Let the games begin: Leveling up workplace communications through gamification

The key to delivering great employee experiences lies in great internal communications. By internal communications, we're not just referring to a top-to-bottom approach; rather, interactions flowing freely across all departments and hierarchies. The ideal way to get started is by getting your organization on an employee experience (EX) platform.

Gamification: Turning work into play on your EX platform 

Gamification refers to adding game-like elements to work. In the context of an EX platform, gamification motivates employees to interact with the content shared and communicate openly by sharing their ideas, work updates, learnings, and more.

For example, gamification on an EX platform can be set up in such a way that the more employees interact and complete tasks, the more points they earn and level up, just as they would if they were playing a game.

Why does it work?  

The human spirit loves a challenge. Breaking away from the humdrum of work, gamification gives employees some friendly competition, strengthens their camaraderie, and motivates them. Work takes precedence, but it's definitely more engaging when everyone has some fun along the way.

Make work engaging and rewarding 

While there are many ways to bring gamification to your EX platform, there are a few basic elements that you need to consider.

 Points and rewards 

Assign points for each action on your EX platform. For example, you could set it up to give 5 points to every employee who makes a post, or 3 points to every person who asks a question in your town halls or votes on a poll.

 Levels 

Simply getting employees to earn points can be tiring and repetitive. Build multiple levels to show them that they're making progress. For example, once employees earn 100 points, bring them to level 2, where the stakes are a little higher.

Challenges and quests 

Throw in challenges and quests to keep the game going. For example, you could have a quest for ideas where employees are required to come up with creative, workable concepts for your next campaign or a problem your product/service is facing. This could be a time-bound quest—say for a month—after which, the top ideas are selected to be implemented, and the employees behind them are recognized and rewarded.

Leaderboards  

A leaderboard is just a way to showcase the list of employees who have the most points or have leveled up the most. These positions are very dynamic and a way to enjoy some amicable competition. The idea of gamification is not to have any winners, but to encourage participation and being part of something bigger than themselves.

Badges 

Recognizing participation and making sure employee contributions are valued is a great way to keep them motivated. Employees are also more comfortable sharing what they know without fear of any judgment. This helps build a more engaging and positive workplace culture.

How does gamification help? 

Better adoption of EX platforms 

Whether you're a manager, from HR, or an internal communicator, making sure your employees are engaged is a challenge. One of the key challenges is getting employees to adopt an internal (EX) platform. By incentivizing interactions, you encourage everyone to shift to your EX platform to share ideas, collaborate across departments, participate in organizational-level conversations or leadership town halls—truly bringing everyone together in a single space.

Individual skillsets come to the forefront 

Employees may be working together toward common goals, but each of them is different from the other. Some are more analytical in their approach, while some might prefer tackling problems with an unconventional approach. Gamification—while keeping things light—helps individual employees try approaches they may not have the opportunity to try otherwise. The playing field is leveled, so everyone has an equal chance to showcase their skills and learn more simply by participating.

Encourages more interactions 

If you need your entire organization to work cross-functionally, then they need to get talking with each other a lot more. Incentivizing interactions prevents silos and improves information-sharing across departments. It helps everyone be aware of what's happening, helping them make more impactful contributions to ongoing projects or programs.

Boosts employee morale  

Building a virtual culture when teams are dispersed isn't easy. With gamification, work feels more like play, and it stimulates employees to take on more challenges. Being recognized and rewarded for what they do automatically improves their confidence. It motivates employees and inspires them to give their best.

Improves employee engagement 

According to Harvard Business Review, gamification can improve engagement by activating three core elements of the human motivational system: the need to feel autonomous (choosing our course of action), the need to feel competent (demonstrating our abilities), and the need to feel relatedness (connecting with fellow employees). Gamifying your EX platform offers these three elements by allowing employees to play the game the way they choose to, showcase their abilities and make progress, and play with or engage in a friendly rivalry with co-workers.

How can you implement gamification effectively? 

Set clear goals: Define what you want to achieve with your program. Are you aiming to improve employee interactions,  spark innovation, or improve productivity?

Choose the right rewards: Offer rewards that resonate with your employees. Consider what would genuinely motivate them to excel.

Make it fun: Gamification should be enjoyable. Incorporate humor, friendly competition, and surprise quests to keep things exciting.

Recognize often: Don’t wait for major achievements to offer recognition. Celebrate small wins regularly to keep morale high.

Measure and adjust: Track the impact of your gamification and recognition programs. Use feedback and data to make necessary adjustments and ensure the programs remain effective.

Wrapping up 

Gamification is a proven way to improve workplace interactions and employee engagement. If you're thinking about how you can incorporate such elements in your virtual workplace, we've got you covered. Platforms like Connect come with built-in gamification and peer-to-peer recognition. The games are simple to set up and customizable. All you need to do is sign up, get your employees together, and let the games begin.