7 Tips To Use A Gamification LMS For Seasonal Staff
What could be better than earning incentives for training? Well, how about building self-confidence and bridging gaps while you rack up onboarding badges. Your temps may not be with you for long, but they still make an impact. Their behaviors and performance reflect on your brand and customer satisfaction scores, but there’s also a narrow time window for temps to master new policies and job-related tasks. Fortunately, you can bring them up to speed and boost participation with a gamification Learning Management System (LMS). Here's how points, levels, and leaderboards amplify temporary employee training rewards (and results).
1. Incorporate Badges For Onboarding
Badges note accomplishments and give temporary employees another reason to participate in training. Align rewards with onboarding objectives and outcomes, for example, they earn a badge for every certification path they complete or for stellar assessment scores. Some gamification LMS platforms even allow you to customize badges and use pre-built templates to save time. Try to incorporate themes and personal interests that appeal to new hires so that they get emotionally invested.
2. Assign Points For Favorable Performance Behaviors
The primary purpose of gamification in new hire training is to reinforce positive behaviors. You want your temps to know what’s acceptable and how they’re expected to carry out regular job duties, so assign points for favorable behaviors and emphasize how they tie into the everyday responsibilities. This also provides immediate feedback. Employees who don’t have the necessary skills and need to bridge gaps are ineligible for points. This tells them that they need to up their game in order to earn the minimum and move on to the next round of training.
3. Use The Reporting Features To Track Temps
Gamification Learning Management Systems aren’t just for employees’ benefit. Sure, incentives do prompt them to participate, but these systems also allow your L&D team to monitor their performance and highlight areas for improvement. Those who don’t earn the appropriate badges or sink to the bottom of the leaderboard may need additional support, while those who excel and earn the maximum amount of points should be considered for long-term employment.
4. Turn Every Task Into A Gamification Level
Temporary employee training doesn’t leave much room for theoretical knowledge. Trainees may need to know the basic policies and compliance risks, but its primary focus is tasks, the duties that new hires must perform on a daily basis to keep the company running like a well-oiled machine. Turn these tasks into gamification levels so temps can master each process before moving on to the next. They can only unlock the next level if they successfully complete activities and pass the final evaluation. If not, the system automatically displays support tools they may find useful. Once they’ve worked on personal pain points, temps return to the level and prove they have what it takes.
5. Spark Competition With Leaderboards
Many employees are driven by one-upmanship, competing against their peers and showing off their skills. This is why leaderboards are usually successful in new hire training. Outline the ground rules so employees know how to participate and what’s required to move up the board. Make sure the competition is civil and doesn’t escalate into an all-out feud among staff members. You should have a separate leaderboard for temps because they’re working on different terms. They’re only around for a finite amount of time so it’s unfair to make them compete against seasoned employees who have been with the company for years.
6. Let Employees Monitor Their Own Progress With Interactive Maps
Include interactive maps that allow temporary employees to track their performance and progress. Every spot on the map links to a training milestone or course, complete with stats. This also gives them greater autonomy, since they have control over which activity/goal they complete next. Use themes to make it more engaging and learner-centered. These should also align with the subject matter to put employees into the right mindset. For instance, the interactive maps for new sales staff can mimic the showroom floor and feature different product knowledge points.
7. Set The Rules So Everyone Knows How To Play
Every member of the temp team must know the rules of engagement, how they’re expected to participate and what they must do to earn rewards. As an example, they only accrue points when they achieve the best outcome during the branching scenario, or score the minimum number of points on the compliance assessment. Of course, these rules should align with the objectives to reinforce positive behaviors and draw attention to areas for improvement. Above all else, temporary employee training gamification should be on a level playing field. Don’t set the same standards for them as your permanent, full-time employees. For instance, it shouldn’t take them a month to earn each badge because it involves multiple courses or activities. Everything is condensed since temporary employees are on a tighter timeline than your permanent staffers. That said, the rules mustn’t be so lax that incentives lose value. Some effort still needs to be made to achieve those coveted points.
Conclusion
Badges, points, and leaderboards are cost-effective because you don’t have to resort to monetary incentives to motivate your temps, but you should also infuse your strategy with a strong training culture. Give them the tools they need to hone skills and improve task performance so that they uphold your company image. Even if they aren’t hired for a permanent position, your organization will leave a lasting impression on their career paths. And you never know who might become star employees who play a pivotal role in your success.
Do you already have your sights set on a new gamification LMS for your temporary employee training? Why not use our online directory to expand your list and discover new vendors who suit your needs. Sort listings by features, use case, and pricing model to simplify your search.
