer are health and wellness consultations, discounted gym memberships, personal training, nutritional and emotional guidance, and lastly, fitness challenges and events. That’s pretty good if you ask me.
2. Paid maternity and paternity leave
If you’re looking to work for a company that values family and financial stability during pivotal stages in life, then you might want to keep your eye out for travel companies that offer paid parental leave. Qantas is just one of many.
Flight Centre Travel Group also offer a range of parental perks, read more here.
3. Flexible working arrangements
More and more companies are offering flexible working arrangements as they see the potential for it to boost morale and productivity. Whether that’s working from home one day per week, flexi days or the option to start earlier and finish earlier, flexible working arrangements are becoming more widely accepted.
Three businesses that are well on their way to achieving truly flexible working arrangements are FCM Travel Solutions with their formalised FCM Balance playbook measuring success as “happy people, happy customers and good financial results”, or Corporate Traveller’s Flexi Policy operating around Flexiplace, Flexihours, Flexirole and Flexileave. In addition to a range of flexible working options, Student Flights have made the bold move to offer unlimited annual leave to travel consultants who hit their sales targets.
4. Financial literacy
Financial stress can be a huge burden to carry around day after day. To combat this, many employers are now offering financial literacy training as well as complimentary access to financial planning so that employees are able to maximise their savings.
Learn how the Flight Centre Travel Group is improving productivity and reducing financial stress here.
5. Study assistance
While not always seen as a booster of work/life balance, study assistance still has the potential to improve your life and make you more gratified in your role.
If you’re looking for a workplace that cares about your development and success, seek out an employer that offers study assistance for study linked to development. Virgin Airlines, for example, offers this as a perk to their employees, and Flight Centre offers 5 days of leave per year to attend ‘travel educationals.’
See, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s not all doom and gloom. Apart from strategies you can employ to find more balance in your life, your other option is to seek out an employer who makes it easier for you to put work/life balance into practice.
So are you looking for a company that cares about your wellbeing? Well here are some vacancies at Flight Centre. You can check them out below.
READ NEW CAREER HEIGHTS: This world leading company is looking for a Travel Manager in North Sydney
READ AMAZING: Become a Business Development Manager with this thriving team in Brisbane