Should we play? Gamification in assessment and selection

Abstract

In 2011 the word ‘gamification’ first made an appearance in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The OED defines it as ‘the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service’. Many organisations have been going to great lengths to maximise the potential of this concept and ‘gamify’ their processes, from marketing, to innovation and HR. This article explores the potential value of gamification in assessment and selection, and considers what it adds to our toolkit as practitioners.