Over the past year, I had the privilege of supporting a client in designing and implementing this strategic employee engagement journey. We collaborated closely to align recruiting efforts with company values, develop a 90-day onboarding plan that sets new hires up for success, and create an intrapreneurial performance review map that emphasizes continuous growth.
Through this journey, we ensured that every phase—recruitment, onboarding, development, retention, and offboarding—was intentional and impactful. These kinds of tailored engagement frameworks allow businesses to unlock the full potential of their workforce while creating a positive and lasting employee experience.
Creating a meaningful employee experience begins before the offer letter is signed and extends well beyond an employee’s departure. Strategic gamification transforms the employee lifecycle—Recruiting, Onboarding, Retention, and Offboarding—into a dynamic adventure with intentional skill-building, recognition, and personal growth along the way.
Each phase becomes a "level" in an ongoing quest, with clear milestones, behavioral alignment, and continuous learning opportunities.
If you’re interested in designing an employee journey tailored to your company’s goals or want to learn more about how strategic gamification can enhance your workforce, I’d love to connect. Contact me at hello@bird-bird.com to explore how we can build a dynamic journey together.
Recruiting: Finding the Right Person Aligned with Your Mission and Values
Recruiting is about more than filling a position—it’s about finding the right talent who aligns with your company’s values, culture, and mission. Strategic gamification can turn recruitment into a thoughtful process that identifies the perfect candidate by focusing on character, skills, and mindset.
Key Elements for Gamified Recruiting:
Develop the Right Job Description:
Create job descriptions that reflect your core values and goals.
Go beyond tasks—highlight the skills and mindsets required, such as problem-solving, collaboration, or adaptability.
Use clear and inviting language to communicate the impact of the role within the organization’s bigger mission.
Analyze Top Performers:
Study the behavior, skills, and mindset of your top employees.
Use these insights to craft job descriptions that attract candidates with similar traits.
Identify the behaviors you want to replicate, such as leadership, initiative, or creativity.
A Day-in-the-Life Preview:
Create video overviews showcasing what it’s like to work in the company and in specific roles.
Develop interactive “day-in-the-life” simulations for key positions, giving candidates a real sense of their potential future.
Behavioral Guide for Interviews:
Align behavioral interview questions with your company values.
Develop a guide to help interviewers explore situational examples that reveal a candidate’s problem-solving abilities and character.
Use this guide to ensure that the hiring process identifies not just the right skillset but also the right cultural fit.
Mindset Focus:
Look for curiosity, resilience, and a growth mindset—qualities that fuel long-term success.
Onboarding: Level 1 – Basic Skills for Success
The first 90 days are essential in setting up new hires for success. This phase is their "Level 1" in your company’s game. The onboarding experience should equip them with the foundational knowledge, tools, and relationships to thrive.
Key Elements of a Gamified 90-Day Onboarding Plan:
Survival Skills and Milestones:
Identify the core resources, people, and skills new employees need within the first 90 days.
Map out key milestones, such as completing training modules, meeting with stakeholders and cross-collaborators, understanding department goals and objectives, and integrating with the team.
Progress Tracker:
Use progress bars or dashboards so new hires can see their progress throughout onboarding.
Break their onboarding into quests (e.g., completing a project introduction or attending a company-wide meeting).
Mentorship Program – Leveling Up:
Develop a mentorship program to support new employees as they navigate company culture.
Mentorship becomes a stretch assignment for experienced employees, providing opportunities for leadership development and increasing their visibility for future promotions.
Mentors benefit by refining their leadership skills, while mentees gain support and collaboration during their onboarding journey. Both mentor and mentee level-up during this process.
Ongoing Development:
Offer training programs throughout the year to help employees build key skills and maintain the right mindset.
Perform a gap analysis to identify the areas where additional development is needed.
Mindset Focus:
Encourage collaboration, curiosity, and adaptability to help new employees thrive in your organization.
Retention: Intrapreneurial Performance Reviews and Continuous Growth
Retention isn’t just about keeping employees; it’s about keeping them engaged, empowered, and evolving. A gamified approach to performance reviews promotes continuous learning and innovation, giving employees a clear path to grow and excel.
Key Elements of a Gamified Retention Strategy:
Intrapreneurial Performance Review (IPR) Map:
Replace traditional reviews with a customized performance review map aligned with individual goals and company succession plans.
Focus on intrapreneurial behaviors, encouraging employees to develop creative solutions, collaborate across teams, and take ownership of initiatives.
Use badges and milestones to recognize key achievements, from launching new projects to demonstrating leadership.
Monthly Training Calendar:
Build a training calendar with continuous learning opportunities for employees to "level up" throughout the year.
Offer a mix of technical and soft-skill development programs, with a focus on innovation and teamwork.
Performance Recognition Throughout the Year:
Identify ways to recognize performance consistently, not just during annual reviews.
Use digital badges, certificates, public shout-outs, or hand-written letters to celebrate wins and maintain motivation.
Mindset Focus:
Encourage employees to think like entrepreneurs—always seeking opportunities to innovate and add value within the company.
Offboarding: Leaving on a High Note
Offboarding marks the completion of the employee journey, but it should feel like the final chapter of a great adventure, not the end of a relationship. Thoughtful offboarding ensures knowledge transfer and maintains positive connections for future collaboration.
Key Elements of a Gamified Offboarding Strategy:
Legacy Badges:
Award employees with Legacy Badges for their contributions, reinforcing the positive impact they made.
These badges can be a point of pride and a way for employees to stay connected to the company’s community.
Knowledge Transfer Quests:
Assign departing employees quests to document their processes or mentor their replacements.
This ensures a smooth transition and preserves institutional knowledge.
Exit Interviews and Alumni Networks:
Use exit interviews to gather feedback and identify ways to improve the employee experience.
Develop an alumni network to maintain relationships and encourage former employees to stay connected and recommend future talent.
Mindset Focus:
Cultivate gratitude and openness, ensuring that former employees remain ambassadors of your brand.
Conclusion: Designing the Employee Journey as a Meaningful Adventure
Gamifying the employee journey transforms the workplace into a space where individuals grow, contribute, and thrive. From recruiting candidates aligned with company values to customized onboarding, continuous development, and intrapreneurial performance reviews, each phase becomes an opportunity for skill-building and personal growth. With clear milestones, badges, and mentorship opportunities, employees feel empowered to level up throughout their time with your organization.
Even offboarding becomes a celebration of achievements and a chance to leave a positive legacy. By gamifying every step of the journey, you create a workplace culture where engagement, learning, and innovation become second nature—ensuring that your employees not only succeed but also feel fulfilled and inspired to make a lasting impact.
Comments