There are many ways that organizations can support and encourage employee engagement, including in-person or virtual events, sharing employee appreciation, contests, and more.
Another popular option is supporting extracurricular activities, such as outdoor and/or sporting events. Over the past year, IC has been actively involved in promoting and supporting physical activity among employees, seeing as physical and mental wellbeing is fundamental to professional performance and personal growth. Here’s what that has looked like!
IC Workout on Strava
The IC Workout group was created on the popular app Strava to motivate employees to start and continue with physical activity. All employees were invited to create a free account on the app and join the private group.
The first event organized on Strava was the April Challenge, which celebrated the arrival of spring. Employees could participate by walking, running, and cycling and the app would track the amount of time they spent throughout the month and provide a cumulative total for the month of April. The four most active employees in this challenge were awarded an official IC Thrive jersey, a friendly competition began. Even employees not participating in the challenge cheered on their colleagues and tuned in to hear the final results.
Trail Maintenance Day
Another event organized by IC Thrive was Trail Maintenance Day. In partnership with the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA), a non-profit organization that creates and maintains the trail networks of the North Shore Mountains, we organized a day of maintenance on a mountain trail and invited employees to join in.
Employees had the chance to spend time together, work as a team, and support one another with a tangible result. It was a fun day that everyone could feel good about.
IC Bike Ride
During the summer, an IC Bike Ride event took place. Employees had the opportunity to try out an e-bike while biking 20km along the Spirit Trail in North Vancouver from Londsdale Quay to Ambleside Beach. At the end of the event, employees were greeted with snacks and drinks. Plenty of good conversations and laughs were had by all!
BC Bike Race
Finally, IC is sponsoring me, Sergio Botter (@you.rider), as I participate in North America’s biggest mountain bike competition, the BC Bike Race. This year, the race will be held in the South Okanagan region between October 2-8, 2021. My training for this race has spanned many months and will culminate with this huge event—and I so appreciate all the support I’ve received from IC Thrive and my colleagues. It feels great to know that they’ll all be cheering me on!
Beyond this year, IC is looking forward to continuing to promote physical activity to promote employee engagement, as we’ve had such success this year.
What are your favourite ways to encourage employee engagement? Let us know on social media by using the hashtag #MomentsofInspiration.
