A great leader always finds new ways to increase the productivity and development of their team. Today, there are so many innovative methods and tools that can be used for that purpose, and if you want your business to remain on top, it’s essential to keep up with all of them. One of the newest techniques that are used to motivate your employees by using modern technological advances is gamification. Today, we want to discuss this method in more detail so that it’ll be easier for you to decide whether it’s suitable for you.
What Is Gamification?
Probably, all of us played computer games, video games, or games on our smartphones at least once. We know how addictive and captivating they might be. We always strive to pass another level and win, so sometimes people might spend hours playing without even noticing it. Well, many of you would agree that it’s not the best way to spend your time. However, if used correctly, this gaming process can become really beneficiary for your business (for both employees and customers).
How can that happen? Our answer is simple – gamification. First of all, let’s define what exactly this process is all about. As you can guess from the name, it’s basically about turning the working process into a game to make it more fun and engaging for your workers.
You have to turn the job tasks into challenges your employees have to overcome in order to achieve something. It can change up the regular atmosphere a bit and bring a new vibe into the process. Plus, games are all about competition, so your workers will be even more driven to do their best to win over their colleagues.
Moreover, you can use games not only to motivate your team member but also to engage more customers. If you have a game section on your website or in your smartphone app, it might attract many people. They can earn points and rewards and exchange them for different kinds of bonuses. Most people are really excited to receive some benefits and presents, especially if it requires simple actions.
Is Gamification a Good Idea?
Without any doubt, this method of increasing the productivity of your team is useful and effective. There are many examples of big companies reaching success because of it. However, it might not be suitable for everyone. There are a few factors to consider before making a decision:
- Defining the goal. This factor is the primary and probably the most important one you need to take into consideration. Depending on which point you want your employees to reach, you can decide whether gamification will be effective for it. If it’s more about something creative, then transforming it into a game might be a great idea. However, if it’s a more serious task that requires a lot of technical skills and knowledge, it might be better to use other methods;
- Assessment. Before starting the game, you have to divide how you are going to assess it. You need to think through whether it’s even possible to evaluate the tasks you’re about to give. Come up with a reward system, as there is no point in the game if there’s no prize;
- Type of game. Also, you need to take into account that for some tasks, it might be better to organize a real-life game, and for some, it’s better to stay digital. If you’re more about the second option, then you’ll need to take care of the special software you’re going to use;
- Timing. Let’s face it, it’s not always a good time for a game. As we all know, games are about competition, so if the relationship between your employees is tense in a way, then it might cause more damage than good;
- Stimuli. We can all agree that it’s way easier to learn how to do something by directly experiencing it instead of just reading it in a book. For many people, that’s already a great motivation to participate in a game. However, to make it even more engaging, it’s essential to come up with some other stimuli – a proper reward system.
Examples of Gamification Usage
We want to present you with some examples of companies that applied the technique of gamification to their working process.
Microsoft
The company needed people to test out the new software. However, there were not many volunteers. To make the process more interesting and engaging, they turned this testing into a game. The participants needed to gather all the letters of the word “beta” in order to complete the game. By applying this technique, they encouraged more participants to work on that task, so they started using it more often in the future.
Zappos
Zappos uses gamification to create a better bond between its employees. They have this little game in their everyday working process that encourages communication. Every worker receives an image of their colleague, and if they don’t recognize the person, they have to meet up and get familiar with each other.
Sally Beauty Supply
Sally Beauty Supply uses games for teaching purposes. To give the employees a better understanding of the working process and the challenges they’re about to face, they turn the learning process into an interactive game. It’s a program that modulates possible scenarios that they might encounter with potential customers. They’re given various options to choose from, which makes it easier for them to handle these situations in real life.
AstraZeneca
They created a program for newcomers that encourages them to learn. They receive points for their work and different rewards for their achievements. This practice was extremely effective, as the majority of participants even completed the tasks outside of working hours.
Deloitte
Deloitte is another successful example of effective gamification usage. Unlike the previous companies, they use games not for the new employees but for their senior workers. They’re given the opportunity to develop their skills by completing different tasks along with their colleagues. There’s a board where you can monitor your progress and see who is in the top positions.
Summing Up
Applying new methods and tools for your business development is always a great idea. As your progress directly depends on the productivity of your employees, it’s really important to motivate and encourage them more.
One of the most popular ways of doing that today is gamification. It’s about turning the work or learning process into a game. That way, the employees are more interested, and they have this desire to compete and be better than their colleagues. So, if you want to boost the productivity and effectiveness of your employees, consider using this technique.
