Employee Engagement and Recognition

Thru Gamification
Michael F. Maciekowich
National Director
[email protected]
Introduction
 Gamification Defined
(Wikipedia)
• Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game
contexts to engage users in solving problems.[1][2][3]Gamification is applied to
improve user engagement, return on investment, data quality, timeliness,
and learning.[4]
• Gamification techniques strive to leverage people's natural desires for
competition, achievement, status, self-expression, altruism, and closure.
• A core gamification strategy is rewards for players who accomplish desired tasks.
Types of rewards include points,[5] achievement badges or levels,[6] the filling of a
progress bar,[7] and providing the user with virtual currency.[6]
• Competition is another element of games that can be used in gamification.
Making the rewards for accomplishing tasks visible to other players or providing
leader boards are ways of encouraging players to compete.[8]
• Another approach to gamification is to make existing tasks feel more like
games.[9] Some techniques used in this approach include adding meaningful
choice, onboarding with a tutorial, increasing challenge,[10] and adding
narrative.[9]
 5 Ways Gamification Can Improve HR Management
By Steve Sims, Vice President of Badgeville
Gamification applies behavior-motivating techniques from traditional and social games to non-
game environments.
1. Improve Talent Acquisition and Management
– You can easily turn the hiring process into a gamified experience by rewarding
prospects with both acknowledgement and tangible perks for completing each step,
from application to start date
– The opportunity for an employee to earn Referrer of the Year status can encourage
employees to take a more active role in talent acquisition, and even help relieve some
of the pressure from the HR department itself.
2. Cultivate Corporate Culture and Retain Valued Employees
– You can use gamification to promote a positive corporate culture by rewarding
employees for cross-departmental collaboration, providing process or product
improvement suggestions, or even participating in company-wide volunteer programs,
for example.
– You can use a gamified platform to track these activities and opportunities, as well as
showcase employee participation to their coworkers to provide intrinsic motivation.
 5 Ways Gamification Can Improve HR Management
By Steve Sims, Vice President of Badgeville
3. Motivate Employees to Learn and Participate in Training
– Motivating them to take time out of their busy day to complete these programs in a specified time
period can be challenging.
– Adding a gamification experience to the online learning program can spur action. Employees who
earn rewards and recognition for having completed these tasks, or missions in the gamification
lexicon, are far more likely to make it a priority.
4. Incentivize Paperwork and Other Administrative Requirements
– Similar to training applications, rewarding employees with either peer or management recognition
— or even tangible incentives — for completing required forms can create a friendly competition
where employees try to out-do one another for the title of best expense reporter or quickest to
complete benefits update forms.
5. Map the Path to Career Success
– Using gamification, HR departments can create transparent, mission-based career paths that show
the steps employees have taken to level up in the organization. For example, perhaps the top
salesperson completes refresher training annually, turns in expense reports within a week of
travel, keeps his/her prospect pipeline up to date, logs 5 new leads every week and follows up on
two.
– You can even design such programs to allow team members to recognize one another for
contributions made toward a common goal. By consulting the platform, it’s easy to identify
employees who have achieved certification in specific skills, worked with clients in a specific
industry or make other connections throughout the data.
 Total Rewards “Tools”
External Position Internal Position Employee Pay and Total “Non-Cash” Ability to Fund all
Equity Equity Recognition Compensation – Aspects of the
Equity Benefits/ Retirement Program

• Competitiveness in • Determine • Determine • Addressing the •Funding all aspects

terms of Geography. organizational value internal pay rising cost of of the program
of positions levels of insurance in plan understanding the
• Competitiveness in
regardless of market employees design. impact of current
terms of industry.
value. based on industry trends.
• The need to have
• Level of seniority,
•Determine value of more employee cost •Determining the
competitiveness by performance, or
positions not sharing. “ROI” of all
organization and other methods.
matched to the programs to
position. •Understanding
market. • Determine demonstrate the
pressures from
•Recruitment and appropriate impact on effective
•Determine the organized labor.
Retention Trends. methods to recruitment and
differences among
recognize •The need for retention of staff
“families” of jobs.
employee flexibility in required for the
performance and addressing organization to
contributions. “generational” succeed.
differences in both
• Understanding •Proactively
benefit and pension
the impact of developing
design.
“Generations” in strategies that
compensation •Impact of reduce cost impacts
decisions. fluctuating stock while remaining
market on pension effective.
design strategies.
 The Basics-
Medals/Trophies/Awards
Client Employee Recognition System
Client Employee Recognition System
Client Employee Recognition System
Client Employee Recognition System
Quick Teamwork Games to Engage
Employees at Work

http://www.refreshleadership.com
 Office Celebrity
The game Celebrity is great for parties, but this play off of this classic is bound to break any barriers between
coworkers and lead to knowing one another better. When workers know more about each other, they tend to
work better together!

– Break your office into two teams.

– Write everyone’s name on separate pieces of paper and place them in a bowl.
– Round One: The first team has one member get up and pull a name from the bowl. He or she
tries to get their team to guess which worker it is by giving characteristics of that person.
After the team guesses it, another name is chosen and so on until a minute has passed.
After one minute, the second team picks one member to try and get their team to guess as
many names as possible during a minute. This goes on, switching teams and rotating players
until all of the names have been guessed. Replace all names back into the bowl. Keep a tally
of how many names each team correctly guessed.
– Round Two: Same as round one, but each moderator can only use ONE word to describe
each name drawn.
– Round Three: Same as the previous rounds, but each moderator can’t use words to describe
drawn names, but instead must act them out. The team with the most correct names tallied
after three rounds wins!
 Office Scavenger Hunt
One great way to loosen up a stiff work day is to have an office-wide scavenger hunt! Although
you could just have a simple search-and-find checklist, this is a great opportunity to engage
workers by simple problem solving.

– Create an in-depth series of clues with each clue leading to a different one. (This works
best in riddles, like “The best way to cure a case of Monday morning tiredness to get
you ready for the day.” And then hide the next clue by your office coffee maker.)
– Break your office into three to five teams, giving each one the first clue.
– Set a time frame for the office to complete the scavenger hunt.
– As each team finds the next clue by figuring out where the previous clue was directing
them, encourage teams to involve each person during the problem solving process.
– This is a competition after all, so offer a prize for the first team that finishes the hunt.
 Trivia
Trivia is one of the most simple to set up and most enjoyable. From history to current events to
business questions, engaging in a simple game of trivia will sharpen minds and encourage
teamwork and office competition.

– Split your employees into teams of three to six people.

– Choose three rounds of topics (i.e., World History, Art and Music, Movies, Company
History, Company Products/Services, etc.).
– Ask five questions involving the first topic. After each question, have a member of
each team silently write down an answer on a piece of paper with their team name
and turn it in to the trivia moderator.
– After each round, give the answers to questions so the teams can keep a tally of how
they’re doing.
– After three rounds, the team with the most right answers wins. (You may need to have
a “lightning round” for a tie breaker.)
Example of How To Start Slow
with the Basics
 Salary Based Reward System
The heart of this employee reward system is that employees earn points for day-to-
day achievements and the accumulation of those points is what drives salary
increments.

There are two kinds of points: ordinary points for performance of their regular job
and extra points for taking on special projects.

Employees can also lose points if they make a mistake—just like a failure might show
up on a performance review; however instead of spending a year wondering how
the mistake will affect their progress they are docked the points right away and they
can set about earning them back.

When employees have earned enough points, they go up a level and get the
associated salary increment. The system is designed so that the average employee
can go up a level each year based on ordinary points. Star employees go up much
faster.
 Salary Based Reward System
This can be seen as a way of moving someone up, through a broad salary band. A significant
promotion cannot be earned by point accumulation alone, that takes approval of a committee,
just as it would in any other company.

The seasoned reward professional can immediately imagine all the ways this could spin out of
control, but rather than dismissing it, ask yourself what governance mechanisms would be
required to keep it sane.

It does have controls; for example, there are not an unlimited number of points available and
the system is regularly tweaked both to keep it engaging and to tamp down problems.

All the work around deciding what ordinary and extra points are available can be seen as a
means of goal setting. Employees are given goals. The importance of goals is made explicit.
Employees are rewarded for day to day achievement of those goals. It is a good fit of employee
reward system design to the organizational context.
Gamification and Performance
Management and Rewards
 Areas in HR Best Suited for
Gamification

Competency Rewards &

On-Boarding
Enhancement Recognition

Compliance Career Advancement

 Sample Quarterly Performance Management “Game”

Financial Performance
• Utilization of Resources
• Core Competencies Required 0/1 Pt
• Score 0 – 10 Pts

Growth Performance
Customer Performance • Proposed Improvements
• Customer Interactions Organization • Core Competencies
Required 0/1 Pt
• Core Competencies Success
• Score 0 - 10
Required 0/1 Pt Quarterly Score
• Score 0 – 10 Pts 0 -55

Quality Performance Human Resources Performance

• Process • Teamwork/Interaction
• Core Competencies • Core Competencies Required 0/1
Required 0/1 Pt PT
• Score 0 -10 Pts • Score 0 – 10 Pts
 Sample Performance Management Scorecard
Quarterly Maximum = 55/ Annual Maximum = 220
Note: Must obtain a (1) in the category competency to be scored.

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Financial
0 -11 Pts
Customer
0- 11 Pts
Quality
0 – 11 Pt
Human
Resources
0 – 11 Pts
Growth
0 - 11 Pts
Total
 Sample Performance Management
Points and Awards
Quarterly Points Annual Cumulative Annual Performance $ Value of Shares
Earned Points Earned Shares Earned (Based on $10 per Share)
(Titanium Special Award =
2 PTO Days)
(Platinum Special Award =
1 PTO Day)
(Gold Level = Recognition in
Staff Meeting)

44 – 55 176 - 220 50 $500

(Titanium Level)
33 – 43 132 - 172 40 $400
(Platinum Level)
22 – 32 88 - 128 30 $300
(Gold Level)
11- 21 44 - 84 10 $100
(Silver Level)
0–9 0 - 36 0 $0
(Bronze Level)
 Gamification and
Competency/Career Development
Maintenance Example
Example: Gamification and Sales
Competency Development
Career Path
Design Process

Job Individual Administration

Complexity Competency

Determine Determine Assess

Levels and Levels and Employees
Define Define Core Against Criteria
Outcomes Competencies

Refine and
Define Define Finalize
Level Behavioral Guidelines
Activities Indicators

Establish
Define Establish Compensation
Level Assessment Policies
Requirements Process
 Job Complexity Worksheet
Bronze Silver Gold
(Entry Complexity) (Moderate (High Complexity)
15 pts Complexity) 60 pts
30 pts

Technical
Activities 5 pts 10 pts 20 pts

Customer
Activities 5 pts 10 pts 20 pts

Collaboration
Activities 5 pts 10 pts 20 pts

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Individual Competency Worksheet
Bronze Silver Gold (Expert/Role
(Entry/Learning) (Fully Competent) Model)
15 pts 30 pts 20 pts

Education
5 pts 10 pts 20 pts

Experience
5 pts 10 pts 20 pts

Specialized Skills
5 pts 10 pts 20 pts

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 Individual Scorecard
Level Attained

Job Complexity Individual Total Points 100 – 120 pts = Mechanic I Base Pay @
Score Competency Earned Market P75
Score
60 pts 120 pts 60 – 99 pts = Mechanic II Base Pay @
Maximum 60 pts Maximum Market P50
Maximum
Review 30 – 59 pts = Mechanic III Base Pay @
Quarter Market P25

4
 Final Thoughts
Gamification: Is It for Your Organization?
 Concluding Thoughts
Gamification is a growing hot trend in HR, and in business in general. The
use of game mechanics to engage people in solving problems and to
encourage enthusiasm has been gradually gaining popularity in business. It
is estimated that by 2020, over 70% of Forbes’ Global 2000 companies will
have some form of gamification in their business.

Marriott International has been a forerunner in using gamification as a

means to recruit future employees. In 2011 they released a Facebook game
called “My Marriott Hotel,” which allows gamers to manage a “virtual” hotel
starting from the hotel restaurant kitchen and then expanding to other
areas of the hotel. The game can be played in five different languages.
 Concluding Thoughts
Andrew Butow (leading researcher on Gamification in HR) has identified some of the critical
success factors for gamification to work for HR. He suggested the following:

– people must interact with the tool frequently

– people must have a variety of interaction points

– there exists a community that people care about recognition in

– interaction points are easily quantified

– adoption is a high priority

– frequent feedback is important

These are valuable guidelines and should prevent organizations trying to add gaming principles
that wont have any value.
 You Tube Instructional Videos on Gamification

The Beginner's Guide to Gamification: Introduction by

Yu-kai Chou
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cknd7564PVU

Gamification Applied to HR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoigUTAMW18
 Human Resource/Compensation
Consulting Services
External Market Pricing- Performance Management
Individual / Large Scale Projects

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 FLARE ™
Web-Based Talent Management Made Easy
Performance Management Pay for Performance

Recreate your organization’s performance review forms with an This module makes determining merit increase awards inn three easy
entirely Web-based platform. steps.

Appraisal forms can be updated at any time. This module also You’ll meet your merit increase budget time and again, and you’ll
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Salary Forecasting Job Description

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 Michael F. Maciekowich
Michael F. Maciekowich is a National Director for Astron Solutions. His areas of expertise include the development, design, and
implementation of executive, physician, and employee base pay, short and long term incentive programs, sales incentive
programs and performance management systems in all industries. His primary focus is the integration of compensation and
human resource strategies with organization-specific missions, visions, values, and strategic operating plans.

Michael has over thirty years of consulting and industry compensation experience. Prior to Astron, Michael was the National
Director of Healthcare Rewards Consulting and the Metro New York Operations Manager for Rewards Consulting for the Hay
Group. He was also compensation consultant with a number of consulting firms, including Towers Perrin (Senior Consultant),
Hartstein Associates (Vice President), Adams, Nash & Haskell (Vice President), The Omni Group (Vice President and Partner),
and Modern Management (Senior Consultant). In these roles, he focused on the role compensation plays in human resources
and labor avoidance strategies. He has assisted hundreds organizations in his twenty plus years of consulting. Prior to his
consulting career, Michael was responsible for compensation services at the American Hospital Association, Honeywell
International, and Zenith Electronics.

Michael is a sought-after speaker in compensation program design. He is a regular speaker for the national conference of the
American Society of Healthcare Human Resource Administration (ASHHRA) regarding healthcare compensation and
performance management strategies. In addition, he has presented to numerous local ASHHRA and Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM) chapters.

Michael is an active member of WorldatWork (former American Compensation Association), American Society of Healthcare
Human Resource Administration, Society for Human Resource Management, and SHRM’s Consultants Forum. He is also a
member of various local and state human resource associations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Upstate New York, Greater
New York City, and Louisiana. Michael is a member of the International Who’s Who of Professionals. He received a lifetime
achievement award from WorldatWork. Michael received bachelor’s degrees in political science and philosophy and a master’s
degree in industrial relations from the Loyola University of Chicago.

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