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Gamification refers to the practice of taking game-design elements and principles and applying them in a non-game context. It has been nearly a decade since gamification has become a practical tool used in recruitment and training, in self-improvement or skill-building exercises, and as a general way to boost productivity. Many successful corporations are adopting various gaming principles with imaginative applications. Some proponents of workplace gamification regard it not just as an effective tool but as something that has the potential to be revolutionary if used in the right context.

In a lot of ways, the effectiveness of games at work is a no-brainer. Unlike many exercises or workshops typically presented in a corporate setting, games are more universally appealing and fun. While they encourage or sometimes even require individual participation, there isn’t that dreaded sense of pressure to perform. The action unfolds organically, feeling less forced. Games also tap in to our natural inclinations to socialize, compete, and express ourselves.

Since games are both playful and participatory, they deliver a certain way of presenting information that is surprising yet doesn’t feel deceptive. In a trivia game, for example, while in pursuit of the answer the player’s motivation might be set on the scoreboard, they are also learning something important. When the stage is set to learn a new company policy, it is all too often that employees automatically disengage; their eyes are on the teacher, but their minds are miles away. While some of us are lucky enough to be in a profession we are passionate about, the fact remains that many of the world’s jobs, even those that are most vital to society, just aren’t that exciting.

Like most methods utilized by today’s companies to motivate or promote individual growth, how beneficial or effective they prove to be is a matter of time and place. For those willing to adopt gamification, the challenge is to avoid using games as just another method for masking the daily routine, but as a framework for presenting information in a different way that encourages feedback and participation from the group. Gamification can become a tool for making the workplace feel more comfortable, more engaging, and perhaps a little less like hard work.

The iSolved University includes gamification elements that make learning the iSolved platform more fun and exciting. Users can take courses, earn badges, and participate in fun, engaging games to move through course paths. Take a tour of the University to see how it can benefit your employees who are using the iSolved platform.