Unlocking Employee Engagement: The Power of Gamification and Fun in the Workplace

Gamification in the workplace is already a widely adopted strategy at some of the biggest corporations in the world. Google, Microsoft, and Deloitte all include gamified elements to enhance employee engagement, motivation, and retention. 

However, you don’t have to be a Fortune 500 overlord to leverage the benefits. Companies of all sizes, in all industries, can and do use it daily. 

Whether you’re interested in proper implementation or still think “gamification in the workplace” means you should buy your staff PlayStation 5s, keep reading. Here’s what you should know about gamification for employee engagement, what it entails, and what to avoid.

What is gamification in the workplace?

Gamification in the workplace adds game-like elements to existing job activities or processes. It can fast-track decision-making since many forms of gamification involve instant feedback. It also helps employees set goals and measure their progress.

However, while it directly involves your job responsibilities, it is not meant to coerce employees into doing more work. Successful gamification rewards all types of positive behaviors that serve the company culture as well as the company itself. 

For example, at T-Mobile, customer service agents earn points and rewards for exhibiting company values and best practices, not just solving customer issues. HeyTaco joins your favorite communication platform to recognize employees during their everyday interactions, too. 

Who invented gamification?

No clue, maybe the dinosaurs? Seriously, gamification has been around forever. The term “gamification” is far more modern than the concept itself; it was coined by Nick Pelling in 2002. 

Gamification predates all digital devices. Most consumer loyalty or reward programs are examples of gamification–getting points for being loyal to a task. Just ask your granny about S&H Green Stamps, or better yet, join up! They’re still in business 100+ years later.

Earlier, known instances of workplace gamification also didn’t involve technology. In 1974, a factory looking to reduce absenteeism gave everyone who showed up to work two playing cards a day. At the end of the week, whoever had the best poker hand won a prize. 

This, of course, led to a decrease in absenteeism. No one was distracted from work or asked to produce additional work. They just had to show up and engage.  

The 7 best benefits of gamification in the workplace

How could adding points, leaderboards, and rewards be an asset to your company? The following benefits aren’t just theory. It’s what we’ve witnessed firsthand as our customers have successfully adopted gamification with HeyTaco. 

1. Boosts motivation and morale

Achieving a well-deserved win is about as gratifying as it gets. Gamification platforms show employees how much progress they’ve made toward a goal. They know exactly what they have to put in to pull ahead.

It can also be a friendlier, more lighthearted way to motivate employees through competition. A taco war is far healthier for morale than an under-the-table contest to see who can put in more overtime. 

2. Supports company values 

Gamification lets us reward employees specifically for demonstrating company values. 

Eco-conscious companies, for example, often gamify sustainability initiatives. How many people get to say they had fun and earned a reward while reducing their carbon footprint? This injects the experience with more positivity, so employees are more likely to choose to continue these practices.

3. Strengthens community and team building

With gamification, everyone’s often working toward a common goal instead of strictly burying their noses in their own roles and projects. These platforms can also reveal a coworker’s strengths, building more respect and trust.

It’s also a must for remote teams who need alternative methods to build a feeling of community. 

4. Enhances creativity, problem-solving skills, and innovation

How are you going to make it to the next level? You might have to think outside of the box, which is how gamification in the workplace encourages creativity. 

Many companies implement gamification specifically to support complex problem-solving and innovative ideas. If you feel like your team is just going through the motions, and the end product reflects that, let them explore and experiment in a gamified setting.

5. Higher job satisfaction and employee retention rates

Dump all of these benefits into a blender, hit pulverize, and you come out with a place where people want to work. A positive work environment is only second to respect when it comes to job satisfaction. 

Gamifying recognition, collaboration, and other positive actions will always bring employees back the next day. Every time they do something right, they hear about it. Workplaces that only give feedback when something’s wrong don’t hang onto great staff.

6. Reduces stress and lowers the risk of burnout

We can’t imagine that you’d be looking into gamification if you were completely against having any fun. Yes, it HAS to be at least a little fun. 

Even within essential processes, gamification can act as a little pressure release valve. It adds interest to tasks that can get repetitive.

7. Skyrockets employee engagement and advocacy

Imagine a team of exhausted medical residents with no time to recognize their fellow doctors. So much hinges on their collaborative expertise and teamwork, but there is minimal employee engagement. Gamifying gratitude triples engagement in one year. 

True story!

The best talent in your industry will also be attracted to gamification elements, often because they hear about it from your current team. When your employees are engaged with their work, they’re invested in company success. They connect with your brand and goals, and they spread the good word. 

Gamification and employee engagement: Features & ideas for success

Sounds great so far. But what if you still aren’t sure what gamification looks like now that it’s all software? Like, what makes it gamification? Virtual poker? A cartoon character? 

Don’t be embarrassed! Here are some essential elements of modern workplace gamification. Most applications will include one or more of the following:

• Point systems
• Leaderboards
• Badges 
• Levels
• Awards/rewards

Case in point: With HeyTaco, the attribute being gamified is recognition. Recognition is arguably one of the most important things missing from many companies. Users send each other virtual tacos 🌮when they want to express gratitude, show support, or acknowledge other company values. 

Givers and receivers appear on a leaderboard and ascend levels, getting access to new avatars (Tacotars) and earning rewards.

We’ve got the emoji side of things handled, but there are countless other ways to deploy gamification for employee engagement:

• Trivia as training–Gamification can make brushing up on company or industry knowledge a lot more fun and effective.
• Wellness challenges–Emphasize work-life balance and employee health by gamifying mindfulness, self-care, or general fitness. 
• Personalized goals–Employees can earn points for meeting small targets specific to their roles or developing their skills step by step. 
• Team challenges–Intentionally foster collaboration and team building by having people who don’t normally work together meet minds on a task.

7 signs gamification in the workplace has gone wrong

When it comes to employee engagement, gamification is sort of unmatched. But take warning before you slide on those rose-colored glasses. Several serious problems arise if we’re not careful or intentional.

1.  It gets too competitive

Even if you’re an absolute sales shark, a team full of people trying to one-up each other won’t work. They don’t trust each other, they’re not united for the company, and they’re at a higher risk for burnout.  

The fix: Gamify more team challenges, decentering individual success. Also, make sure a wider variety of achievements gets rewarded. We don’t need everyone scrambling for one prize. 

2. Never updating or measuring results

Gamification in the workplace is never one-and-done, set it and forget it. After a while, you have a staff that’s already played this game before and has nothing new to gain. Is it even working? You haven’t checked. You’re not even sure how to check.

The fix: Accept feedback, continue scaling to your needs, and use analytics to see how it impacts engagement. Good-quality tools will offer insights; we do.

3. Leadership or management are unsupportive

To be candid, the last problem (stagnancy) is caused by someone higher up on the food chain. If a team lead or manager doesn’t care about the chosen mode of gamification, then they can’t help those who are supposed to use it. They also can’t help you improve it.

The fix: Gamify their gamification training. Kidding, sort of. Go over the programs and methods and make sure they understand the purpose and intended benefits. If all else fails, remind them that gamification increases autonomy and competence, reducing their workload.

4. Undermining intrinsic motivation

Refer to the adage, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Employees have to enjoy the task itself, not just the reward. The earning of the points should be at least somewhat as desirable as having the points. 

The fix: Prioritize progress. Ensure employees have a way to see and measure how far they’ve come. Make gamification for practical purposes (like training) more fun with trivia, team challenges, and other methods you know your team is into.

5. No meaningful rewards

When it is time for rewards, choose wisely. Too small, and they won’t care to pursue it. Too big, and they don’t think they can win it. Too random, and it has minimal appeal no matter the value.

The fix: Create a meaningful mix of tangible goods and job perks. Choose rewards that align with company values and employee interests alike, if possible. Refer back to this list of employee rewards when you get stuck.

6. Lack of goals and objectives

Employees are supposed to voluntarily engage in gamification. They can’t do so if they aren’t sure what the point is, what they’ll gain from it, or even how it relates to their job role. It feels like a separate, additional thing that interrupts their workflow.

The fix: Before adopting gamification in the workplace, work on the “why.” Is engagement currently low because everyone is too loaded down with tasks? They need a seamlessly integrated way to engage. Are they mega-siloed? They need team interaction. Are there too few development opportunities? Training could help. 

7. A biased system

Finally, avoid systems and types of gamification that are just plain unfair. Maybe it favors people with certain personalities and communication styles. Or it targets and rewards those few who are exceptionally gifted at the one thing everyone’s competing for. 

That’s on top of the unconscious biases some methods may reinforce against factors such as age, race, gender, and socioeconomic background.

The fix: Review the system thoroughly with an eye out for biases. Choose those that not only align with your company’s values, but the values, skills, and behaviors of your team.

HeyTaco makes gamification in the workplace fun, easy, and effective

Gamification has been connecting employees to their work for many years now. Technology has blown the door wide open for even more. There’s now a method or tool for all purposes and company cultures.

If you enjoyed what you learned today, consider giving HeyTaco a try. You can learn more about how exactly HeyTaco increases workplace engagement through gamification and start a free trial.

Gamification and employee engagement FAQ

What are some examples of employee engagement?

Employee engagement measures everything from enthusiasm and communication to motivation, loyalty, and quality of work. Examples of initiatives aimed at improving employee engagement include recognition, growth opportunities, team building, and feedback channels. 

How to measure employee engagement?

Employee polls and surveys, exit interviews, and retention rates will usually tell you everything you need to know. The employee net promoter score (eNPS) measures job satisfaction and is one of the most helpful metrics.

How does gamification work?

Gamification adds features most familiar to games (points, levels, rewards) to non-gaming environments. Psychologically, gamification works because it involves both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as well as dopamine release from the brain’s reward center. 

How can the effectiveness of gamification be measured?

Many gamification platforms offer analytics that will help you measure results. The big number to focus on is the participation rate. From there, engagement metrics and leaderboards reveal how employees are receiving the program.

Business outcome metrics are also huge indicators of success (or lack thereof). Higher productivity, expanding skill sets, higher retention rates, and a solid ROI are signs that gamification is a great fit.