Team vs Individual Step Challenges: Which Works Better?

In most workplace settings, yes. Team challenges see 15-20% higher participation rates because of social accountability. They're also more inclusive—someone having a bad week still contributes to the team average rather than feeling like they've failed. However, individual challenges can work better in highly competitive cultures where personal recognition is valued, or in very small companies where teams would be too small to be meaningful.

The key is mixing fitness levels, departments, and sometimes locations. Aim for 4-8 people per team. Start with random assignment, then allow 1-2 manual swaps to break up obvious imbalances (like a running club all on one team). Avoid letting people self-select entirely into friend groups—this creates cliques and unbalanced teams. Consider using historical step data if available to balance teams by average activity level.

Always use averages, not totals. A 10-person team will always beat a 5-person team on total steps, regardless of individual effort. Averages level the playing field and also handle the reality that teams lose members mid-challenge due to vacation, illness, or leaving the company. With averages, a team of 4 dedicated walkers can compete fairly against a team of 8.

Absolutely, and this is often the best approach. Use team average as the primary competition metric (this drives collaboration), but also maintain an individual leaderboard to recognize top performers. You can also add personal milestone badges (first 10k day, 7-day streak, etc.) that anyone can earn regardless of team performance. This hybrid model motivates both team players and competitive individuals.

Offer an 'individual track' option for those who prefer solo competition. They won't compete in the team standings but can still participate in the individual leaderboard and earn personal badges. This respects different personality types while keeping everyone engaged. Usually only 10-15% of participants prefer this option.

First, team captains should reach out with encouragement (not pressure). If someone goes inactive for a week, consider moving them to the individual track and backfilling their spot. Most platforms let you exclude inactive members from the team average after a grace period. The key is addressing it quickly—one inactive member drags down team morale for everyone else.

Team challenges work well at 2-4 weeks—long enough for camaraderie to build but short enough to maintain intensity. Individual challenges can be shorter (1-2 weeks) since there's no team dynamic to develop. For ongoing programs, monthly team challenges with weekly individual mini-competitions is a popular format.

Remote-only teams can absolutely work, especially with a chat channel (Slack/Teams) for daily check-ins. Mixed remote/in-office teams sometimes struggle because in-office members naturally bond more. Consider either all-remote or all-in-office teams, or ensure remote members have extra touchpoints like video check-ins.