Since the 2010s, gamification has grown in popularity among the service industry, Big Tech, finance, and more. Because of its ability to engage users, it has proven to be one of the most effective forms of training available. According to a study by Zippia, gamification significantly improves employee performance across many key metrics.

“90% of employees say gamification makes them more productive at work…72% of people say gamification motivates them to do tasks and work harder on the job…Companies that use gamification are seven times more profitable than those that do not use gamified elements at work.”

What is Gamification?

Gamification is the adoption and application of gaming elements in non-gaming environments, such as business and education, to boost user participation, motivation, and engagement. The expectation is that employees and students will retain more information, perform tasks more efficiently, and become significantly more productive.

Why Gaming is So Effective

According to Cramer, games encourage better information retention, personal and social engagement, and interpersonal connection and participation.

“Games encourage ongoing engagement. After participating in a live game experience, people will remember, share, and discuss the event. If you’ve managed to stand out from the crowd through a unique gamified strategy, that statement will reverberate.”

This results in community building and engagement, greater company participation, a significant increase in employee morale, and a more invested commitment by participating personnel.

The Psychology Behind Gamification

According to the Learning Guild, 5 primary psychological aspects drive the success of gamification in the workplace.

“Gamification satisfies fundamental human desires…It bolsters a sense of community…Gamification forges an emotional connection…Gamification relieves cognitive overload…Individuals will keep playing.”

An important psychological factor that holds a heavy thumb on the scale is “instant gratification.” 

Traditional training systems are rooted in the presumptive hope of reward in the future. However, gaming offers instant gratification by presenting immediate rewards and recognition, level-ups, getting in-game items, gaining social clout within gaming circles, etc.

Receiving instant rewards based on your efforts is a “game-changer” in the corporate world regarding employee training, education, participation, and engagement. By appeasing fundamental human desires, such as the “need for recognition, reward, status, and achievement; their innate love of competition and collaboration; and the human desire for self-expression and altruism,” staff become more emotionally invested and committed to the company, their responsibilities, and desire to succeed.

Traditional Training Methods and Limitations

A typical employee training session includes heavy reading and studying over days, weeks, or months. The participants must then recite the knowledge they have retained over time. They must produce as much of the retained knowledge as possible and wait to find out whether or not they passed. 

This delay in reward achievement is problematic because it requires retaining knowledge based on a presumptive hope of acknowledgment or benefit in the future.

It also carries with it the onset of mild to severe stress. Stress may lead to increased anxiety and worry while taking a toll on the employee’s personal life and physical and mental health.

Gamification as a Solution

Brands worldwide see gamification as the perfect solution to greater employee satisfaction, lower turnover rates, and increased productivity.

A. Increased Engagement and Motivation

1. Intrinsic Motivation – Gamification offers intrinsic motivation by making learning or tasks enjoyable or personally meaningful. 

2. Extrinsic Motivation – Extrinsic motivators can be rewards, points, badges, or other physical or digital awards that employees can share with co-workers, family, and friends. These are things the participant can show and receive recognition for.

3. Competition and Collaboration – Another point is the human desire to compete and collaborate. While some have a burning desire to be #1, others desire to collaborate to achieve goals and create a sense of community. Gamification fulfills these requirements.

B. Accelerated Learning and Skill Acquisition

1. Immediate Feedback and Iterative Learning – Gaming inherently provides immediate feedback, rewarding the players when they make the right decision and punishing them when they do not. This iterative format boosts the rate of learning while exponentially increasing retention.

2. Real-world Application of Knowledge – When you design gamification elements for a company’s precise processes, employees gain first-hand experience to use immediately for real-world application of knowledge. Companies then have personnel at all levels who are efficient, knowledgeable, and happy.

In Conclusion

Typical training and education systems fail on many levels regarding information retention, the ability to bring learned courses into real-world action, and personal fulfillment. However, there is a solution. Gamification offers a remarkable avenue to more production, higher profit margins, lower turnover rates, and employees who love what they do.