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Visualize an office space that would feel like a small adventure every single day, a workspace where working becomes a game. That is not fanciful but very much the reality of gamification that is rapidly becoming an important facet of modern business.
It is considered very motivating but more than that. It creates a healthy environment of friendly competition for a growing and creative experience. It helps cohesive team effort and synergy toward a goal. Besides the badges, leaderboards, and bonus systems, gamified methods encourage employee engagement by working to make daily activities adventurous and interactive. Now, let us investigate how game mechanics can incite businesses besides becoming better and more attractive.
Gamification is not a keyword; it's an effective method that changes conventional work into an interactive and successful game. Anything new and strange a few years ago has now become one of many important techniques for increasing productivity and engagement among employees in many firms around the world. Look at the numbers: the total gamification market amount was $10.5 billion in 2019, and by 2031, it will grow up to $123.87 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 27.99% from 2024 to 2031. It says much about how gamification has entered into real-life businesses.
Use is increasing among companies not only to drive progress but also to build that undeniable atmosphere of teambuilding in which every individual feels he/she is a part. Such change is happening fast, drastically different in original business establishments and the new set of determining rules of the game in global market terms.
Turning work into a joyous game makes it much easier to engage employees and create a very productive atmosphere. However, how about effective gamification? Here are some of the best-used mechanics and methods:
Everyone's love for being rewarded is reflected in most human activities, especially work. Rewards are of many kinds, from bonuses and prizes to points or badges inside the organization. The most important thing is that employees should see their efforts and rewards and be motivated to finish a task that will recompense them. Thus, it yields a sense of satisfaction of accomplishment.
What is the best motivator for employees other than healthy competition? Talking about motivation, leader board brings up the right motivation mostly proved by healthy competition. It allows employees to view their achievements concerning other colleagues thereby making themselves competitive. Apart from general interest at work, this kind of interaction builds teamwork and mutual support.
Gamification becomes super effective when it is designed every employee may have or not limited to tasks and challenges. Everybody has different talents; hence attaching personalized tasks to each individual will tap the talent of every worker to the fullest. Because dissimilar settings usually affect everyone, personalization also engenders a fundamental feeling of involvement and creates interest in work processily. Boredom is avoided as it varies from day to day through adding new challenges and opportunities for development.
None of these changes may be perfect for every company, but they can certainly be tailored to fit any company's needs. Gamifying all work tasks and acknowledging all achievements will really help in creating an atmosphere that builds teams, thereby increasing employee interaction among themselves and improving the results achieved without adding stress.
That is indeed gamification, the magic key that opens a door to the new possibilities of the company. Not only does it increase productivity, but it also creates an environment in which employees feel motivated, supported, and liberated from burnout. Here is how it works:
Amplifai concludes that fully 90 percent of employees say they are motivated to work better through game elements in the workplace. Even the most tedious and routine things become something that holds attention and drives engagement levels high with the help of levels, prizes, and rivalries.
According to the Mambo portal, games boost collaboration in a team by 48% in their participation. Competition encourages a lot of healthy exercise which the employees put together in going after collective goals. The result is an atmosphere of support and collective hard work, both of which serve to good effect.
As per PMC research, incorporation of gaming factors helps reduce stress and even combats burnout. Monotonous routines are exchanged for fun and exciting processes, giving the employee the chance to put ordinarily boring or tedious tasks into a perspective that brightens energy levels and keeps motivation going throughout the workday.
What is more, the introduction of game mechanics in the organization of work processes is not at all a "trend word"- i.e., resourceful means to form good corporate culture and enhanced performance. Gamified companies do not just get productive employees but an entire team that works with pleasure and zeal.
It is not only doing the assigned tasks but also the feelings of accomplishment at the end of the day that make it all worthwhile. Sounds like sweet music, doesn't it? But that is the inner motive that fires up work engagement and takes it away from being monotonous. Gamification, indeed, comes out as a very effective tool in improving not only efficiency, but making the work process less boring. The more game-like elements enter the daily routine- achievements, badges, or leaderboards- the more employees start feeling useful to not just notice their efforts but sometimes even feel rewarded, which will always push them for healthier competition.
So, why does that happen?
The so-called 'feeling of achievement' is not an empty phrase. Every earned point, every newly reached level provides real satisfaction with so-called work. This isn't just increasing motivation; this is making work moments more exciting, less monotonous, and truly removing the stress and burnout that employees feel outside the office.
But it doesn't stop there. Besides, gamification enables the employee's self-reliance in his abilities. Because of every completed task, reward earned, the little victories add to self-esteem and make them more immersed in their job. As shown by studies, this also directly relates to their business productivity. Employees who experience their achievements through game mechanics work much more effectively.
Creating a relaxed and effortless atmosphere is achievable through the implementation of gamification elements — a modern approach that integrates game mechanisms into daily activities. This is not just about entertainment for employees but a real tool that boosts motivation and engagement. But how does this process look in practice? Some famous successful examples will be discussed in detail.
In 2012, FreshWorks introduced FreshDesk Arcade, a flagship initiative that has redefined the productivity level of their customer care service. By implementing some gamification elements to complement the routine processes and introduce points, badges, leaderboards, and other game elements to the daily grind, the company made routine tasks more fun, thus increasing employee engagement. Not only was work made easier, but happy customers meant tripling the customer base and a hundredfold increase in revenue. The approach was so successful that it got a positive note from 2500 clients and inspired the remaining 17000 users in a very brief period of time.
In 2015, HendrickCars launched HALO (Hendrick Automotive Learning Online) to improve their employees' online learning experience. They incorporated gamification elements such as badges, levels, leaderboards, and a social news feed. Through this tool, employees were rewarded for completing training modules successfully and were able to share their achievements with their colleagues. The implementation of this system led to eight times greater employee participation in the learning process, allowing new skills to be learned more quickly and improving overall effectiveness for the company.
Omnicare, which happens to be the largest provider of pharmacy services in the U.S., was always challenged by long queues and very high call center rejection rates. Thus, it resorted to integrating gamification elements with an aim of increasing employee productivity. They introduced leaderboards and rewards such as Amazon gift cards and movie tickets to create competitive excitement for employees. The employees competed against one another: thereby resulting in a reduction in customer wait times by 50 percent as well as 100 percent participation in gaming activities. This brought the company to the following point of improving internal processes while enhancing customer satisfaction.
Such companies like the abovementioned were exhibited by FreshWorks, HendrickCars, or even Omnicare; they all point out that, in terms of using gaming elements in their work processes, something strongly transforms their dynamics as a team. They turn routine tasks into fascinating challenges and boost motivation and engagement. Efficiency improves as does team spirit, creating higher results and a more productive environment. And more companies around the world are thinking the same way!
One of the actual proofs presented by the international experience is the tangible outcome of gamification: increased motivation, raised efficiencies, and a feeling of bigger part in the company. "However, you can achieve this not when simply adding points or badges," but "in company culture", with an implemented gamification that is very much concerned with productive fun. Routine becomes less monotonous and the work more-purposeful that perfect gamification adds.
For example, Lab42 creates its own internal workings with trends such as gamification-from "personalized challenges" to a recognition system that allows teams/individuals to award possible achievements and keep their environment healthy for work, more efficient and effective. Here, we generate impacts through games rather than "play".
Thus, if you want to become more informed about Lab42 and its solutions, we suggest you go to their blog at Lab42 and find other really well-meaning articles and posts for you and your company.
