How corporate travel can improve workplace culture

National lockdowns, working restrictions and an increase in hybrid working have redesigned the once seamless workflows that came with full-time office work. We’re now seeing a new downsized office space intended to accommodate flexible working.

During the height of the pandemic, polls on platforms such as LinkedIn suggested that a daily commute and full-time return to the office are a thing of the past. With that came the arguments in favour of and against hybrid working.

Concerns were raised about the well-being of graduates and younger employees' inability to work in proximity to their more experienced senior colleagues. Many others argued in favour of flexible working improving the personal well-being of their team(s) and their ability to spend more time with their loved ones. 

The learning platform, HowNow, conducted a study on 3000 UK remote workers in March and found that 67% felt disconnected from their colleagues, with 49% of these colleagues saying this disconnection was having a negative impact on their job. 

However, not much is said of methods to remedy concerns around employee development and organisational culture, particularly amongst junior employees. According to Momentive Ai, one in three (34%) of 18- to 24-year-olds are worried that working remotely will mean they have less of a say at work and miss out on opportunities, compared to just 7% of 55- to 64-year-olds.

Organising corporate travel can build a bridge between dispersed workforces. When asked about proximity bias, 21% of workers have worries about missing out on opportunities if they are working remotely. Corporate travel encompasses everything from team days out to company-wide retreats and excursions. They are a great way to attract and initiate new hires into your organisation as well as, retain current employees. 

Taking strides to improve organisational culture and boosting staff morale ought to be a key focus for businesses looking to excel off the back of the pandemic. Corporate excursions, day trips and retreats are all great ways to boost employee morale and make teams feel valued by their organisation. As we make our way through the second year of hybrid working, the need for team-building days out/trips/excursions is greater than ever. 

With many nations having now eased restrictions on group travel and socialising, organising corporate travel can:

• Create something for employees to look forward to
• Improve job satisfaction and loyalty by reducing fears around proximity bias
• Build bridges across departments by giving teams competition and bragging rights
• Unlock the leadership potential of staff that senior colleagues may otherwise not have the opportunity to observe due to WFH
• Improve communication between employees, mitigate conflict and fuel workplace innovation

The new normal of hybrid working oughtn't be the death of workplace culture. Neither does it need to be a substitute for incentives such as corporate travel. It's clear to see that travelling with a group of colleagues who are working towards similar objectives is highly beneficial for employees and management alike. 

Considering organising corporate travel for your employees? Our travel experts are here to take the stress out of planning. From 16 seater minibuses to 77 seater double-decker coaches, from standard comfort to luxury VIP, we’ve got the ability to provide any vehicle, at any time, anywhere in the UK.

Not only that, but in keeping with reducing your organisation's carbon footprint, coach hire is one of the greenest forms of ground transport! Coaches produce half of the CO2 emitted by rail, a quarter of a car and 1/6 of air travel.

For more information about hiring a coach, give our experts a call on 03301 358 469 or alternatively drop us an email nxts-sales@nationalexpress.com or get a quick quote here!

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