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Previous years’ statistics have proven how employee well-being is positively related to high company performance. It’s also exclusively associated with employee retention, engagement, and loyalty. Overall, the world is noticing how crucial a healthy and lively work environment is for the longevity of employer-employee success.
However, it’s the management who must work towards the manifestation of these statistics for their own organization. They make an impact by strengthening employee well-being. Employee engagement is not nurtured by itself, instead requiring an invested and dedicated admin team. 👥
If you’re looking for game ideas for HR to improve employee retention and engagement, read on!
TL;DR? Skip to here to get the rundown ⬇️
Why Use Games for HR Training?
No one likes the boring orientations, half-hearted icebreakers, and monotonous team exercises.
Getting to know your employees and encouraging team building requires more than just self-introductions. Truly connecting with your colleagues means promoting partnership and an environment to build relationships. Employees are more than just workers, but individual personalities waiting to be explored.
What better way to do that than HR gamification? A 2023 report shows that 90% of employees were more productive when play and work went together. 📈
HR games make employee engagement fun and exciting. The practice instills collaboration and teamwork, which boosts the functioning of your employees. They learn each other’s work patterns, learning to adapt to a team atmosphere. Moreover, it enables rapport building that allows employees to feel comfortable and relaxed.
Put together, it’s a great recipe for increased productivity and results. 🥳
Additionally, gamification encourages communication. The key to success in any professional setting is communication. Therefore, HR games improve contact between team members so that they may work faster and more efficiently. Eventually, this leads to increased profitability which is directly beneficial for the company.
The best part? Alongside communication, several other skills like time management, creativity, organization, and leadership are refined during experiential HR games. The rewards and competition incentivize employees to further develop their skill set. 📊
Like great healthcare, vacation days, or company benefits, gamification is being sought out by future employees. Flexibility in the workplace is highly demanded by millennials and Gen Z. So, onboarding or interacting with employees through games recruits new talent and fresh university graduates to your company.
Generally, HR games make employee engagement entertaining and ensure employee well-being. It’s always in the company’s best interest to prevent employee stress and burnout. It results in strong employee loyalty and commitment toward their workplace.
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Now, let’s get into the game ideas for HR, shall we?
Games Ideas for Employee Engagement
1. Escape Room 👻
High-stress scenarios in an enclosed area with a time restriction – sounds like the perfect HR game, right?
Escape rooms are a solid way to stimulate team building and skill improvement. Create a social event for employees to problem-solve, bond, and work together against the clock. Employees can gauge the current status of their skills and capabilities. Moreover, they get to interact with each other and force themselves out of their comfort zones, building connections faster.
It makes for a whole lot of laughs and an exhilarating time!
2. Card Games 🃏
Hearts, Spades, and Cribbage are all fantastic card games that can be transformed into team-building activities with fellow employees, fostering cooperation, strategic thinking, and camaraderie.
Playing Hearts requires players to communicate and plan subtly, as they work to avoid or strategically collect certain cards to minimize their points.
In Spades, teammates need to work closely together to accurately predict the number of tricks they will take in each round, necessitating clear communication and trust. Cribbage, while traditionally a two-player game, can be played in pairs, with teammates discussing strategies and playing off each other’s hands to reach 121 points first. All of these games can be played online, providing a convenient and accessible option for remote teams or as a quick break during the workday.
3. Team Karaoke 🎤
A unique team-building experience is a karaoke! Rent a karaoke room, host a lip-sync battle, or host a singing competition. You could theme your musical days; with perhaps 80’s pop hits, Bollywood classics, or Michael Jackson special! Music is a powerful tool to unite people and build long-lasting friendships outside work.
4. Game Shows🎮
Convenient, easy, and thrilling. Spark your competitiveness in lightheaded trivia, challenges, and crossplay games. Whether you’re onsite or in a remote setting, game shows can boost employee engagement and engrossment. It’s refreshing and motivates employees to generate better results and work efficiently. Online games are the smoothest segue into virtual coffee chats, which is a great HR strategy to network and meet new recruits!
5. Two Truths and a Lie 🙊
It’s a straightforward concept that streamlines rapport building and pushes employees to standout when networking. You begin by asking everyone to state two truths and one lie about themselves. Then, other employees must guess the lie. It’s a simple game that can be upgraded by introducing a scoreboard. Wholesome competition can bring employees together and understand each other better, producing a stronger, dynamic team.
6. Pictionary 🎨
We all love a good game of Pictionary. From displaying your terrible drawing skills to excellent deduction skills, Pictionary is a general favorite. Break away from intensive or monotonous work and revel in this adrenaline-boosting, creatively inspiring game. Team up with co-workers and discover everyone’s childlike energy during a game of Pictionary. It’s the perfect HR game idea for team building and employee engagement!
7. Minefield 💣
Clear up some space because this game idea is explosive! In pairs, go through a minefield with one member blindfolded and the other as an audio guide. Build an obstacle course in an open space using office furniture like desks, chairs, and more! Split up into pairs and have one team member cover their eyes.
The other member then guides their partner through the maze using just their voice. It’s an effective team-building exercise that doubles as a trust exercise! To make it more challenging, put a time under which they have to complete it.
It’s a foolproof way to expose and hone communication skills, trust levels, patience, stress management, and the ability to meet deadlines.
8. Scavenger Hunt 🧩
This HR activity is a surefire way to make employee engagement fun. Organize an office scavenger hunt by dividing employees into small groups (bonus if they’re unfamiliar with each other since it produces a chance to bond with other staff members!).
Place different items all over the workspace; additionally, you can theme the items or make it more challenging with clues! Let teams find the objects and keep a prize for the first team that finds all items. You have the choice to time it or not.
Scavenger hunts revitalize the mind and boost employee retention. It’s a playful competition that allows employees to destress and connect with colleagues outside of work. The addition of clues can test employee problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Conclusively, this HR game idea creates long-lasting memories and relationships.
9. Dare Jenga 🤪
Jenga with a twist! Label each Jenga block with an appropriate yet intriguing dare that excites employees. This game idea makes employee engagement entertaining and helps them build friendships with each other. It’s bound to create tight-knit and reliable teams who work efficiently and create lucrative results.
10. Company Sports ⚽
A classic HR game idea is a company sports team! Host trials to recruit players, followed by healthy competitions! On top of inter-company playoffs, organize 1-v-1 matches against other rival organizations. This will enhance employee allegiance, allowing them to fight for the company name and prestige. Ultimately, it brings employees together with each other and their workplace.
10. Interactive Leaderboard 🎖️
Top it all off with an Interactive Leaderboard! Display the points earned by everyone in the office over the span of every HR game. Friendly competition enhances employee performance and keeps them engaged. It encourages each person to maximize their potential and perform better than anyone. It instills ambition and drive without forcing it, which ultimately translates into their work!
Overall, leaderboards can create a sense of pride and motivate employees to be the best for themselves and the company!
How to Measure the Effectiveness of HR Games for Employee Engagement
You’ve applied all these game ideas for HR, but how do you know they’re working? Is employee engagement fun, is employee productivity higher, has overall satisfaction increased, or is it all futile?
Don’t fret! You can always measure your employee engagement and we’re here to show you how! 🔍
The quickest way to do this is through surveys and questionnaires. Engineer a survey that is short, quick to fill, and comprehensible. Ask employees about their mental health state, the work they’ve produced, projects completed, their feedback on HR activities, one thing they are enjoying at work, and one thing they are not. 📑
Compare self-reported employee well-being with the quality and quantity of their work, and account for the HR games conducted during that time frame. This will help analyze if your HR games are boosting employee engagement and exciting them. You can also carry this out through one-on-one interviews with employees. These are common onboarding practices that employers swear by for maximum employee retention.
Another way is to evaluate employee absence and attendance rates. How often are employees present in the workplace and furthering their work? On the other hand, which employees are absent and why? Examining these factors can give insights if HR games are beneficial for employee retention and engagement – and what you can do better.
There are various software programs in the market that let you monitor the employee experience. You can collect feedback through these platforms, and track employee achievements and milestones, and overall company operations. Such software can generate advice and game plans on improving employee engagement as well! 💽
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) What is employee engagement?
A) Employee engagement is a measure of how much employees are committed to company progress and success. It refers to their cognitive and physical investment in their work without specific incentives or ulterior motives. It includes the relationship between employee-employer and employee-company, and how positive and productive it is.
Q) What are the challenges of employee engagement?
A) The biggest challenge is an uninvolved and uninterested management team. If the leadership does not facilitate, support, and overlook the HR processes and games, then the quality and strength of employee engagement will be weak. It’s a mentor’s responsibility to stimulate growth and offer encouragement.
Organizations can also make the mistake of using the wrong employee engagement strategies, using monotonous and ineffective games, and not including rewards or recognition for their participation.
Q) What are the 4 components of employee engagement?
A) They are connection, meaning, impact, and appreciation. Employee engagement skyrockets if they feel connected to co-workers and superiors, see that their work has a positive impact, and receive appreciation and recognition.
Being in a mentorship position is a rewarding journey as you have the power to inspire employees and watch them grow as professionals.
Read All About: 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Being A Mentor
Q) What are the problems with HR Gamification?
HR gamification can introduce problems with incentivization. It can quickly become focused on winning and surpassing colleagues rather than learning, improving one’s skills, and building connections. While rewards are important motivators, it is crucial HR managers keep them balanced with non-competitive games and don’t emphasize the importance of winning over training or networking.
Q) How do I tackle the cost and time effectiveness of HR gamification?
A) Draft a scalable plan which is reusable and sustainable in the long term. You can also switch to remote operations or webinars to avoid the costs of accommodation, travel, catering, and more.
Conclusion
HR gamification is a powerful tool to use to make employee engagement fun. It’s a great experience for both managers and employees, nurturing a harmonious, efficient, and cooperative environment. Try the games out and see the best possible results yourself!
