COMMONWEALTH BUSINESS TRAVEL GROUP, INC. (CBTG) February 1, 2008 Personnel Recruitment and Placement in the Travel Industry
About Travel Solutions Group National presence for 10 years Two divisions Recruiting and Placement Services Mergers & Acquisitions One of largest recruiting agencies specializing in the travel industry Best known for National Job Fairs
About Travel Solutions Group Mark Walton, CEO David Hillman, President Larry Cook, Vice President JOBS
Sister Company Grant Caplan David Hillman Mark Walton
Personnel Evolution in Corporate Travel Dominant hires were agents Agent market today Other skilled positions Management (exempt) positions Talent development/pool
Developing Talent Problem: Talent is not developed internally Personnel moves from agency to agency Poor training programs Lack of travel schools Little general education focus
Where to Find Personnel? Promote from within Internal job board Other industry sources Competitors Advertising Recruiters Outsource Other industries
How to Hire? Interview multiple candidates Team approach Reference checks Assessments
What to Look for in a Candidate Passion Risk taker Pay close attention to questions candidates ask Potential danger in looking for the safe candidate
The Interview Be prepared Carefully read resume Be careful not to over judge the resume Preplan questions Ask questions to fulfill your hiring objectives
The Interview Find out how people Manage Cope Are decisive Communicate Create Problem solve
Interview Questions – Probing Questions Tell me about a time you had to meet a deadline that seemed unrealistic Tell me about working for a bad manager Give me an example of a major and quick decision you had to make Have you had to dismiss an employee? Explain the process
Interview Questions – Probing Questions How do you motivate – and examples of motivation What was your greatest success – greatest failure Inter-office communication, relationships can be difficult – explain your positive and negative experiences
Interview Questions – Probing Questions Explain how you handle time management Provide examples of working with senior level people (internally and/or externally depending on position) Toughest sales experience Positive sales experience Why should we hire you
Creative Clients Look at hiring from outside of the industry Virtual employees Other geographical locations Offshore Incentive based compensation programs
Salary Levels Significant differentials by city Agent salary Small market - $32,000 Large market - $42,000 Sales – $70k plus commission Account Management Extremely diverse range
Future Pressure on bottom line Problem finding talent within the industry Reverse trend toward requiring more personnel Benefits programs Employment security
Working with TSG No up front fees Contingency agreements 20% exempt 15% nonexempt 60 day guarantee
Questions and Answers Thank you!