Backroads Trip Leader Positions

2010 Leader Information Packet for Applicants in Europe

About Backroads and Our Leaders
Backroads is an innovative active travel company that offers more biking, walking and multi-sport trips in more locations worldwide than any other company in the industry. Since 1979, we have been sending our guests on exciting, luxurious and rewarding vacations, and we do so with an exceptional crew of trip leaders. In 1999 founder Tom Hale created Backroads International in order to support our presence in countries around the world. Backroads International includes our French subsidiary, "801 France", through which European citizens and individuals with legal EU work authorization are hired. Note: "Expats" or individuals with legal work authorization for our European destinations (or USA or Canada) are eligible for employment either through "801 France" or one of our North American subsidiaries. Expats may be eligible to work in either their home country or abroad. Individuals will be asked to declare their 'hub' after hiring.) Throughout this application, when you see the name "Backroads", it signifies Backroads International and 801 France as well. View the Trip Leader Application here.

Backroads Trip Leaders come from a diversity of professional backgrounds. However, whether coming from careers in teaching, law, engineering, travel, technology, hospitality, public relations, advertising, outdoor education, or other vocations, all of our Trip Leaders share two qualities:

(1) the desire to provide top-notch customer service and create unforgettable vacations;
(2) the ability to "connect" with each and every guest on every trip.

Please read through the following 3-part packet for more basic information about the Trip Leader job at Backroads, as well as see our European Leader Profiles on the website.

Part I: Leader Compensation & Benefits

Backroads sets the industry standard for the total leader compensation and benefit package. Trip Leaders can make a living wage, but it does involve creativity, some strategy, and cost control in your personal life. Backroads enables field employees to both work and play through many perks and benefits that mitigate out-of-pocket costs when leaders are on the road. A few things worth noting are:

• Pay and Gratuities
You will be paid a daily rate for all your Backroads work, as well as be eligible to receive gratuities on trip from guests as part of your overall compensation. We will happily provide the most up-to-date information on our daily rates of pay and average gratuities during our interview process.

• Allowances
While actively leading trips, Backroads provides allowances to cover nearly all costs of food and lodging, both during and between trips. In fact, most leaders find that they are easily able to save money while working for Backroads. Of course, your individual savings potential will ultimately depend on your personal lifestyle and the number of trips you lead in a season.

• Leader Houses
Many of our regions worldwide have leader houses that are available to leaders free of charge while working, in wonderful places like Tuscany, Provence, and Jackson Hole, WY. Standard with these accommodations are computers, wireless internet, and access to bikes for personal use.

• Travel
Backroads provides all travel to and from your hub (Salt Lake for US employees, Canmore for Canadian Employees or Pernes-Les-Fontaines for '801 France' European employees) at the start and end of the season. Travel is also included when moving to another region during the season, (either via air, train or driving company vehicles.) Leaders enjoy keeping their own frequent flyer miles for personal travel, and may choose to stopover or extend their stay in desired locales within work-sponsored itineraries.

• Trip-related fieldwork
Leaders are also paid for a variety of work in conjunction with, and outside of trips. Some of this income comes in the form of travel pay, area familiarization pay, research pay, support pay, and hourly pay for miscellaneous work.

• Recreational benefits
Backroads also offers several benefits to leaders that are of a more recreational nature, including (but not limited to) access to discounts with brand-name equipment and clothing companies; Backroads trip discounts to family and friends; and multi-day social and outdoor staff festivities throughout the year.

• Joie de Vivre
A less measurable, yet in many ways most valuable 'benefit' is in enjoying a lifestyle few can match. While no one would choose becoming a Trip Leader as a quick path to wealth, in many ways Leaders enjoy a very rich lifestyle. In addition to itineraries that feature some of the worlds' best hotels, restaurants and scenery, imagine having time off in some of the most desirable locations around the world, and having the freedom to explore on your own. Being a Backroads Leader allows for a lifestyle of flexibility and variety that many value above all other benefits of the job.

Leaders employed by our French subsidiary also enjoy these benefits:

• Day of rest
  "801 France" leaders will receive either a 24-hour "day of rest" after each 7-day period of work, or a fixed amount of pay if the day of rest is deferred due to a leader's trip schedule.
  
  
• Vacation
  "801 France" leaders will earn an amount of vacation equal to 10% of the total amount of gross pay per contract.
  
  
• Medical Benefits
  "801 France" leaders qualify for French medical benefits and a French government approved retirement plan covered by AGRR Prevoyance and authorized by the Ministeres du Travail et de l'Agriculture.

Part II: Trips and Scheduling

Leaders may be scheduled for any/all types of our trips: biking, walking and multi-sport. In addition, leaders may be scheduled for any/all versions of our trips: premiere inn, casual inn, and family.

• Leading trips requires expertise of the area in which you're scheduled - either from previous experience in the region and/or from taking the initiative to gain in-depth knowledge. Experience and/or language fluency in a certain region will increase the chance of being scheduled in that area. Examples of appropriate expertise are geology in Switzerland, wines in Burgundy and Bordeaux, history in the Loire Valley, or culture and customs in Tuscany. If you are a member of the E.U., you will most likely be scheduled in your country of origin, assuming we run trips there. If you possess other European language skills, it is possible that you may be scheduled in neighboring European countries. You will not be eligible to work in either the U.S. or Canada unless you possess the necessary working visas. Backroads does not supply working papers for Europeans to work in North America.

• Although the leadership, customer service and knowledge you provide to our guests is the core of being a successful trip leader, you must also possess the basic skills to be scheduled for any/all types of our trips: biking, walking and multisport. On bicycling trips, you must be able to comfortably and confidently ride any of the daily mileages listed in our catalog, with panniers or a Camelbak holding extra tools, food, and water. On hiking trips, you must be able to hike any of the daily distances listed in our catalog, while carrying a full daypack. Leading any type of trip also involves a substantial amount of heavy lifting. For example, you will be trained to lift a bicycle and “tray” onto the top of the van, a combined weight of approximately 35 pounds (15 kilos). You are also expected to load and unload large pieces of luggage on a daily basis. In terms of mechanical skills, you must be able to learn how to repair bicycles, hitch a trailer to the van, drive a large vehicle confidently etc.

• All leaders submit requests for regions where they would prefer to lead. Trips are assigned according to leader performance, seniority and foreign language abilities (among other variables). Experience and/or language fluency in a certain region will increase the chance of being scheduled in that area.

• Although Backroads runs trips all over the world during the entire year; the majority of our trips take place between May and October. You must be able to lead trips during our peak summer season—June through September. Although we strive to provide winter employment for leaders, we cannot guarantee trip-leading work through the winter/spring. As a European citizen, if you possess the appropriate language skills, you will be eligible to work winter trips in South and Central America, Asia, and Northern Africa. Again, you will not be eligible to work in North America unless you have valid working papers. Winter trips are awarded on the basis of performance and language skills, while also taking into account seniority.

• While not a guarantee, we expect most first year leaders this year to work an average of 70-90 field days during the 2010 season, depending on the date of hire. We generally give leaders 60-90 days notice regarding which trips they will be leading. However, due to the complexities of scheduling trips and potential trip cancellations, trip assignments may change during the season. For the very first schedule new leaders receive, that notice may vary from 5-30 days.

• Backroads does not expect leaders to reside near our home offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, Canmore, Alberta or Pernes-les-Fontaines, France. However, leaders are responsible for getting themselves to the home office in Pernes-les-Fontaines before their trip schedule begins in order to pick up trip gear from the office and warehouse; Backroads then pays for leaders to either train, fly or drive a trip unit to their next destination. Free housing is available to leaders while in Pernes for work-related purposes.

Part III: Additional Career Opportunities for Leaders

Backroads rewards exceptional performance with many opportunities for career advancement throughout the company. Several leaders have spent a portion of their career with Backroads leading trips and then have moved into full-time staff or management positions throughout the company.

Some examples:

• Trip Specialists and Regional Experts are leaders who oversee the design, development and all-important quality standards of a trip year after year. Trip Specialists "own" specific trips - not only leading the trips themselves, but also conducting research for those trips, managing relationships with subcontractors in the field, and collaborating with regional managers in Berkeley concerning long-term trip development.

• The Regional Systems Specialist position was created to support our various technology and equipment systems in the field. This position works closely with our Logistics and Transportation Department as well as the Leader Development department in making field operations smooth for leaders in centralized regions.

• Regional Manager positions are an excellent way for qualified leaders to expand their responsibilities at Backroads. Coordinator responsibilities include mentoring, providing feedback and evaluating leaders, ensuring smooth working systems within their regions, and working closely with all departments within Backroads to help ensure quality on trips.

• Full-time or seasonal office positions provide opportunities for leaders to use their skills in different ways at our Utah or Pernes-les-Fontaines headquarters. Leaders have contributed their valuable talents to our Leader Development department as Hiring & Training Coordinators. Please note that you must have the proper working permits to work in either France or the U.S. There are also occasionally part-time temporary opportunities between trips and during the winter in our Pernes-les-Fontaines office and warehouse.

We hope that the information we have provided gives you an understanding of the Trip Leader position and has allowed you to self-evaluate if it would be the right fit for you. We look forward to addressing any additional questions that you might have during the hiring process.