Warehouse gamification is masking a bigger problem
Logistics digitalisation has seen its fair share of teething problems whilst companies adapt and modernise their processes to see that employees and machines work harmoniously alongside each other.
However, there is a way to use technology – even gamification – to increase employee productivity, retention and satisfaction that doesn’t come in the form of a gimmick.
Reward or demerit?
The argument for gamifying the warehouse is often that it will re-engage employees and make their working environment more fun and competitive. If you consider becoming a living component of Black Mirror fun, then you’ll enjoy it. Starbucks currently use gamification in their warehouses, where employees battle to earn reputation points on an open leader board. However, they don’t give points for high scorers, they take points away for those who are not falling in line with scoring criteria. Pushing aside the fact they’ve chosen to call the points ‘reputation points’, the public demeriting system is just another way of shaming your staff into performing better. There are alternative incentives that can lead to consistent results, rather than promoting short bursts of productivity when the game is new and shiny.
When can gamification work?
In its defence, gamification is something that can be successfully implemented to enhance staff training within business settings. Studies have shown that gamification for learning and training vastly improve peoples’ retention and engagement with the content in the first place – which is perfect for employee onboarding and ongoing progression. Using gamification in this way unifies a team, as they place in a friendly setting and it involves collaboration and discussion in between quizzes or questions. Perhaps most crucially, it can turn the 3-hour monotone Health & Safety training session with Mick into one with incentive to participate (not snooze at the back) and where the training will be retained and acted on day to day.
What's the alternative?
I’m sure there are a fraction of employees who find all-day competition the spice of life, but it’s a divisive technique implemented when some people would rather come into work and consistently perform well without being made to play a video game. Perhaps, rather than using games as an opportunity to demerit colleagues, business leaders should invest in initiatives that promote employee safety and satisfaction. Rewards can be used as part of the training processes to encourage the retaining of important information. This encourages people to work safely and ensures they are more motivated to keep their productivity high.
Conclusion
Those who have gamified their warehouses are not trying to place their employees into a living game and have implemented it with the best intentions. However, improving employee safety, training, engagement and performance is something that still needs a human approach at the core. Rather than trying to solve a problem of employee engagement with a surface game, there needs to be more time invested from management to ensure employees perform enthusiastically.
