Attracting & Retaining Talent - The Great Workforce Opportunity 

We know how important it is to find and keep the best talent, which is why we've put together this comprehensive masterclass! There is a permanently changed workforce and shifted worker expectations so we have to reflect and lead by listening to what our team's needs are/what the workforce wants.

This session will discuss improving your remote work culture, provide tips for offering competitive pay and benefits, plus, we also explore ways to access the global workforce, so you can find the very best team members no matter where they are located.

The Great Workforce Opportunity Masterclass  is for travel business owners who are;

• Struggling to keep their team together
• Stuck with team gaps and having a hard time finding replacements
• Unsure about what to offer new hires regarding wages and benefits
• Wanting to outsource but unsure of where to find help

This masterclass will support you to:

• See the Great Opportunity to improve your remote work culture and create a sustainable team in your business 
• See retention as more important than talent acquisition 
• Improve your talent search 
• Balance the business’s needs and what your team/new talent wants 
• Pay & Benefits
• Clocked work hours vs Tasks completed/performance
• Bonuses (signing, end of season, commission, travel perks, pro deals etc.) 
• Ask what they expect/ want in the next 3-5 years /future
• Accessing the global workforce (pros/cons, where and how) 

Tell us a little bit about your background and why you started Peak Flow? 

• Graduating from Algonquin College with my diploma in Adventure Tourism Business, I never imagined I’d go from being an Adventure Guide to an OBM. Over the years, I have come to learn, that I am a total nerd and love managing information!
• After raft guiding, teaching skiing and ski patrolling in Alberta and Newfoundland for years, I was hired by Wild Women Expeditions. I was originally hired as the lead guide for their Newfoundland adventure trips. While completing my B.Ed, I worked part-time developing risk management plans, supporting client reservation management and setting up the online tools that WWE needed to manage EVERYTHING about the business. 
• Fast forward seven years, I was now leading the Adventure Program team, managing the transition into online office 2.0, training new staff to oversee critical processes and discussing strategy regularly with the CEO. 
• Now with over a decade of guiding and managing adventure trips globally and almost eight years of online business management under my belt, it was time to follow my own dream. I left Wild Women Expeditions in June 2019 ready to shine my light in a new(ish) direction. 
• After downloading the ‘Becoming an Online Business Manager’ book I knew right away this was the direction for me. I thrive on managing projects, leading teams and getting sh*t done! After a lot of training and learning, Peak Flow OBM was born in 2020. Peak Flow is my way of helping MORE businesses in the adventure travel and tourism space get the support they need to get organized, automate and grow.

What does Peak Flow do/ specialize in?

• We specialize in online software setup & management. Our zone of genius is using software to holistically support your business and helping to implement it correctly. From reservation systems to email marketing to CRM’s and waiver software, we have you covered. 
• Our second layer is business management, which is working WITH business owners to help them shift from ‘working in’ to ‘working on’ their businesses. An OBM can handle project management, team management (including HR and training) and provide guidance/be a sounding board to the business owner for high-level decisions. 

What do you see as current challenges your clients face as leaders as we come out of the pandemic?  

• Finding and keeping good team members.
• Keeping up with ‘all-the-things’ required as a modern, digital business.
• Finding the best software solution for their business. 
• Handling capacity issues like customer service due to increased visitors and team shortages. 

Many of our Founding Members have had a hard time retaining and attracting top talent in the travel industry right now.

What do you see as the keys to success in attracting top talent in todays labor market?

• Competitive pay including an incentive structure
• Room to grow and learn with the business (offering training/additional responsibilities)
• Being radically open-minded and transparent 
• Allowing 100% remote work and having flexible hours 

Many of our Founding Members report that they have a challenging time finding grounding and focus so that they can work on the business instead of in the business as they are pulled into many directions, and are short-staffed. What can they do to focus and stay focused on the vision, while minimizing effort, and maximizing results?

• Do weekly/daily planning & time block/batch tasks
• Focus on serving existing clients
• Learn how to better utilize your tools with automation capabilities 
• Set boundaries - office space, uninterrupted hours, minimize communication channels, use your out-of-the-office to set email turnaround time expectations/capacity issues, have an agenda for meetings etc.

Tell us about your experience as a Founding Member in Women Travel Leaders.

• Felt very included since day 1
• It’s refreshing to be in a space that is professionals in the luxury and adventure travel space
• I’m always excited to join a circle or workshop and learn how I can serve the community better