EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
Hyde Sails utilised the Clipper Race stopover in Subic Bay, Philippines to engage with its local employees. As the Philippines is a crucial market, Hyde Sails gave six employees, from its production facility based in Cebu, the unique opportunity to sail a Clipper 70 - using the Hyde Sails products they all contributed to the creation of.
Hyde Sails ran this incentive for its 600 employees as part of its Christmas prize-draw, with the Clipper Race sailing experience being seen as a valuable and exciting opportunity for the Hyde Sails team to be involved in. The six winning team members had never tried anything like this before and the experience was all more special as for most it was also their first time travelling by plane. They were flown to Subic Bay, sailed on board Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam with Skipper, Josh Stickland and his crew as well as meeting the wider Clipper Race team, immersing them in the Clipper Race spirit and ethos.
One of the lucky winners, Mark Anthony D. Cijas explained how he has worked with Hyde Sails for 11 years. Now in a supervisor position he ensures that his team maintains the same high quality products across the board. Mark says: “It’s really fascinating and quite overwhelming for us to see how our product is used on the Clipper Race yachts around the world.”
Bursting with pride that their work contributes so crucially to what the crews achieve. Another guest, Jonard Dosdos explained: “I wanted to see how difficult the race really is!” When out on the water, guests got to understand first-hand the physical demands of sailing, including hoisting their very own Hyde Sail.
Martin Newman, Yacht Production Manager for Hyde Sails, enthused: “The prize winners absolutely loved it, there’s no question about it. From arriving here and having a look on a boat, to going sailing and sitting down for dinner with the crew and Skipper – it’s been absolutely brilliant for them”.
The Clipper Race is proud to be a platform for partners to implement employee engagement initiatives, extending the partnership reach to the wider company.
Hyde Sails spans the globe with an increasing number of reliable agents and distributors joining the team. Its partnership with the Clipper Race is now 10 years strong and it’s hugely positive to see the pride employees feel to be associated with the race. Martin explains: “Hyde Sails relationship with the Clipper Race is hugely important to us, we get to test our product in an environment that would be hard to replicate anywhere else”.
The race route provides the ultimate test for Hyde Sails’ product, allowing the team to implement key product development based on the results they see from the eleven yachts on their journey around the world.
Martin hopes that this experience inspires the employees to sail again, and inspire others who didn’t get to experience it this time around to consider trying it themselves following the stories these lucky individuals will be bringing back to the factory with them.