In 2025, employee disengagement remains one of the most pressing challenges faced by organizations. According to Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplace report, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, costing the global economy approximately $8.8 trillion in lost productivity. Increasing engagement is urgent: That's when innovative employee engagement ideas and motivation strategies come in handy.
Employee engagement contests offer a solution to this problem. These team-building activities create opportunities for interaction, healthy competition, and recognition—all critical elements for building a motivated workforce. When implemented thoughtfully, contests can even lead to lasting positive change.
In this comprehensive guide, you'll discover 25 field-tested contest ideas that have helped companies of all sizes boost employee morale and productivity. Whether you’re working with an in-office team, remote workers, or a hybrid workforce, you’ll discover fun team-building games and actionable ideas to encourage employees, strengthen team bonding, and increase job satisfaction.
Employee engagement contests are competitive activities whose goal is to motivate staff, foster teamwork, and generate positive workplace experiences. Unlike simple games or one-off events, these contests align with organizational values and objectives while providing employees with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The best contests balance fun with purpose, creating experiences that strengthen relationships and reinforce company culture. They can range from quick daily challenges to multi-week competitions, but all share the common goal of increasing employee investment in their work and workplace.
Key Benefits of Well-Designed Engagement Contests:
When well organized and thoroughly planned, employee engagement contests lead to positive outcomes, such as:
Increased productivity: According to Forbes, engaged employees are up to 17% more productive.
Improved retention: Companies with strong engagement programs report 59% less turnover.
Enhanced collaboration: Contests break down silos and encourage cross-departmental interaction.
Skill development: Challenges can be designed to build both technical and soft skills.
Stress reduction: Appropriate competitions provide healthy outlets for workplace pressure.
When implementing engagement contests, consider your organization's culture, team dynamics, and business objectives. The most effective contests reflect your company's values while addressing specific engagement challenges. Start with clear goals and establish transparent rules. Most importantly, gather feedback throughout the process to continuously improve your engagement initiatives.
25 Best Employee Engagement Contest Ideas
Team-Based Competition Ideas
Team-based competitions are great employee engagement activities that inspire team members to collaborate and strengthen team dynamics. From "Department Olympics" to customer service contests, these friendly competitions boost morale and foster team bonding, creating a more positive and productive work environment.
1. Department Olympics
Transform ordinary workdays into an Olympic-style competition where you encourage employees to compete in various challenges over several weeks. This extended format builds sustained engagement while promoting team identity and pride.
Implementation steps:
Create a committee with representatives from each department
Design 5-7 challenges mixing work-related tasks and fun activities
Develop a points system and leaderboard
Host an opening ceremony to build excitement
Conclude with an awards celebration
The Department Olympics works particularly well as a large group activity for multiple teams. For smaller companies, consider planning cross-functional teams that mix employees from different roles. The extended timeframe builds anticipation and gives teams time to develop strategies.
Expected outcome: Enhanced employee morale, cross-departmental relationships, improved team cohesion, and a shared sense of accomplishment.
2. Project Pitch Competition
Engage employees with a Project Pitch Competition! Teams compete to develop innovative solutions to real business problems or opportunities. This contest combines creativity with practical business thinking while potentially generating valuable ideas for the company.
Implementation steps:
Identify 2-3 business challenges or opportunities
Form diverse teams with members from different departments
Provide clear evaluation criteria and resources
Allow 2-4 weeks for teams to develop proposals
Host a "pitch day" where teams present to leadership
For remote teams, use collaborative tools like Miro or Figma to facilitate the brainstorming process. Consider bringing in external judges to provide fresh perspectives and increase the prestige of the competition.
Expected outcome: Development of presentation skills, and increased understanding of company challenges. It boosts employee engagement, contributes to team building leads to innovative ideas.
3. Charity Challenge
Rally teams around a meaningful cause by competing to raise money or volunteer hours for charity. This approach combines healthy competition with corporate social responsibility, creating purpose-driven engagement.
Implementation steps:
Select local charities aligned with your company values
Allow teams to choose which charity they'll support
Set clear fundraising or volunteer hour goals
Create a visual tracker to monitor progress
Match donations or provide company volunteer time
For virtual teams, consider digital fundraising platforms that facilitate remote participation. Smaller organizations might partner with other local businesses to create a community-wide impact.
Expected outcome: This fun employee engagement idea strengthens team spirit, boosts morale, and enhances the company's reputation. Research shows that 71% of employees consider it imperative that their employer supports giving and volunteering.
4. Cross-Departmental Innovation Challenge
Break down organizational silos by forming teams with members from different departments to solve business challenges. This contest focuses on fresh perspectives and builds relationships across the organization.
Implementation steps:
Identify business challenges that benefit from different perspectives
Create balanced teams with varied expertise and experience levels
Provide clear guidelines and resources
Schedule regular check-ins to monitor progress
Arrange final presentations with leadership feedback
Variation: For larger organizations, consider a "department swap" where employees temporarily work in different areas to gain new perspectives before tackling the innovation challenge.
Expected outcome: This contest fosters creativity, and improves team collaboration and competition. It leads to innovative ideas and solutions to business problems and boosts a competitive spirit.
5. Team Productivity Sprint
Encourage employees from diverse departments or teams to improve specific productivity metrics during a defined period. This contest directly connects engagement activities to business outcomes while encouraging process improvement.
Implementation steps:
Identify measurable productivity indicators
Establish baseline measurements
Set realistic improvement targets
Provide tools and resources for process improvement
Track and share progress throughout the sprint
For customer service teams, focus on metrics like response time or resolution rates. For sales teams, consider new leads generated or conversion improvements. The key is selecting metrics that teams can meaningfully influence.
Expected outcome: Measurable productivity improvements, identification of process inefficiencies, and boosted engagement. This contest also enhances employee morale as teams compete towards a common goal, and friendly competition.
Individual Challenge Ideas
Individual challenges are effective for motivating employees and recognizing individual contributions while improving engagement. These contest ideas allow most employees to feel appreciated while fostering a sense of accomplishment within the workplace.
6. Personal Development Challenge
Encourage employees to pursue growth opportunities by setting and achieving personal development goals. This contest empowers individuals to take ownership of their professional journey in the work environment while building valuable skills.
Implementation steps:
Provide a framework for setting SMART development goals
Offer resources like online courses, books, or mentorship
Create accountability through regular check-ins
Establish milestones for recognition
Celebrate progress and achievements publicly
For remote employees, consider digital learning platforms with progress tracking features. Smaller organizations might leverage free resources like industry webinars or community workshops.
Expected outcome: Enhanced skill development, incentivized employee initiative, and improved talent retention. It leads to professional growth and ultimately to higher job satisfaction. LinkedIn'sWorkplace Learning Report found that 94% of employees would stay longer at companies that invest in their development.
7. Innovation Incubator
Encourage employees to submit individual ideas for improving products, services, or internal processes. This contest taps into the collective intelligence of your workforce while recognizing creative thinking in a competitive environment.
Implementation steps:
Create a simple submission process for ideas
Establish clear evaluation criteria
Form a diverse review committee
Provide feedback on all submissions
Implement winning ideas with originator involvement
Consider a tiered reward system that recognizes breakthrough innovations and smaller improvements. This encourages participation from all employees, regardless of role or experience level.
Expected outcome: Generation of valuable business improvements, increased employee voice innovation culture. It also significantly boosts employee morale. Research by Accenture shows that companies with strong innovation programs grow revenues 6.5 times faster than their peers.
8. Wellness Challenge
Wellness is one of the most significant corporate trends for 2025. Promote healthy habits through individual wellness competitions focusing on physical activity, nutrition, or mental well-being. These challenges support employee health while encouraging teamwork and building a community around shared goals.
Implementation steps:
Select a specific wellness focus (steps, water intake, meditation, etc.)
Establish realistic, inclusive goals
Provide tracking tools or apps
Share regular updates and encouragement
Celebrate both effort and achievement
For hybrid workforces, choose activities that can be done anywhere and use digital platforms to track progress.
Expected outcome: Improved employee well-being and job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism, and increased energy levels. According to the Harvard Business Review, wellness programs deliver an average ROI of $3.27 for every dollar spent through reduced healthcare costs.
9. Knowledge Champion
Challenge employees to expand their expertise through a structured learning competition. This contest supports continuous improvement while recognizing the value of knowledge acquisition.
Implementation steps:
Identify key knowledge areas relevant to your business
Create learning resources or curate existing materials
Develop knowledge assessments
Track progress through quizzes or demonstrations
Recognize both depth and breadth of learning
Gather employee feedback
For technical teams, focus on specific skills or certifications. For customer-facing roles, emphasize product knowledge or service techniques. The key is making learning directly applicable to daily work.
Expected outcome: Encourages teamwork, leads to enhanced employee capabilities and improved problem-solving.
10. Customer Connection Challenge
Encourage employees to gather customer insights or improve customer experiences through individual initiatives. This contest promotes a positive work environment, sand trengthens customer focus while generating valuable feedback.
Implementation steps:
Define specific customer-focused objectives
Provide guidelines for appropriate customer interaction
Create a system for documenting insights
Review findings for actionable improvements
Implement the most valuable suggestions
For non-customer-facing roles, consider internal customers or partner relationships. The goal is to help every employee understand their impact on the customer experience.
Expected outcome: Improved employee engagement and customer satisfaction, valuable market insights, and enhanced customer-centric culture. According to Deloitte, customer-centric companies are 60% more profitable than companies that don't focus on customers.
Creative Contest Ideas
Creative contests encourage team members to spark their imagination, such as designing a new product idea, creating holiday-themed decor, or participating in inexpensive employee engagement ideas. These fun employee engagement ideas inspire creativity and boost engagement while making employees feel valued for their talents.
11. Workplace Makeover Challenge
This contest idea encourages employees to reimagine and redesign aspects of the physical or virtual workspace. This contest empowers staff to shape their environment while potentially improving functionality and comfort.
Implementation steps:
Identify areas eligible for redesign (break rooms, meeting spaces, etc.)
Establish a realistic budget and constraints
Encourage submissions through sketches, mockups, or proposals
Have employees vote on their favorite designs and contest ideas
Implement winning ideas with originator input
For remote teams, engage employees through virtual workspace improvements like meeting formats or digital tool enhancements. For hybrid workplaces, consider designs that improve the connection between in-office and remote workers.
Expected outcome: More functional and personalized work environments, increased employee engagement, and practical improvements to daily work experience.
12. Company Culture Video Contest
Challenge individuals or small teams to create short videos capturing what makes your company culture special. This creative contest celebrates your workplace, promotes team building, and builds pride and connection.
Implementation steps:
Provide clear guidelines on length and content
Offer basic video creation resources or tutorials
Set submission deadlines and review process
Share entries through company channels
Allow employees to vote for favorites
Create categories that allow for different types of videos—serious, funny, informative, etc.—to encourage diverse participation and showcase different aspects of your culture.
Expected outcome: Authentic marketing materials, strengthened cultural identity, and boosted employee engagement. According to LinkedIn, companies with strong employer brands see 50% more qualified applicants and 28% lower turnover.
13. "A Day in the Life" Challenge
Encourage employees to document and share their workday experiences through photos, videos, or written narratives. This contest builds understanding across departments while recognizing diverse contributions.
Implementation steps:
Create a simple format for sharing daily experiences
Establish a submission platform (internal blog, Slack channel, etc.)
Provide prompts or themes to guide content
Feature submissions in company communications
Recognize particularly insightful or creative entries
For organizations with diverse roles or locations, this contest helps build appreciation for different contributions to company success. Consider themed weeks focusing on specific departments or functions.
Expected outcome: Enhanced cross-departmental understanding and increased team building and appreciation for colleagues' work. It works as a team-building game that promotes employee engagement and boosts morale.
14. Office Meme Contest
Tap into humor and creativity by inviting employees to create workplace-appropriate memes reflecting company culture or common experiences. This contest builds community through laughter.
Implementation steps:
Establish clear guidelines for appropriate content
Provide simple meme-creation tools or templates
Create categories aligned with company values or experiences
Share submissions through digital channels
Allow employee voting for winners
Variation: For more formal workplaces, consider a "professional humor" category that focuses on industry-specific jokes or observations rather than traditional memes.
Expected outcome: Stress reduction, strengthened workplace relationships, and cultural reinforcement through humor. It also promotes friendly competition. Research shows that appropriate workplace humor can increase productivity by up to 12% and improve problem-solving abilities.
15. Sustainability Innovation Contest
Challenge employees to develop and implement eco-friendly workplace practices. This purpose-driven contest aligns engagement with environmental values while potentially reducing costs.
Implementation steps:
Identify sustainability focus areas (waste reduction, energy, etc.)
Provide baseline metrics where available
Encourage practical, implementable ideas
Create a review process involving leadership
Implement winning ideas with clear attribution
For manufacturing or operations-heavy businesses, focus on process improvements. For office environments, consider digital waste reduction or commuting alternatives.
Expected outcome: Improved employee engagement, reduced environmental impact, potential cost savings, and alignment with growing interest in corporate responsibility.
Knowledge-Based Activities
Knowledge-based activities, such as skill-building workshops, enhance team-building efforts while improving engagement. These employee engagement ideas help foster a positive work environment where knowledge sharing and learning are embraced, contributing to the company's success.
16. Industry Trends Prediction Challenge
Engage employees in forecasting future developments in your industry or market. This forward-looking contest builds strategic thinking and helps identify important business opportunities.
Implementation steps:
Identify key areas for prediction (technology, customer behavior, etc.)
Provide research resources and guidelines to the team members
Create a structured format for predictions
Review submissions for insight and feasibility
Revisit predictions at set intervals to assess accuracy
For leadership development, consider having team members present their predictions to executives. For broader participation, create categories relevant to different departments or expertise levels.
Expected outcome: Increased employee engagement, enhanced strategic thinking, improved market awareness, and potential identification of new opportunities. According to McKinsey, companies that actively monitor trends outperform peers by 40% in long-term revenue growth.
17. Cross-Training Knowledge Exchange
Motivate employees and create a structured program where team members teach colleagues about their areas of expertise. This knowledge-sharing contest builds organizational capabilities while recognizing individual knowledge.
Implementation steps:
Invite team members to propose mini-workshops on their specialties
Select diverse topics covering various departments
Schedule sessions during convenient times
Provide basic presentation guidelines and support
Gather feedback and recognize top instructors
For technical topics, consider recording sessions for future reference. For soft skills, emphasize interactive elements that allow for practice and feedback.
Expected outcome: This great employee engagement idea enhances organizational knowledge sharing and improves cross-functional understanding.
18. Business Book Club Challenge
The Business Book Club Challenge is an employee engagement idea that inspires employees by establishing a competitive reading program where team members explore business books and apply insights to company challenges. This intellectual contest promotes continuous learning while generating practical ideas.
Implementation steps:
Select 3-5 relevant business books
Create reading groups with diverse membership
Establish a schedule for discussions
Challenge groups to identify applicable insights
Implement the most valuable ideas
For greater engagement, allow teams to select their own books from a curated list aligned with company priorities or challenges.
Expected outcome: This team building activity expands business knowledge and enhances learning culture.
19. "Mythbusters" Challenge
In this employee engagement activity, encourage employees to investigate and debunk common misconceptions about your industry, products, or internal processes. This evidence-based contest promotes critical thinking while improving organizational knowledge.
Implementation steps:
Collect common myths or assumptions from employees
Form investigation teams with research capabilities
Provide guidelines for evidence collection and analysis
Create a format for presenting findings
Share results widely to improve collective knowledge
For customer-facing teams, focus on addressing customer misconceptions. For operational teams, target efficiency myths that may be hindering performance.
Expected outcome: This workplace competition improves decision-making based on facts rather than assumptions, enhances critical thinking, and corrects productivity-limiting misconceptions.
20. Process Improvement Hackathon
Organize an intensive event where employees identify and solve workflow or process challenges. This problem-solving contest delivers immediate business value while recognizing practical innovation.
Implementation steps:
Identify key processes needing improvement
Form cross-functional teams with diverse perspectives
Provide process mapping tools and methodologies
Set a compressed timeframe (1-2 days) for solutions
Implement winning ideas quickly to maintain momentum
For manufacturing environments, focus on production bottlenecks. For service businesses, target customer friction points. The compressed timeframe encourages creative thinking and prevents overthinking.
Physical and wellness competitions, like step challenges or yoga sessions, engage employees while promoting a healthier work environment. These team-building games are ideal for boosting morale, fostering team spirit, and supporting a productive workplace culture.
21. Step Challenge Championship
Organize a company-wide step competition that encourages physical activity throughout the workday. This wellness contest promotes healthy habits while creating a friendly rivalry between individuals or teams.
Implementation steps:
Select a step-tracking app or provide pedometers
Establish individual or team-based competition structure
Set realistic goals based on employee roles and abilities
Create a leaderboard for progress tracking
Celebrate milestones and achievements regularly
Variation: For inclusive participation, convert various activities to step equivalents so employees with mobility limitations can fully participate through swimming, wheelchair movement, or other exercises.
Expected outcome: Increased physical activity, reduced sedentary behavior, and improved energy levels. The American Heart Association toolkit and resources encourage physical activity promotion, including step-based programs in organizations.
22. Healthy Habits Bingo
Develop a bingo-style challenge card featuring various wellness activities that employees complete over several weeks. This flexible contest accommodates different preferences while encouraging holistic wellbeing.
Implementation steps:
Create bingo cards with diverse wellness activities
Include physical, mental, and nutritional challenges
Establish verification methods for completed activities
Offer rewards for different achievement levels (lines, full card)
Share success stories to inspire participation
Include team-building squares that require group participation to complete, encouraging social connection alongside individual wellness.
Expected outcome: Development of sustainable wellness habits, improved work-life balance, and reduced healthcare costs.
23. Ergonomics Challenge
Invite employees to improve their workspace ergonomics and document the process. This practical contest promotes physical well-being among team members while potentially reducing workplace injuries.
Implementation steps:
Provide basic ergonomic assessment guidelines
Encourage before-and-after documentation
Offer resources for low-cost improvements
Create a submission process for completed changes
Have occupational health experts review and provide feedback
For remote workers, focus on home office improvements. For on-site staff, consider both individual workstations and shared spaces. The emphasis should be on practical, sustainable changes rather than expensive equipment.
Expected outcome: Reduced discomfort and injury risk, improved workspace functionality, and increased productivity.
24. Mindfulness Marathon
Challenge employees to practice daily mindfulness or meditation over an extended period. This mental wellness contest builds resilience while reducing workplace stress.
Implementation steps:
Provide simple mindfulness resources or app subscriptions
Start with short, accessible practices (5-10 minutes)
Create a tracking system for daily participation
Gradually increase duration or complexity
Gather feedback on stress levels and focus
For skeptical participants, frame the challenge around "focus breaks" or "mental reset" activities rather than meditation specifically.
Expected outcome: Reduced stress levels, improved focus, and enhanced emotional regulation. Studies by the American Psychological Association show that regular mindfulness practice can reduce workplace stress by up to 32%.
Virtual/Remote Employee Engagement Contest Ideas
Virtual competitions are standout employee engagement ideas like online trivia, virtual scavenger hunts, or remote wellness challenges. These inexpensive employee engagement ideas maintain team-building efforts across distances, ensuring employees feel connected and inspired, even in a virtual workplace.
25. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Create an engaging digital scavenger hunt that remote employees can participate in from anywhere. This interactive contest builds connections while encouraging the exploration of digital tools and resources.
Implementation steps:
Design challenges requiring digital exploration or creativity
Create clear instructions and submission guidelines
Form teams that mix different locations and departments
Set a defined timeframe (2-4 hours works well)
Share discoveries and solutions afterward
For technical teams, include challenges related to system features or capabilities to engage employees. For creative teams, focus on design or content creation tasks. The key is balancing accessibility with appropriate challenges.
Expected outcome: Improved digital literacy, strengthened remote team connections, and increased familiarity with company resources.
26. Virtual Team Talent Show
Organize an online showcase where individuals or teams can display non-work-related talents. This expressive contest builds personal connections while celebrating the whole person beyond their job role.
Implementation steps:
Create simple submission guidelines and time limits
Provide technical support for recording or live performance
Schedule a company-wide viewing event
Include diverse categories to encourage participation
Allow audience voting for various "best of" awards
For shy participants, offer behind-the-scenes roles like production or promotion. For global teams, consider multiple viewing sessions to accommodate different time zones.
Expected outcome: Strengthened personal connections, increased psychological safety, and enhanced team cohesion.
27. Digital Escape Room Challenge
Engage remote teams in collaborative online escape rooms that require problem-solving and communication. This immersive contest builds teamwork skills while providing an engaging shared experience.
Implementation steps:
Select or create digital escape room experiences
Form balanced teams with complementary skills
Schedule sessions with clear start/end times
Provide communication platforms for team coordination
Track completion times and success rates
For technical teams, consider creating custom challenges related to your industry or products. For non-technical groups, use commercially available options designed for corporate teams.
Expected outcome: Enhanced problem-solving skills, improved virtual collaboration, and strengthened team communication.
28. Remote Culture Building Challenge
Challenge distributed teams to create initiatives that strengthen company culture across locations. This strategic contest addresses one of the biggest remote work challenges while empowering employee solutions.
Implementation steps:
Define aspects of culture needing reinforcement
Form diverse teams with members from different locations
Provide guidelines and resources for implementation
Set a timeframe for developing and testing ideas
Implement the most promising approaches company-wide
Create a dedicated budget for implementing winning ideas to ensure they move beyond the concept stage.
Expected outcome: Stronger distributed culture, reduced isolation, and sustainable connection practices. Research shows that strong remote culture initiatives can reduce turnover by up to 50% in distributed teams.
Wrapping up
Effective employee engagement contests go beyond workplace competitions and are not just about fun activities: They are about creating an environment where people feel connected, valued, and motivated. The 25 employee engagement ideas presented in this guide provide a starting point for building that culture, but real success comes from consistent application and adaptation to your organizational needs.
Key takeaways for sustainable engagement:
Start small and build momentum. Begin with 1-2 well-executed contests before expanding to a comprehensive engagement program.
Listen and adapt. Regularly gather feedback and be willing to modify your approach based on employee input.
Connect to purpose. Ensure contests reinforce your company's mission and values rather than existing as isolated activities.
Celebrate and share success. Document positive outcomes and share stories that highlight both individual and organizational benefits.
Make engagement everyone's responsibility. While HR may coordinate activities, true engagement requires commitment from leaders and employees at all levels.
As you implement these ideas, remember that the most successful engagement initiatives reflect genuine care for employee wellbeing and development. When contests feel authentic, they create positive change that extends after the activities.
Ready to Take Your Team Engagement to the Next Level?
Planning and executing engaging team contests requires time, expertise, and resources that many HR teams simply don't have. That's where TeamOut comes in.
TeamOut.com specializes in planning customized team retreats and engagement experiences that bring these contest ideas to life without the logistical headaches. Our platform helps you:
Find perfect venues for your team engagement activities
Design comprehensive experiences that blend work and play
Handle all logistics from accommodation to activities
Create memorable contests tailored to your company culture
Whether you're planning a department competition, wellness challenge, or full company retreat, our team of experts will help you create an outstanding event that drives real engagement results.
Get started today → and transform these contest ideas into reality with a free consultation from our team engagement specialists.
Thomas Mazimann, a French entrepreneur and former international kayaking athlete, transitioned from sports to tech after moving to the U.S. He co-founded TeamOut, revolutionizing team gatherings.
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