At most offices, spending work hours playing a virtual slot machine would be a quick path to a pink slip. At the Shoreview offices of Personix, a corporate communications firm, it might mean getting a bigger bonus.
Personix is a Twin Cities customer of Wyoming-based Snowfly. Snowfly founder Brooks Mitchell describes his product as an employee motivation system that utilizes computer games. He distinguishes that from providing opportunities to gamble.
“Gambling requires a risk, the possibility of losing,” Mitchell says. In Snowfly’s contained system, the only currency is tokens associated with the incentive program, and there are no losers.
Here’s how the system works: Employees who perform well are awarded tokens at the discretion of their managers. The tokens give workers access to one of many computer games—the slot machine, horse racing, or carnival-type games. Those games reward winners with points that can be redeemed for a real-world bonus: extra time off, extra cash, or simply a longer lunch.
Personix has been using Snowfly’s incentive program for three years. “Employees recognize who the top earners are who are getting the most tokens,” says Pam Meyer, the company’s human resources manager. “It has impacted performance, because employees are working to be in the top range.”
Mitchell says this kind of incentive works for two reasons. First, it gives immediate reinforcement for good performance. “We essentially take that annual bonus and break it down into 52 segments,” he says.
Second, the element of chance increases motivation. “Would you rather make a $10 or $20 immediate bonus, or would you rather gamble for, say, $500 more? You may also only win $4, but the possibility of making $500 is an incentive for people to keep playing,” Mitchell adds.
Before Personix switched to Snowfly, it was rewarding employees with gift cards, but there was an element of expectation and performance plateaued, Meyer says. The allure of a big payoff means employees want to keep earning as many chances as possible to play again.
