Develop a Gamification Strategy to Improve Employee Engagement

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Employee engagement is at critically low levels within many organizations. Employers are being challenged to find new and innovative ways to improve employee engagement.
Organizations must first determine if their priority engagement drivers are suitable for gamification; they cannot just “slap” it on and hope for improvements.
Identifying the right variables to ensure accurate game design for gamification implementation is critical to ensure that the initiative will accomplish what it is intended to do.
Determining the resources required and leveraging the benefits for these resources will be essential to make sure the right initiative is developed and implemented.

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

Gamification can have a positive impact on many employee engagement drivers such as rewards and recognition, employee development, culture, departmental relationships, and co-worker relationships.
Misaligned gamification can end up decreasing engagement. It is not the solution for every organization or situation. Organizations should tread carefully when exploring this option to address their engagement gaps.
Know your audience (target employees), and design engagement initiatives accordingly.
Constant review will be required to ensure gamification remains fresh, engaging, and effective, otherwise there is a real risk that once the novelty wears off it will become another engagement tactic that is mediocre at best.

Impact and Result

Make the case for exploring gamification to improve employee engagement.
Determine if gamification can address your engagement pain points.
An assessment of your target audience and organizational culture.
A gamification options analysis to determine appropriate design elements for your game format.
An implementation plan highlighting the benefits of gamification to the organization.
Documented gamified employee engagement strategy.

Develop a Gamification Strategy to Improve Employee Engagement Research & Tools

1. Make the case for exploring gamification to improve employee engagement

Gain key decision-maker buy-in for implementing a gamified engagement strategy.

2. Determine if gamification can address engagement pain points

Document priority engagement drivers suited to gamification and identify related high level goals and metrics.

3. Assess the target audience to tailor the design

Identify the target audience characteristics at the organizational, team, and individual level.

4. Conduct a gamification options analysis, select a final design and document my gamification strategy

Select the right design elements based on identified goals and target audience characteristics.

5. Lead a team through the development of a gamification strategy to improve employee engagement

Develop a gamification strategy to improve employee engagement.

Workshop: Develop a Gamification Strategy to Improve Employee Engagement

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Lay the Groundwork

The Purpose

After completing this section, you will understand:

What gamification is and how it can be applied in the workplace.
How to identify your priority engagement drivers and if they are suited to gamification.
How to establish high level goals for a gamified engagement initiative.
How to assess your target audience at the organizational, team, and individual level.

Key Benefits Achieved

Having engaged in this process, you will be able to:

Identify if your priority engagement drivers are suited to gamification.
Establish high level goals for a gamified engagement initiative.
Assess your target audience.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Set the stage

1.2

Determine if gamification can address your engagement pain points

Documented priority engagement drivers, with related high level goals

1.3

Assess your target audience

Documented target audience at the organizational, team, and individual levels

Module 2: Develop Your Gamified Engagement Strategy

The Purpose

After completing this section, you will understand:

Essential gamification design principles.
The four types of gamification elements and how to link them to your goal(s) and target audience when designing an initiative.
How to conduct a cost/benefit analysis.
Key elements of implementation and communication plans.

Key Benefits Achieved

Having engaged in this process, you will be able to:

Conduct a gamification options analysis.
Conduct a cost/benefit analysis and finalize your design options.
Document your implementation and communication plans.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Conduct a gamification options analysis

Tailored gamification options

2.2

Finalize your design options

Communication plan

2.3

Document your gamified engagement strategy

Implementation and communication plans

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

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Call 1: Gamification appropriateness assessment

Pinpoint the priority engagement drivers. Determine if these drivers are suited for applying gamification.
Call 2: Target audience assessment

Identifying the continuum of tasks of the target roles is imperative for transfer to gaming elements. Determine what behavior change is desired and what the goals of that change are.
Call 3: Gamification options analysis

Design elements are critical to the success of the initiative. Select the mix of elements that will meet the tasks, goals, and design elements.
Call 4: Implementation options

Assess the resources you will require and present the benefits if more resources will be required. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis to influence key decision makers to invest in gamification.
Call 5: Documented gamification engagement strategy

Plan the implementation and develop a communication strategy. Keep employees apprised to build momentum and gain buy-in.

Contributors

Beresford, Toby, Gamification and social media expert and editor of Gamification of Work.
Chou, Yu-Kai, Top 5 Gamification guru and speaker; Partner, Enterprise Gamification Consultancy.
Trippenbach, Philip, Account Director, Edelman Digital; specialist in the design and production of interactive experiences, integrating the power of game design and social media.
Van Voorst, Chris, Agile Coach/Scrum Master.
Ventrice, Cindy, Author of “Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works.”
Zichermann, Gabe, CEO of Gamification Co. and author of “The Gamification Revolution.”
Zinger, David, Founder of the Employee Engagement Network and author of “Waggle: 39 Ways to Improve Human Organizations, Work, and Engagement.”