This article was originally published by the Forbes Human Resource Council. It has been updated since.
In 2024, employee turnover remains a pressing concern, with a recent Gallup Poll revealing that 51% of U.S. employees are actively seeking new job opportunities. This trend is reflective of a broader shift in workplace dynamics post-pandemic, where many individuals reassess their career paths and work-life balance. According to the 2024 US Mercer Turnover Survey, the average voluntary turnover rate stands at 13.5%, a notable decrease from previous years, yet still indicative of ongoing challenges in employee retention.
Not surprisingly, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual employee engagement survey reported that “retention/turnover was the top workforce management challenge cited by 47% of HR professionals.” The reasons for this include the cost of turnover, the impacts of turnover on employee performance, and the difficulty of retaining necessary skills in the organization.
While the historic reasons employees leave a company will remain the same — higher pay, a promotion, more professional development, a career pivot — there is a whole new set of variables on the rise in the hybrid workplace that emerged as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Research published by the Achievers Workforce Institute (registration required) reported that since the pandemic, 46% of respondents feel less connected to their company, 42% say company culture has diminished since the start of the pandemic and just 21% said they are very engaged at work.
Finding ways to refresh and reimagine the trifecta of employee development, employee engagement, and employee retention should be a priority if companies want to keep their best and brightest and develop a strong bench of future star performers. Step one is to recognize that employees today crave interaction and instant gratification, which means if you haven’t already, it might be a good time to trade your PowerPoint training presentations for gamified employee engagement.
Simply put, gamification uses game mechanics (points, levels, challenges) to tap into essential human desires (rewards, status, competition) to meet employees where they are while delivering a powerful mix of skills development, culture, and camaraderie. Because training is the first thing employees experience in the workplace, it must set the stage for the quality of an employee's long-term experience at a company.
Successful gamification can empower employees to perform their best, foster collaboration, and celebrate and recognize employee achievement. Beyond these benefits, gamification can help create an all-important bond between the company and the employee. The theory is always nice, but examples are even better:
Popular game shows are a great way to engage a remote workforce who aren’t able to meet up for a Friday after-work happy hour. Topics can vary and be customized to help employees get to know each other better. Throw in some prizes to enhance the experience and the next thing you have is a feel-good start to the weekend for your team.
Who doesn’t love a good trivia game? They can liven up a company meeting, kick off a lunch-and-learn, or get a Zoom happy hour off to a good start. Topics such as sports, pop culture, and movies can break the ice immediately. Or, consider adding a little customization with personal photos, videos, and sound to create laugh-out-loud moments.
The ever-popular Escape the Room game is the ultimate team challenge that is easy to gamify using online tools like Google Forms and web conferencing platforms like Zoom. Teams must solve a set of challenges that could be based on a training topic or something more creative using riddles, puzzles, and challenges. It’s a fun way to engage dozens of people at once and fosters teamwork that lasts long after the game is over.
If you are looking to keep the momentum going after a successful employee bonding event, consider a virtual arcade. Daily challenges, solo play, head-to-head play, team play, missions, and learning journeys can keep employees connected, energized, and motivated to learn — all key drivers of a healthy and robust corporate culture.
Workers and technology have the power to bring about business impact and productivity if and only if they are heard and deployed effectively. If workers say they want to be engaged, then engage them. If they want to feel part of a culture, then invest in your culture. If they want training so they can do their job better, then create training that works. Gamification is the surest way to deliver the resources, tools, training, and fun that will continue to bring out the best in these heroes.
Learn more about creating training that’s more memorable, fun, and effective.