Employee retention is one of the most challenging issues facing Canada's tourism industry across the country. So, when a tourism business is recognized for the positive corporate culture it is worth mentioning.
Congratulations to "Travel Alberta, the provincial marketing organization of Alberta, is today named as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures for 2017 in the Broader Public Sector category."
Why is a healthy workplace important?
1. A warm corporate culture just feels great to work in!
2. Respect and trust in your employees brings out the best in their desire to give and advance in a business.
3. It's a reflection on your brand - something we work so hard on in the tourism industry.
4. Your employees are your ambassadors, your interface with customers, industry, partners, funders and suppliers.
5. Collaborative practices and celebrating the success of colleagues becomes the norm.
6. Decision making is simplified because people trust each other, trust the processes in place.
7. Recruitment is easier - people want to work for top companies who with a positive corporate culture.
... and the list goes on!
A few risks of a lousy corporate climate:
1. Employee churn - and the associated cost of re-hiring, training and loss of corporate knowledge
2. Bad reputation that can be hard to change
3. Increased health benefit costs to the company as employees draw down on stress leave
4. Lack of motivation is accompanied by negativity and bitching about things - on and offline!
5. Employees are only partially there - as they are actively looking for work elsewhere and you don't have their full attention/commitment.
We've had a long-standing relationship with Travel Alberta and their Experience Development (formerly Industry Development) team and can attest that their corporate culture goes beyond their employees and extends to their contracted partners. On behalf of all of us at the Tourism Cafe - congratulations.