How Gamification Works

Google. Nike. DirecTV. Samsung.

These are just some of the big names that have implemented gaming techniques into their workplace. In fact, it is estimated that 50% of all companies are now using gaming as an engagement, motivational, and problem-solving tool. All with triumphant results!

Now, what exactly is gamification?

Simply put, gamification is the act of turning tasks that are generally viewed as underwhelming and perhaps mundane (meeting sales goals, submitting feedback, etc.) and making them fun and rewarding by using challenges, competition, and rewards to motivate employees into action.

The following are some examples of what can be accomplished when a gamification platform, gamifications apps, and gamification techniques are implemented at work, along with specific gaming techniques to help your company reach its goals.

Engaging Employees

Disengaged employees can really bring down the company culture, which seeps into everyday activities, creating loss of productivity and disappointing customer interactions.

In contrast, engaged employees raise the company culture to one where everyone is encouraged to contribute and enthusiastic to please their clients.

Gamification Techniques: Goals, Contests, Achievements, Points, Scoring, Leaderboards

Gamification Examples: AstraZeneca (a biopharmaceutical company) wanted to better communicate their corporate culture, improve the work environment, and create an effective team-building tool for their 500 agents spread over 100 different countries.

The company uses a gamification platform named “Go To Jupiter” to astounding results. This tool has seen an astounding usage rate of 97% with most of their agents even using the game outside of work time. From all over the world, this game has effectively connected their employees with each other and has created a more cohesive team.

Maintaining Focus

Sometimes maintaining focus at work can be tricky. Doing the same job day in and day out can get tiresome and motivation can wane. To combat this natural tendency, sometimes you need to stoke your employees’ inner fire by using the natural competitive edge that we all possess.

Gamification Techniques: Competition, Leaderboards, Badges

For Example: Conductor (an SEO technology company) needed to see an increase in annual sales. To achieve their lofty goals they displayed the leaderboard from their Salesforce-based game “Compete” on large TV screens throughout the office. Those who generated the most leads would receive recognition in a companywide email and a perk such as dinner for two.

The result? A 126% increase in annual sales.

Solving Problems

Every company has problems to solve, such as how to reduce distractions in the workplace, how to mitigate a failed product marketing campaign, or how to console a customer whose request can’t be fulfilled. Finding the answers to these problems require gumption, creativity, and good old-fashioned elbow grease.

But how do you inspire your employees to start thinking (and working) outside of the box in order to solve the problems that are weighing down the company?

Gamification Techniques to Use: Missions, Achievements, Rewards

For Example: Delta Airlines had a hard time motivating their call center employees to complete their necessary training exercises.

The company launched the game “Ready, Set, Jet” which features mini-games where training missions are completed (such as helping a couple get from one airport to another as fast as possible), achievements are reached (visiting virtual tourist attractions), and rewards are collected (mock Skymiles).

With these gamification techniques, Delta call center employees successfully completed four years worth of training in only one year.

Accelerating Feedback

Gaining timely feedback is an integral business process that can mitigate potential issues and build trust between company and customer (and employee).

But how do you get your customers or employees to take the time out of their already hectic schedules to offer you the constructive criticism or productive praise that is so helpful to receive?

Gamification Techniques: Goals, Collaboration, Competition, Points, Scoring, Leaderboards

For Example: Microsoft needed local language translations checked for many of their products, but they were having a hard time getting their users to view their screens, check for accuracy, and reply with helpful feedback.

By introducing a “Language Quality Game” to their global company, native-speaking users were able to use their skills to identify translation issues and earn points on the company-wide leaderboard. This gamification technique greatly accelerated the pace at which Microsoft received the needed information.

Building Brand Loyalty

Making your employees and customers feel like they are important to you (and to something bigger) creates “brand ambassadors” who spreads positive light about your brand to those around them, especially on social media platforms.

This type of loyalty is highly coveted amongst brands because of the great power these people hold in influencing others.

Gamification Techniques: Collaboration, Achievements, Badges, Rewards

For Example: Quirky is a community-led invention platform that has gamified product development. It engages over 700,000 inventors to submit ideas for consumer products and the community votes on the best. The products that win badges go on to development after it wins the “pricing game” and the community collaborates on the product name.

This community effort of bringing forth the best-untapped ideas has created such a loyal following because (even though contributors don’t receive a tangible reward for their efforts) each of them is working toward developing an innovative product that they know consumers will want to purchase.
To learn more about how your company can benefit from implementing gaming techniques, request a FREE Demo today!