Gamification is one of those terms that most people hear being thrown around the business ecosystem. However, many are still unsure as to what it actually means and how it can help a company. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing havoc across the global economy, the usefulness of gamification is becoming ever more apparent.
Within a business, gamification can have many applications. Within the context of HR, it is referred to as the usage of game mechanics and game thinking in non-game scenarios like business processes and environment. These mechanics are used to solve problems, engage the employees and are used especially in development, motivation, training and recruitment.
The process makes full use of our competitive human instincts to get engaged and absorbed in a particular game. This helps the employees to feel a greater sense of achievement and engagement which allows them to go the extra mile to perform a job. Gamification engages employees in various ways and helps them to develop different mechanisms like collaboration, fun, feedback and recognition.
In other words, gamification leverages the human need of wanting to compete, which satisfies their base instincts and leads to increased engagement, participation, and loyalty. Overall, this method can increase employees’ productivity and morale to get more work done. With this in mind, many can see the potential benefits of gamification, especially amid the current turmoil of COVID-19.
HRs use gamification to promote a positive organisational culture for collaboration between cross departments which in turn allows a streamlined process for product or process improvement and suggestions. Businesses will be able to use this gamified approach to instigate employee and co-worker participation for intrinsic motivation. The platform also helps the institution to maintain a record of all employees who are vital for promotion, tangible rewards and salary raise considerations in the future.
There are many ways that HR can apply gamification to a business. With regards to learning and training, HR can change the training content by revamping it into a game. Activities can be introduced which will allow employees to gain points and badges through levels. It can also be sued in team building exercises and projects; allowing employees to get to know each other through competitive and collaborative approaches to business processes, requirements and events. It even allows employees to value each other when they excel at a particular activity. This is done through the help of value badges and culture points which is provided to employees if they follow the company values appropriately.
From learning and development to recruiting, gamification in the future will migrate from the workplace environment to new domains which will help HR recognise high performing employees. If you are one of those individuals who is looking forward to developing an attentive, rewarding and interactive workforce, now is definitely the time that you leverage their intrinsic motivators through different gamification approaches; especially when COVID-19 looming overhead and hurting morale.
