How to Use Gamification to Engage Your Team

Laura Hills, DA


Jan 2, 2026


Healthcare Administration Leadership & Management Journal


Volume 4, Issue 1, Pages 3-10


https://doi.org/10.55834/halmj.4614395954


Abstract

Workplace gamification can be an effective tool for healthcare administrators, leaders, and managers to use to engage and build their teams. Good game design also can increase your team’s productivity and problem-solving skills, improve retention, and be a very effective way to deliver employee training. This article unpacks this complex topic by defining workplace gamification and describing its key elements. It offers 10 best practices for using gamification effectively and 10 team gamification pitfalls to avoid. This article then describes 10 effective gamification features that will engage your team. These include training quests, virtual reality simulations, treasure hunts, puzzles, quizzes, and augmented reality. This article also provides readers with 12 questions they will want to answer before shopping for and choosing a gamification platform, software, app, or vendor. Finally, this article suggests four metrics readers can use to measure their team gamification success.




Laura Hills, DA

Practice leadership coach, consultant, author, seminar speaker, and President of Blue Pencil Institute, an organization that provides educational programs, learning products, and professionalism coaching to help professionals accelerate their careers, become more effective and productive, and find greater fulfillment and reward in their work; Baltimore, Maryland; email: lhills@bluepencilinstitute.com; website: www.bluepencilinstitute.com ; Twitter: @DrLauraHills.

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Topics

Environmental Influences

Systems Awareness

Critical Appraisal Skills


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