Sono Trinity Group lets staff wear slippers to executive briefings in bold culture shift

Flat hierarchy drives efficiency gains; 'Rest Day,' flex hours improve work conditions; sports, shared experiences build emotional bonds

Sono Trinity Commons, the integrated new headquarters of Sono Trinity Group. [Sono Trinity Group]

Sono Trinity Group has launched a bold experiment: employees now wear indoor slippers to executive briefings. The initiative is part of a broader push to build a flat organizational culture, maximize work efficiency and generate synergies across the group's hotel, resort and airline operations.

According to industry sources Thursday, the group has been working to embed a more horizontal and efficient workplace culture since last month, when it rebranded under its new name and relocated to its new Magok headquarters, Sono Trinity Commons.

The slipper policy applies to all work and reporting, including briefings to senior management. Jackets are no longer required, and employees are free to wear shorts, hoodies and other casual attire. Dust-suction units have been installed at the building entrance — where staff switch into their indoor footwear — to keep the workspace clean and comfortable.

The group has also overhauled its internal titles. Rather than the traditional hierarchy of staff, deputy manager and section chief, all non-managerial employees are now addressed uniformly as "manager." Role-focused designations such as "Chief Manager" (CM) have replaced titles that carried an air of authority, emphasizing scope of work and accountability instead. Trinity Air, the most recently integrated affiliate, adopted the same system in October last year.

"This reflects the group's commitment to practical work efficiency," a group spokesperson said. "We are creating an environment where anyone, regardless of seniority, can freely share their views — and that open communication is becoming the foundation for flexible collaboration across departments and affiliates."

Sono Trinity Group has also introduced flexible work arrangements tailored to employees' individual lifestyles. Sono affiliates have offered a partial four-day workweek program called "Rest Day" since 2024, and the group expanded the benefit to all Trinity Air employees this month.

At Sono Trinity Commons, the group has maximized employee autonomy through a staggered commute system — offering three start-time options to accommodate different daily routines and long commutes — alongside an hourly leave system. A "group leave" program, which locks in bridge holidays and other collective days off a year in advance, has become a key driver of workplace focus and engagement.

The new headquarters was designed with organizational culture in mind. The best-situated spaces in the building — those with the finest views — were reserved for employee rest areas, and each floor features an open lounge for informal interaction. These amenities extend beyond staff welfare, however: they are evolving into shared spaces open to the surrounding community.

The second-floor "Garden Commons" embeds the group's core identity of hospitality, serving as an open commons for residents and visitors alike and putting into practice the value of coexistence between the company and its neighborhood. The building also hosts a range of sensory events — including coffee tastings and fragrance experiences — designed to foster pride and a sense of belonging among employees.

A welfare points program called "Air Coin" has drawn particular enthusiasm. Through the system, employees and their immediate family members can use premium rooms at domestic and overseas hotels and resorts free of charge, along with affiliated facilities such as ski slopes and water parks — giving them ongoing firsthand experience of the group's identity and values.

Sono Trinity Group is working to move beyond a simple structural merger of its hotel, resort and airline businesses toward a deeper organic and emotional integration. A prime example: between August and December last year, the group invited some 3,400 Trinity Air employees in successive groups to Vivaldi Park, one of Sono International's flagship properties. The visits included resort course tours, sessions on the group's various programs and organizational culture, and networking events.

Through an organizational culture video series called "Sono-daum" on the group's YouTube channel, employees from Sono International and Trinity Air take part in cross-functional job-shadowing programs, experiencing each other's roles firsthand and broadening their understanding of work across affiliates.

The group's core value of hospitality and its family-centered ethos are also expressed through a sports cheering culture. The professional basketball team Sono Sky Gunners has become a focal point for building a sense of community within the group.

Most recently, Sono Trinity Group invited employees' families, partners and friends to cheer together at the 2025-26 KBL (Korean Basketball League) playoffs and championship series. The events went beyond a chance to watch sports, serving as a venue for sharing in the excitement of victory and naturally cultivating loyalty and a sense of belonging among staff.

spa@heraldcorp.com