Gamification’s special moment has come and gone. It’s no longer the flavor of the month. Because now that it’s enshrined in business operations everywhere, it’s rapidly become an essential tool.
This post address how gamification and rewards work to improve compliance.
It’s not the game itself but the game’s mechanics which can be applied to encourage engagement, participation and loyalty.
Game designers apply data-driven knowledge to engage those who play games. Applying the principles they use in that pursuit is how you make your travel policy friendlier to employees by dispensing with the need for rigid guidelines.
In other words, making the process look more like a game in which there are rewards and recognition built in is the silver bullet to compliance with your policy.
It’s no secret to those of you reading that travel costs can get out of control quickly when employees won’t play ball. But adding gamification and rewards creates the conditions for global compliance by presenting a friendlier face than spending limits and rigid policy.
Extrinsic motivation derives from adding a motivating factor, which ups the ante for compliance. For example, benefits are an extrinsic motivation, as well as salary increases.
Most people enjoy friendly competition and fun. Gamification draws on those natural inclinations to drive higher rates of compliance, including with travel policy.
For example, introducing a system of rewards earned by employees who comply with policy includes the deployment of tools like points awarded and leaderboards. When employees can see their ranking against others, they automatically get a motivational boost.
The positive reinforcement of being rewarded for compliance with policy is far more effective than negative consequences for not complying.
Gamification and rewards work to improve compliance by providing immediate gratification, driving willing and wholehearted employee compliance.
For gamification to work, the reward must be significant enough to get employees on board. When the reward appeals, adoption is much easier.
It pays to remember that compliance with your corporate travel policy is going to save you a considerable amount of money.
The extrinsic motivation to comply skyrockets when what employees are rewarded with is highly desirable. That’s worth a chunk of the money you’ll save. Spending it on rewards just keeps the ball rolling and “voila”! Compliance is suddenly global.
Shrinking your travel budget isn’t going to win you any fans. In fact, it may breed resentment. That’s because it’s not a positive.
Negative policy rarely motivates anyone. But the positivity of gamification brings rewards and competition that makes it fun and gratifying. Accentuating the positive is how you get employees on board, with gamification and rewards doing much more than rigid policy.
For over 20 years, ITG has been creating corporate travel incentive programs and rewards systems for companies like yours.
With strong vendor relationships, finely tuned logistics and incentives expertise that keeps your people burning to achieve, we extend your capacity.
Contact us about gamification and rewards.
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