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The gamification associated to incentive compensation: when earning more becomes a game

The gamification associated to incentive compensation: when earning more becomes a game
January 03, 2019

Team motivation

Playful, energetic, addictive but also challenging, factors of team cohesion and likely to boost the results of your teams especially commercial ... The games attract more and more companies. How does gamification motivate your employees? What are the ingredients for a good game? The point with Simon Vandendriessche, Managing Director Co-Founder of Incenteev.


WHY GAMIFICATION IS A FULL PART OF THE PROCESS OF MODERNIZING COMMERCIAL CHALLENGES?

Gamification consists of going to look at what the game world proposes to engage more people. It integrates into the management process in general and for the sales people in particular. The mechanics put in place are the same as those developed to motivate and retain employees. Companies often tend to put in place strict compensation processes. Thanks to the games, they activate deeper levers of motivation, with less constraints

 

IN WHAT WAYS DOES GAMIFICATION NATURALLY ACTIVATE THE MOTIVATION LEVERS OF COMMERCIAL TEAM?

There are five levers:

1. Mastery: we play on the competency and confidence of the collaborator in a given field, on his ability to succeed. In large online games, players get a amazing level of mastery and incredible control over a decision process.

2. Autonomy: the game allows a great freedom. The collaborator in action is master of all his actions. Surfing in the air, the companies allow the employee to get out of control to better appropriate their projects.

3. Progression: To remain motivated, it is important to be able to measure progress through several intermediate objectives. The interest: to quickly go through the steps at the beginning and then quickly fell his personal progress. We strongly encourage companies to update frequently so that players can progress in real time.

4. The purpose (meaning and purpose of the mission). The goal is to successfully complete the game. The player seeks to achieve something that makes sense. This variable is often more important than compensation itself. It is therefore important for managers to recall the reason for a mission. Employees may feel that they are contributing to an action that exceeds them at their individual level.

5. The social bond is the ability to interact with peers. Games require more and more collaborative meaning. Talking becomes essential. An example I met: a bank wanted to engage more salespeople. As and when the challenge, they accumulated points, pooled in a pool donated to an association. This good collective experience strengthens internal cohesion.

 

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IS THIS TYPE OF GAME NOT REWARDING THE SAME PEOPLE? CAN THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THIS TYPE OF ACTION NOT CREATE DISCORD BETWEEN EMPLOYEES?

Most companies operate on the reward of the best. However, to reward the top of the commercial, we speak more about recognition, valuation and loyalty. And not motivation. Integrating a larger project, moving from a very individual world to a more collective world affects many more people.

Ranking the best players may discourage others and create tension. The solution: make several rankigs, change the ranking perimeters so that everyone has a chance to navigate. Rather than a difficult challenge, better a few small challenges, with low rewards.

 

WHAT ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS FOR THE SUCCESS OF AN ENTERPRISE GAME?

game-motivation-296x300-2At first glance: think collectively and not individually. Then multiply the challenges on different objectives. For example, a challenge on the absolute performance, a challenge on the progression so that all the players can say that they are able to shine, to win at one time or another.

The duration of the game depends on the indicators of the challenge. Mix big challenges in the quarter with shorter challenges, by the week or by the day, to give more rhythm.

Do not neglect the training aspect. The employees want to learn, to improve. The games help them in this, for example with small quizzes that bring extra points to a challenge and that allow them to learn in a fun way. Generation Y is in particular very demanding on the meaning in the company. It's up to the company to question how it views employee engagement

 

 The 10 golden rules of incentive compensation  Optimize your incentive compensation plans with this exclusive content white  paper.  Download

 

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The 10 golden rules of incentive compensation

Find out the incentive compensation white paper gathering best practices and pitfalls to avoid to set up incentive compensation plans
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Download

Blog post author

Hervé de Riberolles

For more than ten years, I have been leading a number of projects for our customers to diagnose and re design the incentive compensation systems of their teams. The diversity of environments (sectors, countries, populations) that we face, my team and myself, requires a perpetual adaptation of our methods and our offer. The motivation of employees is, from my point of view, exciting, constantly evolving and at the crossroads of several areas of expertise. That's what makes it so interesting.

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