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Gamification

Back to HR Glossary
Table of Contents
  • What is gamification?
  • What are the benefits of gamification?
  • Can you explain what recruitment gamification means?
  • Frequently asked questions

Gamification is Gamification is refers to the use of game design elements and mechanics in the recruitment process.

Summarise this post with:

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What is gamification?

Gamification is the process of using game design elements and mechanics in non-game contexts to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals. It is a way to make tasks and activities that may be boring or tedious more engaging and fun by incorporating elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards. The goal of gamification is to increase user engagement and motivation by tapping into people’s natural desires for competition, achievement, and self-expression.

Image showing the meaning of gamification

Gamification can be applied to a wide range of industries and areas, such as education, healthcare, marketing, and employee training. In education, gamification can be used to make learning more engaging and interactive. In healthcare, it can be used to encourage patients to adopt healthy behaviors. In marketing, it can be used to increase customer engagement and loyalty. In employee training, it can be used to improve employee motivation and retention. HBR’s technology and analytics research shows gamification increases employee engagement in training programs by up to 60% and completion rates by 40% compared to traditional eLearning formats.

Gamification can be a powerful tool for achieving desired outcomes, however, it must be implemented carefully to ensure that it is effective and does not have negative side effects.

What are the benefits of gamification?

The benefits of gamification can include:

  1. Increased engagement and motivation: Gamification can make tasks and activities more engaging and fun, which can increase user engagement and motivation.
  2. Improved learning outcomes: Gamification can make learning more interactive and engaging, which can lead to improved learning outcomes.
  3. Increased customer loyalty: Gamification can increase customer engagement and loyalty by making products and services more fun and interactive.
  4. Improved employee performance: Gamification can be used to improve employee motivation and retention, which can lead to improved employee performance.
  5. Better health outcomes: Gamification can be used to encourage patients to adopt healthy behaviors, which can lead to better health outcomes.
  6. Increased data collection: Gamification can increase user engagement and participation, which can lead to more data being collected and analyzed.
  7. Cost-effective: Gamification can be a cost-effective way to achieve desired outcomes, as it can leverage existing technology and resources.
  8. Increased collaboration: Gamification can increase collaboration and teamwork, as it can encourage users to work together towards common goals.

It’s important to note that while gamification can be a powerful tool for achieving desired outcomes, it must be implemented carefully to ensure that it is effective and does not have negative side effects.

Also read: Gamified assessments: Say goodbye to boring tests

Can you explain what recruitment gamification means?

Recruitment gamification refers to the use of game design elements and mechanics in the recruitment process. The aim is to make the recruitment process more engaging, interactive, and fun for candidates, in order to increase their engagement and motivation, and make the process more efficient and effective. This can include elements such as points, badges, leaderboards and rewards, that are commonly found in games, which are incorporated into the recruitment process.

For example, a company might use gamification to create an online assessment that includes a series of mini-games that test candidates’ skills and qualifications. These games might include puzzles, quizzes, or other interactive challenges that are designed to assess the candidate’s abilities and qualifications. Candidates who perform well on these games might be awarded points, badges, or other rewards, which could be used to move them to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Another example of recruitment gamification is using social media, where companies create a recruitment game on their social media platform, by posting a series of challenges and quizzes that test candidates’ knowledge of the company’s products, services, and culture. Candidates who perform well on these games may be invited for an interview.

Recruitment gamification can also be used to improve the overall candidate experience, by providing candidates with interactive and fun ways to learn about the company and its culture, and by giving them more control over the recruitment process. It can also help companies to identify and attract top talent, by providing them with a more engaging and interactive way to assess candidates’ skills and qualifications.

Overall, recruitment gamification can have many benefits to both the company and the candidate, by making the recruitment process more efficient, effective, and engaging. SHRM’s HR technology guidance recommends evaluating gamification features in learning management systems and onboarding platforms as a key differentiator that directly affects new hire retention and engagement.

Gamification in hiring and training signals an engaging, modern workplace culture. Using pre-employment assessments alongside a structured hiring plan drives results. Strong talent acquisition focused on skills-based hiring improves outcomes.

Frequently asked questions

Gamification applies game design mechanics : points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, rewards, and progress tracking : to non-game contexts like employee training, onboarding, performance management, and recruitment. The goal is to increase engagement, motivation, and desired behaviors by leveraging the psychological principles that make games intrinsically compelling.

Examples include: training completion leaderboards, badges for skill certifications, points for completing onboarding tasks, challenges for hitting performance milestones, peer recognition platforms with social rewards, recruitment simulations where candidates complete job-related challenges, wellness programs with activity tracking and rewards, and sales performance dashboards with rank tracking.

Research-supported mechanics include: progress bars and completion percentages (leverage completion drive), social comparison through leaderboards (effective for competitive cultures), immediate feedback and variable rewards (most potent engagement drivers), narrative and story progression (increases meaning), and team-based challenges (combine social and competitive motivation). The key is matching mechanics to the specific behavior and culture.

Benefits: 40-60% higher completion rates vs. traditional training, improved knowledge retention through spaced repetition and reward, increased voluntary engagement (learners initiate rather than requiring mandatory training), better performance data through granular completion and assessment tracking, and reduced training costs through higher efficiency. Most impactful for knowledge transfer, compliance training, and soft skills practice.

Key risks: leaderboards can demotivate lower performers rather than inspiring improvement; extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation for naturally engaging tasks; poorly designed gamification feels manipulative and reduces trust; over-gamification trivializes serious content (health and safety training should not use candy points); and gamification novelty wears off, requiring continuous refresh to maintain engagement.

Evaluation criteria: alignment between game mechanics and desired behavioral outcomes, data analytics capability (what behaviors are tracked and how), customization to organizational culture (leaderboards may not suit all cultures), integration with existing HRIS and LMS, mobile accessibility, and evidence base (vendor should provide completion and engagement data from comparable deployments). Pilot testing in one team before full rollout is strongly recommended.

Table of Contents
  • What is gamification?
  • What are the benefits of gamification?
  • Can you explain what recruitment gamification means?
  • Frequently asked questions
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