While nothing new, the concept of gamification continues to be popular in offices. Here are four inspiring examples practised by companies around the world.
Gamification applies the principles and techniques of gaming, for example video games, to a non-gaming context. The goal? Encourage users to adopt a desired behaviour while having fun.
Over the last decade the workplace has become more game orientated. In fact, more and more companies are using gamification to improve their recruiting, onboarding, training or employee development processes. Here are four particularly interesting examples.
LinkedIn for collaborative recruitment
A “Recruit-a-thon”. This concept was launched by LinkedIn a few years ago. In 2014, the professional social network partnered with the Indian e-commerce company Flipkart to create a first recruiting marathon. The goal of the event was to fill all vacant positions in the company in record time. The result? More than 200 candidates were selected in less than 5 hours. The concept has been widely taken up since.
Deloitte for the onboarding of new employees
Auditing and consulting firm Deloitte facilitates the onboarding process of new employees by using gamification. The idea as described in the Harvard Business Review, is simple: The newcomers form online teams and formulate questions about company practices which anyone is free to answer. This approach would encourage collaborative learning from day one, as well as creating a strong sense of belonging.
Deloitte has also created a virtual tour of its offices in Asia that unfolds like a video game. Applicants can first choose their destination: Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. They then “fly” to their city of choice to visit the office and familiarize themselves with the premises.
Marriott International for recruiting
In 2011, the American hotel group Marriott International created the online game My Marriott Hotel with the aim of recruiting new candidates, including updates on its Facebook page.
Modelled on the video games Farmville and The Sims, potential employees had to manage their own virtual hotel, from designing a restaurant to purchasing supplies, staff training and customer service. The more satisfied virtual customers were, the more points they earned.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) for development of leadership
NTT, a leader in the Japanese telecommunications market, has already used gamification to identify current employees who have the potential to become good leaders. The game, called Samurai, also targets the in-house training needs of those who need to improve that quality.