operations associate

guest service agent

operations assistant

senior accountant

guest coordinator

Backroads

Backroads is marketed as the dream job for those who love to travel, and stay active. I would like to the message is too good to be true. Working for backroads has been traumatic, they will squeeze every bit of work out of you that they can - as a first year leader I was working 12-15 hour days every single day of the month with 2-3 days "off". I was stationed in one region for 4 months so I didn't get to travel in fact i was opperating the same trip back and forth all season long (you see more parking lots than anything), and every bit of gratitude, and appreciation for lifes little beautiful things I completely lost because of the all encompassing nature of the job, and the constant need to focus on the logistics and quantifiable score of your leadership. You have to perform for up to 25 guests at a time, they expect to be treated like royalty, and if anything isnt up to their standards they will write about it in a survey which impacts the kind of work you recieve.  Backroads is desperately trying to scale up recently to compete with other active travel companies, and as a result, all of their leaders are overworked. I will need to genuinely recover and heal myself from the exhaustion and burnout, I feel like I sold my soul. 

A manic obsession with profit and the bottom-line suffuses this entire company from the top down. Profit is placed over people at this company, which is a particular shame because the quality of people they hire is unmatched. In their attempt to recover from the pandemic, they are burning out their staff, leading to mass resignations. Rather than seek to address these resignations and be transparent (and possibly save this sinking ship), they lie about the cause in all company meetings. Management at this company is unwilling to do what is needed to care for its employees. Not a penny will be lost by the top in order to improve the lives of the hardest working at the bottom. Instead, management insulates itself and the president from criticism (not even showing him employee feedback critical of his approach!) and when criticized too strongly, they take away the option to give anonymous feedback! Sadly, Backroads leadership lacks the humility needed to lead with compassion. They will burn you out, pay you too little, and when you complain, they will show you the door.

If you want to travel and get paid this is the job. Very intimidating and drawn out hiring/vetting process, but this is necessary as this is a unique job. Willingness to take on any role is rewarded and you can create the perfect job for yourself if you stay onboard long enough. In my first year I traveled from coast to coast and was able to spend a good portion of my summer living on an island in Puget Sound. No boss looking over your shoulder. You are your boss, you make your schedule based off of the times trips need to depart. If you are disciplined and can manage your time efficiently this is a dream job because you will be living in places that are considered once in a lifetime vacation destinations. You will be provided with a house to live in (you'll be living with other employees so be ready for that) and all your transportation costs will be covered 100%. 
Go for it.

I'm very proud to be able to say that I worked for Backroads.  Incredible organization who puts on fantastic active travel trips across the globe.  I've made lifelong friends from this experience.  The staff possessed an adventurous spirit and curiosity about the world at large.  It was encouraging to see so many living outside of the conventional norms and succeeding.  Relaxed work environment at the HQ in Berkeley, CA, people brought their dogs to work, and the annual staff events (one in Eastern Europe!) are unforgettable.  The only con I can think of is the pay for living in the SF Bay Area.

You'll love being at work - your coworkers are the BEST and the office is somewhere you'll enjoy spending time. It's beautiful and fun. However, the cost of living in this area combined with a low salary at this company will make life difficult. You'll love the people you work with and the folks who are in charge - but most people managing people don't have the best management skills. 
Great if you are: supported by other means, independently wealthy, love bike culture, love a beautiful and positive work environment, have no desire to have a 'career' per se and just want a place to lay your hat each day. Plus, you get amazing vacations and discounts.

There are times that I wish I hadn't moved on from Backroads.  It's an amazing company culture that's filled with pretty much nothing but fun.  But, when I think about the 6am food prep and dealing with nasty guests, I know i moved on at the right time.  

So, if you're in a life place that allows you to travel year-round, are a great "people person" and enjoy the outdoors, Backroads is probably the ultimate place to work.  At some point you might tire from relentless travel and the personal nature of guest feedback, but enjoy the ride while you can

Great company culture, the real pay is in perks and tips (not your paycheck) as well as travel and lots of flexibility, room for personal and professional growth.  If you're good with money, your expenses can be very low while meeting lots of great people, traveling, and practicing high end customer service skills while honing your leadership.

Working as a guide in Backroads is a fun and useful experience. You connect and work with people from all over the world. You share a living space and workspace alike. You learn a lot about multicultural work environment and how to handle working with people from different cultures. The job is demanding and you need to be organized, quick-thinking and adaptable.

I made some of my best friends at Backroads, and the company culture is second to none. The benefits were great, but the pay was very low and management was flighty and made hasty decisions that left staff frustrated. Execution on big projects was poor, and that combined with the low pay gave me enough good reasons to leave.

Working at Backroads is a total lifestyle change and commitment. Excellent work environment and co workers. Best job I ever had! Opportunities are incredible and possibilities are so exciting.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Operations associate 4 salaries reported	$30.34 per hour
Guest service agent 1 salary reported	$30.30 per hour
Operations assistant 2 salaries reported	$25.97 per hour
Senior accountant 3 salaries reported	$130,000 per year
Guest coordinator 3 salaries reported	$30.30 per hour

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