The Hiring Game or How Gamification Can Change The Way You Manage Talent

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Have you ever thought about using Gamification for Human Resources procedures?

One of the biggest challenges that companies face nowadays is how to find and retain talent in a highly competitive and changing global market. This becomes especially important when it comes to the very demanding millennial workforce like we talked in one of our previous posts.  

In this context, it has become essential for HR experts to move beyond the conventional approach of talent hunting. And more so, talent keeping. Recent surveys show how very few employees are truly committed to the goals of the organization they work for. But, is this really their fault?

The subject is complex and there are always many sides to this story. But, it certainly seems very unlikely for any company to achieve success in this digital era without trying new ways to engage and encourage their teams.

So, what are the secrets for succeeding at this challenging task? One of the big trends in this scenario is gamification. Or in other words, the use of game design elements in non-game contexts.

According to a recent MarketsandMarkets research, by the end of 2017, 70% of Global 2000 companies will be using gamification in their business, and the market will be worth $5.7 billion by 2018.

But how does all this really apply in the HR world? Here are a few examples that will help you understand the undeniable advantages of using online and offline game dynamics in this kind of processes.

When talent search meets fun

For a few years now, HR experts have begun to see gamification as a way of captivating, motivating and engaging employees at work. But that’s not all there is to it.

The implementation of game dynamics can begin from the moment a candidate applies for a certain position. As a matter of fact, gamification has spread to the recruiting and career services industries where it’s used to garner interest in job openings, provide a preview of applicant’s future performance and further motivate candidates to commit with the interview process, among other things.

The conventional norms of resumes, emails, and calendar invites are being replaced by software support platforms designed to make the recruitment process more entertaining and engaging for candidates.

For companies, on the other hand, the use of gamification data can enormously help to make smarter recruitment decisions. As well as for cutting down the time to hire.

For example, with Hurrah! Leaderboards our clients can set a package of slides that includes real-time information. Such as new job vacancies, CV submittals, client interviews, contractor placements and screening of candidates, among others. All this to add a fun ingredient to the otherwise monotonous hiring process.

Furthermore, this kind of playful dynamics can be adapted to test aptitude for the job itself and give candidates a better input into the task and the skills required by the hiring company. After all, positive feedback is one of the big cores of gamification.

Improving the training experience

Adding an innovative streak to the recruitment process is not the only way of using gamification in an HR context.

Unhappy unproductive employees often complain about the lack of learning opportunities provided by the company they work for.

In fact, it’s proven that staffers that are highly trained are not only more productive but also more willing to stay and work for the organization for a longer period of time.

And how can gamification help in this process? What better way to learn new abilities than through a fun interactive experience. Games can turn humdrum training materials into easily-digestible and highly effective learning programs.

This sort of strategy may also be used to test how a team or a certain employee reacts to new challenges using scenario-based learning. Integrating points to gaming dynamics or awarding badges when tasks are completed.

So, is gamification the future of HR strategies or just a passing fad? What do you think? Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts in the comments!

And… don’t miss the opportunity to talk to us about using Hurrah! to motivate your teams in a new fun and simple way. Get in touch and try Hurrah! for FREE.

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