4 tips to build the dream team.

Hiring someone to work in Hostels, Guest-houses or in other Tourism business implies making sure the candidates have a series of requirements that aren’t that easy to find. Things such as professional qualifications (languages or diplomas), salary range, shifts, and seasonality make the process even more challenging for those searching for collaborators.

Therefore, in order to build a dream team (staff/volunteers), it is necessary first to really get to know your business's needs and objectives so as to draw up a plan of staff selection and recruitment.

Check out below 4 tips that will help you identify those who match the profile you are looking for, those who are committed to your business and keen on performing your activities.

UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS

“Know your needs and find someone who meets your expectations”.

Stop and think about what is necessary to keep your business working perfectly. This way you’ll figure out what’s the ideal profile for each activity, ranging from the profession and including the traveler’s personality.

If you have business partners or managers, it's extremely important that you get together regularly to share your opinions and discuss what you expect from the business and your staff and discuss how you’ll delegate the activities that need to be performed.

Moreover, have in mind that a business is a living organism and that its needs can change according to a particular stage and moment. For this reason, analyze your short term and long term needs and be prepared to manage probable moments of rotating staff, always having potential collaborators up your sleeve.

MATCHING PURPOSES

“Healthy relations aren't maintained by money, but by matching purposes!"

Another important thing when selecting someone is knowing what motivates that person. What she wants in her life, her dreams and hobbies can show if this person matches your business or the activity that needs to be performed.

During the recruitment interviews, ask what's the candidate’s purpose and explain your company's position. Prioritize people that really want to collaborate with your business or project, look for references and try to avoid those travelers or collaborators who aren’t interested in learning and teaching something new. Good exchanges aren’t based only on money but on the matching of purposes.

SELECTION PROCESS

“Find the best people possible, not the best people available”.

Hiring nearby people to help in the daily duties, like family members and friends, is quite common, mainly in small properties like Hostels and Guest-houses. However, working with friends has its pros and cons as the danger of mixing work and friendship is very high.

For this reason, make sure you don’t have big risks of a high staff turnover. If so, make sure that you'll be able to manage your business without getting off track with the changing of so many employees – or, in the case of those who already joined Collaborative Tourism, of travelers (worldpackers). When choosing these people, find out how to identify those that have the abilities and availability you need. This way you won’t suffer from resignations or unexpected dropouts.

STAFF MEETINGS AND FEEDBACK

“Create a continuous feedback routine that prioritizes results and staff happiness”.

Managing your dream team won’t be easy as it’s difficult to keep a group of travelers and collaborators (worldpackers) happy and productive all the time. For this reason, establish a routine of weekly chats to find out how people are doing and what they are thinking about the activities they’re executing. Those chats are crucial for a closer relationship with your staff.

With each person’s feedback, you’ll be able to see how your project is working out and at the same time innovate and correct little mistakes that may occur. Having these conversations is good to relieve the stress and define the next steps to address the project’s challenges.

Make sure these staff meetings are an integral and periodic part of your business and don't forget to create a good environment for everyone to feel comfortable to express their feelings and opinions.

So? Did you like the tips? What did you do to recruit people for your team? Share your story with us in the comments below. ☺