How Gamification Keeps Employees Happy

Updated Content on 6/23/2023

Maybe you already understand the power of gamification and have implemented a rewards program for your most loyal customers. You’ve probably seen your sales numbers—especially those from return customers—soar through the roof. Telling you that gamification could change your business would be like telling you the sky is blue.

But what if we told you you’re missing a huge chance to improve your business with gamification? You’ve made customers happy, but who else matters? Your employees. Happy employees make for even happier customers. Have you considered how gamification could transform your brand? Let’s take a look.

How Does Gamification Work?

As you can see in its name, gamification is all about turning something boring into a game. Let’s face it: work can sometimes be tedious. Gamification can fix that by creating a more exciting and fulfilling employee experience. Studies show that 88% of workers feel that gamification in the workplace makes them happier. That’s a big difference. Plus, the rising number of Gen Z employees will make gamification all the more necessary.

Happiness isn’t the only benefit of gamification, either. Here are a few more reasons to implement a gamification strategy into your business.

Benefits of Gamification

Point of Pride

You may think a paycheck should be reward enough for your employees to show up and do their job every day. What if your employees aren’t motivated by money, though? While a living wage is necessary for survival, it’s not always what prompts workers to give their all.

Many will give just enough to earn that check.

When you begin recognizing your team members’ contributions, you give those employees a reason to try harder every day. Whether they’re prompted by competition between the rest of the team or just like to know you notice their contributions, the application of gamification will give them the validation they crave.

Increased Productivity

When those employees who seek validation reach their goals, they can’t stop there. Without more tasks, they lose the chance to be recognized. Whether they continue to work ahead or ask for additional duties, the point is that more work gets done in a fraction of the time.

Increased productivity can only help your bottom line. You may have to give additional attention to your gamification model to ensure you reward your employees on time. Still, that time will seem like nothing compared to the time you’ve gained due to the additional work your employees do daily.

Better Quality

When employees know bosses are always judging their work, they will try their best. If you base your rewards on speed and productivity, you may not be pleased with the work’s quality. By providing prizes for a job well done, you’ll see employees striving to turn in their best possible work in the fastest times possible.

Better quality means fewer mistakes, which also means less time needed to fix those mistakes. And all of that means a better bottom line. Who wins? Everyone. You, the employee, and your customers.

Sense of Camaraderie

Believe it or not, by pitting your employees against each other, you’ll help to foster better relationships with them. While they’re busy egging each other on and trash-talking, they’ll also learn to work together to boost their numbers. As with any competition, the team spirit will eventually emerge.

Not only will your employees begin to develop stronger ties, but you’ll also build stronger relationships as their leader. When you’re the one passing out the prizes, they’ll look to you for guidance, advice, and leadership. The end result is a close-knit team that works together for the love of their job—and maybe a few prizes here and there.

Let the Games Begin

Now that we know how powerful gamification can be, how do we implement gamification into the workday? Luckily, there are dozens of ways you can design your gamification strategy to fit the needs of your employees.

Consider introducing gamification at the very beginning with employee training. Poor training and orientation can lead to high levels of employee turnover, so providing new employees with a fun learning environment will leave a great first impression. Try incorporating quizzes and trivia into employee training to gamify learning. You can even offer small prizes like coffee shop gift cards, mugs, company swag, and other little knickknacks.

On the topic of prizes, try surveying your employees to see what kind of rewards they’d like to receive. Employees will be motivated to work harder if the reward is something they really want. Gamification is all about the employees, so ask what will inspire them and keep them happy.

Once you’ve nailed down the prizes, you can structure your primary gamification strategy. You may want to try a point system, where employees can collect points by completing specific tasks and turning them in later for prizes. If you want to boost productivity within a particular task, go for the leaderboard method so employees can earn points for being at the top of the board. Goal-tracking is another excellent way to stay on top of deadlines.
Gamification isn’t always about the prizes (though they do help). Trivia and game nights are a fun way to boost coworker relationships. Monthly team-building activities could range anywhere from free dinners to bowling excursions. Listen to your employees and find out what they’d enjoy the most.

Finally, don’t forget the power of social recognition. Stand-out employees will benefit from social media and in-house shoutouts. Everyone likes to be recognized for the good work they’ve done.

Keep It Fair

You must design your gamification carefully, so all employees have a good time. Some workers are better at specific tasks than others. Everyone works at their own pace, so ensure your gamification is inclusive and everyone has a fair chance to win. Otherwise, your gamification strategy could make your employees unhappier.

Not sure where to start? Plan Left can help you craft the perfect gamification strategy for your company. Whether it’s for consumer engagement or employee satisfaction, we know how to make gamification work for you. Contact us today to get started.