At Gold Medal, the anniversaries have been coming thick and fast throughout 2019 – 16 staff marked their 10th year with the business, 19 staff hit 15 years’ service, 10 staff made it to their 20-year anniversary, while one loyal employee reached 30 years with the company.
Meanwhile, Travel 2 saw similar outstanding loyalty, with nine staff reaching 10 years, 22 employees getting to 15 years, and two celebrating their 20th anniversary.
Lisa McAuley, managing director Gold Medal and Travel 2 commented: “We’re always blown away by the commitment of our staff across both Gold Medal and Travel 2. Having so many employees with this deep level of experience is a real cause for celebration. It means we have huge amounts of knowledge on tap, which allows us to deliver great service, and it also shows we are doing things right for our people in terms of workplace environment, culture and benefits.”
McAuley explained that both brands are keen to tap into the expertise of long-serving staff, offering clear pathways for career progression and giving them opportunities to act as team leaders and specialists wherever possible.
“Good businesses make the most of long servers,” she said. “These members of staff have a depth of knowledge about how the industry works for agents and this can help with strategic planning. And their loyalty means they invariably are team players who want to help more junior staff. These staff are also great advocates for the business, which is a great benefit to recruitment.”
Gold Medal is particularly proud of its reputation for creating long bonds with its staff – in total, it has 171 employees with at least 10 years’ service, including five with 30 years’ or more employment.
Among Gold Medal and Travel 2’s long servers is Kathleen Molloy, who celebrated 15 years at Travel 2 back in April. She rose through the ranks to be a team leader and has recently been appointed as a business manager.
Molloy commented: “I feel like I’m really lucky to have found a job that I love and that has allowed me to grow as I’ve gained more experience.
“There is a feeling here that you can progress, and that managers want staff to build careers.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Pound, Global Customer Experience Data Scientist at Gold Medal, marked his 30-year anniversary with the operator in 2018. He said: “It’s great to have an employer that recognises its people are its greatest strength. The fact that Gold Medal has so many staff with long service means we do see ourselves as part of a family, and day-to-day that makes work so much more enjoyable.”
