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I assume that there are quite a few folk on here who inhabit the corporate world including those who work more generally in business.
Are away days still a thing and if so what is it that employers are looking for from these activities? Is it just meeting CSR or are they looking for tangibles?
I ask on behalf of a Wildlife Trust who are looking at these days as an income generator. Thoughts welcomed.
This week our company exhibited at a trade show in the Midlands. As many of the staff have been here for over a decade and never been exposed to the wider industry the technology they manufacture supports, we put on a bus for all staff to attend. They made a day of it and many commented that it was fantastic and a real eye opener. A day off and bit of bonding on the bus were no doubt factors.
Going caving in a few weeks under the Great Orme :eagerness:
Still a thing, but not as big as they used to be. Can be good for seeing if there are any natural leaders on task based events for more junior staff.
The main issue is, with the internet and tv programs etc. it's easy to look up the solutions or you may have seen how it has been done on a program with the army or an SAS selection etc.
It's always good to get teams to bond a little, or to have different departments being forced to work through problems together - so that they can at least attempt to believe they all work for the same company and with a common goal. I really find it strange how in some large companies everyone seems so insular with their own department being the only one that matters.
We do quite a lot of these things at my work and I'd break them into two categories:-
- Team building (a sponsored jolly)
- Conferences (you are working but still a bit of a jolly)
The team building events are things like GoApe and escape rooms. These are actually great for getting different departments to talk to each other. They usually include some kind of food and a trip to the pub at the end.
Conferences are definitely classified as work. You have to look the part and be on good behaviour. We have a trade stand to run during the day and try to attend relevant seminars. In the evenings it's networking time, which consists of drinking with clients and trying to make sure they're drinking more than you. We get quite a lot of business off the back of these events and people tend to like doing them. You do normally end up feeling pretty rough afterwards though as it does involve a fair amount of booze and a less than fair amount of sleep.