INDUSTRY COMMENT

Melisa Schembri – C&M Travel Recruitment

We are told from our first job in the travel sector that we don’t join the travel industry for the money but for the love of it. We spend most of our time at work, so choosing the right role and environment are big factors to employees decisions in choosing their next company. When it comes to employee satisfaction, other factors could be more meaningful than salary. We have found a company culture, career opportunities, direct manager, work/life balance and company benefits are all taken into account. In my experience in the current job market there is no gender divide at any level. From entry level to senior manager, the salaries are reflective of their skills and experiences, not their gender. In our generation there is a lot more support for working mothers and also women having children later in life, so they are able to concentrate on their career.

Helene Taylor – JITO.CO

There are now more female leaders at the top of the travel industry than ever before, so the survey findings are a surprise. However, it is not the first survey alerting us to an unbalanced playing field. In general, when applying for a new job, a male applicant who knows they fulfil six out of 10 criteria will fake it until he makes it. Most women, on the other hand, will openly admit they can do just six of the 10. Furthermore, when asked about salary expectations, men will simply ask for more while many women will just be happy to have the job. So how do we change things for the better? Women must know their worth and negotiate, even when it doesn’t feel comfortable to do so. They must have more confidence and belief in themselves. Come on girls. It is time to, as Facebook’s Sheryl Landbert writes, “lean in”. Step up, negotiate and command your worth.

Ben Carnegie – inplace Recruitment

The results from the survey this year are interesting as always. No huge surprises but it’s true that more people are driven to find new jobs by happiness rather than purely financial reasons. While everyone wants to be paid well, most candidates I meet will consider taking a lower salary if they know the environment is going to be positive, supportive and can offer personal development. The number one reason people leave their current jobs is still to get away from their managers. In regard to the gender debate, I acknowledge the results of the survey indicate that females are earning less than males for the same positions. Personally this has not been my experience at all - across the whole spectrum of tourism and travel the salary packages offered are based on the role itself, not gender. Money can’t buy happiness, but for those who negotiate harder on salary, at least they can be miserable in comfort!