Sport, Darth Vader and the paper plane: gamification in a single company

Today, gamification does not apply to exotic methods of stimulating the activity of customers and employees of companies. While elements of the game in the process of learning are perceived as something traditional, gamification in business is still a bold move. Yota did not miss the opportunity to experiment with game mechanics. In this post we will talk about our experience in applying gamification to solve a variety of business problems.

Gamification is designed to bring into the routine business processes an element of the game, to inspire, to give a new stimulus, and also to significantly facilitate the introduction of innovations - a process that often arouses employee dissatisfaction.

Practice cases

We try to develop games in such a way that employees in their daily activities pay attention to the nuances that were previously overlooked. Stimulate teamwork: game scenarios involve the achievement of goals by joint efforts.
')
We have two types of games:

• Long term. They involve the maximum number of characters, they spend serious resources.
• Small business simulations. They do not require large expenses, the number of participants - no more than 40 people. Such scenarios are not relevant to current business goals, but allow you to work out certain skills and knowledge.

Our first game - Shine Rally - we had in 2013, shortly before the launch of the fitness tracker Yota Shine. Our task was to train employees to use the gadget, so the game was implemented in the format of a sports marathon: we gathered teams from retailers at the head of the coaches and played sports and competitions between them. All participants were given trackers to collect data that was recorded and entered into the team results collection box. The team won, whose members showed the best total result of sports activity.



We wanted to make sure that employees felt what this gadget is like, how it can be useful, what its strengths and weaknesses are. Having independently tested the product, having learned it well, they could confidently recommend it to customers, focusing on their needs.

The first experience of gamification gave good results. Competitions with the use of a fitness tracker pushed employees to create "clubs of interest": people began to play basketball, organize joint cycling trips, etc.

Last year we had a game for our partner managers. According to the scenario, it was necessary to design the aircraft for Richard Branson. Participants were divided into several "design offices", each of which was responsible for the "development" of the aircraft: the engine, fuselage, etc. The task involved calculating the cost of production of components, the choice of aviation aluminum for exterior plating, equipping the cockpit, security systems, checking the compliance of the aircraft with environmental standards and operating standards adopted in Russia and the EU, and much more. Participants had to seriously immerse themselves in the world of aviation industry. In the final, after successfully signing the contract for the production of the aircraft, the participants produced its paper model.



As part of this game, employees were able to improve their interaction skills with different teams, budget planning and profits, fulfill orders as part of customer requirements. The game also helped to increase employee involvement in the company's business processes.

Yota star wars

The most ambitious game project was Yota Star Wars, in which employees of sales points across the country were involved. We had a game in 2015 - in the year of the release of the seventh part of the saga of the same name.

For 60 days, each region turned into a galaxy, and employees of points of sale were called upon to recruit on the Light Side. On the dark side were: Death Stars - a plan for the company, the Imperial Fleet - a plan for the macroregion, and attack aircraft - a plan for the outlet. The parameter on the basis of which the galaxy competition was made was military potential. In order to improve its employees fulfill sales plans, comply with standards and were trained. The republic won in the event that its military potential exceeded the military potential of the empire.

For two months, the Light Side fought the Dark One, gradually fulfilling plans for outlets, cities, regions and the company as a whole. To charge the ship's battery, it was necessary to sell modems, and to make a shot from a laser gun - and a SIM card.



To win the game it was not enough just to shoot from the hip, trying to sell more. It was necessary to precisely “aim” - to accumulate the necessary level of knowledge about products and services, filling out checklists and passing trainings and online courses.

So we solved several problems at once:

• sales support in the summer season,
• increasing the motivation and involvement of employees at points of sale,
• increased product knowledge
• introduction of new service standards.

Especially for Yota Star Wars, we created a site with an integrated Skype-chat, in which employees from all over the country actively discussed the game. We had a specially trained Darth Vader with his account, which anyone could communicate with. The scenario of the game was not static, in the course of the plot it was necessary to solve various quests. For example, it was once declared that one of the galaxies (Moscow region) was ruled by the Empire. The whole country rushed to its aid in the name of the victory of the Republic. The enemy was defeated, and the sales plan is fulfilled.



After the game was completed, we conducted an assessment of the current level of knowledge and skills with the help of a “secret customer”. It turned out that thanks to participation in the game, the level of awareness of the company's products increased and, as a result, sales increased. The share of employees who completed the full program of trainings and courses increased from 67% to 98%.

Who is behind all this?

14 coaches across the country are involved in developing and hosting games. They perform a very important task - they serve as drivers, help participants not to lose enthusiasm. They are also assigned certain roles in the games. So, during Shine Rally, one of the business coaches worked with the regional team, developed a training program for her, customized and directed. In Yota Star Wars, the trainer was a Jedi who recruited recruits to the Light Side.

Experience

According to our observations, the duration of one game should not exceed 1.5-2 months. Otherwise, the organizers and participants simply get tired of prolonged stress due to intensive training and efforts to achieve game goals. The break between the games is also a couple of months. Thus, a year can be “gamified” more than four times. It is very important that each next game is very different in mechanics, dynamics and plot. When developing games, we focus on story telling, rather than on listing the properties of goods and services: we do not “grind” the characteristics of the modem, but rather fascinatingly convey the history of its creation.

A big role is played by the participation of all employees. If someone refuses to play, he lets everyone else down. We try to tie games to current tasks, so passivity affects the overall performance of points of sale, a branch or even an entire region.

The problems we are facing

The theme of the game must be interesting to the participants, only in this case gamification can have an effect. Unfortunately, there is always a proportion of employees who are not interested in the proposed scenario. To reduce their number is one of the main tasks.

We launched Yota Star Wars in the release year of the seventh episode, and it seemed to us that the themes could not be more successful. Suddenly, we are faced with the fact that many employees under the age of 30 are not very familiar with the world of Star Wars, and some have not watched a single film from the saga at all. I had to hold a preliminary "informational support." We placed on a corporate resource photos and videos with people in the characteristic costumes of Star Wars characters in the offices and points of sale of the company, organized joint screenings of films.

As a result, the overwhelming majority of the staff approved the story, and after the game ended, proposals to use Mad Max, Avengers, Transformers, The Lord of the Rings, DotA and Quake unfolded.

Gamification has become an effective incentive tool in our company. The most important thing is that this tool is liked by the staff, which is reflected in the business with excellent results.