In a time when a large percentage of the workforce is seeking to move on from their current jobs, how can gamification increase motivation for employees so they seek to continue with their current employer?
‘A Group of People Having a Meeting in the Office‘ By ThirdMan (CC0)
Any business’s essential internal business objective is to inspire and motivate employees to facilitate behaviors that align with a business’s overall objective (Shahzadi et al 2014: 160). Just yesterday, I read an article written by Crystal Williams (2022) of Forbes about how global employee engagement decreased by 2% between 2019 and 2020.
My boss recently sent a message asking about my opinion on developing an employee Olympics competition to improve employee motivation and performance in the workplace. Businesses are looking for new initiatives to incentivize employees to maintain workplace engagement and culture. This is why companies are looking to ways such as gamification to motivate their employees through gaming elements in non-game contexts.
Without a doubt the facial expression of excitement I had as a kid
I grew up when technology was developing to the point we are today, and though gamification was not well-known as an official term during that time, it was still present. When the teacher/s told the class that it was time to play mathletics or something similar on the computer, we all exhibited smiles as it was something different from pen and paper and still was an educational tool we could use learn from. This similar expression of titillating sensation is still present in the working adult, but how can a business stimulate this feeling to motivate its employees?
Prensky (2002) (as cited by Perryer, 2016:329) suggests that younger generations do not consider fun and learning separate, especially because digital technology has had its dominant impact in the workplace.
And yes, being an active participant in the workplace and recently departed from high school acknowledge this to be true in practice.
‘People Looking At Computer Laptop’ By Fox (CCO)
In 2020, Nichole Gunn of ‘The Incentive’ rallied together a list of gamification tools known to work well in the workplace. Similar to what I mentioned previously in this piece about the employee Olympics competition, this idea around interactive leaderboards and rewards surrounding competitive performance is how businesses can improve productivity and highlights those high-performing employees. This facilitates them to showcase their full potential in the company. Yet alone, goal-tracking progress bars are another way employees and businesses can track performance and reward them for achieving business objects that allow you to go to the ‘next level’.
My recent example of Gamification being used in my workplace
When used strategically, Gamification is an excellent way to get the most out of your team of employees. Everyone engages differently in different forms of motivation, so it can take time to know your employees and then implement a strategy that fits what works best for that individual or a set group of employees. But also be willing to mix it up, keeping your motivation techniques fresh and engaging.
When trying to apply #gamification to the workplace, remember to ensure your strategy is fit with the organization's long-term, otherwise, it could lead to employees gaining boredom and frustration over time, putting your gamified activities to the side. 🫠 — Martyn Snibson (@SnibDubTv) April 27, 2022
References:
Gunn, N. (2020) ‘10 Examples of Gamification for Employee Engagement’, Incentive Solutions. Date Accessed 26 April 2022
Perryer, C, Celestine, NA, Scott-Ladd, B & Leighton, C (2016) ‘Enhancing workplace motivation through gamification: Transferrable lessons from pedagogy’, International Journal of Management Education, 14(3), 327–335
Shahzadi, I, Javed, A, Pirzada, SS, Nasreen, S & Khanam, F (2014) ‘Impact of Employee Motivation on Employee Performance’, European Journal of Business and ManagementOnline, 6(23),2222–2839
Williams, C (2022) ‘Tips To Support The Next Generation Of Goal-Getters In Your Organization’, Forbes, Date Accessed 24 April 2022
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