Most corporate wellness programs struggle to sustain participation beyond the first month. Only 14% of companies offer structured wellness programs, and those that do often see engagement collapse as novelty wears off. McLaren Automotive faced this challenge head-on with a month-long corporate team challenge using GoJoe. The result: 90% participation, 7,007 hours of movement logged, and - most importantly - a shift in how colleagues viewed health, each other, and workplace culture.
McLaren's workforce spans 10 global regions and 18+ departments. A typical corporate team challenge reaches the same 10–15% of already-active employees. McLaren needed a different approach: one that would engage the whole organization across geographies and departments, create real peer-to-peer accountability, and - critically - build lasting habits beyond a single campaign.
GoJoe's corporate team challenge platform gave McLaren colleagues a way to participate together without gatekeeping fitness levels. The campaign combined three reinforcing systems:
GoJoe tracked 60+ activity types (walking, yoga, climbing, swimming, gardening, mindfulness), weighted fairly so no single activity dominated. This inclusivity was the key differentiator. Colleagues who'd never call themselves 'sporty' could contribute meaningfully. The result: previously inactive users at McLaren increased activity by up to 400%.
McLaren split 379 colleagues into 21 teams. Leaderboards and activity feeds created peer-to-peer motivation and friendly rivalry. Colleagues shared progress, celebrated milestones, and motivated each other. This social layer transformed individual effort into a collective movement, the most powerful behavior-change mechanism available.
Streaks, milestones, and in-app recognition made movement rewarding beyond just physical output. Interestingly,McLaren didn't emphasize monetary rewards. the gamification and social recognition were enough. This is critical because it shows corporate team challenges can work on pure engagement without requiring high per-user budget spend.
Movement spread across all regions and departments:
The corporate wellness market is saturated with platforms that reach 5–10% of employees. The ones that win will be those that reach 90%+. McLaren proved it's possible by combining inclusive design, social accountability, and the right technology. The automotive industry thrives on precision and collaboration. McLaren brought both to workplace wellbeing, and that's a model any organization can replicate.
• You don't need incentives alone; social accountability and gamification drive participation
• Inclusive activity tracking transforms participation from 10–15% to 90%
• Global, cross-departmental participation is achievable with the right platform
• One corporate team challenge can create lasting behavioral change if the platform supports ongoing engagement
A corporate team challenge platform combines activity tracking, social gamification, and team-based competition to motivate employees to move more and connect with colleagues.Unlike traditional fitness apps, they emphasize inclusivity (60+ activity types, not just running), social accountability (team leaderboards), and organizational reach (engaging the whole workforce, not just athletes).
Three factors: (1) Inclusive activity tracking—if employees feel excluded because only running counts, participation collapses; (2) Social motivation—peer pressure and team accountability are more powerful than individual goals; (3) Low friction—easy sign-up, simple interface, recognition from leadership. McLaren succeeded by removing barriers rather than adding incentives.
McLaren's challenge ran for one month. This is optimal for building momentum without fatigue. Longer campaigns (3+ months) see participation drop-off unless built on a sustainable platform.The real value is in creating habits that extend beyond the challenge itself.
Most fail because they: (1) only reach the already-active 10–15%; (2) lack social reinforcement (solo leaderboards don't motivate); (3) have high friction (complex apps, unclear instructions); (4) fail to recognize non-fitness activities (step bias alienates70% of workers); (5) treat challenges as one-off campaigns instead of platforms for ongoing engagement.
Step challenge platforms focus on individual activity and steps. Corporate team challenge platforms emphasize team dynamics, inclusive activity types, and social connection. Step bias alienates people who walk slowly, have mobility limitations, or prefer non-cardiovascular activities. Inclusive platforms (like GoJoe) double engagement because they reach the whole workforce.
Yes. Research shows that sustained physical activity reduces absenteeism by 10–15% and improves reported productivity. However, this only works if the platform drives long-term behavior change, not just one-month spikes. McLaren saw lasting habit formation because employees kept using GoJoe post-challenge.
See how GoJoe can help you reach 90% workforce participation.
Summary
380 global employees
18 countries
10+ departments
30 day team-based challenge
Key Results
90% participation rate
Averaged double WHO recommended activity levels
1.5 active sessions per user each day
15,800+ activities logged
84m steps
7,000+ of movement
