How HeyTaco! helps improve physical, mental, and social well-being

Every so often I receive an email like the one below. I’m sharing Cameron’s email with the hope I can help them and others by compiling the many benefits of HeyTaco!.

Hi Doug,

Our HeyTaco! trial has been great and it has been a lot of fun to use. People seem to really enjoy it and out of all the “kudos” slackbots we’ve checked out, this is our favorite.

For as much as we would love to continue using HeyTaco! though, we will not be able to make a business case to subscribe.

The people that do use it consistently, like me, are bummed and we’ll miss using it. Thank you for making a fun piece of software.

Thank you,
Cameron

All things considered, I can see why Cameron thinks they can’t make a business case. But it’s actually pretty easy, especially when you look at the scientific research and our findings from our 2+ years of running HeyTaco!.

Cameron isn’t alone either. For many teams, it’s a similar situation. At first glance HeyTaco! may seem silly or like a game. People give tacos for little things like a birthday, all the way to big things like winning a million-dollar contract. There’s talk about who’s at the top of the leaderboard, or how someone levelled up to Taco Magistrate. Maybe there’s even a rogue teammate who has plotted to seize all the tacos in your taco economy.

But when you look past the fun and discover its purpose, you’ll begin to understand why HeyTaco! is working for companies all over the world.

Why use HeyTaco!

HeyTaco! creates healthier teams by inspiring acts of kindness. It makes showing gratitude and appreciation fun and rewarding. Furthermore, it’s helping people improve their physical, mental, and social well-being.

Happier People

Acts of kindness have profound effects in the workplace. To name a few, it results in increased: satisfaction, happiness, and pro-social behaviors. This leads to more empathy and compassion, and stronger relationships.¹

The best part is, once people start doing nice things for others, they don’t stop. Studies show kindness can be contagious. When someone is the recipient of an act of kindness they’ll pay it forward which then creates a cycle of generosity.²

Healthier People

According to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving heart health. Those who are often kind have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population. They also suggest that acts of kindness can increase energy levels while reducing depression, pain, and anxiety.³

More Engagement

The level of engagement in HeyTaco! is what people in leadership dream of. Because of the organic adoption within organizations, nobody is forced to give tacos. People give because they want to—it feels good! This makes giving tacos authentic and leads to continued usage weeks, months, and even years after people give their first taco. HeyTaco!’s token of kindness, tacos, is a proven long-term solution for a more engaged team.

Save People and Money

Deloitte found high recognition companies had 31% less turnover compared to low recognition companies.⁴ That stat can equal huge cost savings for your business.

Involuntary turnover is a business killer in more ways than money too. The last reason you want someone to leave your company is from feeling under appreciated. That’s a surefire way to hurt your brand.

When you foster a culture of kindness, you greatly decrease the chances you lose people from feeling under appreciated. Our tool will help you solve this age-old turnover problem in an easy and fun way.

And if you haven’t calculated your cost of turnover, now is the time to start. It can change your perspective in a big way.

Conclusion

When you weigh the benefits with the cost, you can see why HeyTaco! is a cost-efficient way to improve your workplace. We work with teams to ensure they’re getting the most out of their investment and provide helpful tips and analysis for their taco economies. If you have questions or comments you can reach out to us on our support page.

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