Training with a twist! Make your corporate training fun

In 2020, our FMCG client navigated the disruption of a pandemic and the technology challenges that came with it. As their consulting partner, we came in to support their adoption of new technology tools and ways of working across 22 global markets, helping them capitalise on the opportunities and address the complexities of hybrid working.

The program created deep-rooted and long-lasting change. Today, we will zoom into one vital part of this successful project:

How did we train over 4000 employees to work more collaboratively, safely, and effectively than ever before?  

Answer: We leveraged gamification to drive engagement and participation throughout the journey.  

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Gamification applies game elements to non-game situations to keep audiences motivated and engaged. For example, what if we told you there are 4 cocktail names hidden in this article? Could you find them all? Let's jump in!  

When businesses talk about 'corporate training,' the reaction tends to be, "Not another one, please!" Engagement during traditional corporate training sessions is frequently low, and attendance can dwindle if not mandatory. Technology training suffers from this dark and stormy fate more often than other sessions.

So, when we set out to train over 4000 employees globally to work and collaborate using Microsoft tools, we knew we needed to do something differently.  

Our hot take: Training is essential to most transformation programs, but who knew? It doesn't have to be boring.  

Through the learning journey at our FMCG client, we developed and implemented a challenge called the 'Bottle hunt'. The bottle hunt involved hiding one of the many recognisable bottles in the learning materials delivered to our cosmopolitan audience. The first one to spot it would be the session winner, who would receive merch as a reward. The teams loved it!  

In the markets where we implemented this, we witnessed higher audience attendance (up to 70%!) and higher engagement during sessions, such as reactions and chat activity.  

In contrast, old-fashioned trainer-audience dynamics consist of telling exercises where the recipients remain passive. Gamifying training provides a new avenue where both parties are actively involved in the learning process, which means more engagement, motivation, and better outcomes for transformation programmes.

In other words, gamification is not simply fun to benefit the audience but a tool for transformation programmes to deliver on their objectives, from attendance in training sessions to lasting behavioural change. Our FMGC client contributed to their broader objective of weaving a sense of community and fun into the foundation of IT transformation, which is maintained today.

So, whether you think gamification is the bee's knees or not, the fact that you reached the end of this article is an argument in favour of considering how it can help you deliver on the objectives of your next transformation.    

Interested in exploring how gamification could work for you? Check out our gamification in training cheat guide to find out how you could get started.