How can social elements improve a corporate learning program?

Incorporating social platforms can create virtual communities that connect workers who wouldn't otherwise collaborate, leading to increased engagement and participation in learning initiatives.

Why is it important to encourage sharing in e-learning?

When learning is a group activity, participants are more likely to assist one another, generate content, and create a go-to resource hub that team members learn to rely on.

What is the best way to introduce employees to a new learning platform?

A gradual onboarding process is most effective. Introduce new features and increase difficulty over time, allowing users to get comfortable at their own pace, much like in an online game.

How can corporate learning programs accommodate different learning speeds?

By creating virtual learning groups, organizations can deliver more focused, tailored content and adjust the message for a particular group's style and pace of learning.

Gamification in Corporate Learning Programs

How Lessons from Online Games Can Enhance Corporate Learning

Popular online games like Minecraft and Farmville are known for their ability to engage millions of users. Chief Learning Officers are now drawing inspiration from these games to make their corporate e-learning platforms more effective and to boost employee participation.

By adopting specific strategies from game design, organizations can significantly improve their training and development initiatives.

1. Integrate Social Elements

To maximize participation in corporate learning programs, introducing a social component is key. Enterprise social platforms like Yammer create virtual communities, acting as a "corporate Facebook." These communities bring together employees from different departments and locations who would not typically collaborate, fostering a more connected and engaged workforce.

2. Encourage Sharing and Collaboration

Online games demonstrate that social engagement leads to resource sharing. Similarly, when corporate learning becomes a group activity, employees begin to help one another, ask questions, and share knowledge. This collaborative environment generates valuable user-driven content and transforms the learning platform into a trusted, go-to resource for the entire team.

3. Provide Guided Onboarding

Starting any new program can be intimidating. Game developers solve this by onboarding players gradually. Chris Davis, an expert with Cigna, notes that in massive multiplayer online games, "you need to introduce the mechanical aspects …gradually and then increasing the difficulty over the course of the game….you allow the game player to get his or her footing."

This principle applies directly to corporate e-learning. Instead of presenting all features at once, introduce the platform’s functions progressively. This allows employees to become comfortable and competent without feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, which is crucial for long-term adoption.

Acknowledging Diverse Learning Styles

It is essential to remember that people learn differently and at various speeds. As Davis states, "you don’t have this homogenous group of people. They’re made up of different segments and I think that the message on how you approach them should really focus on who they are."

Virtual learning environments make it possible to group employees for more focused instruction. These smaller groups allow for the delivery of content that is tailored to their specific learning styles and needs, making the training more impactful.

The integration of social and game-like features has fundamentally altered the landscape of corporate learning, making it more interactive, engaging, and effective.

Best Practice Institute

Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

The Workplace Report

The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.

How Minecraft Can Improve Your Corporate Learning Program