What is Gamification?

There’s a lot of talk around “gamification” lately so I thought to write a few words about it.

I tried to come up with a meaningful definition, but I found one in Wikipedia that does an excellent work explaining what gamificiation is in a very short paragraph:

“Gamification is the integration of game mechanics or game dynamics into a website, service, community, campaign, or application in order to drive participation and engagement. In particular, gamification is the application of game technology and game design outside traditional “gamespaces”, and the acceptance of games in non-gaming sectors.”

Here’s the premise behind bringing gamification in the work place:

If we can harness a fraction of the engagement and excitement most people exhibit while playing games and direct it towards our workforce we should be able to see a good increase in productivity and retention.

In short: Gamification drives participation. When employees actively participate in company activities this participation builds loyalty. Erasing the boundaries between work and play unlocks employees’ productivity and potential and makes the workplace a fun place to be.