Innovation in HR: A pandemic necessity

Covid-19 has definitely revolutionized the way we know work to be; from meetings to Zoom calls, from an office job to working from home, and so many more transformations that we have to keep ourselves on our toes to adapt to. This disruption has forced the world to be on a desperate lookout for solutions that can allow businesses to continue being sustainable and productive through this fight for a new normal. 

To keep workforces engaged through the screens, companies have taken to innovative measures in order to boost the morale of their employees and manage the sluggish effects of working from home. Gamification in HR is the new player in town. In essence, gamification in businesses mean employing game like tools to strategically aggregate certain business processes. 

Today, gamification strategies are now employed in many aspects of a business, be it externally like attracting clients, or even internally within the talent management scene. One of the most common gamifications seen in businesses are applied in their training and re-skilling processes. Through such interactive measures like employing challenges, point systems, and luring rewards, this fun element introduced into a supposedly mundane task can prove to reap great metrics like increased participation rates, greater happiness, ultimately boosting the productivity of the employee.  

In recruitment, there are businesses who utilize gamification strategies to engage candidates and assess their competency through digital game tools. Companies like Google and Unilever have developed a system that incorporates games into the recruitment process. Instead of going through piles of resumes and structured interviews, such methods can break away from the conventional routine and introduce an unbiased system that can genuinely access candidates’ abilities and thought process. 

Undoubtedly, such digital strategies will still be unable to replace that human connection and engagement that this pandemic has starved businesses of. However, such innovations will pave the way towards an engaged workforce during such disconnected times. Businesses should strive towards understanding that proactive measures should be taken to help their employees get through these times instead of through any negative reinforcements.  

References: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/07/03/combining-gamification-and-human-resources-during-a-pandemic/?sh=6a92c88d577b