Gamification can be an option to mitigate the 3 challenges mentioned above and drive employee engagement and performance. The concept of digital motivation that uses game mechanics in a non-game environment to increase engagement is a powerful new tool. Gamification taps into basic human impulses – the desire to win, to be recognized and to be rewarded – to drive engagement, modify behavior and ultimately, push performance.

Gamification often involves quantifying results in real-time. For example, a sales agent’s daily wins can be tracked and gamified into a leaderboard. This real-time performance feedback acts as a motivator. The transparency in performance monitoring also helps top performers engage more.

Games can also be used to create a system of increasing levels of power and status as users progress through the levels. The brain is continually reactivated at each new level of reward which overcomes the drawbacks of the classic reward system.

At SmartWinnr, we have seen a significant increase in employee engagement for our customers, thanks to embedded game mechanics. Gamifying KPIs and incorporating leaderboards, badges and levels have resulted in a more engaging and competitive work atmosphere. Team competitions helped to drive peer recognition and tapped into their inherent competitive nature to drive higher performance. Employees have stated that seeing their names on these leaderboards made them push harder to achieve their targets. Having a clear and instant feedback system helped them to identify areas of improvement.