Now is a perfect time if you want to gamify your efforts to boost company culture. Digital platforms are common in business operations, and more employees work from home. So it’s easier than ever to adapt game design and structure to the workplace. You can use a gamification platform like Pointagram and the results can be invaluable. Strong company cultures lead to good decisions, positive reputations, and high employee retention.
Here are four ways to build a stronger corporate culture with gamification.
A robust corporate culture starts with two things:
1) clearly-defined values and standards,
2) communication of those values and standards to employees.
A gamified onboarding process is a great approach for the second part. It can convey the company’s ultimate goal and what it’s doing to reach that vision with great effect. Experts estimate that gamification can increase information retention by 40%.
For example, you can create a quiz to follow a presentation on the company’s values and standards. Then, award points based on people’s scores. Doing this with new employees can establish a firm foundation for the corporate culture you want.
A lot of workplace gamification focuses on productivity. And there’s a good reason for that. Employees participating in gamified environments outperform their non-gamified peers. But gamification can also prompt behavior in line with corporate culture. Awarding points and badges tied to company values encourages those values. It also gives recognition for accomplishments not reflected in hard-number KPIs.
For example, employees at a company that values sustainability can get points for choosing sustainable vendors. Those employees may also receive an “honorary environmentalist” badge when they earn a certain amount of sustainability points.
Companies with strong corporate cultures often identify the employees that are culture ambassadors. These are people that exude company values and standards with their actions. They often encourage and inspire others. They’re also invaluable assets when properly utilized…if you can find them. A gamification system is a great resource for identifying who they are.
For example, you can create a leaderboard for points tied to company values. Those with the highest number of points are your best candidates for culture ambassadors. You can then get their input on initiatives to further boost culture, assign them to more outward (or even inward) facing roles, and more.
There’s a saying among corporate culture experts: “culture leads from the top.” The idea is that a leader sets an example and doesn’t ask people to do things that they wouldn’t do themselves. So any company-wide gamification program needs the leader to play too. It can help create an atmosphere of trust and openness, in which employees see an equal reward for actions and behavior.
Empowering leaders to motivate and engage their teams for success through gamification
