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When you hear the term gamification, you probably think of a board game or a video game. But, in the business world, this term takes on a bit of a different meaning. Simply put, gamification is the addition of game elements to non-game activities. It can also be defined as a set of activities and processes used to solve problems by applying game elements, such as points, badges, and leaderboards. Games and game-like elements have actually been used to educate, entertain, and engage for years.
As it relates to training, gamified content is altered to be more game-like by using elements such as challenges, feedback loops, and storytelling without actually turning the training into a game. This enhances the learner’s engagement with the material while still keeping the content at the forefront of the training.
There are many types of companies that use gamification in the workplace. For example, in the HR community, companies are implementing gamification to drive higher employee engagement and boost productivity. After all, people love playing games and interactive activities naturally encourage team camaraderie and collaboration.
So, how do you know if you should implement gamification?
How and why you should use gamified content
Gamification is known for creating a positive experience and leaving an impression. Businesses use gamified solutions to retain customers, engage with online communities, and build brands. Oftentimes companies use gamification to train employees, and statistics show that 92% of people enjoy game-inspired elements, while 75% claim gamification makes them work harder.
Technically, any company that is making an investment in the ongoing training and development of its employees, can find benefits in implementing gamification. The following are examples of gamified content and how and why it’s being used in the workplace.
LMS
Gamified LMS (Learning Management Systems) are becoming increasingly popular in the business world. LMS options on the market leverage the power of competition using elements like points, badges, and leaderboards. When the user’s learning objective and progress are tracked, it can then be rewarded.
LMS software platforms are designed for delivering learning material online and giving you tools to manage training and development. All LMS learning is essentially e-learning, although not all e-learning is facilitated through an LMS. If you’re thinking of implementing gamified LMS, one great place to start is by researching the top gamification LMS software in 2021.
E-learning
Gamified e-learning takes elements that make a game engaging and incorporates that into a learning experience. These elements could include a story, competition, challenge, or reward.
Types of e-learning gamification may include:
- A timed quiz. This fosters engagement when the questions get progressively more challenging but the time available remains the same.
- A quiz with badges. A quiz becomes a game when visual rewards are introduced alongside point-scoring, and a timer introduces an element of competition.
- Scenario-based. When you combine a scenario + game elements you get a realistic learning environment that resonates very well, specifically with salespeople. A sense of competition and urgency is created when real-life scenarios reflect a fast-paced sales floor for example. This is demonstrated well in Elucidat’s sales simulation demo.
- Story-led. This combines gaming principles with immersive storytelling and strong characters. In the case of a Lifesaver, a life-saving game, each decision is timed and users are thrown into high-stakes situations mirroring life and death choices.
Ready to get started? Learn how to implement gamification in your learning strategy.
Employee onboarding
There has also been a big gamification push within the employee onboarding process. Gamified onboarding programs excite new recruits when they’re getting to know a company, and it helps them learn how to best perform in their job. Team games can also be used to facilitate interaction and establish connections between employees.
There are many tools available on the market such as OrgLynx that can help kick-start your gamified employee onboarding.
Example of companies using gamified content
Gamified content is being used by a variety of different types of companies, specifically as it relates to e-learning experiences. One of the most popular uses of gamification across the board is with training strategies. For business trainers, it’s all about adding elements of gaming into instructional strategies--making for more effective training and learning.
The following companies have successfully implemented gamification from both a training and an efficiency standpoint.
Domino’s Pizza
The well-known pizza establishment created the “Pizza Maker” course, a training strategy that uses simulations and gamification to engage and reward employees during the learning experience. The game encourages employees to try to improve past scores which helped new employees learn the menu faster, ultimately decreasing onboarding time.
Cisco
In today’s digital world, organizations that are equipped to leverage social media are better equipped. Cisco was one of the first companies to gain a competitive edge by investing in a gamified global social media training program. Their success came with using game elements to introduce various certification levels through team challenges which fostered both competition and collaboration.
Google found a unique way to encourage employees to submit travel expenses on time. Their gamified solution? When employees take a business trip, they receive an allowance for each location they visit. Google gamified the expense process by letting employees who didn’t spend their entire allowance, choose what happened to the remaining money--getting paid out in their next paycheck, savings funds towards a trip, or donating to a charity of their choice! The result? This translated into 100 percent compliance within just six months of launching the program!
Trends in gamification
As we move further into 2021 and beyond, we will continue to see new trends in gamification that will take on many forms. The statistics don’t lie. According to Statista, the gamification market is expected to hit $4.91 billion in 2021!
Due to the pandemic, many companies implemented gamification through the use of mobile games during virtual events to recreate the excitement and connections that come with an in-person conference. With so many businesses still operating remotely, this type of gamified content will continue to be prevalent.
Gamification for Millennials and gen-Z in the workplace will also continue to grow in order to make new recruits feel committed. Mobile applications such as Atrivity have become popular because they allow you to concentrate training content in small doses via trivia-type questions.
We will also start to see virtual reality and augmented reality elements included to improve the user experience and take gamification to the next level. Additionally, remote onboarding will become standard, since so many employees will be unable to start the process in person.
The takeaway
As you’ve learned, gamification is often used by all types of companies to encourage engagement, create excitement, solve problems, or overcome obstacles. The reason gamification works so well is that it appeals to human behavior. It makes sense because as humans, we innately desire rewards, status achievements, and recognition.
Among the many benefits of gamified content include:
- Improved commitment in personnel training
- Increased performance of sales staff
- Improved time and ability when accomplishing tasks
- Increased organizational productivity
“Games are the only force in the known universe that can get people to take actions against their self-interest, predictably, without applying force.” ― Gabe Zichermann, author of The Gamification Revolution
Learn more about the many advantages of gamifying your company.
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