Despite the benefits they provide, many employees shy away from using internal digital platforms, either because they’re too complicated – or just too boring. Contributor Nicola Britovsek, Director of HR – Sodexo Engage.
In many cases, gamifying these systems could encourage much greater employee engagement, whether staff need to complete compliance training or want to take advantage of the company’s rewards and benefits.
Gamification is successful because of the way that people respond to positive reinforcement. When staff are praised for completing a task on a gamified platform, it unlocks a ‘reward pathway’ in the brain, which they’ll want to repeat. As a result, previously mundane tasks become more engaging, increasing staff uptake.
With this model, sales teams want to contact more and more leads to reach their goal, and learning and development becomes a fun task, with staff keen to get high scores and reach the top of the leader board. Health and wellbeing initiatives – a topical issue for HR leaders today – also benefit from gamifying processes. Encouraging healthy habits such a taking regular breaks or adopting a better diet can improve productivity and reduce absenteeism.
Gamification is usually thrown about as a bit of a buzzword, but the reality is that it holds a wealth of opportunity for businesses. Gamified platforms not only offer clear benefits in terms of employee engagement, but can also improve productivity and increase results across the board.
And they don’t even need to be technology driven. Leader boards and achievement badges are also a prime example of gamifying your business. It comes down to changing how people view certain tasks. When staff feel they ‘have to’ do a task, it’s always less appealing. By introducing an element of fun and interactivity into these tasks, the business can change ‘have to’ into ‘want to’, creating a happier workforce and improving the way the business runs. It’s a win-win!
