The Hiring & Training Process
Step 1: The Application
- Fill in our simple online form it takes about 10 minutes.
The application process is the same for each position (Trip Leader or Trip Prep Specialist). - Respond to questions via video.
If selected to advance, we'll invite you to complete a brief video introduction. This will help us get to know you better than bullets on a resume. Yes, one-way conversations with web-cams are awkward, but there's no need to worry about making mistakes. Sometimes it's those candid moments that win us over!
Step 2: The Interview
If the hiring team chooses to move your application forward, we'll schedule a 15-20 minute live video interview with you. We'll confirm your availability during our peak weeks (especially in June and September) and ask a few additional questions to help us get to know you better. Our interviews are lighthearted and we will be cheering for you!
Step 3: The Hiring Event
Our final stage is a Hiring Event. We will have both virtual “online” and in-person Hiring Events. For Virtual Hiring Events, you’ll join a group of other finalists for a 3-hour interactive group interview with several members of the Backroads Hiring Team. Our In-Person Hiring Event will be an 8-hour group interview with members of the Backroads Hiring Team. We understand that not all applicants are able to attend in-person hiring events, and virtual hiring events have been added to remove this barrier. Should you be invited to a Hiring Event you’ll receive resources well in advance, outlining what to expect and how to prepare.
The Backroads Leadership Training Program
If you’re hired at the Hiring Event, you’ll be invited to the Backroads Leadership Training Program in one of our hubs in Salt Lake City, Canmore or Pernes-les-Fontaines. Graduation from the Backroads Leadership Training Program is required before entering the field. The training is two weeks, and focuses on essential skills required to be successful at Backroads: guest service, leadership, problem solving, bike mechanics, public speaking, food preparation, driving, trailer maneuvering, internal systems, etc. If any of these are not necessarily your strengths, don't let that keep you from applying. We'll give you all the training you need to be successful.
Training also includes sessions on what it means to be the face of Backroads in the eyes of our guests around the world. It's a powerful time for personal and professional growth. We're regularly contacted by universities and businesses that are interested in the philosophy and methods behind our unique and extremely successful approach. Many tell us that the friendships they make with their new colleagues during this training process become some of the best friends they've ever had.
Please note: The cost of travel to the Backroads Leadership Training Program and In-Person Hiring events are paid by you; however, all further work-related travel is paid by Backroads, including flights to all the various regions of the world where you may be scheduled to work. During this training program, housing will be provided for you and you'll be compensated for your time.