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Employee Engagement | 4 minute read

Gamifying Learning and Development for Your Workforce

October 11, 2016

Gamification is traditionally a marketing tool that brings an entertainment aspect to the buying process to get customers actively involved and excited about the product/service offering. This is the concept behind campaigns such as McDonald’s Monopoly game. Businesses have realized that by adopting this strategy for their internal operations, they are able to offer more incentives and increase employee engagement. Gamifying should involve all levels of management, especially the C-suite, so everyone is participating in ongoing development for the entire workforce.  

Bring some fun to your workplace — read on to see how gamification can benefit your workforce development and organization as a whole!

Differentiate Your Company Culture

Gamifying learning and development for your workforce brings unique value to your employment brand and company culture. In this time of shifting workplace standards, it is crucial to make your workplace environment standout. New employees at WilsonHCG complete the "New Hires Game” during their training, and it makes the whole onboarding process more fun. The tasks and goals are clearly laid out, and the training feels less like a chore since there are small rewards offered after completion. A 2015 Forbes article anticipated gamification to be a tool that will impact employee engagement and act as a magnet for attracting the best talent since millennials will make up 75 percent of our workforce by 2025. Gamify aspects of your brand and culture that differentiates your organization and ensures sustainability for the future.

Boost Productivity AND Morale

Gamifying learning and development both intrinsically and extrinsically motivates your employees — they’re internally motivated for the competitive edge, and the incentives offered act as their extrinsic reward they’re motivated to work toward. An infographic by eLearning Industry outlined statistics and facts from 2016, and their data reported that 79 percent of participants would be more productive and motivated in a game-like learning environment. For WilsonHCG, we use a Kudos reward system that allows every member of the organization to participate in acknowledging colleagues for a job well done. Kudos points have real value, and as the points add up, employees are able to trade in points for various gift cards or internal perks, such as coffee with the CEO. This motivates employees to collaborate and recognize each other for their efforts. Feeling recognized and valued for hard work feels great, especially when the praise comes from peers. This makes your employees happier, and further encourages higher productivity overall.

Reduce Employee Turnover

There is no doubt that employee engagement reduces employee turnover, and the eLearning Industry infographic shows that gamification itself increases retention rates by 9 percent. This strategy alone isn’t going to fix a high employee turnover rate, but when used in conjunction with a well-rounded retention, rewards and development plan, the benefits do prove to be effective. Employee turnover and the lack of engagement can sometimes be tied back to the general lack of knowledge that employees have regarding the entire company structure, goals and mission. Organizations can gamify an initiative where employees are able to learn about the value, goals and history of the company through an interactive game. Forbes listed gamification as one of the top ten digital transformation trends for 2017 due to its known benefits, including employee retention improvement. When it comes to an effective employee engagement strategy, companies should implement numerous tools that are used simultaneously to produce the best workplace environment possible.

[WHITEPAPER] Learn How To Improve Your Onboarding Process To Fulfill New Hire  Expectations.

About Marisol Hughes

Marisol Hughes, executive vice president of people operations and general counsel, oversees WilsonHCG’s people and culture function and serves as the company’s chief legal advisor. She is an astute legal professional with a strong background in people and culture strategy. Her broad expertise includes corporate law, employment discrimination, and governance and civil litigation. She is an active member of the Florida Bar Association, and has been honored with the Labor and Employment Law Section Dean Gary W. Vause Award as well as being named a Tampa Bay Business Journal Top Corporate Counsel finalist. She holds a Juris Doctor degree and an MBA.