In a new study by Satchi & Satchi S titled Engagement Unleashed: Gamification for Business, Brands and Loyalty, 55% of Americans said they were interested in working for a company that uses games to increase productivity.
Some of the key findings were:
- 50% of the US online population play social games daily
- Women play games due to boredom; men play games because of competition
- People are most interested in multi-player games and trivia challenges
- 58% said it is important for brands to be fun and playful
There are some other results and outcomes from the report that I found interesting:
- Young, employed 18-24 years were the group most willing to take a salary reduction to work for a socially responsible company. This suggests that social interaction and work culture is more important than money for some people
- TV, in its current format, will be the big loser as people look for activities that are more engaging. If people are bored they are not channel-hopping
- Employees would prefer multi-player games at work even though most games are played individually. One positive from this is that it maintains a team and social aspect to game playing
- The fact that discounts and deals are the largest incentive for participation shows how they are becoming embedded in culture
What is not be addressed is that a lot depends on the design and alignment of the game with specific aspects of work. There are certain game elements that would function better with innovation, others with feedback/appraisal processes, teamwork, etc. Getting that right is vital. Otherwise a game for game’s sake would be a waste of time and not the productivity push that the company and employees want.
Diarmaid Byrne 