Introducing our brand-new partner… On the Beach!
You know On the Beach. But do you know what it’s like to work there?
“Everyone thinks we’re just a holiday company, but we are so much more.”
That’s what Maeve Hurley, MCIPD, Director of People at On the Beach, told us when we first started talking about what a partnership with G&T could look like. And she’s right.
You probably know On the Beach for one thing… holidays!
But behind the hols is a 500-strong business using technology, data and brilliant people to help around two million holidaymakers book their dream breaks every year. From product and technology to customer experience, campaigns and operations, there’s a LOT more happening behind the scenes than you might think.
So, when we started talking about a G&T × On the Beach partnership, we wanted to go beyond the brand people already know.
We wanted to understand the people behind it, what it’s really like to work there, and the incredible opportunities On the Beach can offer women looking to build a career in tech.
Beyond the brand
The team is building its own proprietary technology and developing its holiday app, with roles spanning product, engineering, design and data. Current opportunities include Principal Product Designer, Analytical Engineer and Senior Software Engineer, alongside roles across the wider business.
And that’s exactly what makes this partnership so exciting for us.
There can be a HUGE disconnect between what people know a company for and what they know about it as an employer. You might know On the Beach as the place to book your next holiday. But do you know what it’s like to build a career there?
Over the next 12 months, we’ll be bringing the people, culture and careers behind the brand to life and putting those stories in front of our growing community of over 100,000 female techies and allies. Because we don’t just want to tell women that On the Beach is a great place to work. We want to show them.
So, why On the Beach?
We want to work with businesses that are genuinely interested in attracting, developing and retaining female talent, and that are willing to open the doors and let our community see what working there is really like. That’s what makes this partnership so exciting. There’s a clear ambition to build the future of travel through technology, while creating a workplace where people can do great work, develop their skills and enjoy being part of a team.
Their working culture is bold, open and dynamic, with most roles combining regular time at their Manchester office with the flexibility to work from home or wherever people are most productive. And when it comes to benefits, there’s plenty on offer beyond the usual salary, pension, company sick pay and death in service cover.
Employees can expect
- 25 days’ holiday, plus an extra day off on your birthday and the option to buy extra annual leave
- Generous holiday discounts, plus two bonus days off to bookend your On the Beach holiday
- Access to Learnerbly, with a personal allowance to support your learning, skills and development
- Enhanced maternity leave and pay from day one of employment, with up to 52 weeks’ leave. This includes 12 weeks at 100% pay, a further 27 weeks at 75% of salary and 13 weeks unpaid. You’ll also get 10 paid Keep in Touch days, continued pension contributions and a £200 Simplyhealth cash amount when you or your partner have a baby, adopt or become legal guardians.
- Enhanced adoption leave and pay from day one of employment, with up to 52 weeks’ leave and the same enhanced 12 weeks at 100% pay and 27 weeks at 75% of salary structure.
- Enhanced paternity leave and pay from day one, with four weeks’ paid leave. The first two weeks are paid at 100% of salary or average weekly earnings, whichever is higher, followed by two weeks at 100% of salary.
- Enhanced Shared Parental Leave from day one of employment, allowing parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave, including 10 weeks at 100% pay and a further 27 weeks at 75% of salary.
- Neonatal Care Leave, providing up to 12 weeks of additional leave if your baby requires neonatal care, with the first two weeks enhanced to 100% of salary or average weekly earnings. This is available from day one of employment.
- Fertility Treatment Leave, supporting colleagues going through fertility treatment, available from day one of employment.
- Pregnancy Loss Leave, including two weeks of paid leave following a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Following a miscarriage or stillbirth after 24 weeks, employees are entitled to their full maternity leave and pay. Support is available from day one of employment.
- 12 weeks’ paid Parental Bereavement Leave following the loss of a child under 18, available from day one of employment.
- Foster Care Leave, supporting colleagues who are foster carers.
- Paid Carer’s Leave, with up to 10 days available during a rolling 12-month period to care for or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. Leave can be taken as full or half days.
- A dedicated Transition Policy, including up to six weeks’ transition leave, which can be used flexibly for medical appointments, legal processes, counselling, surgery, recovery and other transition-related needs. Workplace adjustments and a personalised transition plan are also available.
- An Employee Assistance Programme, offering 24/7 confidential support for mental health and wellbeing, including counselling, legal information, trauma, bereavement and relationship advice.
- Flexible working options, supporting colleagues through different stages of family and personal life.
- Sabbatical opportunities, with colleagues able to apply for an extended period away from work of more than three months and up to one year to pursue personal goals and ambitions.
- Long Service and Above and Beyond Awards, recognising colleagues for their contribution and commitment
- Share Incentive Plan (SIP)
- An onsite subsidised coffee shop
- Sandbox, their very own bar
- Gym discounts
- Food and drink discounts
- Regular social events
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Free car parking
- Simplyhealth Optimise Health Plan
When it comes to benefits, On the Beach really does go above and beyond! BUT benefits only tell you part of the story. We want to find out what it’s actually like to work there.
Getting under the skin of the business
A key part of the partnership so far has been getting the On the Beach team together for their onboarding session at their HQ. Before deciding what stories we wanted to tell, we needed to understand the story that already existed. It gave us the opportunity to hear directly from people across the business, understand different perspectives and start uncovering the priorities and opportunities that could make the biggest impact when it comes to attracting and retaining female talent. And importantly, it gave the On the Beach team the opportunity to have those conversations too.
As Simon Halkyard, who leads Talent Acquisition & Employer Brand, and Jamie Haydock, Talent Acquisition Partner, reflected afterwards:
“Everybody came out of there with a real smile on their face!”
And that’s exactly what we want this partnership to feel like. Not a tick-box exercise. A genuine collaboration that benefits both On the Beach and our community.
What does this mean for you?
Quite simply, more opportunities to discover a company you might not have considered before. Over the next 12 months, you can expect conversations with the On the Beach team, behind-the-scenes stories, career insights, events, opportunities and plenty of reasons to look beyond the brand you already know.
We’re so excited to be working with the team to amplify their people, their opportunities and their ambitions around female talent. Because even if you think you know On the Beach, there’s a LOT more to discover. And your next career move might just be there!
Ready to take a look? Discover the latest opportunities at On the Beach, explore their benefits and perks, and find out what it’s really like to build your career there.
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