6 Ways Onboarding Gamification Can Help New Hires Get Up to Speed, Fast

Paperwork to be completed, procedures to be learned and training videos to be watched - let’s face it, the onboarding process can be pretty dull sometimes.

It’s important to note that a poor onboarding experience can lead to negative consequences for a business, such as increased turnover rates or a damaged reputation. On the flip side, great onboarding experiences have been found to improve employee retention by 82%.

Many companies are adopting gamification techniques to improve their onboarding process and help employees get up to scratch on the company and their specific role more speedily.

What is onboarding gamification?

In onboarding, gamification refers to the inclusion of “gamified” elements to make an experience more enjoyable and accelerate the pace of learning. Game-based elements such as competitions, rewards and storytelling are added to onboarding materials for a more interactive experience.

One of the main benefits of onboarding gamification is that it increases motivation for participants by offering recognition, rewards and other incentives for good performance. When gamified elements are added to training materials, 83% of employees feel more motivated, compared with just 28% of those that undergo non-gamified training.

Moreover, the onboarding process sets the tone for an employee’s future attitude towards a company. If a new hire has a fun and engaging experience learning through play and activities, they’ll likely be much more enthusiastic about starting in their new role.

On the other hand, if their onboarding experience is tedious and uninspiring, they’ll find becoming more accustomed to the new environment more challenging.

Another advantage that gamification offers relates to hybrid or remote employees who might not feel as socially connected to their work environment. Virtual onboarding can feel isolating for employees. Adding game elements to onboarding materials can foster a sense of connection for physically distanced employees. But this isn’t limited to onboarding materials and gamification principles can be applied to other activities in the workplace too. In fact, 87% of employees agree that gamified elements help them feel more socially connected to their colleagues and provide a sense of purpose.

How to use onboarding gamification to keep employees engaged

There are plenty of ways you can add gamification elements to your onboarding process. Here are some tried and tested gamification examples that can drive engagement and enhance the learning experience for new hires.

1. Learning portals

Instead of relying on multiple PowerPoint presentations or boring documents, create a dedicated learning portal for employees to access throughout their onboarding process. You can combine various gamified content elements into the portal to make it more engaging and interactive, and ensure it’s personalized to the new hire and their role within the company.

2. Interactive content

Today, millennials and younger generations make up a large percentage of new hires. They’re more acquainted with content that’s shared to engage and entertain, such as social media posts and stories, so using audience-specific tactics to improve your onboarding process is an effective strategy.

Make the learning experience more engaging for new hires by filling out your onboarding materials with interactive content. This can come in many forms, such as interactive video features, gamified assessments and quizzes that can help keep employees absorbed in their learning materials.

3. Leveling up

Incorporate goal setting into the onboarding process by introducing levels into your learning portal or materials. For example, new hires can reach different levels as they accomplish their tasks.

Being promoted to the next level provides employees with an incentive to remain engaged. This is a critical part of gamification and helps push employees to reach milestones, achieve goals and move forward in the onboarding process.

4. Leaderboards

Leaderboards are an effective tool for keeping people motivated when playing games. Introducing ranking into the onboarding process can help increase competitiveness, which can motivate employees to challenge themselves and improve their learning efficiency to make it onto the leaderboard.

5. Rewards and incentives

Who doesn’t love feeling rewarded when they achieve a goal? Offering employees rewards or incentives throughout the onboarding program can help to keep them motivated. Don’t just offer a certificate upon completion - incentivize new hires during the process to keep them engaged. For instance, you might offer points, badges or other types of rewards when they reach a certain milestone or complete a task. You can also integrate rewards into your leaderboard.

6. Storytelling

One way to improve the effectiveness of your onboarding process is to incorporate work-related storylines into your materials. Involving narratives and modern storytelling techniques to increase how entertaining your onboarding content is, as well as graphics and video content is a great way to keep employees engaged and accelerate their learning.