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Gamification – previously more commonly used in business as a tactic to win and retain customers – is proving that in the corporate learning landscape, it can achieve just that. A recent survey by TalentLMS found gamification makes employees feel more productive (87%), more engaged (84%), and happier at work (82%).

It’s little wonder then that more businesses, from IBM to BMW to Deloitte, are turning to gamification as a strategy not just in sales and marketing but as part of HR and learning development to attract and develop talent and boost worker motivation and engagement.

Following roll-out of its digital badge pilot program in 2019, IBM noted a 694% increase in the number of individuals who passed their end-of-course exam; while Deloitte, which uses leaderboards in its digital leadership academy to help participants develop soft skills, has seen a 47% increase in the number of return users each week.

David Semach, EMEA Head of AI and Automation at Infosys Consulting tells Business Chief that while gamification is the “go-to idea” for making modern consumers love brands, buy products, and stay loyal, it has “serious potential for internal training and engagement too”.

And since the onset of the pandemic, acceptance of gamification by business has become more widespread, as companies are forced to engage with digital transformation, says An Coppens, Chief Game Changer at Gamification Nation, which creates gamebased and gamified experiences to help remote and hybrid businesses thrive.

“They realise that some of their work tools or work setups and structures aren’t quite so motivational, especially for younger employees like Generation Z who have grown up with apps and games and use them in their personal lives.”

Benefits of gamification in motivating and engaging employees

Gamification as a business strategy is nothing new. Defined by Gartner as “the use of game mechanics and experience design to digitally engage and motivate people to achieve their goals” – game-like elements have been part of business optimisation strategies and brand awareness for decades.

Big brands, from Starbucks to KFC to Nike, have been using it as a marketing tactic to enhance product sales and loyalty through incentive-driven gamified campaigns for years. While, among early pioneers of gamification in corporate learning, Hilton Garden Inn introduced in 2009 a video game for workforce training – something they insist boosted information retention among employees and improved the guest experience.

Because, while gamification is sometimes oversimplified as reimagining one’s mundane tasks as fun goals or exciting challenges, it offers a lot more than that – encouraging engagement in activities and improving the memories of those participating.

An, who frequently uses team-based gamification in an employee setting to stimulate team collaboration, says gamification of employee learning can attract more of the right people to the team, thereby stimulating a more productive team culture and improved retention. “Our motto is ‘Teams that play together stay together’ as we believe games connect us as humans on a deeper level than just communication”.

Simply put, gamification can change behaviour and create habits in a noncompetitive environment. It breaks down complex concepts into bite-sized content, makes learning fun and immersive (often in a VR setting), gives feedback and measures progress in real-time, and incentivises employees allowing them to earn points, status, and rewards as they improve their skills.

“Creating a memorable experience that surprises and delights pays exponential dividends in terms of customer and employee loyalty,” David says.