With so many employees returning to the office and many feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, game-based learning can be that “magic elixir” that adds just the right amount of fun and levity that your team needs.
Traditionally, people use the term “work-life balance” to describe a separation between their careers and personal lives, the first focused on business and the second on fun. However, companies that successfully deploy gamification strategies engage workers, improve happiness and morale, and blur the lines between work and play.
Gamification is the application of game-based elements (games, points, badges, leaderboards, competition, rewards, etc.) in real-world activities to increase audience engagement. By deploying these tactics, companies accelerate the learning process, improve retention rates, and promote a fun environment. In fact, 80% of employees enjoy game-based learning at work more than traditional training methods.
An impactful and successful game-based learning program includes:
With the stress of 2020 still affecting our lives, we need fun now more than ever. Depending on the industry, training content, and audience, there are several games worth considering to engage your employees. Some games are ideal for powering up your asynchronous learning, such as:
You can also turn single-player games into multiplayer experiences and take your training from solitary and dull to social and fun. Many games provide opportunities for networking and collaboration, even in a virtual setting, including:
Building a fun training game may take trial and error to determine what best fits the business objectives and employee preferences. No matter what game you decide to implement, it needs to be motivating, entertaining, and rewarding for employee engagement.
If you’ve used games and are ready to level up, consider creating your own arcade and fill it with games, activities, challenges, videos, learning content, points, badges, leaderboards, and prizes. By creating a destination filled with daily challenges you will reduce learning friction, eliminate boring training, and see a significant increase in engagement and knowledge retention.
There’s a clear connection between building a productive environment and a fun one. Tapping into the power of play allows businesses to stimulate employees’ learning retention and improve company culture.
Since the start of COVID-19, employees have continued to face increased stress and anxiety. In fact, 49% of employees [3] report having less energy, and 44% of managers [4] observe decreased employee morale. Playing games during training releases endorphins, which help people better cope with mental health issues. Beneficial to new and veteran team members, the social interaction from games helps employees reduce isolation and get to know each other more. After all, happier employees are more likely to pay attention to and engage with your training, which results in higher retention rates.
Playing games together encourages team bonding and helps resolve conflict. Games can help your employees learn about their peers and cut out the awkward small talk so that they can more effectively collaborate.
Let’s be honest—no one enjoys sitting through long meetings and being talked to by a presenter. Game-based learning makes training interactive and fun. Consider breaking up training with a mind map or brainstorming activity that forces employees to critically think and engage with the material. Challenging employees to practice and apply what they are learning is key, and gamified training gives employees a fun and safe place to try, fail, learn, and succeed.
To make the most of organized fun, implement the following practices in the training:
Of course, any game-based learning program needs to meet business objectives and focus on overall improvement. Our employees’ successes aren’t tied to the amount of work or training they complete, but the quality of what they produce afterward. Gamification gives employees a chance to take a step back from a challenging task to refresh their minds and see things from a new perspective. Once they unlock their creative side and break through any psychological barriers, they’re more likely to develop innovative ideas that boost productivity.
Adding an element of play will help promote work engagement and build a culture that makes your employees want to keep working. To build a fun work environment through game-based learning, consider the following methods:
Whether building a standalone training game or a robust gamification training program, developing a strategy that meets your business objectives and improves the overall employee experience is essential.
At ELB Learning, we design, develop, and launch custom projects based on specific client needs and requirements. We support internal employee training organizations and sales, marketing, and communication organizations looking to drive deeper, more meaningful customer experiences. We take pride in applying our gaming expertise to training and education, delivering BOTH a fun experience and improved learning outcomes. Speak with our team to know more and explore some of the solutions we’ve delivered to our clients.