Barrhead Travel: 28th Best Company in the UK to work for!

BARRHEAD TRAVEL IS THE TOP UK TRAVEL EMPLOYER FOR 2010

Scotland's largest independent travel agency, Barrhead Travel, has been named the UK’s best travel employer in an independent survey published this week.

The company was one of just 8 Scottish organisations to be recognised on the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 list, which recognises dynamic, effective and highly-engaged workplaces. It was also the only UK travel agency to make it in to the top 100.

Launched in 2000, the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For celebrates firms who value their staff and provide a positive working environment. Employees are asked to answer a comprehensive questionnaire on 8 clearly-defined areas including Leadership, Wellbeing, My Manager, My Team, Fair Deal, Giving Something Back, My Company and Personal Growth.

Barrhead Travel scored especially high in the My Team and My Manager categories. The firm ranked 8th out of the 100 companies for how staff felt about one another and was judged to be in the top 10 based on employee feedback of managers.

Barrhead Travel chief executive, Sharon Munro, said: “I am delighted, but not surprised, by the positive responses we had from our employees. Barrhead Travel has always been a company that works hard and plays hard and I'm really pleased that our emphasis on teamwork, motivation and reward is working. Our philosophy is that if we look after our employees, they in turn will look after our customers”.

The organisation also scored highly in the Wellbeing category with 82% of staff reporting their stress levels were low, and 77% saying their home life was not affected by work.

A key contributor to Barrhead Travel’s success in the poll was the firm’s in-house training department with 81% of employees stating they felt they could make a valuable contribution to the success of the firm.

Sharon said: “We believe that it is vital to commit to training and development, as well as improving skills, it motivates and develops our staff and keeps them moving forward.

“We also place great emphasis on external supplier training, and send as many of our employees as possible on trips to familiarise themselves with new products and destinations. I believe the results we've seen are a direct response to the effort we have put into this area.”

Barrhead Travel has set its sights on expansion in the coming year. Having recently announced its intention to charter its own flights this summer, the company also has aspirations to extend operations outside of Scotland. This energy and ambition is echoed in the attitude of the firm’s employees with 83% stating they are excited about where the company is going, a score that was 4th highest in the Top 100.

Visit the Barrhead Travel website now: www.barrheadtravel.co.uk


ENDS


Issued by Barrhead Travel
For further information please contact Mark Brock on 0141 242 1290


Notes to Editors

About Barrhead Travel
Founded in 1975 by an ex-bank worker, Bill Munro, and operating from an unremarkable shop in the south Glasgow suburb of Barrhead with just 4 staff, Barrhead Travel's first steps in the travel business were tentative and small. But fast – forward 35 years, and the company has mushroomed into a multi-faceted travel giant with over 450 staff in 16 branches – and is one of the largest and most successful travel agencies in the UK.

In 2002, Barrhead Travel opened the first city centre travel superstore in the UK, right in the heart of Glasgow. One of the largest travel agencies in Europe, it was also the first “experience” store in Scotland, allowing their customers' imagination to run riot, as they climbed onboard the deck of a cruise ship, wandered down a boulevard in Paris, or even relaxed on a desert island as they booked their long haul holiday.

The company has won many awards over the years, including the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Best Business in Glasgow and Best Travel Agency in Scotland for 10 years running. However, 2009 was an exceptional year, when Barrhead Travel was voted Best Travel Agent in the
UK, Best Cruise Agent in the UK, and Best UK Travel Web Site.