There are all kinds of gamification examples in the corporate world. However, it’s also important to know precisely what gamification is, and what it’s meant to achieve. In its most basic form, gamification refers to the concept of using and applying game mechanics as well as game design techniques to motivate people to perform certain goals. This approach is driven by the idea of tapping certain basic desires for competition, status and achievement. Furthermore, it can also be used to improve daily non-game activities, such that they acquire game-like qualities, such as pay-off penalties, fixed goals, etc…
Gamification can be used for all kinds of activities, and not just those which are designed to improve employee engagement. It can, for example, be used to in your employee training plan to increase competitiveness, strategic thinking and even customer care. In certain respects, gamification may also be applied in carrying out specific projects as well as employee engagement. In fact, most examples found all over the world deal with personnel training and development.
Since there are many ways to use gamification, it is worth considering several examples of this concept at work. Looking at such example will not only help you understand the benefits of gamification strategies, they can also help you to understand how they may be used to improve your own organization.
Gamification Examples
The Virtual Experience
One of the best examples is direct virtual experience. This particular approach is used by organizations which require new recruits each year. A good example of this is the U.S. Armed Forces, which uses virtual gamification platform to attract new recruits. Their site is www.americasarmy.com, and it features simulators for users to play and experiment with.
Of course, the military is not the only organization that can make use of this particular gamification strategy. Private companies may also use virtual software to attract recruits, and give them a taste of what it’s like to work for their organizations. They may also use virtual programs for employee training and engagement, as well as any other activity that involves recruitment, education or public relations. The virtual experience is a great example of gamification because it offers experience instead of just ideas. So in this sense, it’s a great tool for any company which seeks to expand its use of gamification as a practical tool for employee engagement.
Active Participation
Active participation is another good example of gamification in the world of organizational training, and it’s basically rewarding those trainees and personnel every time they participate in any activity that encourages their participation. Of all the gamification examples found in the corporate world, this is probably the trickiest to implement, and this is because of the objectives of this particular strategy. The goal of this particular gamification technique is to generate personnel-generated content as well as increased participation in critical activities.
A good example of this gamification technique is “Samsung Nation,” a special part of Samsung’s website which rewards their users and customers whenever they watch videos, review products, or any other similar activities. Although designed for customers and clients, a gamification setup similar to Samsung Nation may also be used for employee engagement. It will reward trainee participation, and provide incentives for helping the employee engagement process.
Innovative Solutions
Encouraging your personnel and trainees to offer innovative ideas to complex issues and problems may also be considered as a gamification strategy, and any training program which encourages its trainees to participate in the problem solving process is already using a gamification strategy.
Innovative solutions to complex problems help trainees to think outside the box and adapt to unexpected situations, which is why this gamification strategy is widely used by many organizations. A good example is “Evoke” which can be found at urgentevoke.com. Originally developed by the World Bank, Evoke uses a series of missions and quests over the course of ten weeks that encourage players to think of innovative solutions to various world problems. Those who successfully finish these challenges are given several rewards, including recognition by the World Bank. Luckier participants are also given scholarships and travel opportunities.
A problem solving gamification strategy may also be used in employee training techniques. It can, for example, use crisis simulation drills for personnel who are expected to handle unforeseen contingencies within the company. Another approach is to simply encourage trainers to provide your personnel with numerous opportunities to handle different kinds of problems. Through this method, your organization will be able to train a workforce which can handle all kinds of challenges.
Conclusion
Gamification has many interesting characteristics which set it apart from most other types of employee engagement methods. The fact that it emphasizes game scenarios and competition makes it better strategy than most static forms of employee engagement. So if you plan to use gamification in your company’s training policies then remember the three gamification examples mentioned here.