Open/Close
English

Learning through games: The gamification of employee training

2 minutes read
Blog
Learning through games has proven to be a valuable training technique for Certified Top Employers.


Gamification, the application of game playing strategy used for learning and development purposes, is being utlised more and more by establishments to achieve that most coveted of goals: knowledge and skills get truly acquired and not diluted after stepping out of the classroom door. 

Establishing education and training as a game, with simulations, role plays and videogames, has increased 18 percent among certified Top Employers in Spain, and is becoming key in instruction and development processes. In fact, 55 percent of these companies - 15 percent more than last year - already have specific technology for simulations and formative games. And gamification is not only applied to learning, but also, and this is a striking fact, for an increasing number of evaluations of the efficiency and skills of the leaders, with a rise of 25 percent (from 43 to 68 percent).

This effective approach takes advantage of the natural tendency for people to enjoy learning by doing, experimenting and discovering, reaching goals and sharing with others - because what we learn by ourselves is much more powerful than being passive subjects to that which others teach us.

The importance of gamification among Top Employers is increasing

Heineken is an example of success, with its development of leadership program 'How Heineken', an interactive and continuous game, that’s part of the daily life of the participants, in which they share challenges. With the right amount of healthy competition, it’s a challenging game. In other words, learning by having fun.

LG developed a training program based on videogames, turning training into a dynamic experience that's both entertaining and bonding. 

BSH Home Appliances uses actors inside its trainings to elaborate role plays; the simulations allow students to practice and make mistakes without risk. The student can live the situation, correct his conduct and repeat it until it becomes second nature, because learning is achieved through repetition and living successful experiences. As Bruce Lee once said, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

The challenge of changing training into action has found in gamification a motivating methodology of great effectiveness. It facilitates the professional growth of people because they're simultaneously acquiring new skills and changing old habits which is key for building new, efficient and enriching skills where traditional methods usually fail.

Table of contents
Learning through games: The gamification of employee training
    

    We assess more than 350 HR practices in our certification process.

    Subscribe to our newsletter


    Stay on top of the latest HR news & trends from the Top Employers Institute.

    Topics