Are you implementing gamification in your workplace now? Well, keep up the good work.

Gamification has been used by organisations to boost performance, productivity, and engagement. In its core, gamification is not an actual game, but it is an application that uses game mechanics in order to make work more fun. ReportLinker found that gamification market size in 2018 has a global value worth of over $6 million and is predicted to register an impressive growth of 32 percent by 2024.

See also: Gamification Takes Centre Stage in HR

The growth of gamification indicates the importance of “game-based work environment”. Among the reasons why employees are easily disengaged in the workplace is due to monotonous routine and lack of personal development which eventually drives turnover. In this case, the presence of gamification is not merely a fun game to play but it can also strengthen employee engagement as well as maximise productivity.

The importance of gamification in the workplace

Based on eLearning data, 80 percent of workers believe that game-based learning is more engaging. At the same time, company gamification training features are said to increase 60 percent employee engagement and enhance productivity by up to 50 percent. In a fine line, gamification in the workplace does improve and drive employee performance, showing where employees are doing better, having them compete with goals and past achievements.

Adi Gaskell, innovation consultant and author of The 8 Steps Guide to Building a Social Workplace, said that gamification is not just a game for fun, it is a game for development as managers and/or game users can set rules and targets that align with business goals. There is also an element of coaching and support offered, added Gaskell, which makes any dull work more interesting.

To illustrate, a study on video game training found that well-designed game improves mental power of older workers which lasted for six months after they stopped playing the game. The training study also showed improvements in multitasking and attention span better. To achieve this, however, there should be a well-designed goal and continuous training with approximately 12 hours of playing.

Maximising the use of Gamification

Aon asked 540 international millennial job applicants whether gamification is an engaging play or not. Then, the respondents agreed that game-style elements held their attention and result better in terms of effective and interactive feedback as well as giving challenging assessments. To these benefits, nonetheless, organisation should follow these crucial key steps, Aon added.

• Balancing the game with other tools and methods such as learning portal with gamified quizzes or compliance course into a board game
• Having a clear objective and designing the process in mind. Why do you use it? What is it for? To recruit, upskill, or workplace competition?
• Communicating your objectives with staff to ensure they understand the point of the game and what is being assessed. Make your points clear and avoid ambiguity.
• Collecting feedback from participants to identify elements of the process. Know which part needs improvement and which part needs revising or should be eliminated.
• Giving regular review to ensure assessments are always relevant and appropriate.

In conclusion, gamification is not an obsolete innovation but it is an engaging process one should have. If your organisation wants to recruit and retain talent better, you should definitely consider this game in your approach. People like games, employees want development – and gamification is a perfect combination of both.

Read also: Gamification vs. Serious Games: Organisational Learning to Win the Market