Everyone loves prizes when it comes to rewarding employees for their efforts. However, thoughtful prizes can be a powerful motivator. A well-crafted prize demonstrates to employees that you are aware of their interests and motivations.
Employees are more engaged when they know their company is concerned about their needs. Step challenges are no different. You can make your step challenges more engaging by offering a fantastic challenge prize to look forward to (but watch out for these common wellness challenge blunders)!
Step challenge prize ideas
Here are some prize ideas to keep employees motivated and make them feel appreciated:
- Participation Certificate
Certificates for participating in a step challenge provide employees with a tangible item that they can share with others by posting it in their workspace. Who knew a scrap of paper could have such an effect?
Pacer for Teams offers Pre-Made Adventure Challenges, participants will unlock new locations along the virtual map as they progress through their challenge. Participants who complete the challenge will earn a special finisher’s e-badge and e-certificate in the app. Real-life medals can be purchased for additional fees.
- Tickets to an Event
Many employers get tickets to sporting events, concerts, and other local activities. Employees want these tickets, and because they’ve already been purchased, they don’t require any additional funds.
Rather than giving out event tickets on a first-come, first-served basis, promote employees to achieve the highest step count to qualify!
- Corporate Discounts
Corporate discounts offer significant savings, but due to certain constraints, employers may not be able to make these benefits available to all employees. As a cost-effective way to provide “monetary” rewards, offer employees exclusive discounts on popular goods and services.
Every time an employee takes advantage of a discount, they will have the extra money in their wallet!
- Suitebreak
People who take vacations are happier and perform better. Scientific American claims that “downtime encourages productivity and creativity” and “refills the brain’s stores of attention and motivation.” Participants in SuiteBreak receive prize money to use toward discounted rates at hotels, resorts, cruise lines, car rentals, and activities.
- Wearable Equipment
Healthy living is made simple and enjoyable by wearable technology like Fitbit and Garmin. Employees can choose from a variety of already discounted wearable devices and select the one that best suits their lifestyle and health objectives by receiving wearable device coupons as program rewards.
Employees can use their prize in their upcoming workplace step challenge, and devices are free to ship directly to the buyer.
- Fitness Memberships
This benefit offers an alternative to giving every employee a subsidy for their gym membership or discounted/free access to a particular facility. An employee can get a discount or free months to a gym or program, by taking part in a step challenge and winning a prize.
An employee can obtain the reward for a continuing program by making use of the discounted gym or fun challenges membership.
- Public Appreciation
It costs nothing to publicly congratulate wellness award winners but hearing it can mean a lot to an employee, especially if senior leadership is involved. This cost-free incentive can increase participation in wellness programs.
- Delivery of Meals
Encouragement of even healthier behaviors is a fantastic way to reward healthy ones! Each week, meal delivery services give their customers pre-portioned ingredients and thorough cooking instructions, enabling them to prepare healthy meals at home.
As a reward, give staff members a few weeks of meal delivery service. Once they become accustomed to it, they can renew their subscription on their own, continuing to enjoy the wholesome advantages of home cooking.
- Paid Holidays (PTO)
Every worker needs time away from their work to refuel and replenish. Employees occasionally need more time off to fulfill personal obligations. Employers can encourage employees to reinvest in their health and well-being by providing paid time off (PTO) so they can take vacations, spend time with friends and family, and have opportunities to manage their personal lives.
- Massages
The advantages of massages are limitless! In addition to relieving sore muscles, massages can enhance sleep quality and lessen depressive and anxious thoughts. More rested workers are more effective. Win-win situation!
- Catered Lunch
Employers stand to benefit in a variety of ways by offering a nutritious catered lunch as the prize. In addition to the fact that food is a powerful motivator, the event offers coworkers a chance to interact with one another and forge enduring bonds that enhance the well-being and productivity of the company.
Additionally, serving catered lunches in the office increases program awareness, especially among those who did not participate.
- Contributions to Charities
According to a Harvard Business School study, giving employees the freedom to donate to the causes they care about is more fulfilling than giving them a bonus. This incentive enables workers to support charities while working toward a healthier lifestyle.
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
Health savings accounts are a great way to promote financial well-being and link a rewards budget to health benefits. The money employees earn can be used to pay for medical costs resulting from the high-deductible health plan, and because the money rolls over, it can also be used as a tax-deferred retirement option.
- Enhanced Differential
This benefit enables workers who have a portion of their pay withheld to cover an amount of their health insurance premium to lessen that financial burden by taking part in a wellness program.
Employees can increase their take-home pay by engaging in specific healthy behaviors and achieving specific objectives.
Summing Up…
Step challenges attract a diverse group of participants, from those who are typically sedentary to those who are highly active because walking is a physically accessible form of exercise for the majority of people.
Walking is a lifetime activity that welcomes participation from individuals of all ages, races, and genders. It promotes unity and connection within your company. Make sure to include options for people with limited mobility in your workplace step challenge initiative to ensure that everyone has full access.
Walking has many positive health effects, including improved immune function, improved mood, and increased energy. Your company’s healthcare costs will decrease due to healthier, happier employees and a workplace where the community embraces health programs.
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