GiftCard Partners Blog

As HR departments struggle to figure out how to motivate employees, integrating gamification in the workplace remains a popular option. Fast Company article, What the Future of Gamification in the Workplace Looks Like, discusses the importance of realizing that simple, one-size-fits-all solutions will not work.

We've talked a lot about
gamification and
sales incentives over the years. From a cutting edge concept to an integral part of some sales organizations, gamification works to motivate salespeople through friendly competition and achievable metrics set by employers. Gamification is great but it can create a lot of work for the employer and sales management. Organizations like Chattanooga-based
Ambition, seek to take your gamification platform to the next level, integrating both digital and automated aspects. As Jared Houghton, one of the co-founders of Ambition, says in a recent Inc.com
article, they are working to "transition from whiteboards to dashboards." These platforms don't like the word "gamification" so let's use sales motivation instead. Automated sales motivation platforms simply allow employers to define their metrics for success and track each salesperson's goals and productivity. The platforms also provide a healthy dose of competition by tracking salespeople against each other and comparing numbers. Every organization does sales incentives their own way, and there are reservations that this system could get too public, giving salespeople too much access to their peers' performance. That being said, it’s important that employers look closely at both their employees and the dynamic within the company before launching in to this type of open platform. Supporters stand firm that in a world where business systems are increasingly digital, giving employees the self-motivation to take their own performance to the next level through digital tracking that can be monitored by the employer really automates what can be a tedious process. Self-motivation associated with sales incentive platforms can also boost employee autonomy which furthers the desired motivation outcome. These technologies are new, cutting edge and have the power to transform how sales motivation and sales incentives happen. The GiftCard Partners team can't wait to see how gift cards and virtual gift cards play into systems like Ambition. Imagine having a system where when a team member met or exceeded personal benchmarks, they were automatically sent an eGift card straight to their inbox?      

Gamifying your employee loyalty program can be a great way to engage your workforce and collect data to strengthen your team. Here are a few ways to make your gamification program the best it can be.

We have talked quite a bit about gamification for all kinds of employee incentives in this space. But this is 
big news. Adding gamification to an employee engagement strategy alone raises overall employee engagement by 29%. To quantify that in popular social media standards
, gamification raises social sharing on Facebook and Twitter by 22% and raises content exploration by 68% according to VentureBeat. So now that we know it works, and before everyone rushes to implement gamification and peer recognition programs
, it is important to understand 
how gamification can raise the bar on your employee engagement initiatives. Gamification builds personal connections. In order for employees to compete against each other and recognize each other's accomplishments and good work
, they have to get to know each other. It is those relationships and increased peer interaction that keeps employees engaged at work. It also keeps them happy and loyal, so implementing gamification can be a great way to maintain a positive, productive and healthy work environment.
For more information on implementing gamification for increased employee engagement check out this article from Maritz Motivation Solutions.

The GiftCard Partners team is in Denver, Colorado this week to attend the
2013 Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) Summit. GCP joins a large number of other companies that are also part of the IMA, and make up this $46 billion incentive industry. We’re excited to meet, share and learn about the latest in this booming field over the course of the next few days. One of the many sessions the IMA will be holding is
Game Mechanics and the Future of Reward and Recognition Programs. The team is excited to learn more about Gamification and how this popular tool in reward and recognition programs has taken off and what the future holds for it in modern business. As it stands now, according to a recent IRF poll, more than 60% of recognition program owners have started implementing gamification. The session will highlight: