Using Gamification in the Workplace to Increase Employee Engagement

Gamification in the workplace is a growing trend that uses games to encourage employees to perform their very best. By participating in various digital games and competitions, employees earn points and rewards as they learn new skills or help the company to achieve critical milestones. Best of all, a 2019 study revealed that gamification could increase employee engagement by as much as 60%.

Let’s take a look at how gamification in the workplace can positively impact engagement.

Gamification Increases Happiness

Happy employees are engaged employees, and gamification has been shown to make them 88% happier at work. Why? Gamification increases levels of satisfaction and achievement. There are some tasks employees simply don’t enjoy as much. Gamification rewards employees to strive beyond just completing the task. By earning points or rewards, employees feel more connected to more critical company goals. Those annoying tasks that would usually feel insignificant can be more meaningful when paired with gamification.

Gamification Increases Motivation

One of the most common ways gamification is used today is in eLearning. In fact, training software is the No. 1 place employees would like to see gamification used. Employees who receive gamified training are more motivated and engaged than those who do not. Additionally, employees who do not receive gamified training are more likely to feel bored and unproductive. From competitions to quizzes, the possibilities to incorporate gamification into your training efforts are endless.

Gamification Increases Productivity

The combined higher rates of happiness and motivation when using gamification naturally increase productivity as well. Gamification is a source of fun and stimulation — a way to promote healthy competition for employees to perform at their best. Companies like Domino’s, Zappos, and Google have all implemented gamification to encourage new ideas, improve customer service, and enhance recruiting efforts.

Gamification Increases Teamwork

There are several ways gamification can play a role in team building. Teams may have a little friendly competition to see who can reach a goal first, or different team members may all be assigned various tasks that help them earn badges to achieve a larger common goal. Gamification can also include more informal teambuilding activities like scavenger hunts. All of these activities are great ways to keep remote teams connected. In return, gamified tasks enable leaders to discover what teams work well together.

Gamification Increases Engagement with Employee Recognition Programs

There are numerous ways to tie gamification into employee recognition. For example, Assembly offers employee rewards and badges that can be customized and connected to your company’s core values. When asked, employees prefer rewards, badges, points, leaderboards, and levels, in that order. You can even create a little healthy competition to see what teams are using the recognition platform the most. Simply tie team usage to metrics to see what kind of impact recognition has on your teams. It would provide a valuable data point for leaders to see.

As companies adapt to younger generations and the increased demand for more flexible work environments, gamification will continue to provide new opportunities to drive employee engagement and connection.