Second edition of the sports challenge with Activy at the company

Preparations

Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world. For its employees, this means an exceptionally dynamic and diverse work environment, where time between projects passes very quickly.

That is why we were asked to introduce an activity that would fit into employees’ daily routines, help them get to know each other better, support integration, and engage them as much as possible.

As this was our second edition at Microsoft, we also decided to introduce something that would make it different from the previous one.

The spirit of competition was the best element, and the team division clearly increased employee engagement. Usually, it started with one initiator who pulled the team along, and then team members motivated each other.
— Aleksandra Kania, challenge coordinator

We shared information about the next edition of the competition through an internal mailing so it could reach all employees’ inboxes. The group of cyclists created as part of the Passion Teams initiative, which brings together Microsoft hobbyists from different areas, immediately accepted the challenge.

Encouraged by the cyclists, more people quickly started joining the game, including those who had not previously cycled regularly.

Challenge progress

After the first month of the competition, we added a team challenge to the individual scoring system. This way, employees began motivating one another to cycle by following the team ranking.

Some company meetings were held around the city so that participants had the chance to cover more kilometres. When a team arranged a group ride, even members who had not previously registered in our app joined the game.

For many people, the charity goal was more important than a place on the podium, and it was what motivated them to get on their bikes every day.

Activy is fun for everyone, not only for those who rack up thousands of kilometres. I was motivated by getting extra points for rides, not only for kilometres. I compared myself with others and checked how much everyone had ridden. Thanks to that, I developed a strategy that helped me win the competition. I’m glad you promote consistency — that’s great.
— Hubert, challenge participant

Results

Over two months, 10 teams were created at Microsoft, made up not only of regular company cyclists. Many cycling “newcomers” also took part in the competition, and thanks to a well-adapted scoring system — where not only kilometres counted, but also the number of rides — everyone had a chance to win.

All participants agreed that after this initiative, they feel more motivated to commute to work by bike.