Okay, so you’re interested in game-based learning.
You’ve done your research. You know the benefits and how it works.
You just need to take out your metaphorical sorting hat and figure out which house— uh, I mean, department — to implement it in.
Well, short answer: you don’t have to pick one. Game-based learning is beneficial and applicable to many areas across your organization.
Long answer: the rest of this post.
Let’s unpack each use case for game-based learning and see how it benefits different departments.
Onboarding Training
The first (and possibly most obvious) area to use game-based learning is onboarding.
New hires need to be brought up to speed quickly. They also need ongoing support to ensure the content they are retaining is correct.
This process can be overwhelming for a new employee. They do have a ton to learn.
Don’t leave them behind!
Game-based learning can help here.
Also, game-based learning is fast. The rewarding nature of the games motivates employees to work through material quickly. Plus the bite-sized courses can be completed in minutes, so less productive hours are lost in the onboarding process.
Did you know that in traditional training employees spend an average of 46 hours in training — versus 20-25 in game-based training? [1]
Going digital with training will also show new (and old) employees how modern your company is.
Ultimately, game-based learning will give new employees a great first impression of your organization and will help them start their duties sooner.
New Technology Training
Another use case for game-based learning is new technology training.
You can’t assume that your employees are 100% familiar with your digital products. This is especially true for banks where employees don’t always bank with the institution they work for. This is a problem when you’re rolling out new products all the time.
Game-based learning to the rescue! Game-based learning can quickly build knowledge of new tech. Games test employees on product offerings and let them practice navigating tech (like fintech or mobile banking apps) via interactive tech walkthroughs.
Game-based learning is a great solution for organizations that frequently roll out new, or update existing, tech products. Platforms like LemonadeLXP invite users to repeat sections over time. This is helpful if new product information has been added — or just for a refresher.
The microlearning structure of game-based learning allows employees to work through material fast and the engaging nature of the games draws them in. By making training more fun, game-based learning increases voluntary participation and engagement.
Sales Training
Next, let’s discuss sales training.
Game-based learning is fast. Employees can quickly learn their talking points and sales techniques and hit the front lines sooner.
Training platforms (like LemonadeLXP) go beyond teaching product facts and features. They embed some soft skills into courses as well. Through role-play scenarios, employees can practice the nuances of client conversations and test their tech knowledge at the same time. This way employees can hone their sales skills before actually interacting with clients.
Client Service Training
Game-based learning is ongoing — not one and done — allowing for continuous improvement. This means customer service employees can get refreshers when they need them and stay up to date on product information. So your staff will always be ready to meet their customer’s changing needs.
As we mentioned previously, (isn’t it neat how some of these benefits are relevant to all types of training?) game-based learning includes role-play type questions. This allows customer service specialists to practice engaging with clients. Employees can quash their weaker areas and master skills before ever stepping in front of a customer.
Game-based learning fits into daily workflows, so you don’t have to pull employees away from priority tasks. Customer service reps can work through training in their downtime and then dedicate their high volume periods to their clients.
Digital Adoption Training
Getting clients to use your digital products may be the end goal. But to achieve this, employees need to be trained on the products first. Otherwise, they won’t promote them to clients.
Getting employees on board with digital adoption can be tough, especially since 1) they might think training is boring and 2) they may be fearful that the technology they are expected to promote will replace them.
But never fear! Game-based learning is here!
Game-based learning is fun and exciting — who doesn’t like games? — which helps get employees interested in the material.
Game-based learning also prepares employees to show clients the benefits of going digital. The short game-based rounds help employees learn (and remember) the product benefits, features, and details they need to know. It’s fast so it can be completed during downtime, and it’s digital so it can be completed on work computers or tablets.
Compliance Training
Reading mandatory company policies is tedious and boring. You know this. Your employees know this.
Compliance training, though dry, is hugely important. And you can use game-based learning to solidify this important learning foundation.
Game-based learning transforms dry, jargon-filled content into fun games. Through a game-based approach, employees will no longer consider training boring. Instead, they’ll actually want to take part and pay attention.
Game-based learning is grounded in learning science and it’s designed to improve retention. This helps employees remember those important foundational concepts and company policies.
Everyone has to do this kind of training at some point. So why not make it suck less?
The Bottom Line
Game-based learning is ideal for a variety of training types. This ranges from onboarding to refreshing the knowledge of employees who have been there since day one.
It makes training faster, more interesting, and more modern. Regardless of department or seniority, employees will spend less time in training and they'll be more likely to voluntarily participate and engage with the training material.
