5 Positive Impacts of Gamification in the Workplace

Gamification in the Workplace: It basically talks about bringing fun to your workplace using game mechanics. You may now ponder, “What are these game mechanics all about and how will it benefit an employee?”. So, you need to know, nowadays, the word gamification has become a corporate-level buzz with its way of manipulating and integrating game elements like strategy, theory, aesthetics, rewards, etc. in daily work responsibilities of employees (either full-time, part-time, or seasoned) in such a way that they feel more connected at the workplace.

Doubting whether or not it i.e. gamification can replace the traditional mode of training an employee or group of employees offline? Yes, besides replacing that system, it is fruitful in motivating the employees to perform better by learning the skills revolving around the elements of a game. Thinking about how gamification will sound positive in the workplace? Take a look at the list curated below discussing five positive impacts of gamification in the workplace which if implemented in real-time can reinvent/enhance employees’ performance as well as their respect towards the organization they are currently involved with. So, let’s get started:

1. Gamification Allows Employees To Set Learning Goals At Their Convenience

The importance of setting goals is something employees can’t afford to ignore during their tenure. And to set goals better, training an employee or a group of employees is essential which gamification can boost up flexibly and in an engaging manner. By applying gamification in training programs, employees will: 

• enjoyably adapt the concepts those training programs will be conveying and then, implement those concepts in real-time thereby strengthening their ability of decision making.
• Moreover, these training sessions will reward them with badges and points which will make them more competitive so that if required they organize their time, utilize the resources available, and make the most out of them by providing solutions an organization can implement scalably and in a cost-effective way.

Indeed, top-notch companies like Microsoft, Salesforce, Cisco, and many more have recently implemented gamification in their training programs and all those are able to train their employees successfully (as per their convenience) in a way they can retain the learnings (delivered by these training programs) for a longer period. What else do they (i.e. companies) now need to track the progress of their employees and determine if they have that level of focus, motivation, and vision (short or long-term) to achieve the goals planned?  

2. Gamification Encourages Employees To Finish Tough and Repetitive Tasks

Tough and repetitive tasks in the workplace are prone to errors which the employees may commit unavoidably. This is because these tasks have to be performed again and again thereby making employees feel tired and lose their concentration at the end. Now arises the real challenge for employees and it is – how to finish those repetitive and tough tasks with no loss of motivation and creativity?  

To answer this challenging question well, gamification in the workplace fuels creativity, and additionally, employees won’t feel some sense of boredom, confusion, and irritation as they now know that rewards are at every step their performance shows some progress. Slowly or gradually, they will soon be prioritizing and scheduling not only tough but repetitive tasks and finish them effortlessly – just like they finish some games online or offline!! Is anything left now to improve the productivity of employees and make them realize that those tough, repetitive tasks aren’t so boring and can be completed in a gamified manner faster than anything??  

3. Gamification Recognizes Employees Who’re Going Beyond Their Job Description

Performing duties outside of the job description isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. This is because such a situation demands your patience which the majority of employees tend to lose as they feel like burning out while performing tasks in a way that matches the expectations of their employers. What if an employer:

• takes a firm decision here of applying gamification techniques so that he/she can analyze whether a group of employees can fulfill performance expectations (as per that employer)? 
• If implemented properly, those techniques will produce a range of outcomes like motivation towards duties not mentioned clearly in a job description, attracting the next-level employee loyalty as he/she now knows when and how to revolutionize ideas and use skills for creating solutions that have the potential of adding value to a business.

Have a zeal to keep yourselves ahead (in personal or professional life) in one or more competitions that ask you to be proactive and skillful no matter how much easier or challenging your lives are!! All you should do now is assess those gamification techniques so that you (if you are an employee or employer) are recognized at your workplace for accomplishing those goals whose duties/tasks are never acknowledged by the description of your job roles.

4. Gamification Cheers Up Positive and Growing Behavior at Workplace

When it becomes unavoidable to engage employees in a no-more boring and swag style, gamification comes ahead, cheers up the positive behavior with the only purpose of increasing the performance level of employees. Selflessly,  

• gaming elements through their sound advantages rewards employees thereby letting them inch a bit daily towards self-assessment.
• Moreover, those employees who fail to meet the appraisal criteria or feel less confident while acquiring the tangible insights from the constructive feedbacks of their managers well-versed with their areas of weaknesses will now participate in processes helping organizations achieve their goals profitably, scalably.   

In a nutshell, if companies believe and are ready to apply gamified approaches in their processes and responsibilities, then, it won’t be challenging for them as well as the employees to identify their true worth and enhance their performances since gamification will now be readily available to cheer up their enthusiasm strengthened well by positive & growing behaviors at the place.

5. Gamification Empowers the Concept of Group Dynamics  

Group Dynamics has a legal agreement with the attitude, behavior, and perception of groups divided on the basis of interest, capabilities, and willingness to accompany others. Talking about its impact at the workplace, every group of employees has a natural desire to influence:

• the behavior of employees working harder so that their own group remains more active and competent than others thereby helping them achieve success faster and in a recognized manner.
• And to balance such behavior so that employees of different groups compete with a feeling of friendliness, game mechanics that gamification supports can be adopted so that employees not only understand the psychology and behavior of their group members well but also handle unexpected situations at work better than ever before!!

Limitlessly, the way game mechanics deals with the choices and behavior of employees regardless of their experience in their relevant fields is so engaging, product, and impulsive that addressing the unforeseen circumstances in the workplace and solving the related issues with appropriate solutions looks like child play. Therefore, organizations or startups still doubting the everlasting impact of gamification must accept it now as it may take those companies to a place where possibilities are unlimited.