By Danielle French

Corporate Retreats

Benefits of Corporate Getaways

In the post industrial workplace, the vast majority of Canadians are waking up and commuting a minimum of half an hour to their full time jobs in the private sector (Statistics Canada, 2010). Upon arrival, most Canadians are putting in 40+ hours a week isolating themselves behind a desk, slugging through emails, and doing their best to uphold corporate interests. We are creatures of routine, day after day we commute to the office, graft, commute home, and repeat. It is within this monotonous routine that we see the biggest potential for employee disengagement. Increasingly, Canadians are plugged in but switched off, showing up but not really contributing. With most organizations placing an emphasis on performance, a disengaged employee is most likely, an underperforming one.

According to a study of employee engagement in the Canadian workforce, engaged employees demonstrate higher levels of commitment and productivity; they are working harder, yielding better results, they are building better relationships and they are going above and beyond baseline job expectations (Bakker, 2011). To put it bluntly, disengaged employees are not. It does not take a statistician to correlate the relationship between disengaged employees and a company’s bottom line. Consequently, managers looking to better the overall functioning of their organizations are looking for innovative solutions to foster employee satisfaction and engagement.

One strategy that is proving increasingly effective at re-engaging employees, boosting team morale, and escaping daily office fatigue, is the implementation of corporate retreats. Corporate retreats, getaways, field trips (or whatever you choose to call them), take employees away from the banausic workplace environment and offer an opportunity to reset. Corporate retreats serve as mediums to set new goals, to initiate valuable training and facilitate better communication (Saint Blanquat, 2015). These mini office getaways break the cycle of everyday routine and isolation and allow for reflection and invigoration. Research shows that following corporate retreats/ team building days, individuals return back to the office with renewed energy and enthusiasm (Saint Blanquat, 2015). Renewed enthusiasm equates to happier and more productive employees and in turn, more successful corporations.

It might seem like common sense, but just incase you hesitate to make the leap, studies on employee satisfaction continuously show that businesses that invest in their employees reap the benefits of a motivated task force. Whether you are looking to hit the road for a day (or a couple of days) check out our various corporate packages. Our naturally beautiful setting and unique options for workshops during your “day away” make South Pond Farms an ideal escape from the ordinary. In addition to delicious farm to table meals, we offer one of a kind team building activities ( including axe throwing for groups who have a lot of pent up frustration- kidding! … Kind of). What are you waiting for? Boost Moral, escape the grind and relax with us in Bethany Hills, we look forward to hosting your team.

Bibliography
Bakker, Shawn. “Control, Opportunity & Leadership – Psychometrics Canada.” N.p., 2011. Web. 8 Nov. 2016.
“Employment by Age, Sex, Type of Work, Class of Worker and Province.” Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.
Saint Blanquat, Amaury. “What Are the Benefits of Team Building and Corporate …” N.p., Nov.-Dec. 2015. Web. 8 Nov. 2016.
“Transportation.” Transportation. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.

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