How Geotargeting Can Gently Encourage Employees Back to the Office

The era of full-time work from home is likely coming to a close. Here's how Ritual is using geolocation technology to make the transition more exciting for teams. 
by
Jelena Leung
March 18, 2022

The thick of the winter is all but behind us and, this year, with the changing of the seasons, comes a seismic shift in the way we work. Following a strong international vaccination campaign and a united public health response to COVID-19, many business owners are now bringing their teams back to the workplace in an economy-wide return to office (RTO) initiative. 

A recent analysis in the Harvard Business Review found that 64% of managers and executives consider in-office employees to be higher performers than remote workers. It's no wonder, then, why more than half of office buildings in major urban centres are expected to be staffed by April. 

The era of full-time work from home (WFH) is likely coming to a close. Fortunately, there are innovative solutions that business owners can make use of to incentivize the RTO and make the welcome back to work process go smoothly. 

With Ritual for Companies, business owners can leverage geolocation functionality to provide meal credits redeemable at local restaurants. Using geolocation technology, Ritual triggers restaurant credits for employees that come into the office. Not only does this geo-proximity feature encourage team members to return to in-person work, but it also supports one's local community and restaurant industry.

How Do Ritual for Companies Location-Aware Credits Work?

The following procedure demonstrates how Ritual for Companies makes use of geo-positioning to support employees and local restaurants alike:

  • ABC Enterprises Ltd. brings 50 employees back to the ABC Building in central Toronto
  • There are 15 local, Ritual-partnered restaurants within a 500m radius of the ABC Building
  • ABC Enterprises signs up for Ritual for Companies and issues credits to their employees
  • ABC Enterprises has the option of choosing a geographical zone size of their preference (i.e., 500m, 1km)
  • Employees within the pre-selected geographical zone or radius receive $15 in daily meal credits deposited into their Ritual account
  • Ritual for Companies partners can opt into next-day credit expiration, whereby meal credits expire the following day if left unused
  • Employees are therefore incentivized to make use of their daily credits at local restaurants

With Ritual, your employee benefits program can incorporate real-world location data to trigger proximity-based restaurant credits. Although recommended, the geographical size of the meal credit zone isn't limited to 500 meters. Ritual for Companies partners are free to choose whatever radius size they want, whether that's 1 km, 2 km, or a custom-drawn polygonal path area. 

Partnering companies establish their rewards zone by inputting the longitude and latitude of their office, and then by selecting the radius size or block-by-block polygon in which they would like their employees to redeem their credits. Employees can then take advantage of their credits via Ritual merchants within this zone. 

What is Ritual for Companies?

As one of Ritual's core products, Ritual for Companies allows business owners to reward their employees with meal pick-up credits via the Ritual app. Participating merchants allow users to place orders ahead of time using the Ritual app, which can be scheduled for pick-up either instantaneously or at a later point in time. 

Ritual provides a self-service web portal that allows companies to customize how they reward their employees. Whether with daily, weekly, or monthly food credits, Ritual allows teams to come together over fresh local food, forge new connections, and strengthen team bonds. 

Ritual's Geolocation Technology

Geolocation is an integral component of the Ritual for Companies experience. Geographical proximity data is used to not only facilitate the awarding of credits to team members, but also to gauge walking distance and facilitate order fulfillment and pick up. The Ritual app—which is compatible with both Android and iOS devices—complies with the highest industry standards regarding privacy and data protection. 

The Ritual experience is at the forefront of a burgeoning trend in mobile app design. According to a MarketsandMarkets report, location-based services (LBS) are slated for a 17% compound annual growth rate over the next five years. Ritual for Companies takes full advantage of leading-edge LBS technologies to provide a streamlined and efficient employee meal credit platform with as few touchpoints as possible.

New Rituals for the New Workplace

As we move back to the office, it's imperative that we, as business owners and managers, find ways to smoothen the transition—and what better way to do this than with food? Ritual brings teams together, rewards in-person collaboration, and celebrates local cuisine all within a simple LBS-equipped mobile platform. 

What's more, employee benefits and incentives are known to improve workplace engagement and prevent burnout. Becoming a Ritual for Companies partner, therefore, improves the general welfare and efficiency of your business, while also revitalizing parts of your community that may have gone neglected or underserved during the pandemic. 

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Jelena Leung
Jelena is the Senior Director of Marketing at Ritual. Her expertise in marketing strategy and execution has spurred the growth of the many businesses and teams that she has worked with. As a marketing leader with more than 14 years of experience, she has obtained valuable knowledge and insights about marketing in the restaurant industry. She occasionally writes about the topics of human resources, restaurant marketing, employee retention, team building, and more.
Jelena Leung
Jelena is the Senior Director of Marketing at Ritual. Her expertise in marketing strategy and execution has spurred the growth of the many businesses and teams that she has worked with. As a marketing leader with more than 14 years of experience, she has obtained valuable knowledge and insights about marketing in the restaurant industry. She occasionally writes about the topics of human resources, restaurant marketing, employee retention, team building, and more.