Employee Challenge Ideas: 51 Ways To Boost Company Engagement

We've all worked in roles where we don't give our all. Sometimes we don't connect with the job, our colleagues, or the overall company culture. Other times we have challenges in our personal lives that distract us from progressing professionally. 

In both cases, companies can support workers by setting engaging challenges that address personal hurdles and promote a positive work environment where continuous growth is the norm. 

This guide suggests various challenges to inspire your teams, unleash their potential and cultivate a workplace where individuals thrive.

51 Employee Challenges For Your Team To Try 

Are you ready to dive into employee challenges? Check out our list of 51 challenges spread across ten categories. Which ones stand out to you?

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1. Life Challenges 

Life challenges recognize that your employees are well-rounded people with families, friends, and varied interests outside of work. These challenges motivate employees to take control of their lives, connect with the people that matter, organize their homes, and enjoy the downtime they need.

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Have Dinner With Your Family

What’s better than sitting down with your family and enjoying a nice dinner? These precious moments can profoundly impact employees and their loved ones, but when times get stressful, it’s easy to lose sight of that. Challenge team members to sit down, eat a meal together, and chat with their families often.

Tip: Encourage family dinners by doing a monthly dinner raffle. As employees complete the challenge, they can enter to win a gift card to a local restaurant.

Frequency: Weekly, Monthly

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30-Day Minimalism Challenge

Decluttering and simplifying our lives can boost our mood and sharpen our focus. Encourage participants to declutter one item a day and avoid any non-essential purchases for the duration of the challenge. As they practice minimalism, team members will learn the power of living with less and come out feeling lighter and more gracious. 

Tip: Participants may sell their unwanted items to start a savings pot or give to charity. 

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Write A Thank You Note To Someone Who Matters

Recognizing the people who have supported us boosts morale and strengthens relationships. Show your appreciation to someone who has positively impacted your life by writing them a thank you note. Team members may hand-write the letter or use Nectar's Recognition tool to express gratitude. 

Tip: Remind team members to be specific when expressing their thanks to make their notes more meaningful.  

Frequency: Monthly

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Take A Vacation

Restorative vacation time de-stresses us and allows us to return to work feeling recharged after a well-earned rest. Challenge employees to take their PTO before the end of the year and book a vacation, whether it's a beach holiday, a city break, or an international adventure. Encourage employees to fully disconnect and avoid checking work emails, Slack messages, or dialing into team video calls. 

Tip: Encourage team members to try something new during their vacations, such as exploring a nearby city or taking up an outdoor activity. 

Frequency: Annual

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Do A Digital Declutter

If your desk is pristine, but your online world is a disaster, it's time for a digital declutter. Marie Kondo's popular Kon Mari method can be adapted to help people unsubscribe from emails that no longer serve them, delete unneeded files, and block social content they don't need to see. A tidy online environment will spark joy in your team and foster a more productive workforce. 

Tip: Extend the challenge by inviting team members to aim for Inbox Zero. 

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Reconnect With A Friend Or Past Colleague

Encourage team members to take some time to reach out and reconnect with old friends, former colleagues, or acquaintances. Reactivating those dormant ties can help us deal with stress, deepen friendships, and grow our professional networks. 

Tip: Define what participants must do to complete this challenge. For example, booking a Zoom call, going for a coffee in-person, or writing a personal email.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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2. Health And Wellness Challenges 

It's easy for busy modern-day workers to put aside physical and mental health, believing they don't have time to prioritize this area. Our employee wellness activities are suitable for people of all fitness levels and are designed to fit into the most challenging schedules. They also stress the importance of regular check-ups as an essential wellness goal.

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Walk 10,000 Steps 

It's easy for knowledge workers to stay chained to their desks all day. But regular movement boosts energy levels, improves focus, protects cardiovascular health, and lowers the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Challenge your team to walk 10,000 steps daily for a week. This might include a long walk during their lunch break, mixed with shorter bursts of activity throughout the day. 

Participants could chat with a friend, join a walking meeting, or listen to their favorite podcast during their walk. Bonus points if the walking challenges get them out into nature, whether a stroll around the park, across the fields, or through the local woods. 

‍Tip: Provide access to a fitness tracker so employees can easily log their hard work and monitor their heart health. 

Frequency: Weekly

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Get Your Annual Physical Exam Done

Preventative care saves lives. Encourage team members to book annual physical exams to identify potential health issues. The doctor usually takes basic information about weight, height, blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate. They may also ask questions about your lifestyle and medical history and discuss any health risks. If anything looks unusual, they'll refer you to the appropriate specialist. 

Tip: Cover all bases by extending the challenge to incorporate regular dental or eye exams.

Frequency: Annually

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Lift Weights 2x Per Week

Lifting weights helps us achieve weight loss goals, boosts self-esteem, and increases muscle tone and bone density. Challenge team members to lift weights and focus on physical exercises emphasizing compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses. Team members can work out at home, in the gym, and use free weights or machines. 

Tip: Encourage team members to keep track of their progress, for example, by taking photos or writing down their personal bests. Thirty minutes of weight training twice weekly completes the challenge. 

Frequency: Weekly

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Get Your Annual Flu Shot

When the flu strikes your workplace, it can increase absenteeism, reduce productivity, and occasionally cause hospitalization. Mitigate these risks by challenging your employees to book their annual flu shot and prevent the spread of flu at work and within the broader community. 

Tip: Find the closest doctor's office or pharmacy offering flu shots to make it easy for your employees to get their vaccine. Even better, arrange on-site flu shots to save them the hassle of traveling. 

Frequency: Annually

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Create A Bedtime Routine

Well-rested employees perform better and are less likely to suffer from cognitive decline. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that working-age adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but 1 in 3 adults sleeps less than this. Challenge your employees to remain sleep-healthy by creating a peaceful bedtime routine. Your sleep challenge could include going to bed at the same time each night, drinking herbal tea, reading a book, or avoiding the news before going to sleep.

Tip: Some fitness trackers include a built-in sleep-tracking function. Participants may analyze their sleep patterns to monitor what's working and what disturbs them. 

Frequency: Ongoing

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3. Personal Development Challenges

Personal development improves self-esteem, increases self-awareness, and empowers employees to set and achieve meaningful goals. They can easily incorporate these unique challenges into their daily routines, and many encourage skill development that transfers into the corporate world too.

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Complete A Book Challenge 

Reading is a valuable opportunity for relaxation and introspection and also offers countless educational benefits, like building vocabulary and stimulating intellectual growth. And you don't need to read "War and Peace" to gain these benefits. 

Challenge your employees to read a certain number of books within a specific time frame, for example, one book each month for the year. Your reading challenge may encourage participants to explore a diverse range of authors, engage with specific themes or genres, or simply promote the habit of reading.

Tip: Extend the challenge by starting a book club and challenging team members to share and discuss their experience of the book in an informal group environment.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually

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Earn A Seven-Day Streak In A Learning Application

Apps like Duolingo or Udemy offer a convenient way to learn new skills from the palm of your hand. Challenge team members to earn a seven-day streak in one of these apps and commit to learning something new daily.

Tip: Set up an informal learning group where team members can share their new-found skills with their colleagues.

Frequency: Weekly

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Practice Effective Time Management Routines  

Time is a constant. We can't add extra hours to the day, but we can maximize the time available by learning effective time management routines. Challenge your team to create a structure for their day, setting aside time for work and leisure. Participants complete the challenge by planning and tracking their time across a week. 

Tip: Introduce team members to time management strategies or tools that facilitate better time management, such as the Pomodoro technique, Eat the Frog, time blocking, or even setting simple reminders. 

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Fill In The Wheel Of Life 

The Wheel of Life is a visual tool that measures our satisfaction with different areas of life and the roles we play in them, including relationships, emotional health, physical activity, career, finances, and spirituality.

Challenge your team members to complete the Wheel of Life exercise, paying close attention to how they feel about each area. If their satisfaction level is low, they can create a plan for improving any of these areas.

Tip: Send messages reminding participants to review or refill the Wheel of Life every few months.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Complete A 30-Day Gratitude Journaling Challenge

Gratitude is a powerful and positive emotion. Research has found that expressing it leads to increased feelings of life satisfaction, meaningfulness, and productivity. Encourage your team to hit a daily goal of writing down three things they are grateful for over a month. This gratitude challenge supports them in appreciating the present moment and boosting their mental wellbeing.

Tip: Don't force anyone to discuss their gratitude logs publicly. Instead, create a safe space where people feel free to share their experience of completing the challenge if they wish.

Frequency: Monthly

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4. Onboarding Challenges 

Inviting new joiners to participate in your challenges quickly engages them in your company culture while getting through their new-hire admin checklist.

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Complete Your Company Security Training

Everyone in your organization must understand and adhere to the security protocols that protect confidential company information. Challenge newly onboarded employees to complete their security training within a specific timeframe. This ensures compliance with the company's security policies and procedures and that everyone understands data theft's personal and collective costs.

Tip: Even though this is an onboarding activity, revisit this annually with current employees to ensure the knowledge is fresh and updated.

Frequency: One-time, Annually

Post About Your New Job On LinkedIn

Employer branding is integral to recruiting and retaining top talent. Challenge new joiners to post a status on LinkedIn within their first 30 days to announce their new role. This establishes a positive impression of your organization among their network and could attract future candidates.

Tip: Extend the challenge by asking new joiners to tag their colleagues and share why they chose to join your organization.

Frequency: One-time

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Submit Your Employment Eligibility Documents On Time

Ensure your new hires have provided evidence of eligibility to work in your region. Challenge new joiners to submit their documents within a specific timeframe, providing helpful reminders and resources. This will reduce potential hold-ups during their onboarding period.

Tip: Provide images of the I-9 form for eligibility to work in the US and illustrate which parts must be filled in, signed, and dated.

Frequency: One-time

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Review Your Health Insurance Documents

Your new hire must understand the details of their health insurance policy to ensure it covers their needs. Challenge them to complete a review of their health plan documents within their first week of joining the company. Encourage your new hire to reach out to your benefits team with any questions they might have about their policy. During open enrollment, you could reopen this challenge to ensure you get documents in on time.

Tip: Completing this step alongside our Annual Check-Up challenge will provide your new joiners with the most relevant information about their physical health.

Frequency: One-time, Annually

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Introduce Yourself To Five Colleagues

Forging bonds with new colleagues is a crucial part of the onboarding process. Establishing these relationships ensures new joiners feel comfortable in their role and increases retention past the first year. Challenge newbies to introduce themselves to five colleagues in the first week of joining your company, perhaps by booking a coffee with them or sending an introductory direct message.

Tip: Prep your existing team to respond to these invitations so newcomers can expect a warm welcome and an informative exchange.

Frequency: One-time

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5. Employee Engagement Challenges

Movements like Quiet Quitting and Acting Your Wage demonstrate that some workers have difficulty feeling engaged and connected to their job or the broader company. Our challenges prove to employees that every voice is valued and appreciated while strengthening the bond between coworkers.

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Take A Workplace Engagement Survey

Surveys are an essential way to take the pulse of your workforce, identifying trends or mainstream concerns among the ranks. Create a positive environment for everyone by challenging your team to take an engagement survey, including closed (Yes, No) and open-ended (free-text) questions. Schedule regular surveys to compare results between survey cycles and measure engagement levels over a longer time.

Tip: Offer anonymous surveys to gain honest feedback from employees. Proof of completion can be the response submitted screen employees get when they finish the survey.

Frequency: Quarterly

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Leave A Suggestion For Our Company

Your company's success depends on your people. Make them an integral part of your decision-making by challenging everyone to leave a suggestion to improve the organization or its processes. You'll unearth innovative solutions to existing problems and ensure your employees feel part of the journey.

Tip: Let everyone know when an employee suggestion prompts a company change. This step motivates employees to participate in your challenge, knowing you might bring their ideas to life.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Share A Special Memory About A Colleague Publicly

Recognizing your team’s accomplishments creates a positive workplace culture and is paramount for employee wellbeing.

Challenge everyone to share a special memory about a colleague publicly on an internal forum, shoutout channel feed, or in a meeting. You can even encourage employees to share on LinkedIn. This might be a story about your first day working together, their contribution to a successful project, or an occasion where they went above and beyond to support a team member. Your team will appreciate the collective impact of their colleagues and feel more connected to remote team members. 

Tip: Use the Milestones feature in Nectar to remind you about upcoming work anniversaries or birthdays, which are the perfect opportunity to celebrate an individual. 

Frequency: Weekly, Monthly

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Organize A Team Activity

Team building activities enable colleagues to bond over something they enjoy so that they can understand each other better. Challenge your team to organize an activity for all employees to take part in. This could be a virtual escape room, quiz night, cooking class, or anything that'll get your team working together and having fun!

Tip: Remind your people to choose an inclusive activity so everyone can participate.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Participate In An Employee Resource Group

Employee resource groups (ERGs) offer a platform for people to come together over shared experiences or interests, such as volunteering or diversity, equity, and inclusion. Challenge your team to join an ERG or a committee, sparking conversations and uncovering innovative ideas to drive business success.

Tip: Extend this challenge by providing extra rewards for employees willing to start and chair a new ERG. This might be based on a cause they’re passionate about or an area of interest that isn't currently represented.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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6. Personal Finance Challenges

Money management challenges enhance your employees' wellbeing by supporting them through economic uncertainties and protecting their financial futures. Our challenge ideas equip your team with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about their finances. Enhance these challenges by providing employees with the tools and resources to reach their personal goals.

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Create An Annual Budget

Understanding your income and expenses is critical to managing your money and preventing debt. Challenge your team to create an annual budget for every paycheck, aiming for a healthy balance between saving, spending, and investing.

Tip: Provide educational content so people understand budgeting and how much to set aside for vacations, retirement planning, regular bills, weekly groceries, and more. This will reduce stress levels as your team knows they're taking the proper steps to secure their future.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Invest In Your 401k Account

Everyone wants the reassurance of a secure retirement, and investing in your 401(k) is the key to maintaining financial wellness in your later years. Challenge your employees to increase their 401(k) contributions, explore investment options, and seek expert guidance. Empower them to set achievable savings goals, create a personalized retirement strategy, and monitor their progress regularly.

Tip: Provide educational resources and workshops to enhance financial literacy and stress the long-term benefits of consistent contributions.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Start An Emergency Fund

Emergency funds are essential to prevent financial hardship and cover the cost of any potential crisis. But only 41% of Americans would be able to cover a $1,000 emergency with savings.

Challenge your entire team to open an emergency savings account and make regular contributions from their paycheck until they've saved the equivalent of three to six months' salary. Provide resources about the different types of savings accounts available so they can compare options and interest rates to find the best fit for their needs.

Tip: Rewards such as company swag can be offered to employees who reach their emergency fund target within a set time.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Complete A No-Spend Week 

If you have difficulty living within your means, being more mindful of your spending habits will determine what's essential. Challenge your team to avoid unnecessary spending for an entire week and document their experiences. Paying for bills and essential groceries is permitted, but items like clothes, haircuts, takeout meals, and streaming subscriptions are off-limits.

Tip: Suggest that your employees move the money they didn't spend into a high-yield savings account.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Complete A Meal-Planning Challenge 

Effective financial management is about developing strategies to manage everyday costs as much as planning for larger investments. Challenge your team to complete a meal-planning challenge, mapping out the 21 meals they'll eat in a week to save money while eating well. Encourage them to gather recipes, shop for the ingredients, and consider which healthy food can be used across multiple dishes.

Tip: Ask participants to calculate exactly how much they spend this week and see if they can save money next week.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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7. Volunteering Challenges 

Encouraging your team to give back drives social change and promotes a culture of philanthropy. Our challenges suggest practical and financial ways for employees to support causes close to their hearts.

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Donate $25 To Your Favorite Charity

You don't need to be wealthy to make a difference in a great cause. Every little bit counts, and the collective impact of your team's donations can create positive action. Challenge your team to donate $25 each to their favorite charity. If they don't have a cause in mind, introduce them to organizations such as food banks in your local area, or provide resources on national or international charities tackling widespread issues like human rights, cancer, animal welfare, and poverty. Charity Navigator can be an excellent resource for workers looking for the best nonprofits.

Tip: Consider matching employee donations or asking employees to present their charity to the rest of the team to raise awareness of their good work.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Spend Two Hours Volunteering For A Charity

Charities rely on practical support as much as financial donations. Challenge your team to volunteer for two hours, for example, at a local charity shop, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or community garden. Doing good in the world doesn't have to be a one-off event—regular volunteering builds relationships with people in need and strengthens your team's sense of community.

Tip: Commit to setting up regular volunteering days as part of your team-building activities.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Post About A Charity You Love On Social Media 

Raising awareness of a cause your team cares deeply about can inspire more people to get involved. Challenge your employees to post about an organization that means something to them on social media. The post could include information about the cause, success stories, upcoming events, photos, and ways everyone can help.

Tip: Ask your employees to add a UTM link to the post to track and measure its reach.

Frequency: Monthly

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Pick Up A Bag Of Trash In The Local Community 

Littering is a social problem that impacts wildlife, environmental health, and the aesthetics of our neighborhoods. Challenge your team to pick up a bag of trash in their local community and dispose of it responsibly. If they collect more than a single bag, suggest they sort it into categories such as plastic, paper, and general trash.

Tip: Combine this challenge with a picnic in the park or outdoor activity to make it more enjoyable.

Frequency: Weekly, Monthly

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Volunteer At Your Child's School

Our society depends on the next generation for a bright future. As parents, your team has the opportunity to make a difference in their child's education. Challenge them to volunteer at their local school and get involved with the learning process. For example, parents could listen to children read, participate in crafting activities, or run a sports club.

Tip: Suggest that parents use the opportunity to share their personal career stories to inspire the children.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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8. Professional Development Challenges 

Our challenges push employees outside their comfort zone by upgrading their skills, learning new tools, or refreshing their knowledge in a particular area.

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Take A Class On LinkedIn Learning

Continuous growth and development rely on regular training to update our existing skills or learn new ones. Challenge your team to take a class on LinkedIn Learning, for example, in coding, networking, or project management. Set up a challenge leaderboard to create friendly competition among peers and reward those who complete their training with badges or certificates.

Tip: Consider providing extra rewards such as an Amazon gift card or a restaurant voucher to the employees who complete the most courses.

Frequency: Monthly, Ongoing

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Fill Out Your Career Development Plan

Career development plans enable employees to find the direction, focus, and motivation to achieve their personal and professional goals. Challenge your team to develop an action plan for their career, taking into account their existing skills and areas they want to improve. Encourage employees to map out a timeline of activities and resources they'll need to achieve their end goals.

Tip: Invite a guest speaker, such as a career coach or an industry expert, to talk to your team about how they can create an effective career development plan.

Frequency: Annually

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Apply For The Company’s Professional Development Grant 

Investing in employees' professional development is crucial to their growth, performance, and job satisfaction. Introduce your team to the company's professional development grant and challenge them to apply. The grant could cover the cost of attending a workshop or course, subscribing to an online learning platform, or hiring a coach.

Tip: Consider offering additional rewards to all team members who successfully apply for the grant, such as a financial bonus or extra time off.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Obtain An Industry-Recognized Certificate

Recognition of your team's hard work and dedication drives engagement and prepares them for future success. Challenge your employees to get an industry-recognized certificate, such as a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, increasing their marketability and demonstrating their commitment to self-improvement.

Tip: Offer to cover the cost of employees' certification renewals, fees, materials, or other related expenses.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Attend An Industry Conference

Industry events allow you to network with like-minded people, listen to experts in your niche, and stay abreast of the latest trends. Challenge your team to attend an industry conference or event in their field. They should take full advantage of their time there by engaging with speakers, exploring exhibitors' booths, and connecting with industry peers.

Tip: Extend the challenge by providing extra rewards to employees willing to host a talk at an industry conference. This opportunity allows them to showcase their skills and promote your company's visibility.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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9. Employer Branding Challenges 

Employer branding challenges enable companies to promote their culture and values to potential candidates and current employees alike.

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Write And Share A Company Post On LinkedIn

Your employees are your company's best ambassadors. Challenge them to post about your business on social media, including their career journey, what they like most about working for the company, and how it's making a difference in their life

Tip: Give extra rewards to employees whose posts get the most engagement (likes, comments, shares.)

Frequency: Weekly, Monthly

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Write A Company Review 

Jobseekers and prospective candidates will conduct due diligence before applying for a role at your company. Positive recognition from your existing employees presents you as an attractive employer, ensuring you attract the best talent in the industry. Challenge your team to write reviews on popular job sites, sharing their experiences, insights, internal job moves, and stories.

Tip: Encourage employees to be honest about their experience. Positive stories are great, but each review should have room for constructive criticism. Adding ideas for improvement will ensure that users get a better view of your company and make these reviews more objective.

Frequency: One-time

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Refer An Employee To Our Organization

Referral programs incentivize employees to invite their friends, family, and contacts to join the company. Challenge your team to refer candidates they think could add to your culture and strengthen your team. Point prospective candidates toward your current job openings, or ask them to apply to join your open talent pool.

Tip: Reward employees for successful referrals with a financial bonus or extra time off.

Frequency: Unlimited

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Post A Job Opening On LinkedIn

Social media can be an effective strategy for talent acquisition, enabling you to connect with potential candidates and reach a wider audience. Challenge your team to post job openings on LinkedIn, leveraging their networks and connections to engage with passive candidates and build your employer brand.

Tip: Create a series of posts around the job opening to keep it in people’s minds.

Frequency: Weekly, Monthly

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Wear A Piece Of Branded Swag In Public 

Your team's pride and commitment to your company is contagious. Challenge employees to take a photo of themselves wearing branded swag in public, such as t-shirts, hoodies, or hats. You'll gain greater brand recognition and create a stronger connection with potential customers or job seekers.

Tip: Download the images you get sent and use them on your company career site, brochures, and social media profiles.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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10. Culture Challenges 

Company culture is the tapestry of unique values, beliefs, behaviors, and people that comprise your organization's core identity. It's what differentiates your company from others and drives employee engagement. Encourage your employees to understand and stay aligned with your company culture by participating in the following challenges.

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Have Morning Coffee With A Colleague

Building relationships within teams is essential for success and the foundation of a positive company culture. Challenge your employees to ditch their comfort zone and have coffee or lunch with a colleague they don't know well. Provide icebreaker prompts like "What would your entrance theme song be for our end-of-year party?" to get the conversation flowing.

Tip: Offer incentives to employees such as the cost of their meal reimbursed or extra points in an employee rewards program.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

Host A Lunch And Learn

Lunch and learn sessions offer a platform for employees to share their skills and knowledge with their team. Ask your team to host one on a topic of their choice and engage in a collaborative discussion while enjoying a healthy lunch. For example, one team member might present a cultural celebration like Diwali, while another might teach their colleagues some words from a new language.

Tip: Extend the activity to remote employees by inviting participants to present via video.

Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly

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Attend A Diversity And Inclusivity Workshop 

Diversity and inclusivity initiatives foster a supportive and productive work environment. As you invest in DEI, you build an innovative and creative team culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.

Challenge your team to attend a workshop or event related to diversity and inclusivity or participate in a webinar or online course. A workshop can equip your team with the tools to recognize and address bias and enable them to understand different identities and cultures.

Tip: Support this challenge by spreading awareness of your DEI initiatives, so employees know when your workshops are, what they'll learn, and the benefits of participating.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Attend A Company-Sponsored Event

Company-sponsored events build a sense of belonging and community among employees. These activities range from relaxed gatherings, such as BBQs, to team-building days like a company retreat or formal occasions like product launches.

Challenge your team to attend one of these events to develop deeper relationships with their colleagues and better understand the company's values.

Tip: Give your employees plenty of notice about upcoming dates so they have space in their calendars, and clarify whether friends and family members are welcome.

Frequency: Quarterly, Annually

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Realign Yourself With The Company's Mission And Values 

If your company mission statement is something new joiners read and forget about, take steps to immerse employees in your company culture. Challenge your team to participate in a company values game where they can deepen their knowledge and understanding of these. The game can be an online quiz, a team discussion, or even a round of catchphrase.

Tip: Celebrate successes and recognize employees for their efforts to understand company values. You can use Nectar's leaderboard to see which team members excel with a particular value. Give out core value awards to employees who are leading the pack.

Frequency: Annually

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How Nectar Helps Companies Manage Challenges

Now that you have some challenge ideas, you might wonder how Nectar can help you create these challenges. Nectar has built a robust challenge tool that helps businesses drive healthy engagement every day. You can build a new challenge with Nectar in a couple of clicks.

You have complete control over:

• Challenge types: Create unlimited challenges to meet your business needs.
• Proof: Require a picture of proof or just use a text box for further explanation.
• Limits: Set a limit on how many challenge claims one person can do or how many total claims are available.
• Renewals: Set the renewal rate of your challenges, whether it renews every day, once a year, and everything in between.
• Departments/Locations: Specific departments or locations can create unique challenges that only show up for them.

You can learn more about creating a Nectar challenge by visiting our help center.

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What Are Employee Challenges?

Employee challenges motivate team members to participate in activities that enhance their wellbeing. These might focus on a specific area, such as challenges for employee wellness, personal or professional development, or volunteering. 

Companies may set up weekly, quarterly, annual, one-off, or ongoing challenges, depending on the nature of the activity and the reward attached to it. The rewards for successful challenge completion vary; for example, you might incentivize employees by offering points to redeem for items such as gift cards, t-shirts, or other prizes. 

Company Example: E-learning company Academic Partnerships turned to Nectar to supercharge its culture. They used our Challenge feature, which motivated employees to complete step challenges, attend eye exams, and join workplace committees. The result? Its employees completed over 600 challenges since implementing Nectar.

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How Do Employee Challenges Drive Positive Business Outcomes?

Employee challenges aren't just for fun—although there's plenty of that involved. The right mix of challenges supports your business with undeniable results.

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1. Increasing Engagement 

Challenges drag employees away from the monotony of their daily work by lifting their spirits, engaging them, and achieving a higher level of wellbeing. A Gallup study explored what happens when employees exhibit the winning combination of high engagement and wellbeing: 

• Employees are 30% more likely not to miss work due to health reasons in any given month.
• Employees are 42% more likely to evaluate their overall lives highly.
• Companies are more likely to rate the employee performance as "excellent." 
• Employees are 59% less likely to look for a job with another company.

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2. Building Employer Brand 

Companies that demonstrate outstanding employee care attract top industry talent and retain loyal employees. 89% of employees working for companies supporting wellbeing initiatives such as running challenges are more likely to recommend their organizations as a positive workplace. This happens by: 

• Igniting passion in your workforce.
• Forging strong bonds between team members.
• Uniting employees in the company's shared vision.
• Promoting a culture of continuous growth.

3. Incentivizing Healthy Behaviors 

When you incentivize employees who complete your challenges, you encourage them to build healthy habits, which can impact their mood and behavior at work.

Example: Imagine Juan, a 40-year-old employee with financial difficulties who is constantly anxious and has difficulty sleeping. He eats junk food because he's too tired to cook nutritious meals and feels lethargic at work. Juan participates in a money management challenge, slowly motivating him to get out of debt and adopt a healthy lifestyle. He's less stressed, sleeps better, and has the energy to eat well and be productive at work.

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4. Supporting Employees’ Holistic Health 

It's easy to zone in on physical wellness when considering employee health, but this is just one piece of the puzzle. Taking a more holistic approach, MetLife's Advantages of Employee Care report tracked physical, financial, mental, and social health since 2020. The data reveals a sharp decrease in financial wellness, with 48% of employees citing concerns in this area. Furthermore, they also noticed that employers vastly overestimated how healthy their employees were.

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Challenges are an easy way to target each area of holistic health, resulting in satisfied, capable, and energized employees ready to contribute to your business' success.

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5. Complimenting Employee Training 

MetLife highlights that 35% of employees rank learning and development among the top three elements of the employee experience. 

Professional enrichment challenges go hand-in-hand with career development. They ensure employees stay motivated between performance cycles and continuously build skills, even if they don’t appear directly related to their roles. 

Example: Sunita always wanted to speak another language and started learning Portuguese in her spare time. Six months later, an opportunity cropped up for a business trip to Lisbon. She impressively demonstrated her language skills to network with the potential client, which helped to close a big deal.

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3 Tips To Maximize Your Office Challenge Ideas 

Selecting fun and engaging workplace challenges to inspire your team is an important first step. But there are further ways you can get the most out of the experience, including these suggestions:

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1. Create Themes 

Employee challenges can be tailored to specific themes or events. For example, Academic Partnerships raises awareness of Black History Month and Women's History Month by adapting challenges to tie into these events. Follow their lead by:  

• Creating rewards for theme-based quizzes. 
• Suggesting book challenges based on your theme. 
• Hosting a virtual panel discussion or webinar.

2. Align Challenges With Company Goals And Values

Revisiting your company mission statement before you select relevant challenges ensures you remain aligned with the organization’s goals. For example, if your company values diversity and inclusivity, prioritize challenges that: 

• Build cultural awareness.
• Foster an environment of psychological safety.
• Create relevant employee resource groups and reward members for participating.

3. Define Your Rewards Budget 

Incentivizing your employees may require you to build a reward fund for maximum participation in your workplace challenges. You might offer company swag, money, gift cards, or something else your employees find valuable. 

Define your budget before planning to ensure each challenge has a corresponding reward you can afford to pay once your employees get involved. If your budget is limited, try the following: 

• Use a raffle method to select prize winners randomly.
• Offer "free" rewards such as extra vacation days or flexible hours.
• Offer experiences, such as lunch with the CEO or a shadowing opportunity with a team member.

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Invest In All-In-One Employee Recognition Software 

Employee challenges tie in with other notable ways to recognize and motivate your workforce, such as giving shoutouts to colleagues, rewarding them for hard work, and celebrating important anniversaries together.

For many organizations, investing in an all-encompassing platform like Nectar makes sense to build community, support employees, and acknowledge all contributions to your business.

Nectar integrates directly with Amazon’s product catalog so your employees can redeem reward points after completing their challenges. We also have an integrated company swag experience, lots of gift card options, and we can support custom rewards to make the process more cost-effective.

Book a demo today to see Nectar in action and start building the company culture your employees deserve.

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