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Merging Gaming and Work: The Gamification of Productivity
Jamie Finch
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November 3, 2023
Businesses are always looking for ways to boost productivity and, over the years, we’ve learned a great deal about how to inspire and motivate workers. Numerous solutions have been developed over the years, and gamification is among the most popular.
Gamification is popular for various reasons, including its effectiveness and the fact that it makes the workplace a better place to be. This article looks at gamification for productivity and how it can benefit your business while also enhancing the working environment for employees.
What is productivity gamification?
What is gamification? As the term suggests, productivity gamification involves turning work into a “game” in which individuals or teams compete against each other for rewards. Most humans have a competitive streak and will often feel inspired to work better if their performance is recognised.
For example, you might use a whiteboard to make a leaderboard that ranks team members in terms of productivity, with prizes available for the best overall performers. Such a system can be very effective, partly because the whiteboard helps make everybody aware that they’re doing well, or that they need to work harder to match their peers.
Benefits of productivity gamification
Gamification for productivity helps businesses boost their productivity levels in several ways. Some of the most effective benefits include:
Low cost and ease
You can incorporate many gamification methods quickly and on an affordable budget. Not only that, but it's not usually necessary to make any alterations to your existing workflows, making a gaming system straightforward to implement.
The simple nature of many gamification methods makes them ideal for small businesses because they require little investment. However, if you want something more advanced, HP offers high-tech solutions that can help transform the way you work.
Boost employee engagement
With gamification at work, individuals are compelled to engage more with your organisation, helping to make them feel a part of something. Employees who feel a connection with your business will likely be better motivated, helping to boost productivity. Rewards don’t necessarily have to be expensive, with the key being to let employees know their efforts are appreciated.
Boost employee motivation
Motivation is often directly linked to productivity, making it a good idea for businesses to keep motivation levels high. Gamifying your workflows can boost motivation by encouraging individuals or teams to outperform others, boosting overall productivity levels.
Encourages healthy competition
Having your teams compete with each other is another effective way to boost productivity, provided you do it right. When gamifying productivity, it’s important to make your plan as inclusive as possible to prevent some employees from feeling left out. Healthy, friendly competition can also help boost morale, improving productivity further.
Encourages innovation
Productivity gamification can compel your team to think outside the box and think of new ways to complete tasks. Such ideas can then be adopted by your business overall to boost productivity. Adopting new ideas can also help make your business appealing to the workforce.
Identifies leaders
Productivity gaming can also help make it easier for you to identify leaders within the group. Consistently good individuals can be a useful benchmark when it comes to promotions. Adversely, gamification might also highlight team members who would benefit from more support.
Boosts social interaction
Having team members get on socially as well as professionally can also help boost morale in the workplace. Gamification can help boost social interaction inside and outside of work, helping to make for a well-gelled team that understands each other’s roles and personalities well. Such relationships can also encourage teamwork, helping each other perform well.
Enhance corporate image
If you use gamification in your business then word will soon get around, and employers that put such initiatives into action are likely to attract the best talent. Not only will gamification help you attract the best workers, but it will also help you keep them for longer, giving you an edge over the competition.
Provides feedback
Gamification can provide direct feedback to employees, helping them understand what’s expected of them. For example, if somebody is falling behind on a leaderboard, it will help them see that they’re not doing as well as they can be. Such feedback can help individuals further their careers, while it will also help boost productivity for businesses.
Make the workplace a positive environment
Making work fun can help to make the workplace a better place to be, which is a benefit to everybody regardless of productivity. Enjoying work can help the time pass much faster and encourage people to keep going when it might be tempting to slow down.
Popular productivity gamification techniques
Numerous methods have been developed to gamify productivity, including:
Points and leaderboards
Awarding points for specific achievements can be highly effective at giving your team the motivation they need to perform well. Point tallies can be added to a leaderboard to make a visual representation of who’s doing well, and those who could be doing better.
Challenges
An effective way to get somebody motivated is to give them a specific challenge. This encourages the employee to take ownership of the challenge, encouraging them to do the best they can. Challenges are also a great way of helping your team members demonstrate their skills, potentially enhancing their career development.
Milestone rewards
Milestone rewards will work best for lengthy projects that might mean a long wait before awards are given. In such cases, employees might easily lose sight of the reward, removing much of the psychological motivation. Instead, it is better to introduce milestone rewards that make employees feel valued more frequently.
Prizes
Prizes are a great way to catch people’s attention and give them something to work toward. Your prizes don’t necessarily have to be expensive because the gesture alone is usually welcomed by employees. You can also try gifts and prizes associated with your business, like offering free meals if your business is a restaurant.
Which tools do I need?
Getting set up can also be very affordable, often requiring little more than a whiteboard and stationery. However, other approaches might require other equipment, such as webcams and remote conferencing platforms.
If you have the budget, then you can consider tapping into the world of virtual reality to transform how your team works and interacts with each other. The technology has features that help enhance creativity and expression, and make it easier to collaborate with fellow workers.
For example, the HP Reverb G2 VR Headset offers levels of immersiveness and flexibility that can help workers enjoy themselves while getting work done. Some VR apps will let you sit “side by side” with your colleagues even when they are working in a separate location.
This headset features inter-pupillary distance (IPD) technology that ensures a perfect fit and clear images. Flexible materials and thick cushioning help make this headset comfortable, offering a custom fit regardless of your facial features. Easy detachability with help from magnets also helps make this headset a pleasure to use, and the design is also well-balanced.
The HP Reverb G2 uses a 6-metre cable that’s lighter and longer than previous versions, giving you more comfort and flexibility. This headset also offers quality audio with help from 10 mm speakers located close to your ears.
This VR headset uses four built-in cameras that improve tracking and responsiveness, helping you work productively. The controllers have also been built with your comfort and convenience in mind, with ergonomic designs that fit comfortably in your hand.
Compatible with a wide range of devices, can be used in conjunction with other tools to enhance your productivity further. Not only that, but it is also easy to set up and use, so you can start benefiting right away.
Overall, VR can help transform how we work and interact with other people, helping to streamline workflows in the process. This headset gives you access to a virtual world with impressive immersiveness that gives you new ways to work. VR is also ideal for games that can be used for team building, or just for fun.
Summary
Gamification for productivity is likely to stay a popular way to boost productivity for the foreseeable future at least. Businesses worldwide try to boost productivity to remain competitive, and gamification is one of the most affordable and effective methods available.
It’s not necessary to go hi-tech to create an effective gamification policy, although some of the latest technologies will help you get more from your gamification attempts. For example, webcams and conferencing platforms can be very useful, while VR can also open new doors to new ways of working.
Regardless, productivity gaming is a concept that can benefit businesses and employees alike, making it a productivity solution that any business should consider.
