6 Internal contest ideas to drive employee engagement

Employee engagement is essential for the long-term growth of every organisation. It boosts motivation, enhances employee wellbeing and fosters a positive company culture. 

Despite its multiple benefits, research shows that 77% of employees need to be more engaged or are actively disengaged from their work; this low engagement costs the global economy US$8.9 trillion, highlighting the need to prioritise employee engagement. 

Need a new and fun way to engage your employees? It might be time to try a contest, which can both engage your community and grow your business. 

Check out these six creative internal contest ideas that will enhance employee engagement in your workplace. 

1. Host a fitness challenge

A fitness challenge can be a very effective and fun way to drive employee engagement at your workplace. Exercise can improve your team members’ bonding, cognitive function, energy levels and productivity, and demonstrates your investment in employee well-being. 

Exercise also releases endorphins—feel-good hormones—which can make the workplace, and life in general, more enjoyable. 

If you’re considering holding a fitness challenge, some fun ideas to consider include are:

• A local running race
• Step-count challenges  
• Active minutes competitions – where participants aim to accumulate the most active minutes throughout the challenge
• A push-up competition (the team at Creative Force, the parent company of Award Force, particularly loves The Push-Up Challenge)

2. Plan a cooking competition for team lunch or dinner

You can heat up employee engagement in your workplace with a cooking competition. Cooking is an art form deeply rooted in culture; a cooking contest offers your employees the opportunity to share their cultural heritage. 

The time limits and themes that apply to a cooking contest can foster innovation among employees and boost organisational unity by pairing members from different departments. Its light-hearted competitive atmosphere can nurture healthy competition and offer your employees a vital break from their daily work routine.

The opportunity to showcase culinary skills and share recipes can provide a sense of belonging and respect in the workplace. Plus, don’t forget you get to eat the food, too. The best bonding can happen over good food.       

3. Schedule a costume contest

Injecting a sense of playfulness into the work environment is an effective way to keep your employees engaged. A costume contest is a low-pressure combination of creativity, positivity and stress relief that you can employ to improve your employees’ investment in your organisation’s success. 

It can lift your team members’ spirits—seeing the humorous side of colleagues through their imaginative costumes can be refreshing. It’s also a good way to dismantle hierarchical barriers and create a friendlier environment. This type of contest can be especially fun for Halloween, but, of course, can be organised for any time of year. 

4. Plan a painting competition

Calming, meditative yet creative, painting contests can drive employee engagement in your workplace. It allows participants to showcase their imagination and individuality and offers a vital emotional outlet beneficial to emotional health. 

As a highly therapeutic activity, it can support employee well-being too. Since everyone can participate, regardless of their skill level, job position or personality type, an art competition can foster inclusion in your organisation.    

5. Host a trivia night 

A trivia contest or event can be a very fun way to engage your team. The trivia could be general knowledge—or perhaps tied into your industry or community. Break the employees up into teams, and provide awards for the winners. 

Trivia is a popular way to add a fun and engaging contest to a work event or to simply foster connections among employees.  

6. Hold a hackathon

Encourage your employees to think outside the box and explore unconventional task approaches with an innovation challenge. This work contest idea prompts your team members to experiment, think critically and consider diverse viewpoints.

An innovation challenge is typically aligned with the organisation’s strategic goals. This way, the employees’ ideas can directly contribute to business success, promoting a sense of ownership and pride among employees. It also nurtures a safe environment for experimentation and encourages failing forward. 

Work contests can build a sense of community, nurture teamwork and inclusion and improve your employees’ overall health. And of course, it can foster connection amongst the team and a deeper commitment to your organisation.

Need help organising a contest? Streamline your competitions with Award Force’s contest management software.