How Businesses Use Gamification in Workplace Training

Enhancing Workplace Learning: The Power of Gamification Training

The Silicon Review
23 August, 2024

Learning and development (L&D) is essential to drive business success. That is why, according to a report, companies spend around USD$ 1,300 per employee for L&D. However, traditional training methods won’t just cut it. (1)

When talking about why conventional methods don’t work anymore, former Forbes Councils Member, Shane Green, wrote, ‘Organizations, at the request of their L&D teams, will often shift to make training mandatory, thereby forcing individuals into learning.’ Therefore, companies today are looking for innovative ways to train their employees effectively; one method that has gained popularity is gamification. (2)

Gamification is a clever approach that borrows the best bits from games and applies them to areas you wouldn’t expect, like employee training. When businesses use gamification training programs, they’re essentially turning learning into a game, adding elements like point scoring, competitive challenges, and reward systems to make the whole experience more engaging.

So, how can your business use gamification to enhance your training culture? Read on to know the answer.

Key Elements of Gamification in Training

Before exploring how to implement gamification training, here’s a look at the key elements that make it effective in the workplace.

Points and Badges

Think of points and badges as the gold stars. They’re simple, but they work! Picture racking up points for nailing a training module or solving a tricky problem. Soon enough, your employee is sporting a shiny ‘Customer Whisperer’ badge for taming even the wildest of customer complaints. It’s not just about bragging rights (though those are fun, too). These little digital pats on the back will keep the employees fired up to learn more.

Progress Tracking

Another crucial element of gamification is the ability to track progress visually. This often takes the form of progress bars, level systems, or even virtual journeys.

Imagine a sales training program where learners navigate through different ‘territories’ on a map, unlocking new areas as they master various selling techniques. This visual representation of progress can make the learning journey more tangible and exciting.

Social Elements

Humans are social creatures, and many people love a bit of friendly competition for a chance to show off (just a little). That’s why gamified training often throws in leaderboards or team challenges. Not only does it make learning a blast, but it also gets everyone sharing tips and cheering each other on. This way, you are turning the office into a learning playground—minus the sandbox fights!

The Benefits of Gamification in Workplace Training

Now that you’ve learned the elements, it’s time to learn the benefits that gamification brings to workplace training.

Enhanced Engagement

One of the primary advantages of gamification is its ability to boost engagement. Traditional training methods can sometimes feel monotonous or disconnected from real-world applications. In some cases, L&D teams tend to cram too much information into a single session, too.

However, in a study aiming to understand the impact of gamification on employee engagement, gamification was found as a tool that ‘can enhance employees’ engagement in the workplace as it has an interactive element that results in their excitement in completing the task.’ (3)

Gamification captures employees’ attention by making learning enjoyable. Who wants to do chores when they can play a game? When training feels more like a fun challenge than a boring task, people are naturally more excited to jump in and have fun.

Improved Knowledge Retention

In a recent study, researchers found that students who learned through gamified methods retained 36% more knowledge than those who stuck with traditional learning. Now, why does this work? It’s simple: when you’re having fun, your brain perks up and pays attention. (4)

The same magic happens in employee training. Instead of zoning out during yet another PowerPoint presentation, employees are actively engaged, solving puzzles, competing with colleagues, or earning virtual badges. It’s hands-on, it’s repetitive (but in a good way), and it mimics real-life situations.

So when Sarah from accounting faces a tricky situation at work, she’s more likely to think, ‘Oh yeah, I tackled something like this in that training game!’ rather than struggling to recall page 57 of the employee handbook. It’s about making learning stick, and gamification seems to have cracked that code.

Increased Motivation

As per Upshall, the sense of competition and achievement brought by gamification is an excellent motivator. This can take the form of progress bars and leaderboards. By clearly showing how far an employee has come and what lies ahead, progress tracking can tap into the innate desire to complete tasks, reach goals, and even ‘outperform their counterparts’ in healthy competition. (5)

But here’s the real kicker—instead of facing one giant, scary learning objective, gamification turns it into bite-sized challenges. They call this ‘micro-learning’, but think of it as the ‘one-more-level’ effect. You know how you tell yourself ‘just one more level’ in a game, and suddenly it’s 2 AM? That’s the effect. Each small win gives you a little boost, and before you know it, you’re confidently taking on challenges that would’ve made you break out in a cold sweat.

Best Practices for Gamification in Workplace Training

Here are some best practices to ensure your gamified training programs are effective:

Align with Learning Objectives

Don’t let the glitz and glamour of gamification distract you from the main goal—actual learning. It’s easy to get carried away with fun features, but always ask yourself: ‘Is this helping employees learn, or am I just creating a fancy distraction?’ If you’re aiming to boost teamwork, for example, throw in challenges that require people to put their heads together.

Keep it Simple

When it comes to gamifying your training, think less ‘World of Warcraft’ and more ‘Tetris.’ You don’t need an elaborate game world to get results. In fact, keeping things simple often works better. Start with basic elements like points and badges, then gradually level up the complexity as your team gets comfortable.

A straightforward system that’s easy to understand can be just as effective as a complicated one—and a lot less headache-inducing for the L&D team.

Measure Success

Don’t just set it and forget it. Like any good game, you need to keep score. Track completion rates and scores, sure, but also chat with your team to get their thoughts. Are they actually applying what they’ve learned, or just chasing points? Use this feedback to fine-tune your gamified training. Think of it as patching a video game—you’re constantly improving based on player feedback. Don’t be afraid to tweak things if they’re not working. After all, the best games evolve over time.

In Conclusion

Gamification goes a long way in spicing up workplace training. But it’s not just about slapping a few badges on boring modules and calling it a day. When done right, you can implement a culture of fun learning; suddenly, your team is racing to level up their skills without even realizing it. It turns the daily grind into a quest, making learning feel less like a chore and more like an adventure. Who knew learning could be this much fun?

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