Do Serious Games in Corporate Training Work for Employees?

Almost everyone enjoys playing a good game online. But can you use games that go beyond the fun factor and add value to your employees? Yes, of course!

Serious games have the required entertainment quotient, but the main aim is to help learners develop a skill or master a new process. Employees are given the opportunity of engaging with the training, instead of being the passive receiver of the content.

The Association for Talent Development (ATD), conducted a study with 551 business and learning professionals. The audience belonged to organizations of different sizes and were geographically dispersed. The result showed that 25% of organizations use gamification for training their employees. Almost 20% of them used serious games for corporate learning programs.

The Federation of American Scientists explains the training through games increases the confidence level of students by almost 20%. It also improves the retention percentage by 90%. As a result, learners learn faster and remember better.

Here are the top three benefits of using serious games to train employees.

#1: Enhances motivation and engagement of the learner

Motivation and engagement are two metrics that define a successful learning program. Serious games keep the learner hooked. They are more engaging than traditional forms of training, be it face-to-face or web-based. Serious games have the capability to provoke emotions like anger, fun, and excitement. The more engaged learners are, the better they achieve the learning goals. Game-based learning should be designed in a way that it pulls in the learners with the help of visual and auditory modes. This addresses the different learning styles of the learners.

#2: Boosts overall productivity

Training employees via serious games really boosts their productivity. They are invested in the game and they strive to achieve the built-in levels in the game. As a result, learners fulfil their learning goals without even aiming to do so. The more motivated they are during the training, the better they learn, and the better they perform.

#3: Offers immediate feedback

One of the advantages of game-based learning is that it provides immediate feedback to the learners in the form of points, badges, levels, rewards, and recognition. Employees participate in programs voluntarily. It also provides elements like corrective feedback and mood meters. These new elements keep the learners enthused. They keep trying a task till they master it. And, once they master a task, they try to replicate it at their workplace. This boosts productivity and adds value to the organization. The constant monitoring while the learners play the game acts as a motivator. It makes learners look for ongoing feedback. When they receive feedback at the workplace, they do not view it as interference and are open to improving.

At Designing Digitally, Inc., we create customized games and simulations that are immersive and result oriented. Your employees will love the new way of learning, engage at higher levels and increase their productivity. The end result will employee retention and improved bottom line results.

Get in touch for a demo.