If you want to take advantage of gamification, you need to start with the essentials.
The definition of gamification is to apply the core concepts of gaming in another context like employee training.
By design, games are interesting. When they’re combined with instructional courses, they invite a level of attention and enthusiasm that other methods of learning have difficulty achieving.
The unfortunate reality in today’s workplace is that a significant percentage of employees become detached from their jobs and training. Gamification in corporate training is a practical solution that can reduce worker apathy and lead to a better overall connection between employees and the task at hand.
By combining gamification with employee training, businesses can help workers retain information from training sessions and further develop long-term skillsets. Gamification engages employees in a meaningful and direct way within the workplace.
ELearning has been shown to be a quicker and more reliable method of learning when compared to traditional training systems. For example, in one scenario, a worker could be awarded points when he correctly performs a task in a game. In a real-world situation, this task could translate into the employee adhering to specific company safety policies.
An incentivized task encourages an employee to correctly complete it and remember it. Employees who relate to the game can better absorb its contents. It’s possible because they’re placed directly in a game scenario. The addition of emotion within the game can also help them better connect, and most importantly, learn. Three key benefits from gamification in businesses include.
Increased employee engagement with training resources allows them to apply the new knowledge to actual job tasks.
Gamification encourages continual employee involvement by appealing to the brain’s reward circuitry. Use of statistics and other friendly rivalry measurements can reinforce our natural desire for competition. Employees like incentives.
Employees who are engaged with their jobs show improved productivity levels across the board. Gamification in corporate training promotes productivity by rewarding employees for completing tasks that are fun, not boring.
The overall success of any gamification plan relies on proper research and a strategic introduction into the workforce. Core gameplay should be appealing to workers, including those that show little interest in games. Companies that understand their employees’ learning behaviors can apply this knowledge to an evolving game that works best for everyone.
Once implemented, gamification in corporate training will aid in employee education and promote a better understanding of the material at hand. Companies can expect to see increased employee participation and engagement that will result in overall improved compliance and worker development.
Facebook games like Candy Crush can serve as an example of the impact gaming has on an individual. These popular games encourage a high level of involvement by catering towards the way the mind is programmed, or more specifically, the brain’s reward circuit.
Dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter found in the brain, is released in small amounts when we experience an event that’s enjoyable. Without dopamine, we would lack the drive to learn new things or even perform menial tasks.
Actions such as successfully completing a project or learning a new bit of information can lead to surges of dopamine in the brain’s reward pathway. The resulting rush of endorphins released have been associated with increased motivation, knowledge retention, and addicting behavior. While addiction is often looked at in a negative light, it can serve as a positive means for acquiring knowledge.
When we combine the act of learning new things with gamification principles, a synergistic effect ensures that employees better relate to the training material and have an easier time recalling what they were taught. It’s no wonder that unlimited reward systems in social media games have been a massive commercial success.
Gamification in its simplest form is about reaching out to our basic human desire for achievement and recognition. As a learning tool, it changes education as we know it today. Gamification inspires employee participation and serves as a highly appealing option in the future of corporate training and employee development across many diverse industries. Highly engaged employees working in a learner centered environment will lead to increased efficiencies and greater profitability for the company. Contact us today for us to assist you in developing content or structural gamification for your organization.
