For the folks at AllTrails, the outdoor fitness and hiking app, the dream of getting away from the screens materializes on the first Friday of every month. Known as “Trail Day,” it’s a day off for all AllTrails employees to immerse themselves in the great outdoors. Doreen Ghafari, the VP of people at AllTrails, explained that the company’s mission is to get everybody outside and kindle the spirit of adventure. This is why not starting with their very own employee population seemed perfect.
It’s not just a day off, but a unique perk that aligns with AllTrails’ mission and culture. Such perks have the power to strengthen the connection employees feel to their organization. Besides fostering appreciation and motivation, these perks can improve company culture and enhance talent attraction, as highlighted by Indeed.
Back in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, AllTrails faced the challenge of keeping its employees connected despite the physical distance. While Trail Day had its beginnings as a response to the pandemic, it has since evolved into a regular feature of AllTrails’ employee engagement strategy. It serves as a tool to keep employees connected to the company’s mission and to each other in a world of remote and hybrid work setups.
Providing employees with perks that resonate with a company’s culture is not a novel concept. But amidst the ongoing debate about Return to Office (RTO) policies and the ebb and flow of perks, offering specialized benefits that tie employees to a company’s mission could be the secret “cheat code” for HR when it comes to recruitment and retention.
In conclusion, AllTrails’ “Trail Day” showcases how aligning company perks with a mission can enhance culture, motivation, and employee connection, offering a valuable lesson in HR strategy.
