Is It Time to ‘Gamify’ Your Business?

Looking for ways to improve productivity at the workplace?

In a world that has become increasingly embroiled in video games, fitness apps, and social apps, gamification seems to have a long range of applications. The most prominent of these is workplace productivity.

Gamification at the workplace works by tapping into the same mechanisms as regular video games do. That is, they stimulate the neurotransmitters in the brain responsible for a worker’s happiness: these are serotonin and dopamine. Whenever your employee finishes a task or reaches a new milestone in their career, they get a badge or climb up the leaderboard. This results in their brain releasing a chemical called dopamine which increases their motivation and happiness levels.

Take a look at games like the Dragon Age series which often have various guilds and factions as part of their storylines and players can choose to be a part of these groups and complete quests (read: tasks) specific to each of them.

What are the Mechanics of Gamification?

Growth: Each time the employee completes an objective, they are rewarded with skill points that they can use to level up. The skill points grant them more privileges such as higher appraisals or a free gift. An app that tracks an employee’s list of tasks can reward them with a new badge to give them a sense of growth.

Reward: This is where gamification shines. By giving employees tangible rewards for completing certain tasks, they engage in the brain’s reward mechanism. If done right, employees may even get addicted to their work! But you have to play fair here. A good example could be a day off from work for completing 100 assignments or getting a free gift.

Recognition: It is only human to feel recognized. This is why gamification is proving so popular because it acknowledges the role an employee played in completing a goal. Most employees feel unwanted and unappreciated and often end up quitting. But if they are climbing up the leaderboard and outranking their peers (in a healthy competitive environment), that’s incentive enough to reach the top.

Getting Employee Consent

Make sure to get consent from your employees to participate in gamification. Making participation compulsory will not work and doesn’t make assignments any more enjoyable. Start by giving your team members equal say in the decision making process when it comes to implementing gamification in the workplace.

The Rewards Should be Meaningful

Not all your employees will be motivated by salary increases and monetary rewards. They want something more, such as job recognition, professional satisfaction, new learning opportunities, and more. Rewards should be associated with positive feelings; otherwise what’s the point of gamification?

Incorporate Clear, Fair Rules

There should be no exploitable loopholes that give any one person unfair advantage over others. This is what leads to disengagement. Make sure you outline clear rules in order to keep your team engaged.

Want to gamify your workplace with productivity in mind? Get in touch with experts at JS Benefits Group to learn all kinds of possible applications you can use in gamification.