Three gamification ideas to increase HRMS user engagement

Gamification is the application of game elements in a non-game setting such as a professional environment or workplace. Gamification is a fun and informal way to promote your goals like increasing employee motivation or interaction. Here are three gamification ideas that will help you to improve and increase employee engagement with your HRMS.

1. Points, badges and trophies

Incentives that allow for achievement and rankings have been a mainstay of gamification. Users react positively to challenges that allow them to feel like they are working toward a goal. Decide what employee behaviour that you are trying to encourage and then build your gamification framework around that set of activities.

You may decide to offer basic points to employees who view their data like dependents, beneficiaries and emergency contacts. Higher awards can be allocated to employees who proactively contribute to discussions, chats and shared solutions in your social HRMS.

See our HRMS implementation guide for more advice on increasing user engagement with new software

As you build your reward system make sure that the tasks are relevant and applicable. An employee will not be motivated by mindless clicking but should be rewarded for positive HRMS interaction like adding competencies and skills to the system.

2. Deliver tangible rewards

As your users perform activities in your HRMS like attending training or contributing to your knowledge library by recording sessions, they should be rewarded by the points scheme. You can further drive employee engagement by incorporating tangible rewards into your gamification program.

Recognize your high achievers in company media and meetings. Some companies build out their rewards schemes by exchanging points in for merchandise or experiences. When you reward gamification efforts it will drive further interest into the program and increase employee interaction with your HRMS.

3. Use gamification to support career development

Many employees relate to online games where there are progressive levels. Games offer previews of future levels to keep the interest of players. Use gamification in a similar way to support employee career growth. Build out career paths so that they are understandable to employees. In order to progress to the next level, e.g. get a promotion, an employee needs to pass certain tasks like gaining and displaying skills and completing training.

Give your employees a glimpse of further levels or career options in your HRMS. It becomes interesting when employees can see the training, skills and efforts required to go to the next career level. Use gamification to make career growth quantifiable and clearly achievable.