Gamification at work emerges as the key to engaging Baby Boomers, Millennials and Generation Z

Engaging employees has been one of the biggest challenges in the corporate market. According to Gallup's global report, “State of the Global Workplace”, only 23% of professionals are engaged in the work.In addition, the diversity of values among generations Z, Millennial and Baby Boomers can pose an additional challenge to keep the team involved in sync. In contrast, with the expansion of technology and digital resources, gamification has emerged as an efficient outlet to enhance employee productivity, regardless of the generation to which they belong. 

Gamification has stood out as a tool to motivate in the workplace. It can be adopted in different ways, but always with a common goal: to increase engagement and productivity. “There is no single solution for professionals with different needs, preferences and backgrounds. What companies can do is ensure that they have the autonomy to opt for the recognition format they think is best”, he says Eduardo Rodrigues, CEO of Applause.

Applause is an incentive management startup that offers a gamification-based platform with the goal of recognizing employees according to their own choices. Despite discrepancies between age groups in the labor market, a company survey of about 1200 rescues concluded that the three generations (Z, Millennials and Baby Boomers) opt for the same type of incentive: Gift Card from iFood. 

From Rodrigues' perspective, the difference between these employees may be smaller considering a common goal. “Visions may be different, but the relentless pursuit of recognition unites all generations. Therefore, the effectiveness of gamification depends on a thorough understanding of the characteristics and expectations of each. By aligning strategies with these nuances, companies can create more motivating and productive work environments for all”. 

As much as younger generations are more familiar with the digital universe, and Baby Boomers e Generation X tend to be more resistant to the use of digital technologies, gamification, when implemented intuitively, can be equally advantageous. The key is to adjust the tools so that they align with organizational objectives and are easily accessible.

“A gamification offers an approach that goes beyond simple performance recognition.It creates an atmosphere of healthy competitiveness and encourages all employees to achieve better results. Above all, the approach is based on adaptation and flexibility”, says Rodrigues. 

The Gamification in Marketing survey shows that 70% of two thousand global companies analyzed use gamification in some way. In Brazil, Gupy states that four out of ten companies use gamification-based training to train employees.