Instructional Design

Why Companies Use Gamification for Employee Development

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Don’t make the mistake of thinking gamification is a grassroots movement for small businesses: Huge corporations are utilizing the motivating power of gaming to help improve the hiring process, check employee performance and even identify potential leaders within the organization. As corporate gamification becomes a more viable (and successful) method of training, new methods and companies are coming out of the woodworks with new, smart solutions. Check out some of the biggest organizations utilizing gamification.

Spotify Listens to its Employees

The Internet music giant has made a name for itself in online innovation, so it makes sense that it would be among the first to harness the potential of gamification. After regular performance reviews were met with less-than-enthused results, Spotify turned to Rypple, a platform by which employees and supervisors could interact in a social media-like atmosphere. Colleagues can leave real-time feedback, offer congrats and award badges for a job well done.

How NTT Data Builds Leaders

One of the leading tech firms, NTT Data was preoccupied with leadership succession, so using gamification was a natural fit. Using a custom online gaming platform, NTT employees could role play a number of leadership scenarios and test their solutions. Not only could they earn points and rewards for their smart ideas, but it gave visibility to future potential leaders and promotion opportunities for those who excelled in the virtual world.

Google Uses Gamification to Test Future Hires

Google has always employed a number of innovative hiring strategies, but their latest – Google Code Jam – is a way to inspire innovation and pick from among the best of the best when it comes to future employees. Held annually, Code Jammers are given a problem from Google and are asked for a solution. Winners can score big bucks and the chance to work at the Google campus and socialize with other coders. Hey, it’s way better than wading through stacks of resumes, right?