In today’s fast-moving world, few things are more important than consistently upskilling, re-skilling, and training your staff. After all, new methods for marketing, sales, and business growth are emerging all the time, and teams need to constantly evolve and adapt to remain productive.
Unfortunately, not all business training strategies deliver the same results. Old-fashioned educational methods tend to suffer from high levels of disengagement, and poor knowledge retention. However, with gamification in learning, companies can unlock better results.
95% of people say they prefer working in an environment with an investment in business gamification, and 90% say gamification makes them more productive at work. However, while the “gamification of learning” is becoming more appealing to today’s teams, there are still many businesses that don’t fully understand how the concept works.
So, how do you implement gamification in learning?
8 Ways to Leverage Gamification in Learning
One of the things that makes the gamification of learning so appealing to today’s businesses, is the fact that it’s extremely versatile. Gamification at work can come in many forms, from point systems and madges, to virtual and augmented reality experiences. Deloitte even uses a virtual reality office tour as part of the onboarding process for staff.
The key to success when it comes to gamification in learning, is finding out which strategies actively engage your team members. The best methods should reflect your company culture, drive measurable results, and connect with your business goals.
Here are some great ways to get started.
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Develop Custom Training Games
One of the easiest ways to get started with gamification in business, is to create custom training sessions, designed to feel like games. The next time you want to teach your employees how to use new sales or marketing techniques, don’t just invite them to a classroom, experiment with how you can make the experience feel more fun.
For instance, Domino’s Pizza created the “Pizza Maker” course, which uses simulations to reward and assess employees throughout the training course. Employees earn scores, strive to improve their results on each task, and even experiment with hands-on tasks.
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Implement Training “Levels”
There’s a reason why popular games tend to feature a series of “levels” or stages for people to move through. As we progress through the levels in a game we feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement that motivates us to keep pushing forward. Adding the same levelling system to your business gamification tactics can help to keep staff members engaged.
For instance, you could provide your sales teams with a series of “levelled” courses, starting with beginner-friendly training, all the way up to more advanced sales tactics. As they progress through each course, reward them with certifications, and leadership titles to add to their resume.
Scoring systems are some of the most popular, and easy-to-utilize gaming mechanics for gamification at work. While employers might not be able to offer staff members specific rewards like bonuses and freebies every time they complete a task, they can provide points which can eventually add up, and provide access to certain gifts and prizes.
For instance, every time an employee completes a section of a course, they can be given points based on their performance. You can also bring this element of gamification into other aspects of your business, rewarding points to employees who achieve specific goals, like meeting their sales quota.
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Use Leader boards and Scoreboards
Often used in conjunction with scoring systems, leader boards and scoreboards are excellent for the gamification of learning. Scoreboards allow employees to track their progress, and give supervisors insights into which team members need more support and training. They’re also fantastic for fostering healthy competition among workers. In some cases, leader boards and scoreboards can even be used to improve bonds between teams, encouraging them to work together to achieve specific goals.
With scoreboards and rankings, companies can motivate their employees to push harder, and achieve their revenue and sales goals. Deloitte’s gamification in business techniques used leader boards and badges to reduce the time taken to complete the training program by 50%. You may even think about using your scoreboards and leader boards to choose “employees of the month” for your business.
Role playing games can be another fantastic way to unlock the benefits involved with the gamification of learning. Role-playing games and simulations with mentors and business leaders provide opportunities for employees to actually experiment with real-life scenarios, and put their skills into practice. Role-playing can help teams to develop creative problem-solving skills, soft skills related to communication and empathy, and even improve confidence.
For instance, instead of just guiding employees through the process of pitching a product to a customer with step-by-step instructions, companies can assign one member of staff to act as a “customer” while another attempts to convince them to make a purchase.
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Consider Extended Reality
Although it’s still a relatively new technology for a lot of companies, extended reality is quickly becoming a valuable toolkit for business leaders, particularly in the training landscape. PWC even discovered that virtual reality allowed users to complete training more than 4 times faster than their classroom-focused peers. Plus, people in the training courses were more engaged, and more likely to retain information learned for longer.
VR and AR based training can offer companies the opportunity to experiment with simulations, boost employee experiences, and make complex topics easier to understand. Plus, with VR and AR apps, it’s easier to deliver training to a wide range of employees consistently and quickly, ensuring everyone has a chance to thrive in the workplace.
While leader boards and scoreboards can be an excellent way to encourage competition in the workplace, you can also consider a different approach. Hosting actual competitions and contests for members of your team to take part in can be fantastic for those leveraging gamification at work. For example, you could invite team members to take part in a sales contest, with prizes for those who generate the most revenue.
Or you could consider using group competitions to help encourage people to work more collaboratively together. This could be a great idea if you’re trying to break down the silos between your teams, and boost cooperation between staff. You could even host competitions that aren’t related specifically to a certain part of your work, like contests related to mental or physical health.
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Take Advantage of Gamified Communities
Finally, one of the easiest ways to implement the gamification of learning into your business environment, without having to start from scratch, is to take advantage of the resources that are already out there. For instance, HSE is an innovative gamified learning community, where people can take part in competitions, learn from peers, and share ideas.
The company regularly runs easy-to-access GTM games, with simulations intended to push professionals straight into experimenting with new techniques and skills. Anyone can sign up and get involved in the community, with no costs or complexity to worry about.
Level up with Business Gamification
Gamification at work might not be an entirely new concept, but it’s an idea that’s gaining increasing traction in the modern landscape. With the right strategies, businesses can improve employee engagement, enhance company culture, and even increase team performance. At the same time, employees benefit from a more intuitive, and personalized learning experience.
Learn more about how you can unlock the power of gamification in learning, with the team at HSE today. Our gamified courses will get your sales and marketing teams firing on all cylinders in no time.
