Why Should You Implement Games To Train Employees?
Research shows that people who play games frequently have improved decision-making abilities compared to non-gamers. The same experiment also highlights how gamers have increased brain activity and perceive changes faster and more accurately. Additionally, playing serious games, or games in general, results in better attention and memory. In addition to that, implementing games in your employee training and encouraging team members to organize fun games in the office reduces turnover rates. Thus, employee loyalty is increased and great interpersonal relationships are fostered. Simulations, puzzles, interactive activities, quizzes, and physical games are great choices for a company to utilize in its training programs and weekly or monthly office routines. Read on to discover a few game options, as well as explore the benefits of using games to train employees.
The Benefits Of Game-Based Learning
Motivation And Engagement
Game-based training teaches through trial, error, repetition, and completion. Through healthy competition, games train employees to persevere until they overcome hurdles and succeed. They don't perceive mistakes as failure but as an opportunity to learn more and progress. Therefore, people's motivation increases, and they are more engaged throughout the training process. The interactive nature of serious games helps them stay focused and have fun while learning. They can make decisions, witness the consequences, learn from their mistakes, check their progress, and receive rewards. Thus, they retain the information gathered and become more creative in solving real-life problems.
Teamwork And Collaboration
Collaboration is one of the most sought-after skills, and rightfully so, since for any business to succeed and function properly, its team members must communicate effectively and work peacefully. Games train employees by creating an environment where teamwork is necessary to solve problems and proceed. These problem-solving scenarios can make for a particularly effective team-building activity. Getting to know each other through an entertaining function helps everyone build personal bonds and strengthen their self-confidence. As a result, they can collaborate on a professional level, too, and understand each other's communication styles.
Well-Being
Since the pandemic, many organizations have maintained remote, hybrid, and flexible working options for their employees. However, many of them feel lonely, isolated, and stressed due to a lack of interpersonal relationships. Participating in game-based training helps professionals release endorphins and decrease their stress levels, thanks to the interactive and fun elements of the sessions. Instead of feeling burned out, their levels of happiness and satisfaction increase, and they gladly participate in a fun learning environment. Their performance improves, and they feel trusted and valued by their employer.
Conceptual Understanding
In traditional training, professionals are offered linear instructions on material that can be very complex to explain in words. However, games train employees in a connective manner and simplify intricate matters through interactivity. Individuals realize how the teaching points connect to real-life cases and how they can apply what they learn. Consequently, they utilize their critical thinking to make the right move and progress to the next level. Additionally, with every mistake they make, they can view the chain reaction and how a single decision can be harmful or beneficial for their company. Thus, they are challenged to analyze, evaluate, and decide carefully on each task.
Accessible And Cost-Effective
Game-based training allows everyone to participate regardless of their knowledge level. They just follow the story and use their critical thinking to make decisions. Also, developers can make the material inclusive for people with disabilities by ensuring compatibility with assistive devices. Creating a game from scratch may be expensive, but in the long run, it will prove to be cost-effective. Companies lose billions every year due to subpar training. Games create engaging and immersive learning experiences and reduce the time people need to complete their training. Therefore, they can apply their knowledge to their work and reap the benefits faster.
Additional Gaming Ideas You Can Use To Train Employees
Scavenger Hunt
This game does not necessarily train employees on work-related matters but is used to bond a team and strengthen their interpersonal relationships. It can be done both physically and virtually. There are many games on the internet that you can purchase for a small fee. All you need to do is split your employees into teams and let them find hidden objects and climb levels. The scavenger hunt can be related to your company, too. For example, you can ask each person to find an item that, in their opinion, matches your organization's core values and mission.
Jeopardy
This popular game can be used in both online and physical training. It's especially beneficial for companies in sales. So, if you have a big team, including new hires and long-term employees, you can split them into teams of 5+ members. Each team is challenged to complete five quizzes of increased difficulty and conclude their training. It would be fun and useful for every team to view everyone else's scores live and use the competition to their advantage. However, there should be no rush to finish the game, and instead, participants should focus on giving the right answers.
Helium Stick
Also known as magic cane, this game requires great collaboration between team members to reach a common goal. You need to divide your employees into teams of 8–12 people and have them stand in two equal sub-parts facing each other. The team has to balance a stick using only their index fingers. Then, they must start lowering the stick until it touches the ground. It may sound easy, but it actually is very challenging since everyone's index fingers must touch the stick at all times. If even one finger loses touch with it, the team must start their efforts again.
Can You Hear Me Now?
This is a pretty challenging game that requires everyone's full attention when one of their team members is talking. A company's workforce is divided into groups of around five people and joins separate video calls. Using a generator, everyone takes turns describing a word to the rest. However, they should only use geometric terms to describe. For example, if the word sun appears, you can ask people to draw a circle in the middle and multiple triangles on the perimeter of the circle. After the description is over, all members show their drawings and the one closest to the correct answer wins.
What's In The Room?
There are various ways someone can play this game based on their business sector. Let's say you own a sales company and want to train your employees on how to improve their tactics. You gather everyone inside a room and split them into teams. You then instruct them to locate one item inside the room and build a sales promotion around it. They have to think of the branding, logo, and selling strategy. After each team has finished their presentation, they must try to sell their product to the opposing teams.
Conclusion
Technology keeps evolving and altering the learning field, where traditional methods are disregarded and interactive solutions are enforced. Companies that have yet to invest in an LMS must act quickly to recognize trends, develop their employees' technical and soft skills, and show deep appreciation for everyone's efforts. This way, you can identify the best ways to incorporate games into your employee training strategy to achieve the best outcomes.
