The Gamification of The Work Place

Using Gameplay to Increase Your Employees’ Work Efforts

One of the theories that have been promoted a great deal lately is the theory of gameplay, also known as gamification, in the workplace. For an eCommerce store with online employees, gamification can actually be even more beneficial than for other traditional stores. Understanding how to use it is the most important part.

The Basics

The basics of gamification are to turn work into a game. Most of the time, this involves creating a list of objective goals for each “player,” or employee. Completing the task gets a point or a set number of points. To create a competitive edge, a leader board is created. Tallies on the various competitors add up throughout the day. It’s similar to the employee of the month type policy that many businesses use. However, gamification is often broken down into day-by-day or week-by-week components to allow for increased competition. You will just have to determine how you will reward your employees. Using competition as the sole reward can sometimes work, but it doesn’t always.

Adapting It for an eCommerce Store

In many cases, online employees will be more productive because their job is more flexible and allows a greater standard of living, according to Yahoo!. But it can also be easy for employees to slack off. You need to figure out what the core tasks are that your employees should be doing. However, most eCommerce stores generally have employees who perform different tasks. Unlike a general sales team that can compete to sell everything from an iPad credit card reader to a scanner, your team will probably have different duties. You’ll want to break down their tasks into various numerical values based on the time required to complete each task. Not every task will be equal. This way you can increase the competitive spirit in a positive way while allowing for cross-task competition.

Keep It Consistent

Make sure though that you are consistent in the gameplay technique. Do not change the rules without giving advance notice. Your employees will be more likely to get involved when they see that the rules are fair and they know what it takes to win. If you are inconsistent or if it seems that you’re playing favorites, gameplay will make your eCommerce store employees less productive than before. Make sure that you disclose all rules in advance and enforce them equally.

Gameplay has become an exciting new theory for increasing productivity in the workplace. Even if you don’t have a physical store, you can increase the productivity of your eCommerce store employees by using this method. You can set it up in a couple of ways, but the key is to make sure that you allow for cross-task competition. You will have to be creative in creating the rules and the various values for completed tasks. Just remember to be consistent. Apply the rules fairly to avoid giving the appearance of preferences or fixed competitions.