Gamification Is a Big Win for Companies and Employees — Here’s How to Introduce It at Your Workplace

In this post, we outline the many benefits of using gamification in the workplace. We also show you how to introduce gamification at work, focusing on three key areas: learning and development, recruitment, and employee well-being. 

The gamification market is growing at a rapid rate. But when you hear the word gamification, you probably don’t associate it with the workplace.

Gamification has long been used in educational contexts, and by businesses to build brand awareness and win loyal customers. But did you know that it’s also a highly effective tool for driving employee engagement and creating a positive company culture? 

That’s right. Gamification can transform your employee experience — and it’s more versatile than you might think. 

Keep reading to learn:

• What is gamification?
• What are the benefits of gamification in the workplace?
• 3 ways to leverage gamification at your company

Let’s begin with a definition in the next section. 

What is gamification? A definition and examples

Gamification is, quite simply, a way of turning everyday activities into a game. It uses gameplay elements (such as points, rewards, badges, competitions, leaderboards, and streaks) to motivate and engage the user. 

Overall, this has the effect of creating a more fun and enjoyable experience — encouraging the completion of tasks which may otherwise be dull and unengaging. 

Businesses have long used gamification to drive customer engagement. Fitbit gamifies health and fitness by encouraging its users to earn streaks and badges and take part in challenges such as ‘Get Fit Bingo’ and ‘Workweek Hustle’ — a competition to see who can get the most steps from Monday to Friday. 

Starbucks uses gamification to foster customer loyalty and boost engagement. Not only do they incentivize loyal customers through a points and rewards program — they also run games which encourage purchases while amplifying their mission and values. 

In April 2021, for example, Starbucks launched their Earth Month Game, giving Starbucks® Rewards members the chance to win prizes and vote towards reforestation projects. Throughout the month, customers were encouraged to take part in weekly activities (e.g. saying ‘no’ to plastic straws), play instant-win games for prizes, and complete different levels of the “Play & Plant” puzzle game. 

Now, companies are starting to use gamification internally to boost workplace engagement and improve the employee experience (EX). 

So what exactly are the benefits of gamification at work? Let’s take a look in the next section. 

What are the benefits of gamification in the workplace?

Gamification in the workplace has been proven to:

• Increase employee engagement: Studies show that gamifying the work experience can boost employee engagement by as much as 60%. Separate research suggests that this is because gamification satisfies our psychological need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness (feeling connected to others).
  
• Boost productivity: An impressive 90% of employees say that gamification makes them more productive at work. By making certain tasks more fun and engaging — and even by introducing some healthy competition — you can encourage participation and help your employees achieve their goals. 

• Foster belonging and collaboration: Gamification can also be a great way to encourage collaboration and build a sense of community among your employees. This is especially valuable in remote work environments. Responding to a TalentLMS survey, 87% of workers said that gamification makes them feel more socially connected and provides a sense of belonging.
  
• Provide a well-being boost: In the same TalentLMS survey, 88% of respondents said that gamification makes them happier at work. Research also suggests that the playfulness and general enjoyment of game-like experiences can help to reduce stress. Overall, introducing gamification at work could provide a boost to employee well-being.
  
• Improve learning and training outcomes: One area in which gamification really shines is learning, development, and training. Gamified learning experiences are usually more engaging and therefore tend to yield better performance. One study by the University of Colorado found that gamification led to 14% higher scores on skills-based knowledge assessments and 11% higher scores on factual knowledge tests. 

Together, all of these benefits contribute to a better employee experience (EX). This is crucial for building a positive company culture and winning the war for top talent. 

3 ways to leverage gamification at your company

We’ve seen how powerful gamification can be. Now let’s explore how you can use it in the workplace.

1. Gamify your learning and development initiatives

Employee learning and development is an HR priority right now. It’s a recognized driver of employee satisfaction and retention, and it’s crucial for closing skills gaps. 

But as learner needs and employee expectations evolve, one of the biggest challenges employers face is delivering effective training programs which keep employees engaged. 

Gamification can help with both. By turning aspects of the learning experience into a game, you can increase stimulation of the hippocampus — the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory. This leads to improved retention and recall of the information learned. 

At the same time, the fun act of playing a game — and the reward of achieving goals — releases dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ hormone. This creates positive associations with the task of learning, motivating your employees to engage repeatedly. 

Neuroscience aside, gamification can offer light relief from tedious training programs and static learning materials. There are many learning and development initiatives which lend themselves to gamification, from corporate language-learning to health and safety training or even data compliance training. 

2. Use gamification to attract and recruit top talent

You may have heard that there’s a war for talent right now, but did you know that gamification could be your winning strategy? According to one study, 78% of candidates believe that companies who use gamification during the recruitment process are more desirable. 

Many top companies are already using the power of gameplay to find and engage talented candidates. In 2003, Google launched their Code Jam competition — a yearly global coding challenge which invites programmers of all levels to participate in a series of online algorithmic puzzles. Finalists earn a spot at the World Finals with the chance to win $15,000. Rumor has it that Google also uses the competition to find talented programmers to hire. 

In addition to using competitions to find top talent, you can gamify the recruitment process by using simulation assessments — immersing applicants in different scenarios to see how they handle them. You can even use games instead of (or as well as) application forms to assess candidates based on their skills right off the bat. Games are also a great way to identify the most engaged and motivated applicants. 

3. Foster employee health and well-being with gamification

Another major focus area for employers who want to attract and retain happy, productive employees is mental health and well-being. And this is another area where gamification can really pay off. 

One Canadian company incorporated gamification principles into their workplace wellness program with the goal of encouraging healthy habits in relation to exercise, nutrition, weight reduction, and mental health management. After two years, they recorded significant clinical improvements in participants’ blood pressure, weekly physical activity, stress levels, insomnia, and fatigue. 

If you’re not keen on the idea of turning health and wellness into a companywide game, another option is to give your employees individual access to apps which have gamification built in. Headspace, for example, is a popular mindfulness and meditation app which incorporates game-like elements such as streaks, leaderboards, and badges — all to encourage the user to form healthy habits. 

Fostering mental health in the workplace is crucial for keeping stress and burnout at bay, building a culture of psychological safety, and helping your employees achieve a work-life balance. It’s a serious topic, but gamification can make it easier to engage your employees in well-being initiatives — while empowering them to do so on their own terms. 

Gamification at work: the takeaway

Gamification is undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools for boosting workplace engagement, driving productivity, and generally creating a more enjoyable employee experience. And, as is well-documented, employee experience is vital for business success. 

We’ve outlined three key areas which can really benefit from gamification: learning and development, recruitment, and employee well-being. While not everything can (or should) be gamified, incorporating certain gameplay elements at just the right touchpoints will keep your employees motivated and engaged.