Definition : Gamification
Gamification is an innovative approach to integrating game mechanisms into non-game areas and contexts.
1. Definition of Gamification
Gamification consists of integrating mechanisms from the world of games - such as challenges, points systems or quests to be completed - into a variety of contexts such as professional training, marketing or healthcare. Its major strength lies in its playfulness, whichengages users and encourages more sustainable active behavior. In this way, simple actions perceived as tedious can be transformed into an immersive, fun experience.
Today, seven out of ten French people play video games, reflecting a strong interest in problem-solving and learning through entertainment. Games such as Candy Crush demonstrate the effectiveness of these mechanisms: players are constantly rewarded (levels, bonuses, opportunities to help other players) and often become almost addictively involved in the process.
Gamification techniques used in business and marketing are based on the same principle: make the experience pleasant enough to make the user want to go all the way to the end, and even come back regularly.
2. Gamification and Human Resources
At the heart of corporate gamification, human resources can deploy these levers to enhance and energize internal practices. Not only is it a communication tool capable of conveying the employer brand, it's also a powerful approach to improving professional training and stimulating employee motivation.
An emblematic example comes from LinkedIn or Malt, who use a progress bar (a simple profile completion indicator) to encourage users to complete their information to the end: the idea is based on the "need for closure" described by game theorist Tom Chatfield. He believes that we are drawn to solving problems, completing levels, receiving quick feedback and progressing on a "quest".
In the context of recruitment and onboarding, these principles can be an excellent way of making the process more engaging and reinforcing the company'sbrand image. A "serious game", for example, can be developed to introduce newcomers to the company's values, history and best practices in an interactive way.
3. An effective way to improve vocational training
Gamification is emerging as an effective way of reinventing professional training. Much more than a simple game, it engages employees by introducing levels, challenges and virtual rewards.
This is what Google Local Guides does, for example: by awarding points and badges to those who share reviews or photos, the platform reinforces the desire to contribute and encourages intrinsic motivation.
The learning process thus becomes more structured and captivating: whether simulating a sales negotiation in a business game (a serious game) or measuring progress in real time via a progress bar, each participant finds a personal interest in evolving. Similar approaches can also be found at TripAdvisor, which distributes badges to Internet users as their comments are received: the pride of achieving a new status (intrinsic motivation) drives people to continue, even without material reward.
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4. Gamification, Employer Brand and Brand Image
Gamification is not limited to internal performance: it also influencesbrand image and employer brand, two strategic dimensions for a company. The Nike+ and "My Starbucks Rewards" campaigns are good examples of how brands can create a coherent, rewarding game world, where users progress through a program that is both useful and entertaining (points accumulated, access to special offers, virtual badges).
In the same spirit, the "Milka Biscuit Saga" operation showed how an "advergame" could integrate values dear to the brand (sharing, conviviality) and encourage Internet users to play with family and friends. This approach benefits brand awareness, fun positioning and community cohesion. The benefits are twofold: users enjoy a memorable experience, while the company solidifies its market presence and reputation as an innovative employer.
5. Learning processes and employee motivation
One of the major challenges of gamification is to create sustainable employee motivation, by combining extrinsic motivation (rewards, promotional codes, gifts) and intrinsic motivation (personal satisfaction, a feeling of progress, the pleasure of playing). As Rob Roy, a researcher specializing in gamification techniques, explains, the success of a gamification program depends on the ability of the brand or company to go beyond the simple promise of an immediate "carrot".
In its early days, Foursquare illustrated the stimulating effect of reward: after a certain number of check-ins, the user unlocked a promo code. However, beyond this material gratification, there was also the pleasure of accumulating original badges, discovering exclusive places and building local expert status. In this way, active behavior persists even when the extrinsic reward runs out, as the person acts out of interest and pleasure in the experience itself.
6. Best Practices in Corporate Gamification
To optimize gamification in the workplace, it's essential to combine several best practices. First, you need to identify clear progression mechanisms (levels, progress bar, one-off missions), while taking care to ensure that the gamification platform is easy to learn. Fast, relevant feedback keeps motivation alive: a simple "Mission accomplished!" when a stage is validated brings extra satisfaction and encourages further progress.
Finally, the gamified approach must be integrated into the company's overall strategy and values. Examples such as "My Starbucks Rewards", Nike+ or TripAdvisor's badge program show that gamification works best when it responds to a coherent universe and a precise purpose, be it service quality, customer satisfaction or continuous learning. This consistency reinforces the legitimacy of the system and ensures its long-term effectiveness.
7. Gamification in Salesapps: Quizzes and Training Courses to Boost Sales Performance
With a view to stimulating buy-in and increasing the skills of sales teams, our sales support application is based on fun training courses and interactive quizzes.
These courses, designed by theme, boost the acquisition of knowledge thanks to their playful dimension and the diversity of formats on offer. Whether the aim is to integrate new recruits, train existing employees in new areas of expertise or ensure a successful product launch, these courses ensure accelerated learning adapted to each individual's needs.
Salesapps also incorporates a gamification engine to encourage day-to-day use of the application and create emulation between team members. Users are encouraged to master content, report information from the field or take an active part in training programs.
Badges, level management, triggering of specific thresholds, scoring, ranking and notifications all contribute to maintaining motivation. Each challenge completed feeds into a reward system that enhances the user's progress.
It's this combination of modular quizzes, fun training courses and a perfectly integrated gamification mechanism that makes Salesapps a sales efficiency gas pedal. Employees feel more engaged and proactively learn, which translates into better team cohesion and a tangible increase in field performance. Learning becomes an effective means of evolving in a stimulating environment, to the benefit of the company's overall productivity.
Thanks to its gamification techniques and playfulness, gamification has proven to be an effective means of increasinguser engagement, stimulating employee motivation and supporting effective corporate training. It opens up new perspectives for the creation of differentiating experiences, both internally (skills enhancement, team spirit, sales performance) and externally (loyalty, customer experience, brand image).
However, it's crucial to remember that gamification must serve a specific purpose, rather than being a complete substitute for the real values and needs of consumers or internal teams. As the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation illustrates, the success of a gamified project lies in its ability to provide a sense of progress and genuine pleasure. In other words, gamification is a formidable innovation lever for strengthening the employer brand and improving the learning process, provided it remains aligned with the organization's ambitions and culture.
