insight | GAMIFICATION
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on another level
gaming
GAMIFICATION IS BRANCHING OUT FROM ITS RECRUITMENT AND TALENT MANAGEMENT ORIGINS AND IS INCREASINGLY PROVING ITS ROI IN OTHER KEY HR STAPLES, INCLUDING WHERE GAME THEORY IS BEING INTEGRATED INTO THE DESIGN OF REWARD AND RECOGNITION AND MARKEDLY IMPROVING ENGAGEMENT LEVELS.
ARTICLE BY ANDY CALDICOTT, MANAGING DIRECTOR - PEOPLEVALUE
“Looking at game mechanics more closely, we start to see the psychology that allows them to effectively connect with people and keep them excited, all the while significantly driving desired behaviours and actions”
When it comes to creating engaging reward and recognition schemes, a great deal can be learnt from games, as they hold real emotional value. Games can motivate and inspire us, as well as shape our decisions and actions. But just what are the values that make games so captivating, and how can we further transfer this engagement success into the structure of our reward and recognition schemes in the workplace? Many different industries already harness ‘game theory’ as a tool to drive key behaviours - the way retailers entice and incentivise us with promotions - in many respects, is just like a game, as you are being rewarded for performing a specific action. The format of doing X and being rewarded with Y is at the very core of many workplace reward and recognition strategies too. However, while it encourages positive behaviour and drives performance, this linear feedback loop is not as engaging as it could be. To achieve true engagement we need to further integrate gaming elements into scheme design. When we look at game mechanics more closely, we start to see the psychology that allows them to effectively connect with people and keep them excited, all the while significantly driving desired behaviours and actions. By nature, games are evolutionary, everything within a game is constantly shaped by probability and data. Through a combination of the two, they make the reward journey compelling, ensuring that players are neither too challenged, or not challenged enough. By doing this, players remain committed to the game, because the end goal is achievable. Probability and data are used to create the ‘reward schedule’ - a map of actions
26 | thehrdirector | MAY 2019
and associated rewards that the user can obtain. There is, of course, cause and effect, but in games, the reward schedule is far more complex. From start to finish there is rapid, frequent and clear feedback, as well as multiple long and short-term aims. You may be rewarded for reaching the next level, but along the way there will be smaller rewards that keep the process engaging. It’s this concept that makes games so captivating; their ability to surprise, enthral and delight gamers through the different rewards that can be obtained throughout the journey. We all thrive off an element of uncertainty; it keeps us guessing and, more importantly, keeps us engaged. A reward schedule is a master tool to drive engagement and, when applying game theory to the process, it suddenly becomes incredibly compelling, by taking gaming’s essence of surprise and uncertainty, and directly applying it to the reward and recognition process to transform how our employees interact with it. Business strategic narrative, long-term objectives and culture will, of course, underpin an overall reward and recognition scheme, which will be centred around behaviours and skills aligned to company values, and target-driven performance. But on top of this, you should have short-term objectives that will consistently drive engagement with your platform, and this is where we can incorporate game theory into the reward schedule. For example, employees could receive a virtual trophy or reward points if they log in 100 times. At the same time, you could facilitate a pop-up message to appear when employees click on an area of your platform that you
want them to engage with. These little surprises create a feeling of intrigue and keep employees interested. Of course, the reward schedule needs continual review, innovation and improvement throughout the life cycle of the scheme. Gamification can also facilitate a community aspect through collective goals, that encourage employees to connect with their colleagues to achieve more. You could also add a competitive edge with leader boards and progress bars. This is especially relevant if your platform has a sales incentive element, as it gives employees that extra bit of motivation to reach their target. We can truly capitalise on the intrigue and fascination of games. Once we fully incorporate game theory into our own reward schedules, the result is truly game-changing.
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FOR FURTHER INFO
peoplevalue.co.uk
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