New study shows gamification boosts motivation and productivity

We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak at a new study on gamification and wanted to share them with you. The study by TalentLMS was conducted in the US with employees who use gamification platforms on a regular basis as part of their work. 

Here are some key stats:

87% of employees agree that game elements make them more productive at their job

82% agree that game elements make them happier at work 

84% agree that gamification keeps them more engaged with their work 

But gamification goes beyond just individual engagement. The study also revealed that the majority of employees (81%) felt an increase in social connection and a feeling of belonging as a result of the gamification. 

Gamification is also a great way to enhance learning and professional development. This study found that 81% of employees using gamification felt it helped them learn and grow. This is our experience as well in our work in using gamification for professional development, as with our project with the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. 

Think gamification is just for millennials?

Think again. 

The study also revealed that those in the age group of 45years or older were the most motivated by gamified work tasks, when compared with younger age groups. 

When a task is gamified employees feel more 1) motivated, 2) competitive and 2) eager to complete it. Gamification makes employees between 35-44 years feel mostly motivated, whereas it makes those in the 25-34 age group feel mostly competitive. 

Preferred game mechanics 

This study focussed on basic game mechanics like points, badges, leaderboards and rewards. While there are many many more mechanics, this study sheds some interesting like on most motivating mechanics. The result show that rewards are perceived as the most motivating game element and levels are the least. The order of the most motivating game element to the least is Rewards, Points, Leaderboards, Badges, Levels. 

Gamified software is used more often 

85% of employees are likely to spend more time on an app/ software because it has gamification elements, and 81% of employees are more likely to invite their co-workers to an app/software because it was gamified. 

This study by TalentLMS is one of the latest studies on gamification's effectiveness in boosting employee experience, motivation and performance. The full study will come out later this week, with the results published here.