Tips for Implementing Serious Games in the Workplace

When something new is being introduced, there is usually a fair amount of trepidation surrounding it. There may be some apprehension and the thought that it may work for someone else, but not for your company or your employees.

Serious games fall into this category. They are working for many companies by adding value to their corporate training programs, but there is still some apprehension about how it’s implemented and if it’s really worth the effort.

The reality is that serious games are worth the effort. The benefits range from saving money to having a seriously positive effect on the way employees go about their daily tasks.

The key to the efficacy of serious games lies with making sure they are designed and implemented well.

Tips for serious game success

Here are some ways to make serious games seriously effective:

Ease of use. Don’t make it too complicated or the employees will quickly grow frustrated and not want to continue. Even if they complete the activity because it is for their “work,” they won’t be fully engaged and therefore won’t reap the strongest benefits.
Games are supposed to be fun. Did you know that when a person is playing a game and enjoying themselves that their dopamine levels increase? Those elevated dopamine levels result in an employee who begins to feel a sense of satisfaction in their work and will then be more engaged. Don’t bore the workers with a serious game that is dull!
Link game and objectives. Draw a clear connection between the activity in the game and how it relates to the learning objectives. When employees can see a concrete reason for what they are doing and understand that it will benefit them in their work, they are more likely to get on board. Show them what they gain immediately and how it could impact their future within the company.
Tap into the social aspect. The amount of time that many people spend on social media sites shows that it’s a good idea to make aspects of a serious game collaborative. Foster a sense of community among the employees. Push them to work as a team and to encourage one another. Use friendly competition to motivate reluctant participants.
Always debrief. There should be time at the conclusion of any serious gaming activity for a debriefing. Discuss what went well and what didn’t. Take the time to verbally bridge the gap between the game and its relevance to real-life scenarios. Obtain feedback from the employees and take their suggestions into account. They will usually have valuable opinions about how to improve certain aspects.

Serious games can be a tremendous boost to employee engagement. Providing employees with fun, relevant and helpful training, as they perform the activities of their everyday job, is well worth the effort.

Place value on the training of your workers. They are a representation of the company and their preparedness to do their job ultimately affects the bottom line!

Contact Designing Digitally, Inc. to implement serious games for your corporate learners.