In the lingering echoes of the pandemic, Jenny Cooper faced a challenge many of us know all too well: a vanishing talent pool. But for Cooper, owner of Queanbeyan City Travel & Cruise and agency member of Travellers Choice, this crisis paved the way for ingenuity. Her’s is a tale of adaptability, resilience, and the hidden talent that might just be brewing in unexpected places.
Like a lot of travel business owners, Cooper needed to rebuild her team to meet the huge demand for travel after the pandemic lockdowns. But there was a problem. When travel came to a standstill, Cooper says that many of the travel professionals in her region switched gears to pandemic-response roles in the public sector. But even as those crisis gigs wrapped up, there was a surprising lack of re-entry into the travel industry.
“I have no idea where the hell they went,” says Cooper, “but I realised that I was going to need to rethink the way I rebuilt my team.”
Looking outside the box
The NTIA nominee for Most Outstanding Travel Agency Manager decided to tap into local talent who may not have had the industry experience but had something all good agents need.
“Instead of looking for qualified staff I decided to look for local people who had reputations for good customer service skills,” she says.
She found Carol Blazeski and Michelle Laughton Bath, two local restaurant managers and baristas. And she found them through word of mouth.
Attracted by the opportunity to learn new skills, the pair were also after “more rewarding engagement” with customers and “roles that allowed them to express themselves more creatively”.
“I told them the travel industry was anything but routine,” Cooper says. “In fact, it was as dynamic as the airfares they would be selling.”
Cooper then tapped into the Federal Government’s Australian Apprenticeships Incentive Program, which is now open to travel consultants.
But how did she find the time to train new staff?
Queanbeyan City Travel & Cruise is an agency member of Travellers Choice. And Cooper says that without its support, she doesn’t know how she would have found the time and energy required to make it work.
“As always, Travellers Choice was exceptionally supportive, and it facilitated training through its customised professional development program TC Pro, which is delivered in partnership with Cornerstone Learning & Development.
Right now, Cooper has two more newly joined staff undergoing further training. Both have returned to the industry and one after a 15-year break.
For Cooper, the diverse talents and experience within her staff is a major benefit and, given the opportunity, she wouldn’t hesitate before scouting beyond industry borders for fresh talent.
“Travel is a complex industry, but I think we’ve pigeon-holed ourselves when it comes to recruiting new people. We have to think outside the box – especially in regional areas – and consider what makes a great agent.
“Look beyond experience and consider the value of people who have great customer service skills, a sense of commitment and a desire to embrace something new. You’ll find out pretty quickly if it’s going to work.”
