Gamification is the use of game principles and thinking in order to solve problems and engage individuals. This way of thinking has resulted in the increased popularity of gamification software. It has many applications in today’s society and that includes the workplace. In particular, business leaders have used the concept of gamification to boost employee engagement.
Discover more about how this software works, ways to use it, and why it is the best approach there is.
What is Gamification Software?
Before delving into the application of gamification in the workplace, it is important to know how gamification software works first. It is a type of tool or platform that uses game mechanics in non-gaming contexts. The purpose of using this software is to achieve a particular goal or to boost engagement.
In the world of business, gamification is utilized for various purposes such as improving employee engagement, e-learning, performance management, and customer retention. In this post you will learn more about how to use this tool in order to improve employee engagement.
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Why Employee Engagement Matters
Employee engagement is one of the most crucial elements for success in an organization. It refers to how strongly your employees are connected to their job and the organization as a whole. It goes far beyond the scope of employee satisfaction in their job. Engagement also determines their level of commitment to the organization, which in turn determines how motivated they are in their role.
Engaged employees are more productive because they are not only happy and satisfied with their work, but they also have positive feelings toward the organization. This is crucial for companies because it helps lower the turnover rate and boosts employee retention. In general, engaged employees are more productive because they feel valuable and in turn offer more value to the company they are a part of.
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- Enterprise Gamification Applications for the Best Practices
Ways to Boost Employee Engagement with Gamification Software
There are different strategies that you can use to maximize the impact of gamification software so that you can achieve higher employee engagement.
1. Use gamification software to improve employee interaction and sense of belonging.
Whenever you have gatherings with friends and family, there are two things that are often part of the get-together: food and games. Food is there for practical reasons, but games are designed to keep your friends or family engaged and entertained. This same concept applies to the use of gamification in the workplace. Your goal is to keep employees engaged by boosting interaction among their colleagues, and keeping things interesting in the workplace.
This approach is also known to increase a sense of belongingness. When the employees feel like they are truly part of the organization, they are more committed to the company. According to research by Deloitte, the alignment of the goals and vision of the employees with that of the company can create a strong sense of belongingness.
Effective teamwork among every member of your organization can be fostered through games and fun activities that they share together. There are several ways that you can incorporate game elements in the workplace to boost employee interaction and sense of community, such as the gamified learning of company values, solving problems together, and challenges.
2. The use of a feedback system will increase employee motivation.
The value of using a feedback system is designed to increase your employee’s motivation since it also makes them feel valued. Workers who receive constant feedback develop higher engagement. On the flip side, not giving periodic feedback can disengage employees because they feel like their efforts are not recognized.
You can use gamification techniques to let your employees know how well they are doing their job. According to this LinkedIn article, 60% of employees want to receive frequent and timely feedback. You can use gamified elements to deliver feedback to employees so it is more engaging. You can use the game systems of points, levels, and rewards to make employees more motivated to do better. Give them the opportunity to convert those rewards into goods that they can use or enjoy.
A creative yet meaningful way to give feedback to employees can boost your organization’s productivity level.
3. It helps to boost employee confidence.
Providing timely feedback and providing a sense of connectedness for your employees can contribute to improving their confidence levels. As a business leader, you want to have confident employees as part of the team. When employees have confidence in their own abilities and skills, they are more engaged because they feel like they are an important part of the community.
The use of gamification software in developing learning materials for your employees can also further boost their confidence. By using game elements in training modules and materials, you make the process fun and engaging. The gamified approach to training motivates them through the learning process. Most employees tend to avert undergoing training and seminars because they have this perception that these are boring and time-consuming, sometimes even unnecessary.
Make sure you change up your approach to learning and development so you can produce more confident and knowledgeable employees.
4. Use competition to improve employee performance.
The idea of gamification in terms of improving employee performance is not entirely novel. The use of competitions and reward systems have been employed by organizations for many decades.
A sales competition is just one example of that. It works by encouraging your employees to achieve a particular sales’ milestone. The idea of being rewarded in the end will be enough to motivate them to improve their performance so they can surpass others. It’s also another way that you can increase the sense of collaboration among members of your team. You can encourage your sales team to work together in order to achieve sales goals, for example.
For this approach to work, make sure that you choose rewards that would be appreciated by your employees. But even with a small reward, some employees are still fueled by the idea of competition giving them enough motivation to give it their best.
Read more about: Employee Gamification Examples – Gamify Daily Tasks
Final Words
When it comes to the implementation of gamification software in your organization, you can use a high-tech or low-tech approach. It will depend on your understanding of your organizational needs and your employees. Choosing the right approach and implementing it well can help transform your productivity level by producing engaged employees.
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