The Winner Takes It All: How Gamification Can Improve Productivity
It’s no secret that people are motivated by reward, so why have we lost sight of this in so many workplaces? In this opinion piece, John Palfreyman, CEO, ipSCAPE explores how gamification, with the help of current technology, can improve employee engagement and productivity in the workplace.
Whether it is stars on a chart during primary school, or even just recognition when we let another person into our lane in crowded traffic, the fact remains that people are motivated by reward and far more interested in positive reinforcement than negative.
So why have we lost sight of this in the workplace? Why have we lost that sense of excitement that comes with achieving a new personal best, or being congratulated by our team mates for an impressive try on the rugby field?
Perhaps the difficulty in tracking staff’s work and achievements holds the answer to these questions. With so many employees, it can be hard to keep an eye on all staff and equally celebrate their work without bias.
Except, with current technology, it’s actually not hard to do this at all. All you need is a contact centre solution that provides by-the-minute results, a few wallboards, and dedication to recognising your employees.
The concept I’m talking about is gamification. Hinging on our human desire for reward, gamification is the process of applying game-like mechanics to the activities we perform at work.
Introducing gamification to your workplace is proven to improve staff engagement and productivity. Studies by TalentLMS have shown that “89 per cent of those surveyed stated that a point system would boost their engagement” and that a further “62 per cent stated that they would be motivated to learn if leaderboards were involved and they had the opportunity to compete with other colleagues.”
Let’s take a look at how this could impact the performance of one of the most important parts of any business: the contact centre.
For a section of business so focused on providing customer satisfaction, it is astounding that this sector provides so little staff satisfaction for service agents. Low wages, long hours and little opportunity for upward mobility combine to leave contact centres with one of the highest staff turnover rates, with most call centres replacing 26 per cent of their staff annually.
When you factor in that it takes around $4,000 to hire each new worker, and a further $4,800 to train them, it becomes clear that staff retention is just as important as customer retention.
Gamification provides companies the opportunity to combat this issue, in a process that can be implemented in three easy steps.
- Collect Real-Time Analytics.
In order for service agents to engage in game-like reward system, your company must first create grounds for them to compete and improve on.
Any good omni-channel solution will provide by-the-minute analytics of your service agents’ performance. Factors such as customer satisfaction, average call time, number of sales and number of solutions are all measurable and quantitative. Analytics of these factors not only allow management to track the performance of employees, but also allow employees to see where they need to improve and where they are hitting the mark.
These analytics can be used to create a points system and areas for your service agents to compete in. These analytics can be turned into graphs or other visual mediums in order to easily convey service quality information.
- Display Information on Wallboards
The analytics provided by your communication channel now must be displayed for all your service agents to see clearly. This can be easily achieved through the use of electronic wallboards around the office. These wallboards allow you to publically display the performance of your service agents, encouraging improvement and even a bit of healthy competition.
The public display of real time analytics may also encourage better performance from your low achievers, as they will not want to be seen to publically let down the team. Also, it recognises and displays the success of those who are performing well, tapping into our reward-orientated mentality.
- Reward Success and Improvement
Perhaps the most important step of gamification is ensuring that there is incentive to perform well, beyond the obvious motivation to do well at our jobs.
Introduce a system of reward based on the statistics collected through your communication channel, and ensure that not only the highest achievers are rewarded, but also those who have improved the most. Encourage collaboration between your staff to achieve the best performances as a team, perhaps with a ‘best mentor’ reward for those high achievers who help others improve.
The rewards don’t have to be big: they can be anything from a simple announcement congratulating the winners of the week, to a bigger prize such as a dinner voucher for a nearby restaurant for long-term success. The most important thing is tapping into your staff’s desire for positive reinforcement, and pushing them to perform through recognition and a sense that they are valued.
Gamification is just one way to encourage productivity in your staff. Ultimately, the rule is that happy staff are productive staff. A little recognition and acknowledgement can go a long way in improving staff satisfaction and ensuring they feel valued.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
TV Ratings (18/04/2024): I’m A Celebrity Wins Prime Time And Key Demos
Aussie viewers can be a harsh lot at times. Only days after Ellie Cole bled her heart out, she has been sent packing.
Effie&co Launches New ConnectAsia Division To Help Aussie Brands Market To Asian Consumers Overseas & At Home
Not provided is advice on using chopsticks and not spilling ramen down your shirt.
Cashrewards Sets Out Stall For New CMO
Thinking of applying for the Cashrewards CMO gig? Here are some insider tips that, yes, are tantamount to cheating.
‘I Ask For The TV Industry To Stand Up And Defend Itself’ – Seven Boss James Warburton Steps Down
The Seven supremo heads for the exits after five years. Here's hoping the Spotlight team organised the farewell bash.
Poh! Jamie! Adriano! Paramount ANZ reveals its tasty plans for this year’s MasterChef
It's your fan's guide to this year's MasterChef! Although no tips on how to pronounce crudités or use a un fait-tout.
Dentsu’s iProspect Partners With MOOD Tea Ahead Of May Campaign Launch
We love a Mood Tea here at B&T. Although we do store old screws and nails in the International Roast caterer's tin.
Opinion: When Culture Starts Eating Itself: Navigating The Age Of Self-eating Nostalgia
Born boss David Coupland asks is adland going through a nostalgia period? But please, no repeats of Best Of Red Faces.
Who’s Going To Cannes?! The TikTok Young Lions Winners!
It's Aussie adland's next gen! They're off to Cannes with high hopes of bringing back a Lion & a foot-long Toblerone.
Adobe Launches Express Mobile App With Firefly AI
Want to be the coolest kid at Friday staff drinks but forgot your retro Nikes? This new Adobe wizardry may do the trick.
ThinkNewsBrands & IMAA Extend News Publishing Education In Brisbane
Industry duo takes its publishing roadshow to Brisbane. Was disappointed no male attendees were wearing walk socks.
B&T Chats With Wavemaker’s Provocative Pioneers On Their Cross-Pacific Sojourn
B&T TV heads to Wavemaker's Sydney digs to interview two staffers from its New York & LA digs. If that makes sense?
HoMie & Champion Launch “Give One. Get One” Campaign Supporting Youth Homelessness Via Town Square
Much like the fête's prized chutney wears a blue winners sash, so too should this top initiative from HoMie & Champion.
Thinkerbell Takes Us Back To Summer In Latest Work For XXXX
This beer ad wants to take you back to summer! Just minus any chance of a shark attack on your morning bus commute.
Cannes Lions Unveils 2024 Programme Featuring Queen Latifah, Jay Shetty & P&G’s Mark Pritchard
Are you one of the lucky ducks heading to Cannes in June? Check out the headliner acts you'll be queueing hours to see.
Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
Costa Panagos set to bring South American flair to the Scroll offices. Assuming that he is, indeed, South American.
Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
Born around the 2000s? Need to amp up your AI creds? This guide's for you (although it's not really that age specific).
General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
Do you rage about oversized American cars on our roads? You need to bail up Heath Walker at parties & industry events.
VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre
VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.
Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review
Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.
TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)
Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.
Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win
The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.
Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.
Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’
Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.
TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia
In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.
Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers
Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!
Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account
Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.
Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!
Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.
Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win
The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.
Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?
Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.
70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO
Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.
PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs
B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.
A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk
Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.
Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia
Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.
Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign
American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".
Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR
Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?
Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys
B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.