MYTHS

MYTH #4:

Gamification is about just putting something quickly together and seeing if it sticks.

Gamification is thoughtful, artful, scientific, and strategic, it requires understanding many pieces (business, users, and game design) to create an experience that will engage employees. It requires testing, trial, and error to come up with a design that employees love. While there is art and inspiration, a design requires thoughtful research, strategy, and psychological understanding of people’s needs.

THE OCTALYSIS FRAMEWORK: HOW CAN GAMIFICATION INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN FRONTLINE WORKERS?

Although there are many gamification frameworks, one very good methodology for gamifying an experience is the Octalysis framework by our mentor gamification guru, Yukai Chou.

Chou breaks down the customer journey into four phases (Discovery, Onboarding, Scaffolding, and Endgame). By using this framework to look at the employee journey in these four phases, it is easier to come up with solutions.

Firstly, it is important to evaluate when an employee “drops off” in each of these phases and why. Second, we need to define the different types of employees (say those who are competitive vs. those who are searching for meaning at work). Third, in each phase we must design and brainstorm elements that will keep an employee motivated and engaged by designing game elements in each of the 8 sides of the Octalysis: Empowerment, Epic Meaning, Accomplishment, Ownership, Social influence, Scarcity, Unpredictability and Avoidance.

The discovery phase, an employee learns about the company and the potential job, applies for the job and interviews for the position.

In the onboarding phase, an employee is trained and begins to learn about the company, the culture, and its employees.

During scaffolding, the employee already knows the job well and is well acquainted with the company, during this stage the employee needs to stay motivated as the newness of the experience (starting a new job) will have diminished.

In the endgame the employee has the potential to become an ambassador for the company.

EMPOWERMENT OF CREATIVITY AND FEEDBACK: In this core drive, employees are part of a creative process where they must problem solve and find different solutions for various moving parts. In addition, they must also be able to receive feedback for their creativity and problem solving.

EPIC MEANING & CALLING:

This core drive is about helping an employee know that they are chosen for something special, that they were chosen or that they are part of doing something greater than themselves.

DEVELOPMENT & ACCOMPLISHMENT:

In this core drive employees are motivated by progress, through skill development and challenges. For a culture that thrives on challenges, badges would not have much meaning.

OWNERSHIP & POSSESSION:

In this core drive employees are motivated because they own something. When employees have ownership, they want to contribute what they own and improve it. Owning virtual goods, currencies or having the ability to own collectibles are game elements used in this core drive.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE:

This drive includes social motivators like mentorship, companionship, acceptance, and social capital. Friending, group quests and brag buttons are all game elements used in this core drive.

SCARCITY:

This drive motivates employees to want something because they can’t have it. It is one of three black hat strategies used in gamification. It’s about waiting periods, like signing up for a waitlist for a new product.

UNPREDICTABILITY & CURIOSITY:

This drive is about getting employees curious about what could happen next. Random or sudden rewards for a job well done fall under this core drive.

AVOIDANCE:

This core drive is about avoiding something negative from happening. Such as losing the opportunity to act, otherwise if will be gone forever.

Gamification can add a lot to company culture.

It has to be fun and not administrative; the outcome of gamification has visible results. The connection of doing it with purpose and impact, the changing things and improving things has value to not only the organization but the employee too - purpose and the ability of people to make an impact and have a bit of fun along the way.