Gamification for Business Growth: How to Make Your Team Productive

While gamification in a business environment may sound like an unserious approach for engaging the team and customers, in reality, this method is becoming increasingly popular. Why? Gamification develops creative thinking, brings people closer, and creates an exciting atmosphere both within the company and working with customers. Read more: How Does Gamification Work in Business.

What is gamification?

In a business environment, gamification means the inclusion of games or game-like elements, such as competitions, point systems, prizes, in company processes. The purposes of this method can be various, from team building and developing company culture to improving employee training programs and providing an interactive experience for company customers. It is important to emphasize that participation in the game should not be mandatory – instead, it is more valuable for employees to highlight the purpose and the benefits of the game, as well as motivate with useful rewards that would, for example, promote employee well-being (gym subscription, smartwatch, healthy snacks, etc.).

Gamification as an innovative approach can help incorporate various essential elements for employee motivation, productivity, and recognition.

The spirit of competition

Gamification promotes healthy competition between teams and motivates them to perform as well as others, which helps employees inspire each other. Participants or teams of participants can share their impressions and compare their achievements with others using a photo wall, points, and overall results that maintain engagement.

New knowledge

This method allows employees’ training programs to be made more engaging, combining theory with practice, virtual tasks with real ones and incorporating a variety of multimedia materials, thus guaranteeing that the employee will be able to better remember what has been learned and apply this knowledge in life. It’s also an exciting way to introduce customers to a new product or service. A game that tells more about the company’s offer and allows the member to receive special discounts is an effective way to engage customers and make them spend time with the company.

Teamwork

Creative tasks for teams to develop collaborative skills, such as solving quests and helping colleagues, will improve communication and build employees’ trust in their team. Also, a team-building game will create shared memories, creating an emotional attachment to your workplace, which is so important in retaining employees.

Engagement

Gamification can increase the engagement of both employees and customers and provide a personal experience that also promotes loyalty. Employee engagement is a challenge for any company. But the opportunity to socialize and win awards encourages people to participate, allowing them to feel part of the community and better integrate into the company’s culture. This method can also be a successful solution for revealing the company mission and ambitions (in an interactive way), which should be well known to every employee so that the whole team looks in the same direction and successfully achieves the set goals.

Recognition

Material rewards still act as one of the strongest motivators. Gamification is a great way to recognize the most active and engaged employees by rewarding them with virtual and physical prizes. Even if it’s something small, it’s so important for every employee to feel noticed and appreciated for the time and effort he has invested. In addition, the awards can generate increased interest in the gamification activity, which can motivate the less active employees to participate.

Business does not necessarily mean boredom or loss of creativity, as long as we use the right approaches that allow the work team and the whole company to develop. Non-standard solutions allow the company to “get out” of the usual routine and put things in a new perspective. Successfully integrated gamification can help achieve a wide range of business goals and use company resources more efficiently. Read more: Why Have Gamification in Training Programs.