The participants vied for seven thrilling challenges.

Manjula Ramakrishnan

Effective employee engagement is high on the agenda of all progressive thinking companies. In order to increase awareness about employee engagement and get companies to sign up for activities outside their workplace, Rush-A-Way conducted its seventh season of Oman Insurance Corporate Challenge powered by LivFit.

The coming together of Rush-A-Way with Oman Insurance added tremendous value to employee engagement through the team-building activities that found place in the corporate challenge. While the former aims to help participants enjoy new experiences, activities and therefore bonding, the latter through its wellness programme LivFit aims to empower individuals to take charge of their physical and mental wellbeing and to make positive lifestyle choices.

The inter-company competition brought together 50 corporates from Dubai to conquer seven thrilling challenges and win the coveted title. Inspired by the popular American series – Amazing Race, the corporate challenge was a test for the teams’ mental and physical fitness, quick-thinking skills and teamwork.

A recent survey conducted by Tower Watson shows that Middle Eastern firms believe in a strong connection between engagement and employee productivity. To this end, organisations are now keen on dedicating a set budget and time on activities that will boost employee engagement and corporate wellness.

“Employees are the core foundation of any company and play a vital role in making the organisation a successful establishment. Irrespective of the size of the firm, a collaborative environment where one can enhance their role and build fruitful connections is what stands out from the rest of the companies,’’ Julien Audrerie, head of marketing at Oman Insurance Company told Panorama.

Excerpts from the interview:

How vital is employee engagement in the contemporary context?

Research conducted by Gallup suggests that engaged and happy workers are a key ingredient to a successful corporation. The analytics firm confirms that close to 85 per cent of workers are not engaged or are not psychologically committed to their jobs leading to a decrease in productivity. The State of Global Workplace report suggests that only 16 per cent of employees in the UAE are happily connected to their respective jobs. Hence, it is of paramount importance that every company invests in their employees and keeps them motivated.

Again, how important are teams and team work to bring about successful employee engagement?

Teamwork is the second most important value required for steady growth and longer sustainability in this competitive business landscape. With the aim to increase productivity, engagement and gratification, many corporates are participating in team-building challenges that will stimulate growth in the firm. Team chemistry is very important for an engaged-workforce and therefore, crucial to achieving better business results. Sitting with your colleagues and spending 40 hours a week is one thing and having a day out with them is different on various levels. From engaging to understanding everyone’s strengths and working as a team, team events are a major boost for corporate wellness.

What is LivFit all about?

LivFit is a wellness programme from Oman Insurance Company which aims to empower individuals to take charge of their physical and mental wellbeing and make positive lifestyle choices. LivFit also offers online assessment and a personalised health report to all individuals in the UAE to help them understand their current health status. More details can be found at www.livfit.ae.

And what does the LivFit Corporate Wellness programme offer?

Through our corporate wellness programme LivFit we aim to encourage people to stay fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. We therefore devised the corporate wellness event as a great way for us to help people be active in a fun-filled way. It is also a great platform for companies to help employees develop stronger team bonds. Through our wellness proposition we will continue our efforts to help people live healthier lives.

What were the objectives of the Corporate Wellness challenge?

A workplace culture sets the tone to the employee’s productivity and interest. Through this event, we aimed to design a unique platform that allows corporates to strengthen team bonds and companies to engage with one another. It is a perfect opportunity for us to help people live a healthier life and encourage them to take charge of their wellness.

What were the activities that went into the Wellness Challenge?

The activities of the challenge included a Scavenger hunt at Mercato Mall, an escape game at SportsMania, culinary challenge at Oregano, a team adventure at TEP Factor, a fitness challenge at GoldBox, an endurance challenge at Velocity and a DIY challenge at JamJar.