NEWS t the sector can still improve training and diversity policies. By T ravel Weekly reporters


Diversity and inclusion ‘is not a box-ticking exercise’


D it


Alessandra Alonso


iversity and inclusion must be viewed as an ongoing process and not a one-off project, according to human resources experts. DiamondAir International project


manager Akua Darkwa urged atendees at the summit to embed diversity in their business strategies rather than regard it as a “box-ticking exercise”. “It’s really important the concept of diversity and


inclusion is not seen as a project [with a] start and end date,” said Darkwa. “Te moment we view it as a project, it’s a case of, ‘Today there is budget but tomorrow there isn’t.’ It should be seen as an ongoing process with continuous improvements that have to be assessed by data.” Darkwa added that while organisations might not


initially have the resources in place to measure the impacts of their diversity and inclusion practices, it “becomes part of the company culture” with time. Alessandra Alonso, founder of Women in Travel


CIC, agreed that continually striving for representation among the workforce should be the “modus operandi” for businesses, adding: “Diversity and inclusion is a journey and you never quite arrive [at the destination].” She said diversity in the travel industry had improved,


but there was still room for much more. “What has improved compared to when I started 20 years ago is the


ORCES ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE


Brixton Finishing School’s founder has urged travel firms to employ diverse workforces to improve their productivity. Ally Owen (pictured) shared data from The Wall Street Journal that showed margins are 10% higher for companies with diverse management teams than those with below-average management diversity. She also pointed to Deloitte data that showed employees who feel included and that their firm supports diversity reported their ability to innovate rose by up to 83%. Brixton Finishing School is a not-for-profit organisation that helps people from under-represented backgrounds find work in the advertising and marketing industries.


travelweekly.co.uk


Akua Darkwa


fact there is a lot more awareness now; we are all aware of the importance of diversity and inclusion,” she said. However, Alonso added that the industry needs to


be more creative in terms of how it recruits, by looking beyond the traditional avenues to atract talent. Katie Nightingale, director of people consulting at


Grant Tornton, agreed the industry is lagging where it should be in relation to diversity and inclusion. “As a sector, you [travel] should be much more


diverse because of the nature of the work you do and the cultures you encourage people to go and visit,” she said. “Tere’s still more to do.”


Office-based policies become more common


The number of travel companies wanting employees to work in the office rather than remotely is starting to rise, according to the boss of C&M Recruitment. Speaking on a panel debate,


Barbara Kolosinska said travel firms continued to offer office-based or remote roles, or a hybrid of both. But she added: “We are starting


to see more companies wanting people to come back to the office for longer than candidates are wanting. Companies are becoming firmer on that.” In the main, job seekers still


preferred hybrid or remote working


roles but there were also signs more younger candidates wanted to work in an office, she noted, adding: “It’s difficult to on-board, manage and develop performance remotely.” Te Travel Network Group chief


executive Gary Lewis argued that for any business with fewer than 120 staff, the culture was more important than flexible working practices. He said that was the case for the consortium, which has around 65 head office employees. “I’m proud of the fact people


want to come in and we don’t have to offer [remote working] to bring them into the organisation,” he said.


Kirker Holidays managing


director Ted Wake said his company’s decision to introduce an office policy last year had increased productivity. Kirker has taken on 20 graduates


over the past 18 months and Wake said: “It takes about two years to get them up to speed. We are deluding ourselves [to think] we can do that remotely. Tey are bright, ambitious and fed up with being stuck at home.” Rachel Reddan, people director


at Saga Travel Group, told the summit the company offered total flexibility to staff over when they came into the office but conceded there were “pros and cons”.


12 OCTOBER 2023 13


PICTURES: Sarah Lucy Brown


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