Gamification and HR: using behavioral science to motivate your employees

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It has now become common knowledge that using Gamification in the workplace super charges employee motivation significantly. We already shared some great ROIs from one of our award winning applications earlier, here. We regularly achieve improvements in productivity and sales measurements of 60% and more. So Octalysis Gamification works. And HR (Human Resources) departments are taking notice.

More people also start to realise that Gamification can engage people in the long run. But only if it is designed well and optimized for long term motivation. The Octalysis Group prides ourselves in doing just that. We strongly believe that the way we design and develop Gamification solutions, will become the norm for companies in the next 5 – 8 years. Companies that do not incorporate such design will find it harder to sell products and more difficult to attract and retain highly skilled employees.

But do people actually like to have (part of their) workplace gamified? Let’s have a look what a new survey has found and see how your colleagues actually feel about having (more) Gamification in their professional environment.

Gamification makes people feel more productive (89%) and happier (88%)
That is right. Almost everyone feels more productive when Gamification is infused in their workflows.

We know from Octalysis that being productive, “getting things done” makes people feel satisfied and in control (Core Drive 2: Development and Accomplishment). If the Gamification design also would  include meaningful collaboration with colleagues, some strategy options and some surprise rewards, this happy feeling will turn to hard fun and long term effects.

More and more HR managers are asking us to design Gamification solutions to increase workplace motivation. Who doesn’t want happier and more productive employees?

89% believe they would be more productive if their work was more gamified
So not only do people feel more productive and happier with Gamification. They would be even more productive with increased Gamification design in their work.

What does this mean? Giving them more badges? More XP for doing tasks?

No, it means coming up with solutions that go Beyond Points, Badges and Leaderboards. So put Human Motivation first and pay close attention to intrinsic design. Don’t just add more gimmicks to an experience, but design truly engaging user journeys where people have a fun time while being productive. If we can get people to find Pokemon balls over and over again, we can make even the most boring work processes engaging. Believe us, we tried and it works!

Gamification in HR should be a standard practice and discipline in Human Resources. Just like knowing about Salary Scales, Appraisal Techniques and Recruitment.

Talking about Recruitment… Did you know that:

78% say that Gamification in recruiting would make a company more attractive?

Wow. Talking about the link from HR to Gamification!

So by using Gamification in your recruitment campaigns you can actually get more people to apply to positions that are difficult to find people for. With everything being equal (salary on offer, location and brand name), well designed Gamification should actually be the main USP for any company.

And how about Training and Gamification?
Then there is Training. Another big stumbling block in companies. How do you get people to voluntary take the training needed to be more productive, manage better, be safe professionals and know standard procedures? Often employees just go to training because it is mandatory. Their boss tells them to go or they are afraid of not having certificates needed to further their careers.

The majority of people who receive non-gamified training score really low in motivation (28%). They also find their training boring (49%) and unproductive (12%).

Now let’s add Gamification in the mix. All of a sudden your employees’ motivation goes up to 83%. They also feel a lot less bored (10%).

What steps should HR take to get Gamification in the workplace?
First of all, understand what your needs are. Look at the above and see where you can use Gamification most productively.

Second, reach out to an agency that understands those needs and, more importantly, understands that motivation and happiness is more than just adding game mechanics to an experience.

Thirdly, secure a budget. Gamification doesn’t have to cost millions of dollars. But when it involves high quality, long lasting design that needs to be translated into a working developed product, it will cost some money.

Curious to know what we can do for your company to supercharge your workforce?

Contact Joris: joris@octalysisgroup.com

Joris Beerda, a world-leading practitioner of Octalysis and expert in Enterprise Gamification, helps HR departments transform employee experiences through human-focused design.