Page 80 - OHS, JulyAugust 2023

I F F N A A C L L E L L N P P T R R IV O O E T T S E E C C T TI IO O N N m : : s s t t b b m f o o r r e e e e x x c c i i t i t i n n g e g e l l e e m m e e n n t o t o f c f c h h a a n n c c e u e u p o n c r a t c h i n g h e o t t o m o e and traded cards online with each other in order for them to each spell out the word JACKPOT. h e l r o n i a r d , l e t t e w a s r e v e l d p o n c . E r m a t p c l h o i y n e e h g h e o e a t t o r t r t m o e e r r e e f t t Once spelled, the employee was then entered into a series of company and even national drawings. The national drawings (from the incentive supplier) provided chances to win beach vacation packages and be entered into an annual “Power Bag” Drawing for up to $ 1 million dollars cash. A participant remarked, “Some are more motivated by the smaller, frequent awards, and for others the big Grand-Prize Drawings do the trick! It makes the value of that weekly game card so much more because ... you never know!” Avoiding the pitfall of a program losing steam with time, the catalog was arranged by ascending plateau point value levels. In addition, as the program progressed, the odds of being entered into the grand-prize drawings rose each week as they collected letters. The utility was originally concerned that gamifying a recognition program would add administration to their already hectic safety responsibilities. They found that by using an already proven, turnkey, online program, it helped to keep the program rewarding and other components mostly admin-free. The results of this gamified approach were staggering. Safety engagement at the utility reached an all-time high. Near Miss reporting and Safety Observation numbers rose to unprecedented levels, much higher than with their past traditional “carrot and stick” approaches. In addition, the program lead commented, “Our previous program was outdated and stale, but since this program is focused on leading indicators, employees are encouraged and feel comfortable reporting safety concerns without fear of reprimand!” Their goal of improving overall safety culture was exceeded, return on investment proved strong, and they continue this gamified program today with excellent safety results and numbers. Others in a variety of industries have reaped the rewards by gamifying their safety incentive program. The nation’s third-largest beverage company used a similar approach, rewarding weekly game tickets to employees across their multiple plants. Their cards were actual physical game cards (versus electronic or mobile) and were rewarded on the spot weekly for safety observations and other pro-safety behaviors. The company used both the element of rewarding the smaller individual merchandise rewards along with the Grand- Prize Drawing component. Similar to the utility company, the employees played the game amongst themselves, trading cards to achieve their improved drawing odds. Within one year, their accidents had plummeted 56 percent with this new gamification element. A company spokesperson commented, “It has brought about more safety awareness, and has shown that our employees can work together as a team to increase their odds of winning!” A Texas municipality also tried its hand at adding gamification to see if it made a difference. They experienced a 25X return on their investment. Accidents were reduced by a whopping 86 percent. They said simply ... “The game made all the difference!” A major auto parts distributor saw a reduction of claims by 61 percent and was pleasantly surprised at how workplace attendance h e e e e c c t t c c c c a a r r a a e e s s t t n n b b d d l r o n i a r d , l e t t e w a s r e v e l d . E m p l o y e e h e a More than ever, companies have turned to adding elements of gamification to their safety incentive programs, which has proven to engage and bond employees much more effectively than traditional programs. simple psychology that was instilled in us and that motivated us in our youth. The Gamification Element Games captivated, motivated, and bonded most of us when we were young. If something became stale, we gamified it. Creative parents and teachers often used this technique on us ... because it worked. More than ever, companies have turned to adding elements of gamification to their safety incentive programs, which has proven to engage and bond employees much more effectively than traditional programs. The return on investment of these gamified programs is far superior as well. Results in the Workplace One of the nation’s largest Utility providers has experienced this first-hand. Prior, the company, with several thousand employees, had been running a traditional program focused primarily on the award itself. Their safety department lead commented, “We had been running outdated incentive programs that were focused on lagging indicators.” While continuing rewarding merchandise for safety accomplishments, they shifted the focus of their program to one that was strongly gamified. They selected a program that included elements of chance as well as a component that encouraged peer- to-peer interaction between team members. The new program utilized online, mobile “Jackpot” scratch- off game cards that were rewarded on a frequent, weekly basis for specific “leading” safety behaviors (versus lagging indicators). Game card rewarding was attached to proactive safety behavior, attending safety meetings, scoring highly on safety quizzes, and reporting near-misses and hazards. Team safety accomplishment was rewarded as well. Similar to a traditional program, the game cards revealed points which were redeemable for merchandise. The points on the cards varied, yet all were winners. However, the cards added a 80 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2023 www.ohsonline.com