Inspiring Vacations Wins Retail and Hospitality Category of This Year's AFR BOSS Best Places to Work List

Melbourne-based tour operator Inspiring Vacations has retained and attracted new employees by offering flexible working arrangements, including the ability to work from anywhere in the world for four weeks a year.

Inspiring Vacations

Leading Australian-owned tour operator, Inspiring Vacations, which offers exceptional, value-for-money travel experiences for customers across the globe, including tours to Alaska and tours to Scandinavia, has managed to attract and retain talent despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The company, which won the retail and hospitality category of this year's AFR BOSS Best Places to Work List, now employs more people than it did prior to the pandemic and has seen customer enquiries return to 2019 levels. Employee engagement also stands at 83%.

Co-founder and managing director Paul Ryan credits the success to the company's progressive workplace policies. The recruitment process selects candidates with the right mindset and attitude, while a structured induction program helps them settle in quickly. Flexible working arrangements and free overseas trips for staff have proven to be the company's two biggest drawcards.

Three employees were making use of the company's work-from-anywhere policy when Ryan was interviewed by AFR BOSS in March. One was in Buenos Aires, another was in Japan and the third was in Europe. The policy grew out of a pre-existing employee benefit that allowed staff to go on one of the company's package holidays for free once a year. Almost 100 staff have taken up the offer over the past six months.

The company has also introduced other policies in response to the demand for more flexible working triggered by the pandemic, including a 40% quota for office attendance - the equivalent of two days a week for full-time employees. Ryan says the company arrived at that figure after conducting a confidential staff survey and gathering feedback from focus groups. He says two days in the office gives staff plenty of flexibility while also providing enough time for in-person collaboration and the ability to sustain a strong company culture.

Proudly Australian-owned and globally operated, Inspiring Vacations offers a diverse range of travel packages to all seven continents including fully guided tours of Alaska, tours Scandinavia-wide, luxury cruises and more. 

With the aim of making each trip unique and memorable, the tour operator is proud to offer the best in travel options worldwide from Alaska tours to Scandinavia tours and everywhere in between. To learn more, visit https://www.inspiringvacations.com/au

About Inspiring Vacations

Inspiring Vacations is an Australian-owned, globally operated tour operator offering exceptional travel experiences to customers worldwide. With a range of carefully crafted tour packages, the company takes pride in creating unique and unforgettable trips to the world's most iconic destinations.

Source: Inspiring Vacations