How much do young Americans love video games? Consider the fact that by the age of just 21, the average person will have spent 2,000-3,000 hours reading books and more than 3 times that playing video games. Logically speaking, that would mean the average Millennial could be considered somewhat of an expert at gaming. Not surprisingly, many forward-thinking organizations are now leveraging this information to make work more attractive to the younger generation.
Why is gamification in the workplace so effective?
Of all the different workers you’ve got employed at your company, Millennials are the most likely to be disengaged – seventy-one percent of them to be exact. That’s the highest number of any generation currently employed in the workplace. And it’s serious cause for concern, particularly since the average cost of a disengaged employee is around $3,400 for every $10,000 in annual salary. Conversely, engaged teams are capable of boosting profits by as much as three times faster than their disengaged counterparts. They’re also eighty-seven percent less likely to leave.
Given Millennials’ propensity to gaming, it stands to reason that by incorporating the engaging elements of games into the day to day grind of the workplace can effectively re-engage Millennial workers, thereby improving performance and increasing the likelihood of long-term employment. In other words, gamification could potentially be the secret weapon organizations use to both attract and retain top up-and-coming talent.
4 Simple Ways Companies Can Harness the Power of Gamification
Set and track goals.
Working toward goals, whether individual, departmental or overall career growth isn’t necessarily fun. Using gamification tactics, on the other hand, can actually make this critical task more manageable, more attainable and more enjoyable. Software can be used to track and monitor the progress of projects, measure the success of certain campaigns and even map an employees’ climb up (or across) the career ladder.
Make training and development fun.
The expression ‘if at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again’ can be applied to almost any person’s career. The fact is, success does indeed come from failure. That doesn’t mean it’s fun. Yet, in the gaming world, despite the fact that some 89 percent of players will fail, the vast majority still consider the experience enjoyable. By using gaming aspects in training and development, employees will hone their skills in a way that is positive and productive, even if they have to try multiple times to obtain the desired result.
Foster greater collaboration.
Most Millennials grew up playing some type of multi-player game. Through this experience, they’ve learned that the bigger the team, the more amazing the win. Transitioning and applying this concept to the workplace isn’t that much of a stretch. Working as a team generates trust and respect, both of which are critical to engagement and retention. Better collaboration also leads to more innovation, which can provide the organization with a leg up on the competition.
Generate healthy competition.
In addition to working together, gamification can be used as a tool to motivate and generate a bit of healthy competition. Things like progress tracking bars and leader boards show employees where they stand, how far they’ve come and how far they have to go. This type of visibility can be a very engaging for Millennials workers.
Without question, Millennials are a whole new breed of worker. Organizations that find ways to accommodate and adapt to their unique needs and preference – including gamification – will ultimately prove to be winners in the race to attract, engage and retain top talent from this generation.