Insurance brokers just wanna have fun – and at Sharp Insurance, they do it every year by heading for sandy beaches and warm tropical breezes.
For the past three years, Alberta’s Sharp Insurance has given back to their employees by rewarding them with a staff trip to a sun destination all-inclusive vacation. Sharp’s communications coordinator Tanya Hage shares the adventures of those employees who went down to Los Cabos, Mexico last month.
The trip is meant to act as both an incentive as a certain team goal must be met, and as a reward for all the hard work the staff has put in for the year.
Past trips have included Cancun, Mexico and Jamaica. This time around, it was Los Cabos.
Every spring, the destination is announced to staff, creating immediate excitement and anticipation. Every trip takes place in January, and is the highlight of the year. As a small business, Sharp Insurance is essentially a family that must work together to achieve common goals. The trip is not structured: every individual can do what they wish, but everyone usually stays together and spends that time getting to know each other outside of work. The trip promotes peer-relationships and team building all while enjoying local sites, sun and sand.
The most recent trip to Los Cabos was the first trip for many of the staff members, as Sharp has grown nearly twice its size in just over a year.
In Los Cabos, Sharp employees took part in scuba diving, snorkeling, whale watching, and great conversation while sun tanning by the pool.
Arla Hillis is no stranger to the Sharp trips, saying that for her, “It’s about spending time with colleagues outside the office environment as you truly get to know your peers. I felt incredibly grateful to work for a company that is so forward-thinking and generous.” (continued.)
To see the photos from the trip, go to the main page, CAUGHT ON CAMERA
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What better way to know a colleague than to spend an entire week relaxing and engaging in life-changing experiences as was the case for account manager, Nick Wong.
“I literally cried when we were sailing and the whales were only a few metres from our boat.”
It was a cloudy Saturday morning when they ventured off on a Sharp-sponsored boat cruise; and no one expected a family of whales to sidle up beside the boat.
“When we saw them, we turned off the music, hardly spoke, and watched in awe as these beautiful creatures skipped by us,” says Tanya, who has been at Sharp for a year-and-a-half. ”The moment was made even more special as I was able to share them with my peers; my friends.”
For some, it was in knowing they were a part of something special.
“Being given the opportunity to travel with my coworkers gave me the chance to get know them all better and to truly appreciate the people I get to spend every day,” said Jessica, who has been with Sharp for just under a year. ”I am lucky to work at Sharp, with such an amazing team.”
Cathy Lipe, VP of personal lines, has been on all three Sharp trips, and understands the true value of getting away from it all. (continued.)
To see the photos from the trip, go to the main page, CAUGHT ON CAMERA
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“We have a fantastic team at Sharp. They all work so hard during the year, and have proven that we like to play hard as well! The trip is a time for us to enjoy the fruits of our labour and really get to know each other outside of the office. Teambuilding at its best; sitting on a sailboat watching whales!”
Sherif Gemayel, president of Sharp Insurance, believes in rewarding hard work and creating work excitement by gifting Sharp employees with memories that will last them a lifetime.
“The team trip is an incentive for the whole office to give everyone a feeling of inclusiveness and to let everyone share together in the rewards for their hard work. We operate as a team, we play as a team…we are a team! Everyone plays a part in the company and we all share it together.”
To see the photos from the trip, go to the main page, CAUGHT ON CAMERA
