Gamification In Workplace Training & Its Many Benefits
A gamification strategy has numerous advantages for both managers and employees, including improved engagement. As a result, the gamification market is expected to be worth $30.7 billion by 2025.
Gamification improves a company’s productivity by combining duties and company goals with awards and recognition [1]. This is why over 400 multinational companies such as Google, Formaposte, and Domino’s have begun to invest heavily in gamification.
It is important to understand that the purpose of gamification is not to turn work into a game. Instead, the idea is to blend game mechanics with professional tasks in order to boost productivity and make the job more exciting. Furthermore, encouraging employee engagement stimulates employees to focus on the organization’s overall success.
Inspiration and motivation, a fun learning environment, and a more appealing location to work are all advantages of gamification for the employees. In this article, I explore why this technique is gaining popularity and the benefits it brings.
What Is Gamification?
When a company adds gaming into employee training and eLearning, this is referred to as gamification. This strategy enables a firm to incorporate intriguing, game-like features—such as storytelling, problem-solving, and rewards—that assist employees in becoming interested in the training, while still effectively imparting the teachings.
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do," Steve Jobs once stated. Gamification, on the other hand, makes employees’ employment more enticing and less stressful. Employees are motivated to achieve more when they receive immediate rewards, frequent surveys, and timely recognition.
Variety Of Game Mechanics
Gamification mechanics, also known as game mechanics or verbs of gamification, are the elements utilized to gamify an eLearning course. These are the behaviors, control mechanisms, and processes found in games that assist in placing the learner in the middle of the action while also restricting them in some ways to create a challenge.
- Experience points
Learners receive experience points as they advance through their program. They also indicate a learner’s skill over their learning environment. - Badges/achievements
These are typically issued after the gamer/learner accomplishes something, and they are associated with accomplishments. Badges are generally displayed under a learner’s username, in leaderboards, and anywhere else. Usernames are presented in the Learning Management System (LMS). Badges increase learner ego and allow learners to brag about them to their coworkers. - Leaderboards
Using a leaderboard can help tap into the learners’ intrinsic incentives. Everyone desires to be recognized and applauded. This technique works incredibly effectively in a competitive audience. - Levels
Levels indicate that a user has achieved a certain point. Levels are frequently specified as point thresholds so that users can automatically level up based on their engagement, or levels can be used to signal status and regulate access to site material. They denote that an individual has reached a stage of achievement and advancement that has moved them into a more advanced ring of aims and objectives that they are now judged capable of achieving. - Progress bars
These show the learner how much of the course they have finished and how much more is needed for it to be completed. Progress bars need to be visually pleasing and move smoothly with animations after each step.
Why Use Gamification?
Although the complete list is significantly longer, I’ve gathered the 5 most compelling gamification benefits:
1. Increases Engagement And Productivity
Without question, gamification may play a big part in promoting employee engagement as complex or repetitive chores are presented in a more challenging manner with gamification. Furthermore, when goals are met, employees experience satisfaction and self-motivation. All of these criteria are critical to an employee’s success in realizing their full potential.
According to eLearning, 80% of American workers believe that learning through games is a more exciting type of education [2]. Companies have also discovered that including games in their training plan enhances productivity by 50% and employee engagement by 60%. Furthermore, 79% of employees say gamification has enhanced their motivation and a sense of purpose at work.
2. Encourages Social Interaction And Teamwork
Many gamification features contain a competitive element, allowing employees to compete against one another and bond while learning vital areas of their job. It’s all about making employees feel like they’re a part of the team.
Nothing is impossible when like-minded people band together to achieve a shared goal. Gamifying the workplace allows for this by bringing people with similar ideas and interests together in the workplace. Employees today expect involvement and culture, and this is one enjoyable way to provide it [3]. As a result, firms need to maintain a healthy work culture that allows both individuals and the organization to grow.
3. Develops Corporate Image
Gamification assists a firm in strengthening its corporate image, allowing it to stand out in the eyes of competitors, employees, and the general public. Communication is one such business tool that is critical to every organization’s success.
Gamified programs can be used as an internal communication tool to attract investors interested in investing in the firm or potential candidates interested in joining the organization, and to increase the role of the employees. Communication becomes easier with the help of gaming dynamics. It teaches many methods of transmitting information, as well as what the optimal mode of transmission is and how to make it effective.
4. Fosters Creativity And Innovation
Employees might be compelled to think outside the box by putting themselves in high-stakes circumstances through gamification. You can incorporate various elements into the serious game to familiarize them with the most baffling situations they may face in the real world. As a result, eLearning games are excellent for encouraging workplace innovation and creativity.
5. Provides Calls-To-Action
By connecting with workplace apps, gamification gives employees rapid performance feedback and guides them on what to do next. It is also ideal for new employee onboarding. Performance can be increased by following a set of actions that will lead the employee toward improved performance.
Final Thoughts
Gamification can be a scary notion for those who are unfamiliar with it. When you break it down, however, you’ll discover that it’s actually just about making traditional learning more entertaining and engaging. Gamification’s possible applications include a wide range of industries, businesses, divisions within businesses, and individuals inside those divisions.
Gamification is more valuable than ever for today’s employees and businesses. It is one approach to improve your company culture, whether you’re searching for new ways to engage remote employees, a better training strategy for the future, or simply a way to improve your company culture.
References:
[1] Is gamification revolutionising modern business?