10 Employee Engagement Games and Activities to Keep Teams Motivated

Employee engagement is the cornerstone of any successful organisation, directly influencing productivity, retention, and overall business performance. Research shows that engaged companies grow profits up to three times faster than their competitors, and businesses with engaged employees are 27% more profitable. Despite these compelling statistics, only two in ten employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work. Are your engagement efforts hitting the mark, or are they based on guesswork?

This article explores ten simple, fun, and effective employee engagement activities and ideas. Crucially, it shows how each can be significantly enhanced by incorporating the accurate, data-driven insights of Motivational Maps®. This powerful motivation assessment tool reveals the actual drivers of your team members, providing crucial data for an effective people strategy.

What Are Motivational Maps®?

Before diving into the activities, let's briefly understand what Motivational Maps are. Motivational Maps® are an ISO-accredited engagement tool, used by over 100,000 people around the world, that precisely identifies what drives individuals at work. Completed online in just 15 minutes, this diagnostic tool generates detailed reports revealing each person's key motivators and their current motivation levels – one of the strongest measures of employee engagement. Understanding that 80% of people inaccurately predict their own motivators, this tool offers invaluable, evidence-based insights for HR Professionals, Business Coaches, Trainers, Team Leaders, and Managers seeking to boost engagement and unlock potential. Unlike personality profiling tools that describe how someone behaves, Motivational Maps reveal why, getting to the core of motivation itself and offering effective employee motivation strategies.

Understanding the 9 Motivators

Motivational Maps measure energy across nine distinct areas, typically grouped into three clusters:

• Relationship Motivators:

  • Defender: Driven by security, predictability, and stability.

  • Friend: Driven by belonging, social connection, and fulfilling relationships.

  • Star: Driven by recognition, respect, and social esteem.

• Achievement Motivators:

  • Director: Driven by power, influence, and control over resources and people.

  • Builder: Driven by material gain, money, and tangible rewards.

  • Expert: Driven by knowledge, mastery, and specialised skills.

• Growth Motivators:

  • Creator: Driven by innovation, creativity, and developing new things.

  • Spirit: Driven by autonomy, freedom, and making one's own decisions.

  • Searcher: Driven by meaning, purpose, and making a difference.

Understanding these provides the foundation for tailoring engagement efforts effectively.

1. Personalised Employee Insights (Beyond Surveys)

Employee surveys provide a foundational understanding of your team's needs and concerns, but often lack depth and rely on potentially inaccurate self-assessment. Instead of generic questionnaires, leverage tools that provide precise, individualised data on motivation and engagement.

• Implementation: Create short, focused pulse surveys using simple tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey. Ask specific questions about what energises employees at work, what challenges they face, and what would help them perform better. While useful for quick feedback, these often lack the depth to uncover core drivers.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Motivational Maps® themselves serve as the ultimate personalised employee engagement survey, delivering highly accurate, objective data based on an ISO-accredited diagnostic. Unlike traditional surveys and platforms relying on subjective self-perception (which research shows is often inaccurate regarding motivators), Motivational Maps provide deep, validated insights into what truly drives each team member and their current satisfaction levels. This dual insight allows you to:

  • Understand the unique motivational profile of individuals and teams, revealing exactly what they want and need at work.

  • Pinpoint specific gaps between motivators and satisfaction, highlighting concrete areas for immediate, targeted improvement.

  • Track changes reliably over time, enabling genuinely data-driven decision-making in your engagement strategies.

  • Crucially, use this accurate data as a powerful foundation for individual development plans (IDPs) and meaningful career path conversations. By understanding core motivators, you can guide growth opportunities effectively, significantly boosting the ROI on your talent management efforts and justifying the investment compared to less insightful DIY methods.

By using Motivational Maps as your primary insight tool, you eliminate guesswork and ensure engagement efforts are precisely targeted, transforming generic surveys into a strategic tool providing actionable, individual-level data.

2. Targeted Team-Building Competitions

Friendly competition can ignite energy and build camaraderie across departments, contributing to high-performing teams while addressing specific business objectives.

• Implementation: Organise competitions aligned with business goals (e.g., sales challenges, innovation contests, customer service awards). Ensure inclusivity and varied participation methods. An idea submission contest encourages creativity ('Creators'), while a customer service award based on feedback rewards excellence (potentially appealing to 'Stars' seeking recognition or 'Builders' if linked to bonuses).

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Use team Motivational Maps to design competitions that appeal to a diverse range of motivational profiles. For teams with many "Directors," include leadership roles or opportunities to strategise. For groups with "Creators," incorporate creative problem-solving. Ensure tangible rewards or bonuses are available to engage "Builders." Offer public recognition for winners to satisfy "Stars." Consider running Motivational Maps Workshops to gain a deep understanding of your team's specific motivational landscape before designing the competition, or integrate the competition into the workshop. This targeted approach ensures competitions energise all participants based on their genuine drivers, rather than just those with obviously competitive personalities.

3. Relevant Learning Lunches

Learning lunches combine professional development with social interaction, making them particularly effective for knowledge-based organisations and supporting employee development.

• Implementation: Schedule regular lunch sessions where team members or external experts share insights on relevant topics. Encourage participants to bring questions and engage in discussion to make these sessions interactive.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Tailor learning lunch topics based on team motivational profiles revealed by the Maps. While technical deep-dives appeal to "Experts" and collaborative learning suits "Friends," consider topics focused on impact or industry trends for "Searchers." Offer sessions on leadership or strategy for "Directors," or provide learning related to market opportunities for "Builders." For those high in "Spirit," perhaps offer a choice of concurrent sessions or provide access to recordings for flexible learning. This alignment ensures professional development activities genuinely energise a wider range of participants, increasing engagement and knowledge retention.

4. Recognition Programs That Resonate

Effective recognition goes beyond generic programs to acknowledge specific contributions in ways that improve employee satisfaction and truly resonate based on individual drivers.

• Implementation: Create a recognition program with clear criteria based on company values and objectives. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition alongside management recognition to build a culture of appreciation.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Individual Motivational Maps reveal exactly how each person prefers to be recognised, allowing for highly personalised and impactful acknowledgements. While a high "Star" motivator might value public praise, and a high "Builder" prefers tangible incentives, someone with a high "Defender" motivator might appreciate quiet, sincere acknowledgment that reinforces their reliability and job security. A "Director" might value recognition that highlights their leadership or influence, while an "Expert" may appreciate acknowledgment of their specific skill or knowledge contribution. By aligning recognition with these individual motivational profiles, you dramatically increase its impact on engagement and performance, creating a program that truly motivates.

5. Wellness Initiatives with Purpose

Wellness initiatives demonstrate care for employee wellbeing, building team connections, improving workplace motivation, and helping boost productivity.

• Implementation: Organise varied, voluntary team-based or individual wellness challenges. Consider forming a wellness committee (which could appeal to 'Directors' seeking influence, 'Friends' wanting connection, or 'Searchers' passionate about wellbeing) to drive initiatives. Practical examples include step competitions, hydration challenges, mindfulness practices, organised daily group walks (great for 'Friends'), establishing mental health 'Time to Talk' cafes (supporting 'Friends' and potentially 'Searchers' seeking connection/support), or hosting wellness-focused lunch & learns on topics like nutrition or stress management.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Use Map insights to segment or offer varied wellness activities appealing to different profiles. Team members with high "Spirit" motivators will appreciate flexible options they can pursue individually or with autonomy (like choosing their own wellness app or activity). Those with high "Friend" motivators will likely engage more with team-based challenges or group activities like the walks or cafes. The lunch & learns could be tailored for "Experts" seeking specific health knowledge or "Searchers" interested in the purpose behind holistic wellbeing practices. Understanding the motivational landscape allows wellness programs to feel genuinely supportive and energising, significantly increasing participation and positive outcomes.

6. Aligned Career Pathway Workshops

Career development remains one of the strongest drivers of engagement and is key for effective staff retention strategies.

• Implementation: Facilitate workshops where employees can explore career paths within your organisation. Include skill-mapping exercises, mentorship opportunities, and practical steps for advancement.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Motivational Maps provide powerful, objective insights for career planning by revealing what truly energises each individual long-term. While a "Creator" may thrive on an innovation path and a "Defender" prefers a stable specialisation track, a "Builder" will be motivated by pathways with clear links to increased earning potential. A "Director" might seek paths towards greater influence and leadership responsibility, while a "Spirit" will value roles offering more autonomy. Using the accurate data from Maps helps align career development discussions and opportunities with intrinsic motivation, resulting in more engaged employees, better succession planning, and improved talent management.

7. Engaging Theme Days and Special Events

Theme days break routine, inject fun into the workplace, encourage team collaboration, and build connections across departments.

• Implementation: Organise regular theme days such as cultural celebrations, costume contests, or hobby-sharing events. Keep them simple enough that preparation doesn't become burdensome but engaging enough to create memorable experiences.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Structure theme days to appeal to the diverse motivational profiles shown in the Team Maps. Emphasise social connection aspects for teams high in "Friend" motivators. Incorporate creative elements or contests for "Creators." Include competitive games with small prizes for "Builders" or opportunities for individuals to showcase talents for "Stars." For teams with many "Spirits," ensure participation feels voluntary or offers choices in how to engage. Understanding the team's motivational composition allows you to design events that energise the specific mix in your organisation.

8. Meaningful Community Service Projects

Giving back to the community builds team bonds while connecting work to a larger purpose, boosting employee morale.

• Implementation: Partner with local charities or community organisations for volunteer days. Choose causes that align with your organisation's values and offer various ways for employees to contribute their time or skills.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Team Maps reveal collective motivational patterns that can guide community service selection for maximum impact. Teams with many "Searchers" will be particularly energised by projects with clear social impact and meaning. High "Friend" teams might prefer collaborative, hands-on service opportunities. Consider projects where "Experts" can lend their specific skills, "Directors" can take a lead organising role, or where tangible results benefiting the community can be clearly seen (appealing to "Builders"). By aligning community service with team motivational profiles, you transform standard CSR activities into powerful, resonant engagement tools.

9. Insightful Cross-Department Shadow Days

Breaking silos between departments builds understanding, improves collaboration, and gives employees new perspectives on the organisation, supporting organisational development.

• Implementation: Coordinate opportunities for employees to spend half a day observing and learning from colleagues in different departments. Follow up with reflection sessions to share insights and identify collaboration opportunities.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Individual Maps reveal which shadow experiences will be most energising and beneficial for each participant. While "Experts" may benefit from technical deep-dives and "Friends" from understanding relationship dynamics, a "Director" might gain from observing leadership styles in another area. A "Creator" could be energised by shadowing an R&D or marketing team, while a "Spirit" might appreciate seeing roles with high autonomy. Using Map insights to guide these pairings ensures the experience is genuinely valuable and energising, creating more meaningful cross-department connections.

10. Strategic Flexible Work Arrangements

Flexibility consistently ranks among top employee desires, yet implementation often lacks structure. Addressing this strategically is crucial for modern workplace motivation.

• Implementation: Create structured trials of different flexible arrangements, such as compressed workweeks, remote days, or flexible hours. Include clear metrics to evaluate success from both business and employee perspectives, ensuring fairness and clarity.

• Motivational Maps Enhancement: Individual Motivational Maps provide crucial insights into which flexibility options will most benefit each team member and how to structure them. Someone with a high "Spirit" motivator will likely thrive with more autonomy over when and where they work. A high "Defender" might prefer structured flexibility with clear parameters and guaranteed core hours for security. Ensure mechanisms are in place for "Friends" to maintain connection in hybrid models. For "Builders," potentially link eligibility for certain flexible arrangements to performance metrics. This nuanced understanding, drawn from accurate Map data, transforms generic flexibility programs into targeted approaches that meet both business needs and individual motivational requirements.

Case Study Snapshot: A-One Insurance Group

Facing challenges with culture, engagement, and staff retention, A-One Insurance Group turned to Motivational Maps. By understanding the unique motivators of their teams and individuals, managers could tailor their approach, recognition, and development opportunities. They utilised Team Maps for workshops and individual maps for performance reviews. The results included significantly improved engagement scores, a marked reduction in staff turnover, enhanced team cohesion, and ultimately, contributed to creating a positive workplace culture. This demonstrates the tangible business impact of applying motivational intelligence, offering insights distinct from standard alternatives to personality tests.

Conclusion: From Activities to Impact with Motivational Intelligence

Generic employee engagement activities yield the greatest results when aligned with what truly motivates your specific team members. By incorporating the insights from Motivational Maps® into these ten activities, you move beyond generic approaches to create targeted engagement strategies that address the actual motivation assessment needs of your workforce.

Successfully leveraging these insights, perhaps through Motivational Maps Accreditation for business coaches and HR, or by working with us and our Motivational Maps Workshops, requires commitment but provides a clear competitive advantage in talent management.

For Business Coaches, Maps serve as powerful coaching tools, offering advanced ways to unlock client potential far beyond the scope of a typical personality profile.

For HR Professionals, this provides data for a truly effective employee engagement survey process, offering more depth than standard approaches for measuring staff engagement.

For Team Leaders, the insights facilitate better team understanding and targeted interventions, providing actionable data often sought from a team engagement survey.

As engagement levels continue to challenge organisations worldwide, the combination of effective activities and motivational intelligence offers a clear path forward. The future belongs to organisations that understand not just what activities to implement, but how to tailor them using precise, individualised motivational data.

Take the Next Step:

Ready to see how Motivational Maps® can provide the data to truly empower employee engagement in your organisation or for your clients? Get in touch with Motivated Performance today to request a personalised demo and discover the power of this leading motivation assessment tool.