Kiva’s Gamified Wellness Journey: Enhancing Employee Well-Being with YuMuuv
Kiva is a nonprofit organization dedicated to financial access for all. In an effort to enhance employee well-being, Kiva sought a platform to support an engaging and sustainable wellness program. They discovered YuMuuv, a gamification-based wellness platform, through AI-assisted research, and it quickly became an integral part of their initiative.
The Need for a Well-being Solution
Kiva wanted a well-being program that:
- Was holistic and engaging.
- Allowed for easy customization.
- Fit within the nonprofit’s budget.
- Supported an international workforce.
- Was simple and user-friendly.
YuMuuv met all these needs, enabling Kiva to implement monthly wellness challenges paired with expert-led talks.
How Kiva Uses YuMuuv
Kiva’s wellness program follows a monthly challenge model, correlating with wellness themes. Employees can participate in predefined challenges like water intake, steps, and sunshine exposure, or custom challenges designed by Kiva. The challenges are flexible and accommodate various participation levels.
A key gamification incentive is a team-based competition where employees compete for a shared day off the following month. Despite Kiva's unlimited time-off policy, this reward has significantly motivated employees. Winning as a team allows for a shared break, reducing the fear of missing out (FOMO) in a global, remote work environment.
Results and Employee Engagement
Kiva has 130 employees, with 30 to 50 employees actively participating in challenges each month. Engagement fluctuates, but a core group remains consistently involved.
- Community Building: The challenge structure has fostered team bonding, with employees sharing photos and experiences, even organizing local meetups.
- Behavioral Improvements: Many employees report that challenges have positively impacted their well-being, particularly in areas like hydration, movement, and social connections.
- Flexibility: Employees appreciate that participation is optional and adaptable, with quarterly breaks from logging-based challenges to reduce fatigue.
Challenges & Adaptations
While YuMuuv has been well-received, Kiva identified some areas for improvement:
- Challenge Participation Disparities: Some employees worried about dragging team scores down if they had limited time to participate. Kiva adapted by rewarding both highest total points and best team average to balance fairness.
- Manual Logging Fatigue: Some employees dislike logging activities, though they acknowledge it as necessary for gamification.
- Privacy Concerns: A small percentage of employees prefer not to share personal health-related data. Kiva reassures them that participation is entirely opt-in.
- Inclusivity of Challenges: Some challenges, like push-ups, are not accessible to all employees. Kiva manually provides alternatives but sees potential in YuMuuv expanding diverse challenge options.
Conclusion
YuMuuv has empowered Kiva to create a sustainable and engaging wellness culture. Through well-structured challenges and a competitive but inclusive approach, employees feel motivated to prioritize their well-being. The combination of gamification, flexibility, and community-building has made YuMuuv a vital part of Kiva’s benefits program, demonstrating the power of well-designed, accessible workplace wellness initiatives.
