To Gamify or to Not Gamify? Take Employee Engagement to the Next Level
Posted on November 10th, 2016 Read time: 2 minutes
Gamification uses the thinking and strategy involved in playing games to improve worker engagement. Find out how gamification can benefit your company and improve your bottom line.
Gamification & Employee Management
Gamification provides employees with recognition and status in a more effective way than other types of recognition. For example, if employees receive gift cards for meeting business goals, employees will want gift cards in greater denominations over time to increase their motivation for completing the same tasks. However, this isn’t scalable for the company, as costs for greater amounts of gift cards would skyrocket. In contrast, gaming provides virtual rewards that can be easily and inexpensively scaled for recognizing employee achievements. Also, by lining up incentives with motivation, work becomes fun, productivity increases, and you attract higher-quality workers.
Other Benefits of Gamification
Gamification can take your business to a whole new level. Staff members receive quick feedback on their work, providing them with the information necessary to achieve business goals and earn personal rewards. This is especially helpful when onboarding new employees. Gamification helps them understand their roles within your organization and how their contributions benefit the rest of your company. Teammates learn to collaborate better for increased recognition. Your business becomes more transparent when work tasks are clearly explained and completed in a timely manner. Through earning points and virtual prizes, your workers compete with each other to improve business operations and grow your bottom line.
Companies Using Gamification
Target effectively uses gamification for improving the speed at which cashiers check out guests. The cashier sees red or green shapes on their register screen, depending on whether an item was scanned within a set time. The score is displayed so the cashier knows whether they’re checking out guests within the proper time frame. By providing immediate feedback, the cashier knows whether they’re meeting Target’s goals for checking out guests or need to scan items more quickly.
Omnicare, which creates pharmacy management software, uses gamification for decreasing wait times at its help desk. The company sets up challenges for each employee to meet throughout the day. For example, a support analyst may be asked to help three customers work through their billing issues. Upon completing each challenge, staff receive achievement and recognition rewards. As a result of gamification, customer wait time was cut in half, customer satisfaction increased, and employee turnover decreased.
Ford Motor Company in Canada added gamification to its learning portals. Sales and service teams could easily stay current on new car models, financing plans, technologies and options. Employees became more engaged in their work, resulting in stronger sales figures and higher customer satisfaction.
Gamification is a powerful way of engaging your employees and improving production. For more ways to increase your bottom line, contact the professionals at Innovative Employee Solutions today!
Related Articles
Posted on November 10th, 2016 Read time: 2 minutes
Gamification uses the thinking and strategy involved in playing games to improve worker engagement. Find out how gamification can benefit your company and improve your bottom line.
Gamification & Employee Management
Gamification provides employees with recognition and status in a more effective way than other types of recognition. For example, if employees receive gift cards for meeting business goals, employees will want gift cards in greater denominations over time to increase their motivation for completing the same tasks. However, this isn’t scalable for the company, as costs for greater amounts of gift cards would skyrocket. In contrast, gaming provides virtual rewards that can be easily and inexpensively scaled for recognizing employee achievements. Also, by lining up incentives with motivation, work becomes fun, productivity increases, and you attract higher-quality workers.
Other Benefits of Gamification
Gamification can take your business to a whole new level. Staff members receive quick feedback on their work, providing them with the information necessary to achieve business goals and earn personal rewards. This is especially helpful when onboarding new employees. Gamification helps them understand their roles within your organization and how their contributions benefit the rest of your company. Teammates learn to collaborate better for increased recognition. Your business becomes more transparent when work tasks are clearly explained and completed in a timely manner. Through earning points and virtual prizes, your workers compete with each other to improve business operations and grow your bottom line.
Companies Using Gamification
Target effectively uses gamification for improving the speed at which cashiers check out guests. The cashier sees red or green shapes on their register screen, depending on whether an item was scanned within a set time. The score is displayed so the cashier knows whether they’re checking out guests within the proper time frame. By providing immediate feedback, the cashier knows whether they’re meeting Target’s goals for checking out guests or need to scan items more quickly.
Omnicare, which creates pharmacy management software, uses gamification for decreasing wait times at its help desk. The company sets up challenges for each employee to meet throughout the day. For example, a support analyst may be asked to help three customers work through their billing issues. Upon completing each challenge, staff receive achievement and recognition rewards. As a result of gamification, customer wait time was cut in half, customer satisfaction increased, and employee turnover decreased.
Ford Motor Company in Canada added gamification to its learning portals. Sales and service teams could easily stay current on new car models, financing plans, technologies and options. Employees became more engaged in their work, resulting in stronger sales figures and higher customer satisfaction.
Gamification is a powerful way of engaging your employees and improving production. For more ways to increase your bottom line, contact the professionals at Innovative Employee Solutions today!
