Need to know:
- The use of gamification is growing across many elements of the employee experience, and can be used to engage employees in wellbeing initiatives, from step challenges to nutritional habits.
- It is important to ensure that gamified systems are inclusive and engaging, andthat the competitive element does not put off less willing participants.
- Employers should keep initiatives under review and allow for personalised tailoring to ensure they engage staff and target the needs of the workforce.
The use of gamification to engage employees has become increasingly common in recent years, whether organisations are running their own internal challenges, or accessing more formal apps offered by providers.
The basic concept is simple: by introducing an element of gamification to any challenge or initiative, employees are more likely to take part, not only motivated by the opportunity for personal reward, but also drawn by the competitive element.
Wellbeing applications
The concept of gamification is a natural fit with wellbeing activities, says Jeff Fox, principal at Aon. “The spectrum is broad, with basic challenges at one end, with step challenges being the best-known example. The more innovative end of the spectrum covers games that involve the full physical universe, such as nutritional challenges, emotional states, blood pressure checks and different physical activities, such as swimming or cycling,” he explains.
Central to the use of gamification is positive reinforcement, adds Jamie Mackenzie, director at Sodexo Engage: “With traditional video games, completing a level or a mission provides feelings of both excitement and fulfilment, giving players the enthusiasm to keep on gaming.
"In the same way, gamified platforms need to have a suitable progression structure in place to keep staff engaged. This can then extend into the physical world, through providing physical rewards, such as gift cards or cinema tickets, once employees have reached a certain level.”
Rewarding achievements
The rewards provided to employees in a gamified wellbeing system do not have to be particularly significant, says Joe Gaunt, chief executive officer of wellbeing firm Hero. “The fun of participating, the camaraderie and a simple ‘well done’ at the end canbe more than enough. Extra leave, team time, individual vouchers or simple giftscan go a long way, too.”
However, there are challenges that come with the use of gamification, saysMike Blake, wellbeing lead at Willis Towers Watson. “The aim is to hold employees’ attention, so they make significant changes to their behaviour over a prolonged period, but the way in which employers sustain high levels of motivation and engagement is where an issue can arise: a precedent can be set that leads to employees expecting to be compensated for living healthier lifestyles.”
It is also important that employees do not feel pressured to take part, or shamed by any competitive element, says Gethin Nadin, director of employee wellbeing at Benefex.
“Not every employee is motivated by competing with their peers, and gamification should be aimed at employees trying to improve their own physical, financial and mental health, rather than trying to improve it above that of others,” he explains. “Employers should be focused on helping employees form better habits around their health, not just gamifying it.”
Those most in need may also be less likely to take part, and this is unlikely to be solved if a gamified system only scratches the surface, says James Shillaker, director at employee wellness provider Incorpore.
“Most people find exercise an effort and don’t necessarily enjoy the process,” he says. “Those individuals need to tap into intrinsic factors [that are] a by-product reward of exercising, for example, being able to do more with their kids or have more energy for the work they love.”
Everyday habits
It is also important that ongoing work is done to develop, update and reinvigorate gamified wellbeing programmes, rather than simply setting them up and leaving them, because this may result in loss of interest after the initial fad.
Denise Willett, general manager at Achievers, says: “[Employers should] bring the gamification into the day-to-day, encourage little competitions among teams or departments and have mini events every month to bring people together.
“Encourage employees to compete both against each other and their own prior results to keep them motivated.”
The key to a successfully gamified wellbeing initiative lies in understanding what people want and which areas of health need to be boosted, says Sarah Lockhart, principal consultant at Thomsons Online Benefits.
“This could be anything from encouraging better sleep patterns to reducing stress,” she says. “Having a focused approach to gamification will offer clarity to employees and help to make this aspect of an employer’s health and wellbeing provision more effective.”
Using modern apps and platforms, employers can also extract data about who is using the schemes, identify what motivates people to take part, and even monitor anonymised employee health data to track improvements and measure success.
Personal approach
Personalising elements of the programme, for example, allowing people to choose their own rewards, can also be key to its success, says Malcolm Cairns, chief executive officer at HSC Health.
“[Organisations could] consider a system where employees gain points for tracking their wellbeing and achieving goals,” he says. “Personalise the programme and tailor [it] to seasonal themes or organisation events, such as summer or end of year; keep it fresh and relevant. Listen to employees and adjust to their adapting needs.”
While gamification may be becoming part of the wider wellbeing landscape, there is still significant potential that has yet to be realised.
“Considering the popularity of gaming among [younger employees], this is likely to be a big areaof development within the benefits space,” says Lockhart. “With the proper attention and effort behind it, gamification could become an integral part of a modern benefits offering.”
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