In today’s modern business world, adaptive games have the potential to transform how companies assess, develop and support their employees. Instead of games that’re the same for every user, we see a world where games change to map to an individual player — continuously engaging and challenging them.
If games can be adaptive, we can then accurately assess and grow people’s cognitive skills, behaviors and mindsets. We can achieve this by using artificial intelligence (AI) that combines neuroscience, play patterns and existing games. This has several implications for the workplace, affecting all parts of an employee’s lifecycle: onboarding and development, team building and matching, and continuous mental well-being. This article will evaluate each aspect, offering actionable solutions and insights.
Assessments for Onboarding
Organizations have traditionally employed assessments not only in the hiring process, but also in onboarding and the development of new employees. Historically, these assessments have consisted of neuropsychological pen-and-paper tests designed to evaluate cognitive abilities like attention, focus, and planning and execution skills. Recently, there has been a shift toward game-based assessments to supplement or replace traditional methods.
Although digital assessments can offer increased interactivity, they do share some of the limitations of their analog counterparts, such as measuring an individual’s abilities at a specific point in time and lacking personalization. Moreover, since they’re typically one-time evaluations, they do not provide opportunities for skills enhancement.
In contrast, adaptive games address these issues comprehensively. They inherently offer a high degree of personalization and not only accurately track an individual’s progress over time but also actively contribute to skill development. Adaptive games dynamically adjust as users engage with them, making them a promising avenue for the future of employee skill development during onboarding.
Team Building and Matching
Another area where learning and development (L&D) professionals are increasingly investing their resources is in team building and team-matching strategies. These initiatives often use workplace personality assessments such as StrengthsFinder, Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance (DISC), Enneagram and Myers-Briggs. The assessments offer benefits both at the individual and group levels. Employees can gain valuable insights into their own personalities and, in the process, acquire a shared vocabulary to better comprehend their colleagues.
However, analog assessments rely on self-reported questions and are susceptible to individuals consciously or unconsciously exaggerating or downplaying aspects of their personalities. In contrast, games have the potential to unveil users’ genuine personalities because users are unaware of their personal traits being measured. Additionally, the multiplayer nature of games enable real-time assessment of groups in various dynamic situations. Every individual possesses unique strengths that may vary depending on the context and the people they are working with. Adaptive games can assist L&D professionals in identifying synergistic team dynamics and continually adapting team compositions to meet evolving corporate challenges. If games can be adaptive, we can then accurately assess and grow people’s cognitive skills, behaviors and mindsets.
Continuous Mental Well-Being Through Games
L&D managers and training facilitators are aware more than ever of the benefits of workplace wellness, given that it’s a core component to business success. Consequently, several wellness solutions that originated in the consumer space (such as Calm or Headspace) have migrated to L&D initiatives. While effective, the rate of efficacy of mindfulness apps is hard to discern and unclear. One of the reasons is that mindfulness apps don’t consider individual differences (e.g., socioeconomic status, age, and diversity) making it less effective for some people.
In contrast, games by nature are designed to be fun and engaging, so full participation can be easier to achieve. In addition, there’s a significant amount of academic research indicating that different games and game mechanics can positively impact moods, reduce stress and boost creativity. Adaptive games can be even more impactful: personalized for the individual user, delivering an experience adapted to their learning needs and expectations.
Exploring VR and Immersive Training
Virtual reality (VR) and immersive training have become integral parts of many organizations’ training and development programs. For example, a VR platform can connect remote teams, promoting team building and collaboration. It can emphasize fun, puzzles and games to drive connections with co-workers and build employee engagement in a new hybrid workplace. VR and immersive learning platforms can provide dynamic, hands-on learning experiences that enhance skills and knowledge retention.
Looking Ahead
In conclusion, adaptive games are redefining the workplace landscape. They offer personalized, dynamic assessments for onboarding and development, improve team matching and building and help improve employee mental health and well-being. As companies embrace these innovative solutions, they’re better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of today’s evolving work environment. The synergy between adaptive games and emerging technologies like VR promises an exciting future for employee growth and development. Games and game mechanics can positively impact moods, reduce stress and boost creativity.
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