jsl_web_admin, Author at SearchWide Global

Four Tourism Industry Companies Partner for Success

11.13.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

November 13, 2019, (ST. PAUL, MN) – Four well-respected companies in the destination marketing (DMO) industry partner to better to serve clients with the collaboration and alignment of services.

The consortium provides a suite of services and long-time expertise to similar clients and helps DMO leaders operate more successfully and profitably. The partnership includes; SearchWide Global, CFO by design, Civitas, and Fired Up Culture.

“This collection of companies and their teams have earned universal respect in the DMO sector. We believe that our four companies can collaborate in a way that will allow DMO leaders to focus on what they do best, sell and market,” said Mike Gamble, President and CEO, SearchWide Global.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership. We are honored to work with these companies that we’ve respected for years. At CFO by design, we’re committed to strengthening DMOs and our industry by supporting executives and their organizations through financial accountability, board excellence and community alignment,” said Julie Hart, President, CFO by design.

“We are thrilled to be a part of such a dynamic team of leaders! Each company brings a degree of skill and talent to this industry that is simply unparalleled. At Civitas, we specialize in igniting local economies, creating jobs, and establishing stable funding for destination promotions and downtown improvements throughout the United States,” said John Lambeth, President & CEO, Civitas.

“We are inspired by this alliance! The level of excellence and specialized expertise each partner brings to the group is a perfect blend for the industry we serve. Fired Up! Culture is focused on elevating the DMO industry through strengthened culture, leadership development and building high-performance teams,” said Chris Ihrig, CEO, Fired Up Culture.

SearchWide Global is a full service executive search firm primarily for companies in Destination Organizations / Hotels & Resorts / Venue Management / Experiential Marketing, Tradeshow & Exhibition / Industry Associations / Sports & Entertainment. Specializing in C-Level and Director level executive searches and founded in 1999, SearchWide Global is headquartered in St. Paul, MN, USA and operates worldwide.

CFO by design works with clients to uncover opportunities to strengthen financial and organizational practices and priorities. They provide industry leading solutions to establish a solid operational foundation, exceptional community alignment and to provide accountability to stakeholders while allowing leadership to focus on the core of running the organization.

Civitas specializes in developing long term funding strategies for destination marketing organizations. Civitas is the nation’s leading firm in Tourism Improvement Districts. The Civitas team has helped form over 100 districts throughout the United States and in many cases have doubled or tripled the DMO budget.

Fired Up Culture innovative tools and solutions help companies understand how to care for their team members, foster a culture of excellence, and experience business breakthroughs like never before.

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KARA RYAN | MARKETING DIRECTOR

SEARCHWIDE GLOBAL

680 Commerce Dr., Suite 220, St. Paul, MN 55125

P: (651) 275-1370

ryan@searchwideglobal.com

SEARCHWIDEGLOBAL.COM

Behind the Term Millennial

9.19.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Elizabeth McHeffey

Google the word Millennial and you will come back with an endless flurry of articles written about “how to deal with Millennials”, “how to manage Millennials in the workplace”, or “how to interact with Millennials”. Entitled, job hoppers, self-centered, easily distracted, and need constant praise are frequent adjectives listed. So, I set out on a quest to talk to tourism and travel industry Millennials about these stereotypes and what has shaped us, while also meeting with industry leaders within the GenerationX and Baby Boomer generations to see what the generation gap looks like to them.

To start, lets define the term Millennial. According to Pew Research Center, Millennials are defined as individuals born between 1981 and 1996 – or currently ages 23 to 38. And when talking with my peers, they agreed that they don’t jump for joy over the term that blankets our generation.

Maranda Tippin with the San Diego Tourism Authority says, “There is an unfortunate negative connotation, entitlement, and all of those aspects to [the term] Millennial that I always feel that I have to overcome when people know my age. You call me a Millennial and I take it negatively.”

Kylie Leslie with Visit Phoenix is in agreeance with Maranda, saying, “I think it is an interesting term because it is one that I think can have a negative connotation because people think of Millennials of not having great communication skills, always on their phones… But it has been gotten to a point now where the term has been used so much that people are realizing that not every millennial is the same. It is also such a big age gap. We are such a diverse generation.”

Let’s first dive into what shapes a generation – a big piece of the puzzle is the influence of environmental and economic factors. And arguably the biggest environmental factor that attributes to characteristics of the Millennial generation is technology.

We are the first generation that has largely grown up with computers and cell phones. This has not only created an ease of accessibility to resources but also an emphasis on efficiencies, data collection and analysis. We have the ability to Google ‘top visited cities in the United States’ and the answer will pull up in a millisecond. No need to comb through encyclopedias for hours at the library. We use and analyze data to streamline processes and make improvements – whether it is looking at your insight statistics on your personal Instagram account or improving SEO for your company.

Kimber Tabscott with Monterey Convention and Visitors Bureau points out that, “Data is a key word for our generation. It is something that has really fueled the whole generation. Everything has research and data behind it – it’s at the tip of our fingers, we aren’t spending hours at the library reading books and finding what we need – it’s available at the snap of a finger – and of course there is a [generational] gap. That’s a huge thing, so for the generations that have not embraced that it is going to cause a fissure.”

With answers at our fingertips, we have gotten accustomed to speed, which most likely leads to the stereotype of being easily distracted and having shorter attention spans. However, the positive side to this is that multitasking comes natural to Millennials. We are the generation that can easily sit in an overcrowded coffee shop with the hum of voices and revolving door of customers’ orders being shouted, while participating on a work conference call, texting back our clients, and going through emails.

Kylie with Visit Phoenix says, “We have shorter attention spans than others because we are so used to multitasking. I think most Millennials have a good work ethic because we are so used to doing things at the same time and being pulled into different directions. And that can be a strength for a lot of us because we don’t need complete silence to focus. We are able to focus in different environments – remote places and different work hours — and that is why we are interested in flexibility in the workplace.”

We communicate and collaborate openly. We have grown up using AOL Instant Messenger, texting, Gchat, Facetime and feel completely comfortable sharing personal pictures on Facebook and Instagram – always connected to our peers. TV shows have become much more open and less censored than previous generations, as have conversations on topics such as politics, sexual orientation and inequality in the workplace.

Randi Morritt with Visit Aurora says, “We are a generation of communicators. We will tell you about our dog, share all of our personal pictures, tell you where we live — we will tell the world everything.”

From an economic perspective, Millennials are faced with a great deal of debt compared to previous generations. According to this Forbes Article, the cost for a four-year degree has doubled from 1989 to 2016, even after inflation. Further, the average annual growth in wages was only 0.3% between 1989 and 2016. Concluding that the cost to attend a university increased nearly eight times faster than wages.

While some may say that we are job-hoppers, many Millennials might say that we have to stay on the grind and are entrepreneurial-minded. Having a “side hustle” such as an Etsy Shop or selling beauty products is not out of the norm for us. Once again, emphasizing the multitasker attribute.

Gina Archuleta with Monterey Convention and Visitors Bureau points out that, “We are super scrappy. Salaries haven’t really risen over time with inflation. You can’t support a household on one income anymore — you need two incomes. It is not an option to be a stay-at-home-Mom anymore. A lot of people think that Millennials are too out there or too creative, but we have to be with so many barriers. We just have to go for it because we don’t have another choice.”

So, are the stereotypes true about Millennials? I think it depends which way you look at it. It is important to remember that although entire generations can have similar qualities due to certain environmental or economic factors, each person needs to be treated as an individual. And in talking with senior leaders in the industry, they accentuate this notion.

Margie Sitton with the San Diego Tourism Authority says, “I guess I’m pretty simplistic. We have a lot of Millennials in this [Sales] Department and I find them to be hardworking, on time, and not as whiny as everyone claims they are – so I don’t look at them as a problem. We are in a business community and have a diverse group of people – guys, gals, straight, gay, all different generations – with a commonality that they just love this industry.”

Rachel Benedick with Visit Denver shares, “If you understand what shaped a generation or what shaped the parents of a generation, then you are going to understand the products of those generations. That is what you have to do as a leader. It is my job to understand each individual person and when you figure that out, it is really empowering. You can’t manage every person the same.” She continues, “You have to invest in and understand your people.”

Bottom Line: Each generation has similar behaviors or attributes that they may share due to the factors that they have grown up with. Furthermore, all generations that are just entering the workforce may be faced with larger scrutiny and overgeneralizations than those that are established in the workforce. It is important to take note of the factors that have shaped each generation, while not painting Millennials with one brush. By doing so would encourage a disconnect rather than a collaboration, and a lack of change rather than a larger creative growth. The great news is that industry leaders that I spoke with already do view their team as individuals, encouraging diversity, development, and individuality.

So, are Millennials old news? In the coming years, the conversation will be shifting to GenerationZ.

Elizabeth McHeffey is our digital nomad. During her travels she’ll be diving into topics and trends surrounding the generations in the workforce, stopping along the way to meet with industry leaders that are making waves and reinventing how we work. What we’re calling, “The Remote Route.”

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SearchWide Global is a full-service executive search firm primarily for companies in Destination Organizations / Hotels & Resorts / Venue Management / Experiential Marketing, Tradeshow & Exhibition / Industry Associations / Sports & Entertainment. Specializing in C-Level and Director level executive searches for companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to mid-sized public and private companies and associations. Founded in 1999, SearchWide Global headquartered in St. Paul, MN, USA and operates worldwide.

Striving for an Imaginative Company Culture

9.17.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Kara Ryan

Company culture is all the buzz, and for good reason. Studies show culture can make or break a company when attracting top talent, retaining the superstars, and can lead to a higher level of success versus companies without a defined culture.

If you’re striving for a company culture that sparks more creativity and imagination among your team, consider these suggestions to implement.

Strive to attract and hire passionate and creative individuals that work great with others.

2. Hire a diverse slate of people from all walks of life. Diversity has been proven to foster new ideas and generate new opportunities. According to Forbes, “companies in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35%.”

3. Focus on empowering the entire team, not just the executive team to contribute to ideas and initiatives. Give everyone a voice. It’s been shown to attribute to higher performance ratings, lower turnover rates and leads to more initiative and innovation. Here are some ways to give everyone a voice.

Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.

4. Don’t work in silos. Break up the departments and allow individuals to work with different teams on new projects. Fresh dynamics lead to new ideas and perspectives.

5. Design an environment that inspires people. Somewhere that collaboration and innovation can thrive. Think meeting pods, gardens, treadmill desks or incorporating more natural light and plants has been said to increase productivity as well. Even flexible schedules and remote work opportunities. Anything to break outside of the traditional office or boardroom. Here are some of the most inspirational office spaces.

Motivated and happy teams lead to successful and productive companies. It’s an investment of time and energy that should be a priority for every company to stay competitive and relevant for today’s workforce.

The Rise of Millennial Travel

8.9.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Elizabeth McHeffey

While meeting with Millennials in different destinations across the U.S., just about all have placed a true prioritization on their passion for travel. With booking apps at our fingertips and social media influencers parading dreamy images of mosaiced mosques and fields of wildflowers, it’s no wonder that my peers and I have been coined the ‘wanderlust generation’. It is a part of our identity, our growth and self-discovery, and is much more than an annual all-inclusive, never-leave-the-resort vacation. Taking a spontaneous weekend ski trip is not out of the ordinary, and neither is a backpacking trek through the Himalayas.

We are traveling more than past generations – case in point, I’m currently exploring the country as a digital nomad.

In fact, according to an article published on Skift.com, Millennials are traveling an average of 35 days annually, while Generation X travels just 26 days, which equates to 34% generational difference.

We are also spending the most on travel compared to all other generations – $200 billion annually per Forbes. Moreover, our generation is blurring the lines of business and leisure travel, extending the short business trip that our other-generation colleagues are eager to hop on a same-day return flight from. Conference in Boise? I think I will stay an extra two nights to search for the natural hot springs in the region.

Why so? The digital age has been a great motivator. With the ability to book a flight on your smartphone in seconds, WiFi accessibility in even the most remote places (always connected!), and the influx of wanderlust social media influencers – it makes it hard to not get bit by the travel bug.

“Travel is so easily done, it’s in your face, travel is at our fingertips as a Millennial. I think that’s why we are more inclined to take a vacation, to take a month off and go backpack through Europe. The previous generations didn’t have the ‘in your face’, ‘this is available to you’ marketing. They probably didn’t know ‘oh, I could go skydiving this weekend’ or ‘I could go hiking through the forest’ or ‘I can visit the Amazon’. For us, we think, ‘that could be my vacation in two months!’” says Nani Almanza, Visitor Services Manager with Visit Monterey.

Additionally, Millennials are earning 20% less than Baby Boomers did at the same stage of life, according to this USA Today article. Coupled with much higher student debt and other contributing factors, many Millennials have adopted “live in the moment” or “bucket list” mentalities.

Randi Morritt, Director of Marketing with Visit Aurora and I talked about some of the travel patterns of our generation. “Many individuals in our generation [Millennials] feel financially burdened by significant student debt, and there’s data that supports the cost of higher education is greater now than ever before which is a shift from previous generations. With new headlines about Millennials ‘killing’ a new industry every day, I think we get a bad rep for holding off purchasing a first home or a new car. Instead of hurrying towards those larger financial goals, a travel goal can be achieved on a smaller scale that is more financially attainable.” She continues, “Millennials are choosing to travel and take part in unique experiences. We are a culture that collects moments rather than things.” Buy a house or experience the rich history of Savannah? Millennials have been choosing the latter.

For employers, it is important to realize that this generation and (more likely than not) future generations highly prioritize travel. Discussed in the previous blog post, Millennials look for flexibility and paid time off in an employer and may be more likely to negotiate PTO or remote workdays over salary increases. When meeting with the senior leaders of Visit Denver, we talked about their organization and how they have evolved and are continuously open to new ways of thinking, influenced by all their generations in the workforce.

Rachel Benedick, VP of Sales and Services says, “It is important, understanding over the years, the priorities of the younger generations. [Millennials prioritize] flexibility and time off….and they will take time off over money any day of the week.” Richard Scharf, President & CEO, emphasizes, “Especially in Colorado!” Rachel continues, “Our people take all of their vacation, they take every bit of it. And they go and they do things.” They have team members going to faraway places like Japan, Israel and Vietnam and have noticed that their Millennials are taking all their paid days off. Joking that it is a big contrast to them, who have more vacation time than they know what to do with.

And Millennials don’t just want to see a destination, they want to be immersed in it. We are travelers, not tourists, and desire to taste authentic cuisine and stay in historic neighborhoods, rather than Times Square-esque locations or cram onto a tour bus as outsiders gazing in. We want to collect memories to share with our peers, connect with locals and learn from our experiential explorations. Whether it be an Anthony Bourdain-inspired foodie trip, socially conscious opportunity to give back, or a spiritual retreat in Sedona, we want originality and authenticity. We want a curated, unique experience, a storyline, a central concept. The more that a destination can do so, the more likely we are going to be on a plane, train, car, bike or hovercraft to get there.

“We are kind of looking for more out of the norm out of our lives. We are traveling more, we are seeing more of the world, we are experiencing more.” shares Kylie Leslie, Destination Experience Designer with Visit Phoenix.

How Teams Communicate in 2019 – For All Generations

8.8.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Rachel Tomlin

In 2019, we are living in a world where communication and accessibility are more relevant and more important than ever. In the workplace, teams are having to navigate not only all the different forms of communication tools that are out there, but the different types of communication styles, practices, and techniques of their peers and managers as well.

Good communication is a key factor to a team’s success whether you are working remotely or in an office environment. This means finding the most effective ways to communicate with your team should be considered a high priority.

In the article 10+ Amazing Tools For Business Communication In 2019 the author dives into how communication for teams in the workplace is changing.

“The modern business world is evolving and so is the need of every modern workplace. With the increasing dominance of technology and automation in every industry, employees now have the freedom to stay connected to their work regardless of their actual location. Now a key effect of this modern workplace trend is that it has shown people the importance of team communication. It has made effective team communication an integral part of everything that we do.”

The focus on team communication continues to be a key factor in the workplace, and when you add in how the evolving methods of communication have now led to more questions than ever like “Can I use an emoji in that email?” Or “Should I add an exclamation mark over a period in order not to offend someone?” Or “Will this text get the same message across over a phone call?” we are now tasked with asking ourselves what the best practices are in 2019 to make sure a team is communicating effectively.

In the article 8 Simple and Effective Ways to Improve Team Communication, Mattis Le Cren, product owner at Azendo, lays out eight methods to create the best environment for your team’s communication efforts. These methods include fostering an open-door policy, encouraging two-way feedback, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, building team spirit, using time wisely, ensuring proper training, using the appropriate forms of communication, and utilizing online tools instead of having meetings.

“Communication is more than just talking face-to-face, although this form of communication should never be neglected. However, individual people and projects may dictate different types of communication. Technology plays a big part of our communication toolbox, and when used effectively, can save time and help team members work more efficiently.” Le Cren states.

He goes on to say “Normally a combination of methods works well on most projects, but the key here is how to increase the overall communication across the whole team. By implementing a few simple strategies, you should start to see an increase in team interaction.”

Identifying which of these eight areas need the most attention or may make the largest impact for your team is a good exercise to start down the track of better communication. For example, you may find that clearly defining roles and responsibilities may organically foster better communication through feedback and ensuring proper training for the roles affected. Training may then identify the proper tools needed to better collaborate across teams.

Katie Douthwaite, a writer for The Muse, lays out an approach in tackling the style of communication and how to be most effective in getting a message across in today’s workplace in this article. The strategies include using statements and not questions, maintaining confidence as you speak, giving clear directives instead of suggestions, adding deadlines, and repeating your requests. With many teams working remotely and generations sometimes feeling like they are speaking different languages to each other, these are clear and concise communication techniques that can be effective whether face-to-face or talking through email or an online messaging tool.

While we live in the ever-evolving, technology-driven world where new tools to solve our simplest problem tend to pop up every day, one thing remains clear; there will never be one answer or one tool to address communication across organizations. People will always be different, and tasks will always require unique approaches. As such, we will continue to rely on varying our types of communication through methods, styles, and technologies to connect with our teams in the most effective way possible.

What Do Rising Leaders in Tourism Really Want from Employers?

6.25.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Elizabeth McHeffey

The ongoing, ever-changing discussion surrounding preferences in the workplace is one that is incredibly important in order to retain your team, you must first know what is important to them. To dive into this topic, I met with several focus groups from different generations within the travel and tourism industry to find out firsthand what is really important to them.

The most significant and interesting thing that I learned was that although all generations seemed to have similar priorities on the surface, once the conversation went deeper on each topic, there were key generational differences. Below, I’ll dive into more detail on what the Millennial-generation truly wants.

Unconventional Growth and Development

The word growth came up time and time again and while it seemed at first to be straight-forward, that word means different things for different generations. While GenX and Baby Boomers seem to search for opportunities with forwarding advancement in the typical sense, such as promotions and increased compensation, Millennials wanted growth in a less traditional sense. Instead of climbing the corporate ladder from a Manager to Director to Executive, Millennials seem to want more cross-functional growth, individualized development, and opportunities for collaboration without boundaries.

“I am looking for development. I want a company to believe in me, to invest in me, and not just to look at me as a number. The opportunity to be collaborative and to learn…. I don’t want to be in a box. I don’t want to be the Group Administrative Coordinator and these are the only things I ever get to do…I want to know that if I discover something that I am good at and I have a talent for and I can learn more that people will support that and really see me.”- Sabrina Siqueiros, Visit Monterey

“A lot of the careers that Millennials have, didn’t even exist a few years ago. You can be a blogger, you can be a social media influencer, you can be a content creator….there are so many different things that we can do….One thing that Millennials get a hard time for is that we move on from jobs quickly or we are picky, but there are so many career options available to us that you can’t really blame us for really trying to find something that fits well within all of our interests.” – Kylie Leslie, Visit Phoenix

“I feel like in some managements structures you only get to see three feet ahead of you. ‘Your job is only to complete the next three steps and then after that don’t worry about it, it’s not your job’. I think more millennials are looking to see what is down at the end of the road, what are we working towards. It is more of a curiosity.” – Randi Morritt, Visit Aurora

Due to technology, there are new job titles emerging constantly, thus endless career options available for rising leaders. In my discussions, Millennials seem to actually prefer to grow outwards rather than upwards, honing a diverse web of skillsets and growing expertise in a multitude of areas. This unconventional career trajectory and blurred duties due to the desire to ‘not be placed in a box’ is something that employers should be aware of and continue to evolve with if they want to retain Millennials.

Sense of Community

Culture is another topic that was discussed several times and is almost one of those “cliché” responses to the ‘what are you looking for in an employer’ question. It seems that this answer is defined differently from individual to individual. Although it encompasses likeminded values and the people, it goes beyond that for the generation of rising leaders.

“One thing I looked for was a sense of community and support in that you have people that care about you and care about your future. One thing that was very evident in my interviews, was that each person was independently passionate about what they did.” – Kylie Leslie, Visit Phoenix

Rising leaders are looking for more than just a nice team that gets along well. They want to work for a company that is supportive with likeminded and passionate individuals, spurring a positive and creative community-like culture.

“I look for fulfillment and I look around me to see if the people around me feel the same way. If you are going to work everyday and suddenly no one around you is passionate or fulfilled too, then it gets draining after a while. It is important to me that wherever I work, people are extremely passionate about what they are doing.” – Gina Archuleta, Visit Monterey

Flexibility and Modern Perks

It wouldn’t be an article about the Millennial generation without talking about ‘work perks’. For the senior leaders, they are looking for perks such as great benefits packages, while rising leaders had different perks in mind. The Millennials that I spoke to almost all prioritized workplace flexibility, such as remote options and flexible hours, as well as work-life balance.

Millennials want their leaders to focus on results rather than hours in a workday or a workweek: productivity and efficiency overclocked hours worked. Coupled with this topic was the concept of laidback workspaces, which the tech industry seems to lead the charge on. Although this was not a deal breaker for most, it was most definitely something that Millennials prefer and feel that the tourism industry is a bit behind the ball comparatively. It is important for industry leaders to understand that this is a preference and to consider evolving the traditional workspace to stay competitive and retain this generation.

“We think if you come in, work hard, do great work, then leave and go have your life. When we created the 9/80 work schedule, I said to the board, ‘let’s try something for 6 months.’ This was in 2007.” – Gary Sherwin, President and CEO, Visit Newport Beach.

Defining Experiences and Making a Difference

“My job has to have an element to it that makes me feel like what I am doing is really making a difference and is good. I love that we are beating the charge with the sustainability initiative, that means a lot to me, that is really important to me. Being able to give back to the community in certain ways, that has always been something really important to me to find those kinds of elements in a job.” – Kimber Tabscott, Visit Monterey

In my discussions, all generations seem to look for a job that had a rewarding aspect to it, although for many of the Boomers and GenXers, it was not their top deciding factor for choosing an employer. The words fulfillment and impact were used by Millennials a lot, prioritizing experiences that will define them and only them. They want to be the making an impact that is unique and individualized, intertwining their specific job duties with making a positive social impact; essentially checking two boxes at once.

Nani says it best:

“We are definitely seeking more experiences as Millennials. We’re seeking what our life experience is going to be, instead of just finding that job that is going to keep paying the bills. We are always, constantly looking for our next, ‘what is going to be defining Nani? What am I about?” – Nani Almanza, Visit Monterey

The Importance of Investing in Employees

6.21.201905.5.2023 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Natalia Valdivia

In the ever-changing world that we live, it is imperative for companies large and small to stay current on cultural trends, employees’ needs, and technological know-how in order to retain top talent. Companies are now focusing on, and understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve in order to keep their organization competitive.

Studies show engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave the organization than the disengaged, and companies with engaged employees outperform up to 202% better.

Here are a few tips on how business leaders can invest in their organization’s future:

Recognize the Needs of Your Employees

Employees now desire a greater return for the time they spend at work (One-third of our entire lives are spent in a working environment). In addition to standard benefits like medical insurance and 401(k)s, we’re seeing that company culture and work-life balance are at the top of the list when prospective hires consider new positions.

It’s important that organizations showcase volunteer work, team building initiatives, and their employee-friendly culture to prove they are a good match. By recognizing additional needs like this, you are instilling a sense of pride in the company and positioning your organization to be “the ideal place to work.”

Provide Continuing Education & Leadership Opportunities

A top priority of employees in the workforce is continuing their education. A great way to secure talent from your pool of employees is investing in their skillsets. Providing continuing education programs for your team or offering financial support for a degree that will help your organization improve is a win for all involved. In the travel and tourism industry, for example, associations such as AHLA and AHLEF are offering options for employees to help them grow in their careers:

“As part of the hotel industry’s long commitment to empowering its workforce, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation and Pearson have recently partnered to launch a new pilot program to offer women and men in the hospitality industry a cost-free degree.”

By offering your employees a competitive edge in their education, you are showing them they are valuable. This simple strategy provides great returns over the long run.

Offering leadership roles to your employees increases motivation and drive. Enable your team members to take on leadership roles, opportunities, and temporary assignments whenever possible. The travel and tourism industry, for example, provides endless opportunities for career development:

The hospitality industry provides an opening for anyone to truly develop a career, where you can start as an intern, commit to working hard and grow to become a senior leader in the industry. – Juan Corvinos, VP of development, Caribbean and Latin America, Hilton

By empowering and challenging your employees with opportunities to prove their talent and potential, you are providing them with experiences and new skills that are irreplaceable.

Stay Ahead of the Technological Curve

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” – Henry Ford

Lastly, encouraging technological fluency in the workplace is paramount for long term success. New innovations will allow your company to stay competitive. Tech knowledge, in general, is an important asset that employers should prioritize. It’s also important to make sure that your team members are equipped with the appropriate tools essential to the success of the team as a whole. Companies can now take advantage of training programs and apps that will provide learning opportunities and tips for their employees to stay ahead of the curve.

These efforts can lead to happier, engaged employees and overall better company culture. Research shows that happy employees greatly contribute to the future of a company. Making it a top priority for leadership to invest in their employees and overall company culture.

By providing an attractive employee-focused culture and offering career development opportunities through training and financial support, companies can reduce turnover and build loyalty. Additionally, focusing time on technological education is a sure way to retain talent. In doing so, you are positioning for a positive return on investment in your employees and positioning your organization for success.

Corporate Mindfulness: Taking Wellness a Step Further

4.16.2019 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Elizabeth McHeffey

Corporate health and wellness perks such as gym memberships, salad bars, and standing desks have been popular for some time now. But many corporations are taking these material wellness perks a step further by prioritizing the importance of mindfulness, self-care, and mental wellness practices. Mindfulness by definition is “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.” Mindfulness can be utilized in many different ways, but it encompasses being present, aware, setting intentions, and maximizing your brain and energy function.

Gary Sherwin, CEO of Newport Beach & Company fully embraces the idea of both physical and mental wellness and works to instill that in their company’s core values and culture. One way that they practice this is by giving an annual allowance towards wellness – anything from gym memberships to tennis classes, to buying a jogging stroller for parents. But Gary looked deeper into wellness and mental self-care this year by bringing in a Mindfulness Expert to their company retreat, who spent the day with the entire team, walking them through mindful practices such as guided meditation and intention-setting.

“The idea was to just teach people what it could mean to get quiet, close your eyes and in this case, he was doing guided meditation. Meditation has taught me to say ‘Okay, don’t think squirrel, think of the here and now.’ It does help me in getting through the day and focus on what is in front of you.” -Gary Sherwin

For Brianna Grimaldi, a millennial, new mom, and Digital Marketing Manager at Newport Beach, the day with the Mindfulness Expert was a strong reminder on a goal that she had already set.

“It was one of my New Year’s resolutions to try be more aware and present in my personal and work life. You get in a whirlwind of work and life and it is great to remember to take a step back and be able to reset and focus on where your mind is right now.” -Brianna Grimaldi

Another Millennial on the team and the Director of Tourism Marketing & Insights, Colleen Costello, was unknowingly already practicing mindfulness in her personal life. Through the seminar, she learned to be more aware of the mindfulness that she practices and set her goals intentionally.

“For me, it was identifying a lot of ways I am doing it in my life now and realizing that is my personal mindfulness. I am a big hiker and swimmer and I deliberately don’t keep my phone with me. Realizing that was my personal mindfulness already, and making sure that I am taking the time for myself to do that, take it to that next step, and be totally cut off and focused on what is happening there.” -Colleen Costello

So why has mindfulness gained popularity in both our professional and personal worlds? Here are a few potential reasons:

Accessibility. Apple recently announced its “Best of 2018” and listed self-care as the trend of the year. Apps such as Calm and Headspace are easily accessible and a growing trend, with Headspace being the “gym membership for the mind” and claiming to have 15 million users.

Digital Age & the need to disconnect. This article, sums it up “The bright side of technology is often eclipsed by its dark side: it is hard to switch off, and there is too much information to process as well as too many distractions now. So, yes, we are living in the age of technology-induced stress…”

Productivity: This research study concluded that the average worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes per day. There is a clear need for employees to set intentions and refocus.

High Stress: According to this article, almost two-thirds of professionals say their stress levels at work are higher than they were five years ago. Moreover, high stress has been directly linked to disease.

Innovation and creativity. “Studies show meditation improves your creative and critical thinking, reduces stress, and smooths out interpersonal relationships,” says Michael Miller, director of New York Meditation Center.

The bottom line: Be mindful about both your physical and mental wellness. Get outside, take a deep breath, refocus & tackle your day!

Are Work Perks Enough for Top Talent?

3.13.2019 by jsl_web_admin

Written by: Nicole Newman

In today’s ultra-competitive job market with a low unemployment rate and high demand for the best talent, how can companies keep the best and brightest? Sue Shellenbarger’s Wall Street Journal article “Why Perks No Longer Cut it for Workers” from December 2018 explains how the most successful companies are doing this by providing employees with a sense of belonging.

Sue shares that the companies offering growth potential, trust, motivation and career planning are more likely to retain top talent and post higher per employee profits than companies that don’t. Creating a cohesive work environment, promoting from within and continued training account for high employee satisfaction and lead to employee loyalty.

Sue’s article shares that; “psychological safety: the freedom from the fear of being shamed or ostracized by others for voicing criticism or tossing out a crazy idea” encourages higher employee performance by allowing team members to take risks, innovate and solve problems.

The creation of cross-discipline and multi-generational teams that foster collaboration and a free exchange of ideas can provide employees an increased sense of ownership and pride within their organization.

According to Atlassian’s article “Have tech perks gone too far?” the top six traits that make for a stand-out workplace include a sense of purpose, risk taking, rituals that drive innovation and create a culture of discovery, transparency and autonomy, flexibility and the idea of “working open.” These cultural imperatives, not perks, are what current and potential employees are taking into account when deciding to join, stay or leave an organization.

The WSJ article was shared on LinkedIn and gained quite a few comments with people offering their opinions. Among the many, there were comments such as “never underestimate the significance of a company’s culture” and “the most successful companies give employees a sense of belonging,” showing us that this is both a desired and important attribute for employees.

It seems as though the tech industry and large companies are paving the way when it comes to creating innovative company cultures. For the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, it is more important now than ever before to create a culture that team members can relate to and be proud of. Community involvement, open or alternative workspaces, the inclusion of team members at all levels in idea generation, accessibility to leadership, and fostering collaboration across the organization are just a few ideas to enhance your organization’s culture.

How does a company create a culture that attracts and retains the best and brightest?

We found there are many free resources online. The recent Forbes article, “Defining Company Culture: It’s About Business Performance, Not Free Meals And Game Rooms” dives deeper into creating a desirable culture. The author, Natalie Baumgartner suggests that employee perks can often be confused with company culture, or “…being used as a Band-Aid solution to cover up a lack of defined culture.”

In fact, research shows employees value culture and career growth almost twice as much as they value compensation and benefits when selecting an employer.

Company Culture: A Complete Guide for 2019 offers specific elements to achieving a positive culture such as company values and employee engagement. It states, “To put it more simply, culture is the way things work in your company – engagement is how people feel about it.”

An astonishing 87 percent of organizations cite culture and engagement as their main challenges, according to a report by Deloitte.

While there is no “right” answer for every organization, creating an inclusive and empowering workplace culture is highly more likely to attract and retain top talent.

Why SearchWide Global Has One Millennial Team Member Embarking On A Digital Nomad Lifestyle

2.25.2019 by jsl_web_admin

A team member of SearchWide Global recently made the decision to embark on a travel sabbatical, traveling throughout the U.S. for eight months in hopes that she could remain with the company throughout her journey.

Mike Gamble, President and CEO, SearchWide Global shared, “When Elizabeth approached me about this idea, I immediately thought she was calling to resign. One minute into the conversation, she actually said, ‘I am not quitting.’ Relieved, I thought, ‘well what is it then?’

This idea was an easy “yes” for me. How could we not support one of our young leaders who has a passion for travel and giving back? We also knew that it was 100% better to explore an alternative work structure for 8 or 9 months than lose a high-value team member forever. Lastly, what a great opportunity to practice what we preach. The workforce is ever-changing and the only way to grow as an organization is to evolve with it. The needs and wants of the younger generations in the workforce should intrigue us all and we felt like we owed it to ourselves and our clients to better understand what drives them.”

The decision has been a very exciting one, sparking questions and discussions within our internal team on the remote or newly-coined “digital nomad” lifestyle.

“My passion for travel led me to a career in the tourism industry and ultimately led me to the decision to travel the country. It was always something I knew I wanted to experience and personally, the timing was right. Professionally, I had no idea how this would be received and if it was a possibility. And believe me, I feel very fortunate that Mike and the SearchWide Global team were so receptive to supporting me on this decision and journey,” said Elizabeth McHeffey, Recruiting and Research Manager, SearchWide Global.

This Article and Video posted on LinkedIn about 2 months ago is a great, quick watch if you missed it. Yoav Gery is the President of Selina, a network of locations across the globe that offers accommodations, libraries and co-working spaces with reliable internet and quiet areas. They even arrange experiences in surrounding areas, and probably most importantly offer a community that brings like-minded “digital nomads” together. Think WeWork meets a Hotel. Although the remote, traveling lifestyle is typically viewed as a Millennial mindset and desire, Yoav talks about how it resonates across different generations in the workforce. Digital nomads can vary from individuals that dedicate their lives to traveling, as well as others that have traditional jobs that want to “keep life in play”, continue on their career trajectory and growth while getting to explore the U.S. or the world.

In a Forbes Article titled ‘Digital Nomadism Goes Mainstream’, they share the statistic that “4.8 million Americans described themselves as digital nomads. Among traditional U.S. workers, 27% said they “might” become digital nomads in the next 2-3 years, and 11% said they planned to.”

“It’s important to recognize that the way we work is changing, and that remote, dispersed work, including digital nomadism, will only continue to grow in the future.”

“The trend shows no signs of slowing down, with more people valuing their lifestyle and companies offering increased flexibility to attract and retain workers. “Aging Baby Boomers will continue to ‘unretire’ and work past the traditional retirement age,” the report notes. “Millennials will continue to flock to this lifestyle, inspired by the opportunity to pursue their travel interests while working. And older Gen Exers are reaching the stage where traveling while working is becoming more viable.”

With our highly connected and “always on” society due to access to WiFi and cloud-based programs almost anywhere, employees working outside of the traditional office setting will continue to grow. Work-life immersion, or combining professional and personal passions, all go hand-in-hand with the digital nomad movement. It will be important for employers across all industries to embrace this in the hiring and retaining of employees across the generations of our workforce. It also poses an intriguing question within the travel and tourism space – could this digital nomad lifestyle begin to blur the lines of business versus leisure travel in the future?

During this eight-month journey, we’ll be diving into these topics and trends, along with topics surrounding the generations in the workforce, stopping along the way to meet with industry leaders that are making waves and reinventing how we work. What we’re calling, “The Remote Route.”

If you and/or your organization would like to tell us what you’re doing as it relates to these topics, or to learn more, contact us at info@searchwideglobal.com.

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