Great Place to Work Ireland – step challenge case study

Great Place to Work Ireland Case Study: 100% Participation in a Step Challenge

Great Place to Work Ireland (GPTW Ireland) is part of the global Great Place to Work network, which operates in more than 60 countries and helps organizations measure and improve trust and engagement through its Trust Index Survey and “Best Workplaces” recognition. After moving to fully remote work in 2020, the team started a YuMuuv step challenge to stay connected and keep moving. The latest challenge reached 100% participation.

Table of Contents

At a Glance

  • Organization: Great Place to Work Ireland, part of the Great Place to Work network
  • Setup: fully remote since 2020
  • Program: team step challenges twice a year, in spring and autumn, with a 10,000-steps-a-day goal
  • Result: 100% participation, 84% hit their personal goal and over 1.2 million steps logged together in the latest challenge

The Challenge

The move to remote work gave employees more flexibility, but it also made team cohesion and physical activity more important than ever.

“So, we made the decision to transition to remote work in 2020,” said Marina Rivas, who leads the YuMuuv initiative at GPTW Ireland. “From the start, we recognised an opportunity to find new ways to stay connected and keep moving, ensuring a dynamic and engaged work environment even while working remotely.”

GPTW Ireland wanted a solution that tackled both needs at once: promoting movement and creating informal connections between colleagues outside of typical work interactions.

The Solution

Marina explored options and found YuMuuv. Combining movement with team competition resonated immediately.

“I was tracking my own steps and trying to find ideas to get myself moving because I was facing that challenge of remote working,” said Rivas. “I thought it would be more fun to track our steps together, and when I found YuMuuv, I realized that if we do it in a competitive way, it's going to push people to have fun together and bond. So why not test it?”

The first challenge quickly became a hit. GPTW Ireland now runs two challenges a year – one in spring and one in autumn – to match the longer daylight hours and better weather in Ireland.

How the Challenge Works

  • Teams with creative names, each with its own WhatsApp group for updates, motivation and progress. Need ideas? See these walking team names.
  • Employee-led wellness: “We kind of let employees lead their own wellness initiatives, giving them support and a budget,” Rivas explained. “The step challenge was a natural fit because it combines wellness with a social element.”
  • An inclusive goal: employees aim for 10,000 steps a day, but everyone takes part at their own pace. “We even have people on maternity leave or holiday who want to join in – it's an extra way for us to keep that connection with people who are on leave for months sometimes,” said Rivas.

Results

  • 100% participation – every employee took part in the latest challenge.
  • 84% hit their personal goal of 10,000 steps a day.
  • Over 1.2 million steps logged together – described by the team as walking from Dublin to Galway and back.

“We had stories of people walking until midnight on the last day just to hit their target,” Rivas said. “It's incredible to see that level of motivation and how much fun they have with it.”

The challenge also strengthened bonds across teams. “People send photos of their walks – lovely morning walks on the beach, or with their dogs in the park. It creates such a positive atmosphere and connection,” said Rivas.

Incentives: Bragging Rights Beat Prizes

The winning team receives a €50 gift card per person, but for most people the real reward is the competition itself.

“To be honest, I think they're more motivated by the competition itself than the prize,” Rivas admitted. “It's more about the bragging rights than the gift card.”

“One of our employees, Orla, walked over 150,000 steps in a week,” Rivas said. “It's part of her daily routine because she lives on a farm, but everyone else wanted to beat her – it created this fun competitive energy.”

Feedback and Next Steps

The first challenge was so popular that GPTW Ireland moved from one challenge a year to two.

“I thought maybe they were just being nice to me because I organized it, but when I put it to a vote, 100% of people said they wanted to do it twice a year,” said Rivas. “When spring comes, people start asking me when the next challenge will be. It's really become part of our work culture.”

The team also values how simple the platform is: “The fact that people don't have to go through the setup process every time – they just click a link and they're in – has made a huge difference,” Rivas noted. So far GPTW Ireland has focused on steps, but “we're open to exploring more in the future.”

Key Takeaways

  1. Time challenges for the season – spring and autumn work well in northern climates.
  2. Let teams build their own spaces, like a WhatsApp group, for daily banter.
  3. Include people on leave to keep everyone connected.
  4. Keep prizes modest – competition and team spirit do most of the work. See why friendly competition works.

“It's not just about the steps; it's about the connection it creates among the team,” said Rivas.

Plan your own with our guide to a step challenge at work, read more case studies or book a demo.