How Buckhill Connected a Remote-First Team With a Step Challenge
Buckhill ran its first YuMuuv Steps Challenge with 25 employees, connecting colleagues who rarely meet in person, and plans to run another.
Table of Contents
At a glance
| Company | Buckhill, a remote-first insurance technology company with offices in both Croatia and the UK, and employees based worldwide |
| Interviewee | Klara Garma, Talent Acquisition Specialist |
| Program | YuMuuv Steps Challenge, part of Buckhill’s health, benefits and team-building initiatives |
| Participants | 25 employees |
| First time | Buckhill’s first activity of this kind |
| Next | Plans to book another YuMuuv challenge with the 2027 events budget |
Background: including everyone, wherever they work
Buckhill is a remote-first insurance technology company. It has offices in Croatia and the UK, and holds some in-person team-building in Croatia where the workforce majority is based, but many colleagues work elsewhere and the activities became geographically isolating.
As part of its health, benefits and team-building initiatives, Buckhill wanted an activity that every employee could take part in, wherever they are in the world.
Why Buckhill chose YuMuuv
The team found YuMuuv through online research and spoke with several providers before deciding. Three things made it an easy choice:
- Clear pricing on the website, without the back-and-forth or special quotes other vendors required
- A user-friendly website that colleagues could explore without directions
- A good first meeting with the YuMuuv team
The most impressive part for us was the clean pricing on the website.
— Klara Garma, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Buckhill
The challenge: easy to launch, easy to join
Setup was simple. Buckhill followed the instructions it received, and participants had no trouble signing up.
Because this was the company’s first activity of its kind, employees were curious about how it would work and how steps would be logged. Following YuMuuv’s recommendations, Buckhill set up a group chat and shared team posts at key points during the challenge.
During the step-counting period, steps rose exponentially. Colleagues with dogs were expected to lead, but a few others ramped up surprisingly high numbers, prompting messages on what the secret to their high step counts was. One humorous answer stood out: cleaning the apartment with a phone/fit-watch in hand.
Results: more connection and engagement
For a fully remote team, informal conversation is hard to create. The challenge brought together colleagues from different teams who previously had few touchpoints.
Engagement rose as well. Instead of the usual quick emoji reaction, people actively joined in on posts, in teams and in the chat. Employees praised how easy the app was to use, its connections with different step trackers and the chat feature, and enjoyed having a physical team-building activity that promotes a healthier lifestyle.
Looking ahead
Buckhill is looking at booking another YuMuuv challenge with its 2027 events budget, either another Steps Challenge or a different format.
It covers a lot of the points that we as people and culture teams have to cover, which is team building, healthier lifestyle and engagement.
— Klara Garma, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Buckhill
