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Our starting position when creating GoJoe was that we - as employees of various companies - had been thrown a lot of apps. Step challenges. Engagement platforms. Reward apps.
By and large, we might use a reward or two, or log a few steps, or view a couple of pieces of samey content....and then dump it. Which, according to the data, isn't unusual.
But why are they so difficult to implement? And why would a company even try?
An employee engagement platform is an app or service which is designed to reward, connect or engage employees. Sometimes (okay, never), these are implemented by organisations through the kindness of their hearts, but most of the time they are implemented because employers recognise that a happy, healthy and 'well' employee is more likely to contribute more positively to the financial success of the company, not to mention reduce staff turnover costs.
Indeed, recent research by Gallup suggests that the cost to businesses worldwide of disengaged employees is £7.8 trillion, whilst other estimates put this figure as around 20% of an employee's salary. Either way, ensuring employees are engaged is, without doubt, a surefire way of improving the bottom-line for a company, whilst making employees more likely to stay (and HR teams look great 😉).
We know from our own client data - including from working with the likes of PwC, Diageo, Unilever and PayPal that - on average - engagement rates of typical staff engagement products (excluding GoJoe) range in the region of 16%, depending on the tool or service. Tools such as EAP platforms - long (but decreasingly) considered a 'must have' - have been as low as 3%(!), whilst 'sexier' benefits such as Headspace and other mindfulness platforms see better results (between 15 - 35%) due to their ease of use and simplicity.
But, why is it so hard to get buy-in from employees, and why are engagement rates such a challenge?
Here are the four biggest factors in ensuring you provide an experience that is loved by your employees and which has tangible impact.
People need to be aware of something to use it. But how effective are your comms?
A simple post on an intranet is no longer going to be effective (if it ever was). You need to go where your people are (and sadly, that's generally not an intranet).
Email is good, although if you're going to get buy-in from email, you need to ensure frequency and style.
The single most effective comms strategy for any staff engagement product is word of mouth. But this is easier said than done.
In order to launch a viral, successful and powerful staff engagement campaign or event, you need the early adopters to love and use the product. Once that happens (and provided the doors are still open), people tell people.
We at GoJoe are pretty proud that in 100% of the staff campaigns and challenges we have ever ever run, staff engagement has increased throughout the challenge or usage. And that's because the product is loved by employees.
This is a simple one, but - whilst there are some cracking products out there - the sad reality is that most products aren't that great.
An easy way to tell - download the app yourself (if the product isn't gated), or ask for a trial. No trial available? Red flag. App crashes on open? No thanks.
Make sure the tech works.
Would you use the product yourself? If the answer is no, stay away. People's expectations have changed.
This links to #1 below, but ultimately, the more friction you insert between an individual (employee) and an outcome (engagement), the less likely the desired result will be.
For any kind of challenge or activation, we are all about automation and simplicity. Working with Stanford University (on psychology) and some of the best design minds in the world, we at GoJoe do not require manual conversions to steps. We don't track meaningless steps to the fridge. We don't track gardening or DIY (no gimmicks, please!).
Our slick design means that everyone in an organisation - whether triathlete or 70-year old dog-walker - can and will be motivated and engaged and will find it super simple to get involved in the experience.
When rolling out a staff engagement platform or campaign, you want it to reach and be used by as many people as possible, right? This will have the biggest ROI on your spend, will make you look good to your managers and have the incidental (but extremely important!) benefit of making your employees happier, healthier and better.
But how?
Well, as with all things, GoJoe was designed with inclusivity in mind. To achieve this, we use:
- personalisation; with the boffins at Stanford Uni, we've ensured all messaging is personalised to the end user and not generic.
- activities, not steps; Over 60% of your workforce will either be turned off by step counting (hey swimmers and cyclists), not motivated by them or perhaps not able to step. That's why we are proudly and fiercely the only pure activity challenge app on the market. We do incorporate walks, but it's all about a set activity, logged with ease in an automated way with no clunky conversions.
- data and themes; Themed weeks, woodpecker awards, prizes, best photos, team and challenge chat, community groups, engaging data. We delight and engage everyone, not just the fittest and the fastest.
So there you have it. The four main factors which impact on the success of your programme.
Team GoJoe
