Wellhub today announced the introduction of employee-created Wellhub Challenges, a new feature designed to increase employee engagement with corporate wellness programs. This product update empowers all Wellhub subscribers to create, join, and manage personalised challenges directly within the Wellhub app, fostering a more interactive and dynamic wellness experience. Building on Wellhub’s existing corporate wellness platform, which already delivers significantly higher enrollment rates compared to traditional wellness benefits, this new feature provides companies with a powerful new tool to support their wellbeing initiatives.
Addressing Employee Engagement in Wellness Programs
Data suggests that 29% of employees report a lack of motivation as a barrier to exercise, and 36% are unaware of the benefits of wellness programs. These figures highlight the need for effective strategies to engage employees and encourage participation. Wellhub Challenges addresses this by incorporating gamification into its platform. Subscribers can invite coworkers, friends, family (even across different companies) with a simple sharing link – or opt to go solo. Employees can earn points for daily steps (1 step = 1 point) or check-ins at gyms, studios, or live classes (1 check-in = 5,000 points), aligning with the World Health Organisation’s 5,000-step daily goal. Once a challenge is live, Wellhub automatically syncs daily steps from Google Fit or Apple Health, and users can also connect other fitness apps to sync through them.
Proven Results and Potential for Increased Engagement
In 2024, employer-led challenges on the Wellhub platform drove an 8% average increase in employee enrollment. Overall, Wellhub delivers five times higher employee enrollment rate compared to traditional wellness benefits such as gym reimbursements. The introduction of employee-created Challenges creates the potential for further engagement.
"We're seeing a beautiful trend: employees are finding connection and camaraderie through shared wellness activities as opposed to traditional bonding events like happy hours,” said Livia Martini, Chief People Officer, Wellhub. “Wellhub Challenges is intentionally designed to amplify this, creating a vibrant community where everyone feels supported and inspired to thrive together. More than just a feature, Wellhub Challenges is a catalyst for connection.”
Wellhub Challenges aims to address common challenges faced by corporate wellness programs. While employees often report higher job satisfaction with wellness programs, participation remains a key factor for success. Challenges provides an interactive element with real-time leaderboards, customisable setups, and shareable assets, which can help increase awareness and engagement. With 76% of employees expressing a desire for employers to prioritise mental health, the social and interactive nature of the Challenges feature also supports holistic wellbeing.
“It's about building a community where employees can rally around their wellbeing, celebrate each other's successes, and find motivation in shared experiences,” added Martini.
Wellhub Challenges is available to all app users. As organisations continue to focus on employee wellbeing, Wellhub aims to provide tools that support their efforts.
To learn more, visit wellhub.com