Behavior during gameplay can tell a lot about a person. Silent Sally may prove to be not so coy in a riveting round of trivia, while Laughing Larry may surprise you with how focused and serious he can become under pressure. Playing games can bring out the best and worst in people, but as a team-motivating strategy, its benefits are unparalleled.
Gamification, or the integration of game mechanics in game-irrelevant areas, is gaining more traction in the professional arena as its positive effects on productivity and morale-building abound. Businesses such as SEO technology companies, Conductor exemplify productivity optimization through gamification. After implementing a sales-based gaming system into the workplace, Conductor saw a 126 percent annual increase in sales.
Gamification has proven to be an effective method of engagement and incentive, but if you are still wondering how implementing it into your office will help take your company to the next level, here are four keys benefits:
1. Team-building
A complementary and well-engaged team is paramount to success in collaborative work environments. Implementing elements of gaming to work can add a much-needed competitive edge to otherwise mundane and monotonous tasks. The workplace can be intrinsically competitive as, naturally, employees are looking to stand out and eventually move up in the company. Games provide a competitive spree in the work environment, create transparency, and enhance work spirit, promoting a conducive work culture. Games, especially those that are team-centric, can hone the intrinsic competitiveness intro healthy drive. In engaging in fun and challenging activities, coworkers can learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and discover how to work best with one another.
2. Non-monetary incentive
Each and every one of your employees have a common stake in working at your company: money. While there are other factors that may contribute to why they have chosen your particular company, it is safe to say that earning money is one of the key incentives. Salary, of course, is one of the greatest operating expenses for a company, so bonus opportunities and increased wages may not be readily expendable incentives to offer for a job well done. Gamification is a way to reward hard work through non-monetary recognition. Gamification provides a novel way to reward hard work through non-monetary recognition and yet reap its advantage through renewed employee motivation. You may decide to distribute awards after the competition of a job or have a banquet to honor those who have exceptionally performed tasks and contributed to tangible results for your company.
3. Employee development
Gamification is a highly effective employee training tool as it appeals to kinesthetic learning. Many people learn best simply by doing. Focusing utilized gaming strategies on company-specific goals allows your employees to gain a comprehensive understanding of your company’s mission in a fun way. A well-constructive gamification strategy will incorporate sustainability into its solution. A properly gamified training plan will allow for continued learning throughout an employee’s tenure, not just during the onboarding process.
4. Job satisfaction
Last but not least: games are fun! A company’s office culture means everything to its employees’ productivity, which eventually drives the desire to work hard. If your employees are pumped up to come into work every day, you will see favorable results in the work that they produce. Adding friendly competition to the work environment is also a novel way to ensure employee satisfaction and retention.
