A study has revealed that 64% of workers say a significant increase in income or benefits is ‘very important,’ with employee incentive trips being a great way to offer more in a competitive market.
The research, by Gallup, gives insight into the factors people consider when deciding whether to accept a job from a new employer.
In fact, ‘good workplace perks’ and ‘great company culture’ are two points that have been raised in another study, showing that these are becoming priorities for the modern workforce.
Offering corporate incentive travel trips is a genuine bonus that could help motivate staff to reach for the next goal while enticing new talent into the office.
To help make a plan into reality, we’ve listed everything you need to know about incentive trip planning and how to go about it.
What is a corporate incentive trip and why do them?
Typically used as a motivator and recognition tool, a corporate incentive trip is an experience funded by the employer which is awarded to employees who have performed at a high level.
If not for performance, they are also often gifted to those who have been within a business for a set amount of years. It’s typically all-expenses-paid too, so the employee has a truly rewarding holiday at no cost to themselves.
There’s no set go-to destination as it’s up to the discretion of those creating the programme, but tropical holidays in far-flung locations are common along with extravagant weekends away.
When done correctly, the trips can provide employees with experiences which could support business growth as they could be more engaged and productive as a result.
It can be a useful morale-boosting technique for teams too, as people are recognised for their work and commitment.
When should employee incentive trip planning begin?
If an incentive trip is going to be offered, whether on a one-off basis or consistently, the full lifecycle of the process should be considered.
It should be decided when an employee incentive trip will be a possibility. Is there a chance for it to be earned after a major sales cycle or fiscal year-end? Or is it tied to a campaign?
Think about when the team member will take the trip and avoid planning for it to happen during busy work periods. Should it be taken within a pre-planned time period or are there set dates that are preferred?
Alternatively, include within a contract or welcome pack if loyalty is rewarded and when this will take place.
The planning of the trip can be extensive so provide adequate time for this to be completed successfully.
What are some good incentive trip destinations?
If staying within Europe, places with numerous bucket list activities should be high on the list.
The French Riviera, Santorini, Lisbon, Croatia and southern Italy are all top destinations that make for a great special holiday.
If planning for the experience to be outside of Europe: St Lucia, Barbados, Bali and the Philippines are four locations which could be widely enjoyed by employees.
When staying in the UK, focus on experiences rather than the destination like being treated like royalty in the capital city or having a luxurious spa weekend in the Lake District.
Step-by-step guide on how to plan an incentive trip
This list isn’t exhaustive as some elements may be company-dependent, with there being no definitive list on how to go about planning it.
If, however, the thought is overwhelming and the planning will become too time-consuming, consider working with a corporate travel service.
Here at Good Travel Management, we can plan the perfect incentive trip fully tailored to the needs of your business. We can take the full incentive trip planning off your hands and make the experience as smooth as possible.
Looking for the experts to take it off your hands, enabling the incentive trip to become exactly as you’d hoped? Get in touch for a free consultation.
Set a purpose for the incentive trip
The reasoning behind offering an incentive trip needs to be established as soon as the topic comes up.
With some guidelines in place, everyone can then be on the same page which will avoid miscommunication. Typically, incentive trips are used to either motivate, incentivise or reward.
Incentive trips are usually implemented when a sales goal has been reached or after a challenging project or campaign has been conquered.
Another time would be when someone has been with the company for a certain amount of time (usually a minimum of five years) with this also doubling as a way to motivate or incentivise people to stay with the company.
It’s used to strengthen relationships with clients and stakeholders too, so determine who the experience will be for and the reason for why they’ll be going on one.
Gain feedback from the team
Not only would it be a waste of money to send an employee on a trip they have no interest in, but it wastes everybody’s time too.
To get around this, circulate surveys around the office to determine what people would prefer. For some, the idea of being away from home for a week or more may not be ideal while others will automatically think of a two week holiday upon hearing the words ‘incentive trip.’
Would people wish to stay in Europe or go further afield? Think about destinations, activities, trip duration and travel preferences and keep a score of any dietary restrictions.
By asking the office directly, this opens up the conversation and gets people excited about potentially going on an incentive trip. Once the surveys are in, either keep note of the most popular responses or ensure each individual one is kept. This could be a huge assistance when the planning part comes into play.
Create a plan and develop a programme
This is the most difficult stage of the planning process, as there are many ways you can go with this.
Use the information already gathered to determine where the trip could take place, along with the duration and any relevant activities.
While this part can contain a lot of time-consuming tasks to pull together, keep note of everything if you’re creating it yourself so it can develop into a set format which will make it easier in the future.
This should include any documents that need to be created like the risk assessment, budget and reimbursement forms, invitations, emergency contact details and a welcome packet for the area.
Include an itinerary
Keep duty of care in mind throughout and consider adding some once-in-a-lifetime experiences to elevate the holiday. As for creating an itinerary, add a blend of activities and free time. By already going to the effort to find fun and interesting things to do, the trip will feel even more special for those involved.
The activities will depend on where the holiday will be taking place, but people are often thankful for something meaningful to be planned which is relevant to the location.
For example: In Italy, a food tour or trip to a vineyard could be great additions. In Thailand, a long-tail boat trip to see some new islands could be appreciated.
Try not to pack the itinerary too tightly, as this may be used as an opportunity to rest and recharge ahead of returning to work.
Make it special for the employee
Incentive trips are a really valuable opportunity for employees and it should feel magical from the start.
To do this, begin with formally inviting the chosen person. This may double up with a meeting with the head of the department or a higher position within the company. Taking the time to do either of these can be greatly appreciated as it also provides an opportunity to give thanks and highlight the achievements of the team member.
The invitation can be a final stage to check any allergies or food preferences too.
A welcome pack could be created to go the extra mile, with this assisting the employee with getting to know more about the area, along with providing relevant maps, hotel information, and tips on local favourites.
Ensure the whole team can be involved
There’s nothing more demoralising for teams when only a few people have the chance of gaining an incentive trip, while others get a simple ‘thanks.’
Regardless of departments, the benefits should be offered to all within the company. To do this, certain KPIs should be implemented across the board. This could include sales revenue for sales, customer satisfaction for service, or project completion for operations etc.
Rather than basing it on KPIs, the trips could be rewarded on a tiered reward system or on a nomination basis.
Not everyone may value an incentive trip in high regard, so consider an alternative for those who don’t enjoy travelling. This could come in the form of paid time off, a local experience or a gift card.
Monitor the impact
Once the experience is complete, a post-trip survey should be emailed over to gauge feedback.
This should include asking for general opinions on both the full experience, the hotels, transport and activities. As for determining the value for the business, consider adding in a few questions about how motivated they feel after returning from the trip.
Monitoring the impact shouldn’t stop there though, as it’s useful to compare post-trip performance against pre-trip benchmarks to see if there’s any correlation between KPI results.
It could be worthwhile to ascertain whether the employee is still motivated and engaged, with potential lasting improvements in performance after the trip.
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