Independent Banker - June 2022 - 60

" I've seen other types of products attempt
gamifi cation, and it's just too gamifi ed. There's
a balance, and Beauceron has found the right
side of the fence. "

Research shows that gamification
techniques speak to the human
tendencies toward competitiveness,
collaboration and knowledge sharing,
and its success as an engagement
channel stems from its ability to
motivate desired behaviors. In
gamified approaches, incentives such
as points, levels and leaderboards
lead to a deeper engagement of
target audiences.
" A couple of diff erent things play in
there, " says Alanah Mitchell, the Aliber
distinguished associate professor
of information systems at Drake
University's College of Business and
Public Administration. " One is selfdetermination
theory, just looking
at your motivation, both intrinsic
and extrinsic, or having incentives
to perform well. Another theory that
plays into it is flow. Once you get into
a groove, rhythm or flow, you're more
likely to continue, stay, learn and grow
from that. "
In short, gamified approaches speak
to a psychological need to excel and
compete. In addition, gamification
contributes to a sense of belonging;
according to TalentLMS, 87% say game
elements make them feel socially
connected. So, once a user has linked
up with a gamified solution, the
likelihood of that individual continuing
to participate grows, deepening their
engagement with the provider.
In addition to the personal risk score, bank
employees benefi t from the platform's two-way
communication. When they click a button to
report a phishing email, it is shared with IT.
From there, if it's a simulated phish, the system
congratulates them on accurately identifying
it, and if it's a real one, the IT team follows up
both by thanking the employee for catching
it and by alerting other staff who may have
received it.
According to Ohlendorf, the system works
because employees feel encouraged to report
suspicious emails. " We celebrate it, " he says.
" We handed out gift certifi cates to local
restaurants when we found out we were under
1%. We wanted to reward staff putting in that
eff ort. Everybody gets that we're all involved
in the process. Working together, the result
is tremendous and better than I could have
possibly expected. "
THE FUTURE OF GAMIFICATION
With the gamifi cation market expected to
continue growing at a rate of 27%, according
to Research and Market's Global Gamifi cation
Market 2021-2025 report, gamifi ed employee
and customer solutions will be a fi xture into
the future.
" Community banks should take gamifi cation
seriously, " says DeBoyace. " New fi ntechs are
going to be coming out with more gamifi ed
products, and you need to look and see how
they might fi t into your needs. "
The question remains when and how
community banks should incorporate these
features. Experts agree that gamifi cation
for gamifi cation's sake does not work, but
introducing it as an element of a bigger product
or solutions strategy will go a long way.
" Gamifi cation is but one more tool in a
community bank's arsenal to improve the
quality of education, behavior and performance
of your employees or customers, " says Potts.
" It's a tool worth investing in to deliver desired
outcomes and improve performance. "
Colleen Morrison is a writer in Maryland.
60 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q June 2022
Independent Banker - June 2022

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