Gamification is a great way to incentivize employees to take non-mandatory training modules and take them seriously. However, not everyone realizes that gamification can also be a great way to track and manage employee performance.
In fast-changing fields – such as software development, for example – employees often themselves understand the need to keep themselves constantly updated and trained in new technologies and trends. For those in more task-oriented roles – such as retail floor staff – there may be a tendency to not take training so seriously. In such circumstances, it makes sense to incentivize training and performance tracking in a simple, engaging way.
Regular, small rewards
During daily operations, consider reinforcing small positive behaviors with points, badges, smilies, stickers, and other non-monetary rewards. These points and other rewards can be marked by a gamification-powered Learning Management System (LMS) on publicly visible leaderboards.
Since managers (and even clients) can be empowered to give out stickers, smilies, stars, and other little badges of merit every day, for everything from great customer service, to working late when needed, to completing a corporate training module, the employee gains instant recognition and a sense of being valued. They are motivated to compete with their colleagues and do better every day.
These points can be traded for small prizes or rewards, or even just an “employee of the month” virtual certificate, based on the leaderboard scores.
Tracking performance and growth
In addition to driving positive actions, this kind of gamification also helps with performance management. It may seem counter-intuitive to give smilies as high a degree of importance as hard data like surveys or in-depth interviews for performance management!
However, since feedback is logged into the system immediately, this is often a benefit. In addition, since it’s fun and quirky, managers and employees are both more likely to engage with the performance management process by sharing a sticker on the spot, than by providing a score out of 10 or conducting a text review.
By analyzing the results of this kind of gamified instant feedback, management can identify top and low performers, flag areas for improvement or recognition, and also identify the right employees to promote or reskill. In addition, through interactive maps and leaderboards, learners can track their progress – both personally and in comparison with their peers.
Start early
Bring employees into your gamified performance management system right from onboarding, and let them know how it works. Ensure that the rules of the system are applied evenly across the board. Get started from the orientation process to encourage participation in initial knowledge transfer and training, with the use of scores, virtual medals, rankings, and certifications.
A performance management system built on the principles of gamification and instant feedback can be engaging, low-stress, and surprisingly accurate. Talk to our gamification experts to discuss how to get started.
