Gamification implementation may not always go to plan, sometimes it may be seen as another meaningless mandate from high up. However, when done correctly, Gamification has been proven to be very successful in engaging people and motivating them to change behaviors, develop skills or solve problems. A recent article on Gamification.com highlighted 6 Tips for getting employees to accept your Gamification system.
1) Assign a process leader
This person will be the face of the whole process and should be aware of the users and the organisational culture. The process leader will have to ensure the Gamification platform is suited to your company’s workforce and aspirations.
2) Customise the user experience
By customising the user experience to your specific business and cultural needs you can really help adoption of Gamification. Expectations around collaboration, sharing and rewards change dramatically based on geographies, age groups and industry, and your underlying platform needs to be able to adapt accordingly.
3) Avoid Implementing Additional Software
If a Gamification platform is not well integrated into the already used software then it is often asking too much of the employees. Replacing the software with a solution built around gamification could be a better bet.
4) Make user registration simple and as easy as possible
Once the platform is up and running invite users via a fun, short video or email. Don’t explain the game too much, just spark interest and provide a link to the platform.
5) Use email notifications very sparingly
You don’t want to start cluttering up inboxs. Personal advances in the game and announcements should be made using personalised mails and notifications and even these should again be used sparingly.
6) Start Small
By starting small and letting the platform grow in popularity you will see far greater success. Make mistakes and learn from them before moving towards larger goals.
These tips will help enable Gamification success, but, it is always important to ensure user feedback is listened to and to make the whole implementation process as unobtrusive, seamless and easy for employees as possible.