Community Corner

POLL: Would You Like Your Job to Be 'Gamified'?

Some companies are implementing video game-like reward systems to motivate employees.

Imagine getting points for meeting a deadline or perhaps receiving a prize for attending a meeting. While performance incentives and bonuses have long been a part of the workplace, today's employers may be on the verge of taking those measures a step further through "gamification."

The Wall Street Journal reports some employers are trying to find a way to transfer the features that motivate gamers -- such as achievement levels, virtual goods, high score recognition, etc. -- into the workplace. With many companies using a variety of metrics to track employee performance already, the "gamification" of the workplace is not only possible, but probable.

"All evidence suggests that your work one day will operate like a videogame to be conquered, rather than a craft to be perfected," Farhad Manjo wrote in the Wall Street Journal article.

But will these reward systems actually work or simply put more pressure on employees who already feel as if every minute of their day is being tracked and quantified?

In an interview with Forbes, author Adam Penenberg said gamification has the potential to increase productivity but is ripe for abuse.

"Done wrong or for the wrong reasons, gamification is simply a way to squeeze more out American workers," he said.

Whether or not employers apply gamification techniques in a positive manner remains to seen, but, if industry experts are correct, many employees will soon witness such rewards systems firsthand. 

VentureBeat reports gamification could become a $5 billion industry by 2018 and that by 2014, 70 percent of 2,000 global organizations will use gamified applications for employee performance, healthcare and training.

Do you believe "gamification" will lead to improved job performance? Would you enjoy your job more if it were "gamified"? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments or vote in our pollNote: This is not a scientific poll. It is for entertainment purposes only.

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