One of the main problems that employees face at work is the lack of recognition. This problem could be easily overcome through gamification, defined as “the use of game mechanics, behavioral elements and design techniques in non-gaming contexts”. Gamification makes employees feel valued as they are rewarded for every action they take. It also allows employees “to follow their journey and its evolution in real time”, which creates an appetite for the game as well as drives business performance.
Gamification is one of the internal communication trends. It is considered as an effective way “to inform, motivate and increase employee engagement”. It also reinforces “their adhesion to the company’s identity” as well as affects their performance and productivity. Gamification is important for building the company’s brand identity and turning employees into brand ambassadors. The more they feel valued and included in day-to-day operations in an engaging way, the more loyal and supportive they become.
Challenges with your brand? Activate Me-aaS.
To launch effective gamification campaigns, it is important to follow a few rules:
(1) All staff should be involved, including managers.
(2) Rewards should be non-stigmatizing. Although money rewards are important, they are not the main motivator. What matters is that rewards do not stigmatize anyone in any way.
(3) The objectives and reward system should be fully transparent.
Gamification could be perceived in terms of strategy. Gamification strategy is the process of taking an existing item such as software or an online community and using gaming techniques to encourage participation and long-term engagement. In this context, gamification in the workplace should not be confused with a game. It only focuses on how gaming works. This gives employees a simple way to see their progress, and builds engagement in the workplace.
Explore the Northern innovationscape and d’effective brandcomms.
Gamification is closely linked to employee engagement. Employees who are properly engaged can save billions of dollars. Research shows that “properly engaged employees double their company’s customer satisfaction rates”. By contrast, companies with poor employee engagement suffer. Using gamified platforms, employees can easily monitor their own progress, better understand their strengths and weaknesses and be directed towards actions that could help improve their performance. Gamified feedback mechanisms such as social badges or kudos help motivate employees to work better and even outperform.
Sustaining employee engagement is particularly challenging when companies decide to undergo management changes. If employees are unmotivated to be part of that change, companies will fail. If the change process is gamified, employees are instantly informed when they stray from the right path. They can also be reminded why the change is necessary, and allows managers to engage with their team members to ensure that they are all onboard. Adapting to changes becomes smoother if competitive spirit, excitement and desire to progress are facilitated through gamification.
Gamification can also be utilized to drive business performance. It encourages activities and data collection that are needed to make decisions. One way to access valuable data is to involve contact center agents, IT departments, resellers and sales teams into a set of games. This helps gather and collate information about the progress of work in real-time. This gives management “actionable data on who is meeting, exceeding or falling behind on targets”. Consequently, managers can better allocate time and resources to where they are needed most.
For updates, follow me on LinkedIn.
References: centrical.com | Davril Sylvain, merlinleonard.com | Laura Moss, everyonesocial.com | Marcia Kanazawa, mambo.io