Our story

At SV Land, we believe that vitality and connection go hand in hand. As an HR manager, I see it as my mission to ensure that our employees feel energetic and connected, both physically and mentally. We are a small organization, but that means you really know each other and can initiate great projects together. Vitality is high on our agenda – not just because it’s important for employee health, but also because it contributes to sustainable employability and a positive work atmosphere.

Our goals – Why this initiative?

We wanted to end the year with a bang while also doing something that truly fosters connection. After previous individual initiatives, this time we wanted to focus on teams—connecting people through movement and competition. "Who will be the fittest team at SV Land?" That question immediately sparked enthusiasm. The idea was not only to motivate employees to be active but also to encourage teamwork and strengthen the team spirit.

The launch – NewU in action

We started with a clear announcement via emails. Teams were pre-formed, and employees could sign up via the NewU app. The idea of a collective competition and a prize ceremony at the Christmas party was an instant hit. The responses were enthusiastic, especially because we made the initiative visually engaging and accessible through fun updates and app notifications.

Favorite challenges

• Running
• Prepare a healthy meal
• Exercising

The challenge

"There will always be employees who aren’t immediately excited. But by giving enthusiastic employees a platform, others become motivated!"

It’s always a challenge to get every employee excited right away. Some were hesitant, thinking they would be “tracked” through an app, which wasn’t the case at all. We tackled this by making participation optional and highlighting the most enthusiastic participants. Their positive energy was contagious, and eventually, more and more employees joined in.

NewU accounts: 43

"What surprised us the most was how some employees flourished. People we didn’t expect to participate became highly engaged!"

This initiative truly strengthened team connections. It sparked conversations, jokes, and most importantly, a lot of fun. We saw colleagues working together and motivating each other, even outside of work hours. Employees even got involved over the weekend! The competition element pushed everyone to give their best effort. We also noticed that employees were proud of their contributions: they shared photos of their activities and encouraged each other. This made the initiative much more than just “being active” – it became something we did together.

Collaboration with NewU

The app is extremely user-friendly and flexible, especially with all the recent updates. It makes it easy to organize and track initiatives. The NewU team is always available with advice and creative ideas, such as designing posters or developing a “NewU Wrapped.”

Marjolein’s advice

What I would advise HR managers…

"What I would recommend to other HR managers is to make sure an initiative remains accessible. Employees should feel free to participate, without pressure. When you organize something fun and easy to join, you’ll often get more engagement than expected. I would also suggest using competition as a playful element. A little healthy competition is highly motivating, especially when teams are formed around a common goal. You’ll see colleagues start cheering each other on. What also worked well for us was giving a platform to the most enthusiastic participants. That positive energy is contagious and inspires others to join, even the skeptics. Finally, it’s important to offer variety. For us, it worked great to alternate between individual and team-based initiatives. This way, employees stay curious about what’s coming next and feel engaged more often."