Gamification in a Business Environment

Typically, a business environment is all work and no play; if employees want to enjoy a mobile game, they’ll have to wait until lunch breaks and after work before booting up any app not related to work. However, as technology advances and the work environment changes, that may no longer be entirely the case.

Games are enjoyable; if they weren’t, there would be little purpose to them. They engage the players, get them involved and invested in what they’re doing – if only there were some way to utilize that kind of engagement in a business environment. That’s where “gamification” comes in, using mobile games to engage employees. It can be done through trivia questions and points, through a “level up” system based on employee activity, or even through a team system that improves employee teamwork and communication.

To see what kind of impact a simple mobile game can have, look no further than “Pokemon GO.” The app quickly became the most downloaded mobile game of all time, and has people of all ages caught up in its two simple goals: catch ‘em all, and take over the gyms. By simply introducing three competing teams (Mystic, Valor, and Instinct), the game has created a sense of camaraderie between members of each team, and has them work together to capture and improve various “gyms” located at geographic points.

Now imagine the intensity of Mystic vs Valor applied to a business setting, motivating employees to work harder, work together, and create better end results for the sake of their team.

TechTarget believes that “Pokemon GO” is already setting the stage for gamification software to pick up in business environments. Software such as “My Competitions” is useful for creating contests for employees, and learning games are useful tools for teaching and training new employees. It’s certainly more efficient than giving them a training packet and saying “good luck.” Even if there’s the lingering idea that a corporation is no place for games, there’s no reason to complain if it works. Games can even be useful for testing how employees and potential leaders would react to unexpected situations, testing their critical thinking skills, and providing vital experience in a risk-free environment.

In short, we know that games can engage and motivate people, create communities and encourage teamwork, help learn and improve skills, and test one’s abilities, all while still being entertaining for the people playing them. The stigma of games being for children is a thing of the past, and it’s time for businesses to start embracing the benefits of gamification. Work may not be all fun and games, but mobile games can indeed provide an edge to the bottom line.