1. EMPLOYEES

For more than 20 years, Despegar has leveraged cutting-edge technology to revolutionize Latin America’s travel industry. Our Company’s value therefore is closely tied to our team’s considerable talent. Innovation, a deep local understanding and our dynamic and agile corporate culture enable us to offer to more than 18 million Despegar clients a uniquely personalized travel experience.

Our outstanding team develops industry-leading technology solutions; transforming the sector and the way people travel within the region. We are ambitious, we work as a team and are consistently motivated to “go the extra mile”, challenged to be one click away from a host of exciting travel options and opportunities.

We’ve focused on creating a work environment that’s conducive to learning and professional development, an environment that also encourages disruption and innovation. Continuous learning defines our roles and our success.

Despegar’s corporate Code of Conduct therefore establishes the framework which promotes and guarantees honest and ethical behavior. Every director, executive and employee is well versed in this Code and must comply with its principles, renewing their commitment every year.

1.1 Employee | Diversity

1.2 Employee | Employee Development Program

Our people and talent are our Company’s main assets. We therefore promote employee development and professional growth through learning experiences, career development and assessment and feedback.

All aspects related to Despegar’s training and development were consolidated and formalized in 2019 through My Learning Program for management training and to build leadership skills. Various learning methodologies such as e-learning, virtual, face-to-face and blended learning enable an adaptable and flexible approach.

74%

74% of our employees received training
for more than eight hours in 2019.

90%

90% of our leaders participated in special leadership development program during 2019.

We remain focused on improving our technologies and trends, employee engagement and commitment.

Employee Engagement Survey

Cultivating a strong work environment that ensures employees are engaged, and can thrive individually and as a team, is vital to our success. We partnered with Korn Ferry in 2015 to drive this important pillar of our strategy and to encourage conversations surrounding work environment and engagement with a proven and powerful tool. An annual survey, which was launched in 2015, enables a better understanding of how our associates engage with Despegar. Since its launch, we have increased satisfaction by 16 percentage points and we continue developing robust action plans by function, led by department heads and HRBPs, where every team has the opportunity to participate in improvements.

Our latest survey, in 2019, had more than 95% employee participation and a 67% favorable rating related to Despegar. The survey was put on hold in 2020 due to Covid-19 but we remain committed to the process, and the 2021 survey has already begun.

Associates Development

We are committed to supporting our employees, beginning with our initial contact with a new hire. Despite the Pandemic’s impact on most of our processes, this has also been an opportunity to adapt and grow. Our onboarding Program therefore has been 100% digitalized since Q4 2020, enabling all new hires to participate in a robust Onboarding Program, to feel welcomed and oriented, to find all the information they need in one click, and to meet colleagues and peer groups- all through our digital platforms. The program has proven successful, and will continue to evolve to ensure it adapts to our ever-changing marketplace.

Benefits

Employee support during challenging times is an important way to create a great place to work, enabling us to grow both professionally and personally. We have defined supporting established benefits, and identify ways to further improve our value proposition and remain competitive. Some of our benefits include: healthcare support for employees and their families, extended Maternity and Paternity leave, additional paid vacation leave, discounted access to educational programs at top universities and a specialized travel platform with employee discounts for Despegar products.

1.3 Employee | IT University

Despegar is one of Latin America’s primary tech communities. As in many other regions, LatAm is experiencing a shortage of IT professionals. Despegar therefore created its own technology training program in 2013

“ALTO VUELO PROGRAM”

Recruitment program for young talent in the newest technologies, best practices and our business.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

We train high school graduates who have a strong interest in technology at Despegar’s IT University. Imparting the knowledge built in-house over the years increases students’ employability within the tech sector.

START!

  • 200 Despegar developers provide a 16-week training program for new talent.
  • Trainees are assigned to IT teams once they finish the program and are ready to begin work.
  • 13 Programs: Two in La Plata and 11 in the City of Buenos Aires.
  • 228 new talent hires trained

“The trainer’s role is to share our deep knowledge of the industry, of Despegar and of our unique corporate culture- so each team member who enters the program can immediately begin to work on any IT team he or she is assigned to.”

Uriel Libster
Despegar - Senior Engineer Manager

The Program was paused during 2020 due to COVID 19 and relaunched in 1H 2020.