HR in 2022: Gamified E-Learning and AI

By Bareena Irwin Tamang, L&D Lead, AscentHR

In today's uncertain times, transformation is the key to staying relevant. The pandemic has made it imperative for companies to leverage advanced technologies and digitise business segments to survive and thrive in a highly competitive market. Two of such adoption is the usage of gamified e-learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Implementing these tech-driven constructs in human resources is viewed as a game-changer, providing maximum value.

AI in HR focuses on creating personalised learning, improving recruitment, enhancing the employee experience, and reviewing existing employees' performance reviews. On the other hand, gamification uses game elements in a non-game environment. Both technologies support HR in their unique form. Let's dive into these two technologies to understand how AI and Gamification are becoming essential for HR.

AI in Human Resource

Analysing, predicting, and assessing makes artificial intelligence crucial for HR teams. It helps them make decisions that are beneficial for the business and the employees. The technology can be embedded into various segments of the HR department, such as hiring, onboarding, training, performance analysis, retention.

Artificial intelligence is a tool that brings in efficiency and creates an enhanced employee experience. AI also helps firms to connect with their existing and prospective employees on a personal level. It helps HR shortlist the most suitable resumes to hire the right candidate while extending necessary support to the team.

Nowadays, the scope of AI in HR is proliferating. At its core, it automates as much work as possible, saving personnel time and energy and allowing them to focus on other tasks that matter. Besides this, companies are using chatbots to gauge employee sentiments in real-time. These chatbots can conduct frequent employee surveys that help leaders and HR personnel obtain a holistic picture of the employees' engagement levels. These AI-enabled chatbots can also include data analytics feature that uses machine learning (ML) algorithms to categorise common feedback phrases to identify more significant trends.

With the pandemic in focus, followed by social distancing norms and the adoption of new hybrid working models, such surveys with data analytics features are gaining more traction and attention and improving employee retention. It gives HR a definite answer to questions such as how motivated employees feel, are they comfortable with their workload, what employees think about the firm's latest initiative, to name a few.

Gamification in e-learning

In the era of digitalisation, gamification in HR is becoming popular and more widely used than ever before. As the name suggests, gamification uses game principles and techniques in a non-game environment, such as leaderboard, levels, point system, certificates, and badge awards, among others. Studies have shown that deploying gamification elements enhances user engagement, which in turn can positively impact the effectiveness of e-learning.

In a company, HR is one of the few departments that use gamification intensively as it addresses intrinsic motivation in the employees. When done right, it can improve employee engagement significantly.

In e-learning, gamification is used to enhance employees' learning experience. For instance, a leaderboard adds an element of friendly competition in an e-learning course. It motivates employees to outperform their peers by completing the assigned task, which was the primary learning objective of the activity. Once completed, employees who finish first are given goals, awarded with badges or gifts. Gamification in e-learning incentivises employees with recognition for their work. It also adds fun to learning and improves the participants' performance.

Besides using gamification in e-learning for existing employees, this concept is also used while onboarding new employees. The L&D function can create multiple online courses that introduce the new employees to the company while competing with other new joiners. This tactic is typically absent in the traditional onboarding process. For instance, new hires can embark on their onboarding journey by learning about the company's policies. As they progress, their second mission might be related to knowing the core team, and so on.

The importance of gamification in e-learning and AI continues to grow. Knowing how to use these technologies will strengthen the company's ability to create a healthy working environment and a pool of highly skilled employees.

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