Gamification – The new ‘Mantra’ for the Corporate World

Dr. Manu Melwin Joy

A recent study conducted by the American Psychology Association reveals that at least 50% of those who were surveyed said that they did not feel their efforts were valued or rewarded and would therefore look for a new job this year.  The fact that the majority of these samples were employees from most sought-after companies, made it all the more concerning!  This points toward a serious issue – The Engagement Crisis!

The Engagement Crisis

The world has an employee engagement crisis, with serious and potentially lasting repercussions for the global economy. Though companies and leaders worldwide recognize the advantages of engaging employees — and many have instituted surveys to measure engagement — employee engagement has barely budged in well over a decade.  According to Gallup Daily tracking, 32% of employees in the U.S. are engaged — meaning they are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. Worldwide, only 13% of employees working for an organization are engaged.

The Panacea to Engagement Crisis

Gamification consists of using thought and game techniques in non-entertainment settings, such as education or work. By having users work together to reach a goal or recognition, they feel more integrated and involved in a common project. Gamification applied to human resources is an excellent solution for these situations because it offers employees new motivational alternatives to grow and become involved in their company and career, thereby making them feel more valued. It is a great way to optimize workforce potential because its versatility makes it possible to be applied in staff recruitment, loyalty activities, safety training and continuing professional development. This technique improves worker skills on a professional, social and transversal level.

Where can we apply Gamification?

There are three main areas that benefit from this technique: 

(1) awareness and change management, (2) training and (3) improved operations. 

The awareness and change management category includes risk prevention and corporate policies, safety, IT and data security, integration and change processes, among others. The training can focus on new products and services, new technologies or tools, developing sales skills, business processes and/or operations, regulations, safety, audits and digitization. The use of gamification techniques also makes operations more efficient, such as by improving indicators (KPIs) in sales and/or customer service settings. It is important for the team to include professionals with extensive knowledge and experience on participative tools and gamification strategies linked to training processes for the ensured success of this strategy. The way that gamification logic is designed plays a key role in the initiative’s success and should be based on years of experience.

Leverage Training Initiatives

Gamification is the preferred training methodology because it increases the appeal of learning processes, innovation, fun, productivity, the ability to retain knowledge and acquire new skills. It is particularly useful for training initiatives such as acquiring new knowledge or strengthening specific skills. Implicit participation in gamification tools makes up 80% of the learning process. It has been proven that participation-based learning increases the amount of knowledge retained by 50% compared with traditional strategies such as reading or listening.