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ENGAGEMENT

 

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Unlocking the Power of Employee Development: Potential Challenges and Solutions

In our previous blog ‘Unlocking the Power of Employee Development: Strategies for Success’ we looked at the importance of learning and development programmes in organisations for improving employee engagement, retention and productivity. However, the reality is, many organisations don’t provide the right tools or opportunities either because it feels hard to know where or how to begin, or because it falls low down on the priority list. According to the CIPD only 29% organisations claimed to have a clear learning and development plan for their employees.

This lack of investment in employee development can have a significant impact on contentment throughout organisations. Sustainable employee engagement isn’t fostered through just one area, and there is evidence to support that employees prefer genuine gestures that speak to how their company wants to invest in improving their working experiences, rather than one-off adrenaline hits such as after work drinks or free tacos. A recent survey indicates that 58% of employees say that professional development contributes to their job satisfaction, meaning it is a crucial factor in supporting and retaining top talent.

To address this issue effectively, it is first important to understand and tackle the common obstacles that companies frequently face when investing in employee learning and development.

Overcoming common obstacles 

 

  • Leadership Support and Alignment: Gaining buy-in and support from top-level management is vital for successful employee development. Leaders should actively understand, promote and participate in learning initiatives, aligning them with the organisation’s strategic goals. Educating managers on the value of employee development, integrating it with talent management strategies, and regularly communicating success stories demonstrate the impact and generate support.  
  • Cost and Measurement: Optimising employee development on a large scale requires exploring options like e-learning platforms and virtual training programmes. But how do you build a case for budgeting for digital learning solutions? Establishing clear metrics, such as pre and post assessments and performance indicators, is crucial for measuring impact and value. Linking tangible learning to business objectives is essential to show evidence of the return on investment (ROI) of employee development. Well-equipped employees perform more confidently and well-informed employees understand the direction the business needs to go in.   
  • Time Constraints: To incorporate learning and development activities into employees’ regular work schedules, it is essential to empower employees to feel comfortable allocating or dedicating time to upskill or go through materials. Prioritising and integrating learning as part of employees’ performance objectives emphasises the importance of ongoing development, and also that the organisation understands that learning is part of the working day – not an additional responsibility. Offering flexible learning options, such as self-paced online courses, can also enable employees to learn at their own convenience without added pressure. 
  • Overcoming Resistance and Driving Change: Clear explanations of the benefits, addressing concerns through open communication, and providing training and support to familiarise employees with new learning methods or technologies can help alleviate resistance. Involving employees in the design and implementation of learning programmes increases engagement and acceptance.  
  • Lack of Resources and Infrastructure: Insufficient resources and infrastructure can pose a challenge to effective employee development. Organisations need to provide access to appropriate tools, technologies and learning resources. This includes investing in learning management systems, online libraries and relevant training materials. Allocating sufficient budget and resources to support employee development initiatives is crucial for overcoming this obstacle.  
  • Creating the desire for people to “want to” learn: Intrinsic motivation is the driving force that comes from within an individual. Mastery, as an intrinsic motivator, taps into the human desire for self-improvement, growth, and the satisfaction of personal achievement. It transcends external rewards and recognition, acting as a powerful force that drives individuals to pursue excellence for the sake of the journey itself. Organisations that understand the potency of mastery as an intrinsic motivator can harness this drive to foster a culture of continuous learning and achievement, ultimately leading to higher engagement, innovation, and personal fulfilment among their employees. 
  • Personalised learning paths: Effective learning programmes are not one-size-fits-all solutions. They are dynamic and personalized experiences that cater to the unique needs and motivations of individual learners. By understanding these factors, organisations can create learning environments that foster engagement, motivation, and effective knowledge and skills acquisition that can be utilised in work. Personalised learning needs to be a cornerstone of modern education and learning, ensuring that employees receive the support and resources they need to improve, develop, contribute and grow. 

 

Investing for Success in a Digital Era 

Investing in employee development is not just a strategic business decision; it’s an imperative and a commitment to the growth and success of individual employees. By embracing digitalisation, harnessing the power of AI and effectively using technology, organisations can create a culture of continuous learning, stay competitive, and position themselves as employers of choice. Digital learning has a huge part to play and organisations that prioritise and invest in their employees’ growth will benefit from highly skilled, motivated, committed, adaptable and performing individuals and teams delivering great business results.  

By proactively addressing these challenges, organisations can maximise the potential of their employees resulting in increased job satisfaction, improved retention rates and a skilled and engaged workforce delivering benefit to the business. Investing in employee development is a powerful driver for organisational success, fostering a culture of learning and growth that propels both individuals and the company forward.  

To explore how our solutions can enhance your learning and development initiatives, visit our website and embark on a journey of unlocking your employees’ potential.

 

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Loyalty in times of crisis

In a time where consumers seek support, brands have a unique opportunity to provide more than just points and discounts. Even during times of crisis, building meaningful and enduring engagement is possible. Loyalty programmes can evolve into platforms that genuinley grasp the needs, behaviours and preferences of their members.

 

 

Are you looking to enhance the ways customers connect with your brand?

We are experts in innovative Customer Engagement & Loyalty – with nearly 30 million users across 40 countries enjoying our digital solutions. Explore what we could do for you.

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Unlocking the Power of Employee Development: Strategies for Success

In today’s volatile and highly competitive business world, organisations face constant pressure to stand out and stay up to date, while driving profitability and performance. It is indisputable that engaged employees drive better results in all aspects of the working environment. Improved engagement relates to improved collaboration, improved advocacy, improved performance, and so on. Many factors contribute to an organisation’s success and levels of engagement, but one essential element that is often quick to be overlooked is employee development.

Particularly in times of economic pressure, employee development will be one of the first areas to be deprioritised, even more so in corporate settings or where upskilling is not essential to performing a role.  We would argue, however, that investing in the growth and development of employees should not  be regarded as a kind gesture or as a once in a blue moon opportunity, but instead as a strategic move that can deliver substantial long-term benefits. Recent employee statistics reveal that companies that invest in employee training gain a 21% increase in profit. Practical training and opportunities to learn lead to employees and teams who feel more confident in what they do, but also who feel valued and recognised members of a wider entity. The idea that a company would dedicate time and money towards making you feel better in your role can be a very powerful concept, and one that can ultimately positively impact many areas of a business.

 

The benefits of investing in learning and development

  • Increased Employee Engagement and Retention: Investing in employee development demonstrates a company’s commitment to its workforce. From the recruitment and onboarding stages, a focus on knowledge and skill development becomes a significant differentiator. When employees feel valued and see opportunities for growth, they become motivated, productive, and dedicated to their work and company as a whole. Furthermore, organisations that invest in their employees’ professional growth foster loyalty and reduce turnover rates, avoiding the high costs associated with recruitment, onboarding, and training new hires.
  • Enhanced Skills and Expertise: Staying competitive requires a highly skilled workforce. Encouraging employee development enables employees to acquire new skills and knowledge. This empowers them to broaden their expertise, strengthen their abilities, and stay up to date with the latest advancements in their respective fields. By investing in continuous learning, organisations equip their workforce with the tools to tackle new challenges and drive innovation.
  • Cultivation of Future Leaders: Organisations that invest in employee development cultivate a pool of talented individuals capable of assuming leadership roles in the future. By providing opportunities for growth, organisations can identify and nurture high-potential employees who exhibit leadership qualities. Leadership development programmes, mentoring, and succession planning initiatives groom these individuals to take on greater responsibilities within the organisation.
  • Positive Company Culture. By prioritising employee growth, and specifically universal growth where all employees have opportunities to take part and learn, organisations send a clear message to their workforce that they are highly valued and that their contributions are essential. This fosters a sense of loyalty, commitment, and pride among employees, creating a supportive and engaging work environment. Moreover, a culture that encourages learning and development becomes a magnet for top talent, as ambitious professionals are drawn to organisations that offer opportunities for careers advancement and skill enhancement.

 

The use of technology – how to make it happen?

Technology has ushered in a new era of learning and development, offering numerous benefits for both individuals and organisations. That said, we have all seen situations where e-learning platforms have been rolled out with too much fanfare, only for organisations to see adoption and usage dramatically drop after the honeymoon phase. Digital Learning Solutions must focus on sustaining the individual’s engagement and commitment to the learning journey, or else the positive benefits of offering learning and development initiatives will only dwindle with time.

  • Personalised Learning Experiences: Different technologies can enable organisations to deliver personalised learning experiences tailored to needs and preferences. Adaptive learning platforms leverage algorithms to assess existing knowledge, skills, and learning styles, in order to then present customised content and recommendations. By personalising the learning journey, employees can focus on areas that require improvement, accelerating their learning and development. Then by  collecting data and analytics, organisations can track progress, identify learning gaps, and refine training programmes accordingly.
  • Accessibility and Flexibility: Technology-enabled learning platforms provide enhanced accessibility and flexibility. Employees can access training materials and resources anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Whether it’s an online course, video tutorial, or interactive module, learners have the freedom to learn at their own pace and convenience. Such flexibility can really go a long way to accommodating employees who juggle multiple responsibilities or who may need to approach training on their terms.
  • Interactive and Engaging Content: There are more possibilities than ever before to include rich multimedia elements such as videos, simulations, gamified modules, and virtual reality experiences to make the learning process even more immersive and enjoyable. By incorporating interactive or even gamified features, the experience creates a desire to actively participate in the learning process, enhancing engagement, knowledge retention, and the practical application of learned skills.
  • Collaborative Learning Communities: Online discussion forums, chat groups, and social learning platforms enable employees to connect with their peers, share insights, ask questions, and engage in discussions. This fosters a culture of continuous learning, allowing employees to tap into the collective knowledge and expertise of their colleagues. By encouraging collaboration and knowledge-sharing, technology-supported learning and development initiatives promote a sense of community, encourage teamwork, and help towards breaking down silos within the organisation.
  • Real-Time Feedback and Assessment: Online quizzes, self-assessments, and instant feedback loops allow employees to gauge their progress, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments as needed. This iterative feedback enhances learning outcomes and boosts employee motivation and confidence.

 

Overcoming Challenges and Maximising Potential

The future workforce belongs to organisations that can demonstrate their willingness to invest in their greatest asset – their people. There is no better time to start prioritising employee development as a strategy with far-reaching benefits  for organisations as much as the individual themselves. A culture that embraces continuous learning and development becomes a magnet for top talent, further elevating the organisation’s capabilities.

In embracing employee development and leveraging the power of technology, companies  unlock the full potential of their workforce, gain a competitive edge in an ever-changing business landscape.

Valuing and supporting employees creates a thriving work environment where individuals are motivated, productive and proud to be part of the company. And to those who worry about investing in developing talent at the risk of them leaving for another opportunity, the question should really be – but what if they stay?

To explore how our solutions can enhance your learning and development initiatives, visit our website and embark on a journey of unlocking your employees’ potential.

 

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Digital Sightseeing: Extraordinary Experiences for today’s tourist

There was a time when a key step before going on holiday was buying a guidebook on your destination. Since Baedeker books in the 1800s, people have relied on these to find ideas, inspiration, hidden gems, and tourists traps, ensuring their holidays were as perfect as possible.

Nowadays, there is a plethora of information online to sift through when planning a trip. From blogs and official accounts to articles and sponsored posts, people have access to endless resources at their fingertips. They can even reach out to their social media contacts for recommendations. This abundance of information poses a challenge for the tourism sector: how can less-known cities or off-the-beaten-track destinations stand out and compete for attention?

Today’s audiences value the experiences holidays have to offer more than ever before. We share our adventures on social media, seeking to showcase unique and memorable moments. We are also more aware of the variety of experiences available around the world, raising our expectation for each trip. In fact, younger generations are spending a significant portion of their income on travel, prioritising holidays above other experiences with a recent study revealing that 65% of Gen Zers ranked ‘travel and seeing the world’ as the most important way to spend their money.

So, how can destinations stand out in this competitive landscape and meet the high expectations of modern travellers?  The key lies in crafting unique and memorable experiences that revolve around the landmarks and attractions of any given destination. By harnessing technology, we can elevate a great concept and make it even more impactful, while simultaneously enhancing accessibility and inclusivity. Digital solutions have the power to captivate audiences through compelling campaigns and personalised promotions, enticing them to visit a destination. Once there, these innovations facilitate engagement with innovative, value-added experiences. Furthermore, they have the potential to maintain interest and foster advocacy long after the trip has ended.

Offering a personal touch

Applications that offer personalised travel routes, for example, are a simple but effective opportunity to tailor the travel experience to individual preferences and allow for autonomous exploring. Whether you’re an adventure enthusiast, a nature lover, or travelling with different generations, personalised tours that you can follow yourself speak to specific interests and needs.

For those seeking a more off-the-beaten-path experience, customised tours allow the traveller to choose settings and interests that speak to them, and make the destination feel more like it was made to suit what they’re hoping to get out of the trip.

For those travelling as a group with different generations, there can also be a challenge in finding activities that will appeal to everyone. With a digital application that suggests personalised tours or routes you can take the stress away from the tourist and provide an itinerary of experiences and suggestions straight to the palm of their hand, that keeps younger tourists interested while also ensuring older members of the group can also enjoy a more relaxed pace.

Appealing to the masses, speaking to the individual

Most customers have come to expect tailored experiences — according to a Mastercard-sponsored Harvard Business Review study, 90% of consumers expect organisations to know their interests and anticipate their needsLet’s take a quick tour:

  • Artistic Inspiration: Imagine a personalised tour through the streets that were once home to famous poets, artists and authors. While visitors follow in the footsteps of their favourite figures, they could collect virtual tokens or points to unlock exclusive content, such as unseen passages from their works or special audio recordings, or even a visual recreation of what life would have looked like in their time. It’s the same tours as always, but with a twist, helping to bring art to life, while immersing tourists in the creative atmosphere that once inspired their icons.
  • Uncovering Ancient Civilisations: Capture everyone’s attention, whether families or school trips, with customised routes that combine education and fun. Through digitally led scavenger hunts or clue-based challenges, children can explore historical sites and collect puzzle pieces or artifacts as they progress. Each discovery can provide insights into the lives and customs of the ancient inhabitants, fostering curiosity and reinforcing learning, through carefully designed games.
  • Active Adventures: For those who don’t want to sacrifice their active lifestyle while exploring new places, personalised tours can combine sightseeing with physical activities. For instance, visitors can choose a route that includes jogging or biking paths, integrating exercise with cultural exploration. As they complete different checkpoints, participants can earn virtual medals, unlock achievements, or compete with others in leader boards, adding an element of friendly competition and motivation.
  • Travelling for business: Imagine having the option to receive recommendations for outside of business hours for the work-trip tourist. Input your schedule and commitments and receive suggestions for how best to see the sights during the time you have. The tailored approach could recommend the best places to pick up food on your way to and from the office or meetings, suggest local networking opportunities, suitable places to hot desk and more.

Technology cannot fully replace the enjoyment and awe of travelling somewhere new. However, through embracing digital, innovative strategies, destinations can build more ways to hook and enchant visitors, particularly when keeping the diverse interests, needs and expectations of tourists at the heart of their offering.

By incorporating more innovative elements into their offerings, destinations can create unique and engaging experiences that capture the attention and emotional loyalty of modern tourists, ensuring their trip is nothing short of extraordinary. The offering immediately becomes a selling point for tourists weighing up where to spend their time and money, and can even engage, inform and excite tourists in the build up to their visit. Fresher approaches, that allow destinations to stand out, attract more visitors, and leave lasting impressions that contributes to their advocacy, growth and success.

Like what you read? Why not speak to our team on how we can help build a meaningful solution for you.

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Reinvigorating healthcare training: Gamification for medical professionals

Gamified solutions have become a popular tool for training and education in a variety of industries, including healthcare. By even just incorporating simple mechanics such as levels that break down learning materials, interactive quizzes to test knowledge, and engaging, energising game-like experiences, gamification can facilitate a more effective way to teach complex concepts and procedures. They can also provide a safe, low-risk environment for learners to practice and make mistakes without real consequences. Online games have been used to train healthcare professionals in areas such as infection control, patient communications and emergency response. In appropriate settings, the use of gamification as a training tool for healthcare professionals can contribute towards improving the quality of support and patient care, as more engaging and effective study methods help improve the retention of knowledge and skills needed for safe and effective treatment. 

The importance of training in the healthcare sector  

Continuous training and educational support systems are crucial for healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care for patients. While healthcare is constantly evolving through valuable research and breakthroughs, it is also a sector under tremendous pressure in terms of time, resourcing, and investment.  It is understandable that medical and care professionals need to stay up to date with new information or emerging technologies that can help improve patient outcomes or even make their own day-to-day work easier, but for the majority and especially those on the front line, it is hard to find time to squeeze extra work in. Even just with the rise of electronic records and online medical services, ongoing training is essential, but also amounting, for staff to keep up with these changes all while provide optimal treatment.  

Faced with little time, high stress, and working days that require great focus and attention, traditional methods of healthcare training, such as lectures, textbooks and seminars, may be less effective and less engaging. These methods often do not offer opportunities for hands-on practice and tend to be less interactive, making it harder to retain information or consider how it works in practice. Digital or gamified approaches to learning can present simulated but realistic scenarios where the learner can test their understanding of core concepts, put theory into practice, or run through example situations to improve knowledge retention – particularly valuable for nuanced or less theory-based areas of learning, such as communication, collaboration or leadership skills for example.   

 

Gamified medicall app for professionals to provide a safe, low-risk environment for learners to practice and makes mistakes.

“Understanding the different ways of learning, motivations and preferences of different users increases engagement and improves the learning process. At Motivait we try to use eye-catching designs, compelling narratives and gamification elements help the user to delve deeper into more complex topics.”

Whether mobile or desktop based, digital solutions can leverage the agility and accessibility of technology to instantly make learning paths available to learners whether they’re on the go and wanting to squeeze in 5 minutes on a quick course module, or in a more relaxed environment and keen to look at information in a different, more dynamic way. While the market may be saturated with options, there is no denying that one of the benefits to digital or online based learning approaches is that they can take into account different learning styles, which may make it easier for some people to learn more effectively. Certain learners may prefer hands-on learning, while others lean toward visual or auditory learning.  

Then, by taking digital learning and training methods one step further to include gamification, the experiences can cater to diverse learning needs while also providing a much-needed support to driving sustainable engagement throughout the learning process. Game elements such as tracking progress to encourage participation, providing feedback, nudges or prompts to avoid people feeling lost or unsupported, or even just offering warm up rounds or quick game-like experiences to boost motivation can go a long way to enriching the learning journey for participants faced with complex or time-consuming themes as seen in healthcare. 

Gamification in action 

So, what can gamified solutions look like in practise?  

A clear example of this can be seen in an innovative app that uses gamification to reduce unnecessary procedures in the Spanish National Health System. Created by a team of experts from the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, FISABIO and the Miguel Hernández University, the app seeks to reduce procedures linked to ‘Do Not Do’ practices, in reference to all those unnecessary procedures that have been shown not to be useful, have questionable effectiveness, are not cost-effective or are not a priority. According to José Joaquín Mira, Professor of Health Psychology at the Miguel Hernández University:

 “We have chosen to use gamification to draw attention to the problem of overuse of certain practices in a fun and practical way… It actively engages the practitioner, sparks curiosity and invites them to compete with themselves while internalising what not to do to achieve safer practice and higher quality care”.  

The app works through a reward system, with scores being stored and added to the user’s profile. In addition, in the game settings you can choose the level of difficulty of the questions, the field of speciality and whether they will be repeated in the future. There are more than 100 questions (on a wide range of practices, linked to different specialities). The user will have a justification for the answer, a link to the official recommendations document, and information on which scientific society endorses it.  

Using a gamified solution in the learning process can be an effective tool for improving knowledge retention and performance on certain medical tasks. For example, a study published in BMC Medical Education found that medical students who played a game designed to teach cardiology concepts performed better on a post-exam than those who received traditional classroom instruction. Another study published in PMC PubMed Central found that nurses who participated in a game designed to simulate medication administration had a higher rate of correct medication administration than those who did not participate in the game.  

Bringing theory to life, putting skills into practise  

There are few sectors where training is so important as within healthcare. Whether in hospitals, care homes, local medical centres, or wherever their work takes them, health professionals are under pressure to stay informed and well versed in evolving approaches, processes and practices or even new legislation they are expected to follow. Recognising the fact that many organisations and institutions within the sector won’t be able to invest endlessly, what solutions that are provided need to be creative in ensuring they impact the learning experience.  

The ripple effect of participating in a positive, enjoyable session or experience, as opposed to leaving feeling drained and disillusioned, means learners feel valued (“how great that my organisation chose to positively invest in me and understand my needs”) and well equipped to tackle future challenges and situation. Gamification may just be one tool of many able to invigorate digital or hybrid approaches to learning, but it is certainly one methodology with proven impact on user engagement and optimised knowledge retention. At the end of the day, given the hurdles and stresses healthcare professionals and students handle, delivering solutions that put them at the heart of the process for once could just make the difference to them.  

 If you are interested in learning more about how gamification and technology can improve the learning experience and engagement, check out our work in this area:  

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Preventing Digital Learning Fatigue in an Era of Interconnectivity

We all saw how technology helped people during the pandemic; without tools like Teams, Zoom, online learning platforms and social media, working effectively and staying connected with friends, family, colleagues and peers would have been incredibly difficult, if not impossible. As people become more comfortable and familiar with technology, the risk of fatigue heightens and therefore more preventative measures need to be taken in order to keep audiences engaged, motivated and intrigued.

Take learning and development platforms for example which, when facilitated digitally, offer a consistent experience for all participants irrespective of where, how or when they’re logging on. However, a digitally interconnected world does present some issues, the most stated of which is the concept of ‘Digital Learning Fatigue’ – also referred to as ‘Zoom Fatigue’ or simply ‘Online Fatigue’.

What is Digital Learning Fatigue?

Digital Learning Fatigue is a state of exhaustion, both physical and mental, where individuals reach their saturation point of using digital tools.

If this sounds familiar, and you feel like you have experienced this burnout, you are not alone. In 2021, 70% of people said they had experienced it, and dealt with frustrating side effects like sensory overload, irritability and restlessness.

One quick Google search and we’re flooded with ways to combat or at least limit these types of effects, whether it’s ‘only spend essential time online’, ‘make sure you take adequate rests’, or ‘adjust your screen brightness and ensure you have a comfortable, ergonomic set up’. Undoubtedly helpful to a certain degree, but the sustainability of such measures does raise questions, especially considering how increasingly online we are becoming.

A more sustainable and longer-term solution is diversifying the way people work and learn. Employing a ‘microlearning’ approach to studies, weaving in methods of gamification and experimenting with hybrid working are three great examples of how we can cut down our screentime, without compromising on these new, innovative and effective ways of working.

Microlearning

Microlearning is a way of teaching and conveying information to learners in bite-sized chunks, with a focused and specific learning outcome. It may also incorporate multiple forms of media to break up the format.

One study shows that microlearning has improved focus and supported long-term retention by up to 80%.

Stats source

Given that digital fatigue can be the result of having to process large quantities of information, incorporating elements of microlearning is one way to help break up the process and facilitate continued participation. Breaking large amounts of information down into smaller chunks makes learning materials much easier to digest, less overwhelming for users to approach and less exhausting to become immersed in. Not only is this universally beneficial, but it is a more accessible method for people with learning disabilities to retain information.

Microlearning can also maximise workflow. When learners complete a section of work, they develop a sense of accomplishment which can lead to a greater sense of purpose and achievement. Therefore, when you split a piece of work into these smaller sections, it can provide the learner with a greater sense of achievement more often, which in turn increases their motivation to engage with the teaching further.

Microlearning also encourages the formation of good habits and gives users more flexibility while working. Incorporating microlearning practises in combination with other methods of engagement can be an excellent way to engage people digitally while preventing learning fatigue, but it is important that these techniques are intertwined with one another as continued engagement is about diversification and enjoyment. Microlearning uses repetition in short bursts which has been linked to memory retention comparatively to large volumes of information in one go.

Using the agile methods of workflow, although ridged in nature, can be a great way to improve workflow and productivity while moving at a pace that embraces microlearning. Following this methodology facilitates reflection and inspection ensuring results are to a higher standard, while simultaneously being more engaging for users. This method of work can easily be gamified to engage users further, while simultaneously making workflow more productive and enjoyable.

Similarly, to Microlearning, gamified learning elements have also proven to be more engaging for people with learning disabilities. Gamification encourages outside-of-the-box thinking and leans away from ‘traditional’ forms of learning that are often not catered to the needs of these groups of learners. Digital methods of learning can help people with Dyslexia as digital text can be edited e.g., text could be made bigger or a different colour to be more accessible for someone with differing needs, or visual recourses to aid reading.

Gamification

Gamification is the enhancement of systems, typically educational or workplace systems to create an experience similar to a video game in order to motivate and engage the user.

Incorporating elements of gamification into digital learning can encourage continual engagement over longer periods of time by making it more enjoyable. Gamification can also provide a sense achievement and pride to the learner, through elements such as interactive tutorials, progress bars, mini games and quizzes.

Gamified educational platforms have already seen success in the workplace and in educational environments. Universities around the world are investing a significant amount of money on creating engaging platforms for students to use alongside their in-person studies.

Additionally, 55% of teachers agree that using digital games in class motivates low-performing and special ed students.

Stats source

Imagine the impact of a student or employee going through compulsory training in a mixed media format; consisting of core written materials in bite-sized chunks, interspersed with informational, engaging videos, with game elements and quizzes, collaboration with other users, team exercises and mixing methods of in-person and digital learning; versus an experience solely consisting of lengthy written materials over long periods of time, which the learner is expected to read on their own and complete within a set timeframe.

Hybrid Learning

Hybrid or blended learning is an innovative approach to learning that combines online educational materials and in person or place-based opportunities together to create an environment that is more interesting and more inclusive to the user.

Integrating physical and digital learning elements can ensure learning is more memorable, enjoyable and productive. Although traditionally thought of as a distraction to learning, embracing the capabilities of smartphones and weaving them with other forms of learning has the potential to engage disengaged audiences. A good example of this is the use of mobile technology during physical learning sessions – such as smartphone polls, quizzes, or a group activity. The popularity of smartphones has allowed people to embrace the use of them in learning, a good way to engage people with technology. People are familiar and comfortable with mobile phones, especially younger audiences who are often the target market for digital or hybrid learning.

65% of students prefer in-person learning

Stats source

Although young people may respond well to digital tools, they also respond well to in-person activities, and studies have shown that up to 65% of students prefer in-person learning. A way in which this could be implemented is by starting the learning experiences physically and then allow the journey to continue and be enhanced digitally. QR codes are a staple for this and could encourage students to scan to continue their experience within a virtual environment, perhaps to play an interactive mini-game based on something they’ve learnt in-person.

Students digitally learning

Engaging people using emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) is a great way to combine digital capabilities with the real world. AR is now available through smartphones, making the technology not only more accessible, but also portable. Mobile AR means learners can easily interact in a digital way with their physical surroundings, presenting opportunities for interactive learning. Incorporating hybrid learning into practises such as onboarding is a great way to increase engagement. Traditionally onboarding is either online or in person but combining the two and adding gamified elements could be a great way to prevent fatigue during this process.

 

Conclusion

As people’s familiarity with technology increases, digital fatigue increases parallel to it. Therefore, innovation is important in its prevention, ensuring technology is developing alongside people, growing with them and being adapted to meet their needs. Digital fatigue can also have some serious physical and emotional consequences so is important to deploy solutions and embrace technology designed to prevent it and engage the user across all sectors, whether it be education or within the workplace.

Although it may seem like a popular buzzword, digital fatigue could cause serious disengagement with a huge proportion of people and that’s why considering it during any digital design process is crucial. Due to market oversaturation of learning technologies, diversifying platforms using unique features such as gamification and hybrid learning is a great way to stand out among competitors. Digital fatigue can affect all users, but it can often depend on the users’ needs and the type of platform and type of learning. Therefore, designing and developing platforms with this in mind from the start is the path to preventing digital learning fatigue.

 

Discover a real-world example of how technology can be integrated into learning effectively.
Read our case study on ‘Partnership in Action: Newcastle University Business School & Motivait’

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Time for reflection at Motivait 2022

We are almost at the end of the year and our team mascot, Moti, has been observing the Motivait team and taking notes on their achievements and learnings during 2022, here is his summary…

2022 recap

2022, what a year! Over the past few months, I’ve been observing the Motivait team, watching them grow and develop and I’m here to reflect on everything that has been going on and what the future might hold for them. I’ve seen new additions to the team, an expanding solution portfolio, strengthening relationships with clients and so much more.

Let’s have a closer look at what the team have accomplished, and how they will continue to develop and provide invigorating experiences for clients into next year and beyond…

Growing the team

It’s super exciting to reflect on the fact that this year, Motivait have increased their employee base by nearly 30%! They have welcomed new faces from England, Poland, Nepal and Cuba – so they are never far from learning about new and exciting cultures, traditions and languages. It’s great to watch the team grow and develop strong bonds across different functions and locations.

With growth comes the continued balancing act of how to handle post-pandemic expectations to offer more flexibility, whilst simultaneously addressing the challenges this can pose around sustaining a sense of belonging, community and enthusiasm – one way the team have managed to do this is by ensuring the in-person connection remains an important part of their work.

I’ve loved watching the team reunite in person again (or meet, in some cases where they had only met through a screen), collaborate and create meaningful and valuable bonds. I’ve seen members of the team visit both physical offices, in Spain and the UK. Ana from the design team lives in Portugal and has visited both the Madrid and Newcastle office this year and has learned more about the cities and the client relationships in each country. The software developers based in Madrid have also visited the Newcastle team for informative talks on careers in software development to computer science students at Newcastle University.

These visits have proven to be beneficial for team bonding – which is something the Motivait team do very well! Especially at their annual Kick Off… the Kick Off took place this year in April at the Madrid office; each Motivait team member joined together for a day of team building, client deep-dives, and concluded in a wonderful evening in the city centre, with some members throwing themselves into a bit of Salsa – lead by the Motivait resident dance experts David and Rey!

New ventures

This year has brought the design, development and management of some new bespoke solutions for Motivait. One of the new solutions developed in partnership with Newcastle University Business School allows students to engage in learning about professional and academic skills, while enhancing and developing their teamwork and collaborative skills – it really seems to be going down well with the students, looking like it’s running smoothly so far!

Another solution launched this year was a bespoke Digital Hub for the agricultural charity The Food and Farming Discovery Trust (FFDT). The Digital Hub focuses on engaging audiences, especially young people, with more connection and appreciation with and for food, farming and the countryside. This was a highly collaborative project built with future evolution in mind and has been a great example of Motivait’s managed service – how they work with clients to bring their ideas to life with the view of it being able to grow and develop over time.

With more projects underway, I look forward to seeing the team design, develop and deliver even more exciting and engaging solutions. Watch this space!

Looking to the future

After a great year for Motivait, I can see bright future ahead of them, their excellent client relations have allowed them to continue some of their relationships into 2023 to new projects and continue to create inspiring engagement across a variety of sectors. The feedback says it all honestly, and here are some comments from their clients that really show how good 2022 has been for the Motivait team: (or maybe quotes from the team about there year could be fun little Moti holding a microphones)

‘I’m not usually at the office, so apart from the regular visits, I love to get together with the team for the Christmas lunch and do team activities on the kick-offs!’
– Ana (Creative and UI Designer) 

‘One of the most memorable moments of this year was that time we went into Madrid for dinner and then we went dancing with some members of the team. It was so much fun!’
– Emerson (Full Stack Developer)

‘As an intern, the amount of knowledge that I absorbed within a such short period of time while working at Motivait cannot be described in words. The team is very helpful and willing to help when needed. I really enjoy working at Motivait, and I couldn’t imagine undertaking a placement year somewhere else!’
– Kacper Intern Front-End/Web Developer 

 

Until next year,  

Moti x  

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The challenges of engaging diverse communities in a digital space and ways to overcome them.

Establishing a sense of community in a landscape so shaken by an ever-changing social climate is an emerging issue, and technology has further changed how we reach out to, connect with, and engage communities. Digital community engagement is a potential solution for businesses, councils, institutions and governments that are faced with the challenge of engaging their people. By utilising digital innovation to overcome issues that arise from traditional forms of community engagement, it could have the potential to bridge the gap between people and ensure their needs are being supported in the most inclusive way.  

So, what does true community engagement look like? ‘Engagement’ can have multiple meanings and there is not one ‘easy fix’ for an absence of it but combining digital innovation with more traditional forms of community connection and discussion is the emerging answer to questions surrounding engagement. Impactful public engagement is supposed to communicate information or increase participation in a way that is enjoyable and rewarding for a user and makes them want to participate continually.  

Diversified engagement routes for diverse communities   

In a diverse setting, engaging a large proportion of different kinds of users with differing needs, user characteristics and behaviours can be a challenge.  

The ‘traditional’/’offline’/’in-person’ community engagement techniques are so valuable when gathering information and feedback from communities, however, there are many obstructions that this type of engagement techniques cannot break down alone. Digitalisation has been shown to unite communities behind issues, encourage discussion and innovation, and facilitate positive change by allowing community members to make meaningful contributions through an online environment. Digitalisation is also a significant contributing factor when capturing marginalised and previously unheard voices. However, reaching groups that are not engaged with online spaces is as important, especially considering these voices are often unheard in the community.  

The positive impacts of a mixed-engagement model (both online and offline) is undeniable, however complex it may be to achieve. It is also becoming increasingly difficult attract and engage diverse audience using simply online-only model for many reasons: 

  • the digital space is becoming more and more saturated with choice, with more than 547,200 new websites being created globally every day (Siteefy), users are overloaded by a sheer number of sites which they can choose to engage with.    
  • different age groups access, use and respond to the same channels and platforms differently. 
  • differing levels of digital competency mean that designing a website for ease-of-use is also essential to its ability to engage, despite digital know-how increasing significantly after the pandemic. 
  • users expect and want personalised experiences, the days of a passive website that draw people in are long gone.  
  • people are expecting more from their online experiences, they expect to be engaged. Therefore digital experiences must be continually engaging and develop over time, keeping up with changing technologies, while maintaining relevancy and their true nature and intent at heart.   

Engaging with a varied community takes these five challenges further. To effectively engage these communities, it requires knowledge, understanding and a true analysis of each of the different user groups at each of these points in order to ensure the outcome is appropriate and effective for the user group. The more diverse a community, the more complex this can be.  

The importance of data, design and communication  

When engaging with diverse communities through a mixed-engagement model, it is important to ensure that each mode of engagement is connected to one another, complement each other and are well executed to ensure the end-engagement result is as well suited to the target audience as possible. This is achieved through three key elements; data collection, design and communication, these three processes are important for ensuring solutions are catered to the needs of the user and must be interconnected.  

Data  

When collecting data and research about diverse communities, these practises need to be all-encompassing and far-reaching in order to capture the clearest picture of the community and create the best platform for the targeted audience.  

Good data practises must be followed in order accommodate for diverse audiences, such as ensuring questions are clear and not leading. Surveys or focus groups must be reaching the largest proportion of people as possible and reaching all groups proportionally to get the most accurate results that are representative of the majority. In order to reach marginalised groups, engaging with community groups, connecting with community leaders or digital community hubs such as social media is a great way to ensure that these voices are heard, or survey reach the largest proportion of people. It is important to ensure that these surveys are assessable in multiple languages in order to gain feedback from communities despite potential language barriers. By starting an engagement programme with good research practises, it will allow for a digital space to be shaped around the voices and needs of the community in a way that includes all voices. 

Design  

When dealing with digital engagement, it is important to ensure that the solution is developed with accessibility and inclusivity at the heart as inclusive design is central to creating a platform for a diverse community, elements to consider include:  

  • ensuring that symbols and graphics are universally understandable and clear can ensure a website messaging is concise and it is reaching the most people. 
  • building a platform that is easy to navigate, as you need to consider diverse digital competency. 
  • the messaging of the website needs to be concise in its messaging and delivery. 

Creating an engaging and exciting platform can also encourage continual use, incorporating gamification technology can be a great way to engage audiences long-term, this in combination with ease of use can greatly improve a community’s engagement with the platform.  

Communication  

Incorporating omnichannel forms of communication is also essentially in engaging the maximum amount of people as well as catering engagement to its target audience. For example, if you were to connect with users using social media you would use different platforms depending on the intended audience, as Facebook cater to an older age demographic, 65% of people aged 50-64 use the platform, whereas 90% of Instagram users are under the age of 35.  Connecting a platform with software people are familiar with can be a great way to encourage use, it can be a great way to get people comfortable with your platform initially while using a platform already familiar to the user. Especially with older age demographics who statistically have less digital competency.  

Considering cultural barriers to engagement is also important, for example not just ensuring the research process is accessible in multiple languages is an important feature that some users may need to engage with the platform. If the platforms focus is around connectivity and discussion, ensuring that conversations and dialogue can be easily translated so that all members of a community are involved in discussions and all voices are heard. Having public discussions in community hub and then linking those interactions to a digital space is a great way to engage new audiences that wouldn’t usually be actively engaged with digital spaces. This is a good way to draw unlikely users onto an unfamiliar platform or app. 

Keeping up with the innovation  

Digital innovation can transform the ways in which we do things, new advancements make things simpler, more intelligent and more efficient. Using new digital tools and innovations when addressing engagement problems can lead to more valuable insight and end-engagement results, but you can run the risk of leaving people behind if adopting them too quickly and can alienate vital groups of clienteles.   

Using a mixture of offline and online communication is the best way to integrate new and valuable technologies whilst maintaining appeal to a wide demographic. This omni-channel approach ensures that all angles of your community can get involved without feeling excluded. Examples of this can come in forms Incorporating things like QR codes into engagement programmes can be a great way to facilitate ease of use through a non-digital space.  

Nuturing your community   

Community engagement is not something that is easily solved through a singular channel, it is a process that requires nurturing and innovative solutions that follow the whole process from conception to actualisation. It requires understanding of interpersonal relationships and community boundaries as well as in-depth understanding of how to create bespoke platforms for a wide audience.  

Ensuring that users’ needs are considered and prioritised throughout the whole engagement process is the key to engaging with diverse communities. Considering data, design and communication throughout the conception of a platform while weaving these processes together is crucial to the creation of a solution fit for the needs of a diverse community. In order to meet the changing needs of a community you must ensure continued support throughout the process as well as afterwards and consider changing markets, community development, technological innovation and other environmental changes that could affect engagement. This is crucial in providing an exemplary platform for a diverse community of users. 

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Customer Experience Starts with Excelling in Omnichannel

Omnichannel marketing is far from being a new concept, but it has seen significant changes across different sectors in recent years. It essentially refers to the various integrated channels (physical and digital) businesses use to reach customers and deliver their brand experience. When most of the world was in lockdown, omnichannel moved into the spotlight as those businesses who had previously invested in strong digital presence where able to maintain communication and contact with customers as they lost the ability to draw them to their physical locations. However even before the pandemic, omnichannel was already a buzzword at the forefront of most marketing and loyalty departments, with the rise of different social media platforms opening up new possibilities to market, attract, and engage customers.

In the world of retail, omnichannel is far from being a gimmick and with amounting challenges impacting supply chain, high street presence, and general accessibility for many customers, nailing omnichannel strategy is increasingly necessary in order to stay relevant, to stay front of mind, and to even just stay in business. For retailers to genuinely achieve omnichannel excellence and place consumers at the centre of every transaction, they must be able to offer customers a unified, consistent, and real-time experience regardless of their location or preferred channel.

In this blog, we’re going to take a look at just how to deliver an excellent omnichannel experience of your brand to customers, but also what features play a key role in creating a strong omnichannel strategy.

How to create the right omnichannel strategy for your brand

It’s not just that people are shopping online more than ever before. It’s the way consumers are browsing and how they reach your brand – the new type of ‘window’ shopping or app hopping, as you go from a look that catches your eye on Instagram to the brand’s profile to putting the item in your basket after downloading their mobile app. An omnichannel presence needs to support the omnichannel customer who is always connected, active store-to-store but also always moving between devices looking for comfort and convenience.

Your end customer is influenced by an inspirational idea or recommendation from a trusted source, leading them to evaluate the purchase from many fronts: from comparing prices with a competitor who pops up in personalised advertising when they are browsing, to evaluating whether they engage with brand ambassadors across all social networks, to assessing the ease with which returns are made, to scanning the news to see where your brand stands on issues that mean something to them.

Omnichannel strategy can’t solely focus on efficiency or speed. It’s vital to consider how your different channels also establish and promote the brand experience, further endearing customers and potential customers alike.

Below, we explain different aspects that your company can follow to establish a solid omnichannel strategy:

Understand how to reach your audience

1. Understand how to reach your audience

You may learn a lot about a person’s demographics, such as age, locations and gender by looking at where they are most likely to shop. For instance, customers in the Gen Z age may be more at ease with social commerce (using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to directly sell products) and even prefer it to traditional eCommerce sites (process used by companies and customers to exchange goods and services using an electronic medium). Therefore, you might want to ask for suggestions or carry out surveys to target a more precise audience. Knowing your customers well can help you start to decide which method is or isn’t appropriate for them.

Establish a consistent brand

2. Establish a consistent brand

You need a coherent brand in order to create a holistic experience. You must be in control of how your brand is perceived. This must be the same across all platforms. If your website is personable and interactive, then your social media presence should be much alike. Additionally, omnichannel marketing ensures that your brand is noticed by your target audience where it matters most. You must know how to reach consumers because they no longer actively seek out brands and anticipate you to come to them.

Provide readily available customer support

3. Provide readily available customer support

People respond better to other people. This is why it is important to establish your brand as relatable and approachable who is aware of the demands and preferences of its target market. Understanding the effectiveness of your omnichannel efforts depends on speaking with the customers. Customers evaluate brands 104% better when they combine AI and operators in their customer service. Offering human connection will ensure that you are providing your consumers with a tailored experience.

Don’t try and do it all

4. Don’t try and do it all

Omnichannel doesn’t mean you have to be on all channels if it’s not the right approach for your brand and your people. Don’t fall into the trap of making an app or create a TikTok profile just because everyone else has one – if you have a high performing, mobile responsive website, sustain and nurture that if consumers respond well to it. Build good paths to where your customers are, but don’t focus on building too many of them. A mediocre or bad channel experience can do a lot of damage to a brand.

Utilise the right data

5. Utilise the right data

Making data-driven improvements to your omnichannel approach is vital. By gathering and analysing data, personalisation and integration efforts can be improved. You will eventually be able to identify trends among market segments. If you observe your data, you will find that your customers will tell you exactly how best to assist them. A Salesforce survey found that 57% of all consumers voluntarily give their personal information to business in exchange for personalised offers and incentives.

 

Therefore, it follows that creating a strong omnichannel experience is important if you want people to recognise and value your brand. However, it is not necessary to be present on absolutely every platform, as doing so may have the reverse effect and hinder your business. Every brand will have unique preferences and capabilities. Regardless of the customer’s preferred location or channel, omnichannel excellence places the consumer at the centre of every transaction and enables businesses to provide seamless, consistent and real time experiences.

 

Inspired? Next read: Creative Solutions for Captivating Customers

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Motivait



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Newcastle upon Tyne
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+44 191 495 7340

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