12 Training Games for Employees that Boost Productivity

Nowadays, companies are turning to innovative solutions to improve employee performance, and training games have emerged as powerful tools. With 83% of employees engaged in gamified training, it is clear that interactive learning is the new trend to follow.

These training games ease learning, improve engagement, promote collaboration, and turn learning into a fun experience. They also boost skill development among team members.

Let’s see how these training games boost employee growth, understand their impact in the workplace, and get tips for choosing the best games to benefit your team.

Importance of Corporate Training Games and Activities

Corporate training and activities significantly improve employee skills and boost morale. 90% of employees say training games make them more productive. 

Let’s explore the reasons behind their positive feedback for training games. 

Source: Whatfix

1. Engaging Adult Learners

Adult learners perform best when they actively participate in the learning process. The National Training Laboratories found that people retain 75% of information through practice and active involvement, compared to just 5% from lectures. 

Training games for adults are successful because they engage employees through action and collaboration. As a result, employees are more likely to retain and use what they learn.

2. Impact on Productivity

Employees' training methods have a direct impact on workforce performance and retention rate. Stats suggest 76% of employees are more likely to stay in a company that offers continuous top-of-the-line training. This is why companies should invest in effective training programs that include training games and activities. 

These programs help employees build problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork skills and increase workplace productivity.

3. Beyond Skill Building

Corporate training games and activities offer several additional benefits for companies. They help create a positive and productive work environment that fosters: :

• Better communication between employees.
• Build trust and stronger team bonds, as these games promote collaboration.
• Engagement in the learning process can lead to higher job satisfaction and retention.

12 Games that Boost Productivity

Here are 12 great training games for employees. They can boost your team's productivity, collaboration, and engagement.

Source: Enterpriseappstoday

1. Ice Breaker Games

Icebreaker games are an excellent way to kickstart team bonding, especially when employees are new to each other. These games help create a relaxed environment, build connections, and improve communication. Here are two examples of icebreaker games for employees:

a). Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie is one of the popular icebreaker training games widely used in corporate training to help employees build connections and communicate better. It is simple to play, needs no special equipment, and can be adapted to in-person and virtual settings, making it ideal for team-building scenarios.

How to play?

• Each participant will make three statements about themselves. Two must be true, and one a lie.
• The other participants must guess which of the three statements is false.

Here are some of the benefits of this game:

1. The game helps break down barriers, especially among new team members. 
2. Promotes trust and harmony, key ingredients for beneficial teamwork and collaboration.

b) Bucket List Bingo

Bucket List Bingo is a fun icebreaker game. It encourages employees to share their goals in a relaxed, interactive setting. This game helps establish team connections by revealing shared interests, making it a great addition to corporate training sessions.

How to play?

• Make bingo cards with each square representing a bucket list item or life goal (e.g., "I want to visit Japan," "I want to learn a new language," etc.).
• Each participant creates a bucket list—things they hope to achieve in their lifetime.
• Participants move around the room (or use breakout rooms in virtual settings). They ask each other questions about their bucket list items to find others with similar aims. If a colleague has the same bucket list item, they sign that square on the participants' bingo card.
• The game continues until a participant fills a row, column, or diagonal on their card. The first person to achieve a "Bingo" wins the game.

Benefits of Bucket List Bingo are:

1. The game encourages employees to share personal stories and goals, helping them connect beyond work tasks. 
2. Make collaboration and communication easier. Employees who share similar goals often collaborate more productively.

2. Problem-Solving Training Games

Problem-solving games challenge employees to think critically and work together to overcome barriers. These activities simulate real-world problems that encourage participants to come up with innovative solutions under pressure.

Source: Wrike

a) Escape Room Challenge

Escape rooms are increasingly being used for training and team-building purposes. It offers a unique way for employees to connect. These experiences require participants to work collaboratively to solve puzzles and complete challenges within a set time limit.

How to play?

• Participants are divided into small teams of 4 to 6 people.
• Each team is "locked" in a room (physical or virtual). They must solve puzzles, clues, and challenges within a set time (usually 45-60 minutes).
• Teams must communicate, distribute tasks, and combine their skills to identify the clues and escape before time runs out.
• For remote teams, virtual escape rooms are a fun option. They are virtual online platforms where participants in different locations work together to solve puzzles and unlock virtual doors.

It will contribute to employee training by:

1. Escape rooms require participants to think strategically and analyze situations. This skill is essential for problem-solving in the workplace.
2. Employees are encouraged to share information, ask questions, and provide feedback, which fosters open dialogue and teamwork. 

b) Marshmallow Challenge

The Marshmallow Challenge is one of the lively team-building training games popular in corporate training. It boosts creativity, planning, and teamwork by having participants think critically and collaborate within a set time.

Source: ontrackinternational

How to Play?

• The organizers give each team 20 sticks of dry spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow.
• Teams have 18 minutes to build the tallest self-supporting structure. When time runs out, the marshmallow must sit on top and stay intact without help.
• Success in this game depends on how well team members collaborate, divide tasks, and adapt their strategy as they work toward a common goal.

The benefits of the Marshmallow Challenge in employee training are as follows:

1. This training game encourages employees to think creatively and search for alternative solutions. 
2. Focusing on task planning within 18 minutes promotes quick decision-making and enhances team collaboration.

3. Simulation Games

Simulation games and activities allow employees to practice decision-making, leadership, and risk management. Business simulation games and crisis management simulation are two examples of these games that promote learning and skill development. 

a) Business Simulation Game

The Business Simulation Game boosts decision-making and strategic thinking. Employees take on executive roles in a virtual business and make crucial decisions in marketing, finance, and operations. The game reflects real-world challenges and offers practical experience without risks.

Source: AIHR

How to play?

Participants are divided into teams, each managing a virtual company. Teams must make strategic decisions about the following:

•      Marketing (product launches, pricing, advertising)
•      Finance (budget management, investments)
•      Operations (supply chain, production)

Each decision impacts the company’s success, and teams get real-time feedback on their performance.

Simulation business challenge game offer:

1. Practical experience in leadership.
2. Boost strategic thinking by encouraging participants to balance short-term actions with long-term goals.
3. Improves team collaboration.

b) Crisis Management Simulation

The Crisis Management Simulation is one type of employee training program that trains employees to handle urgent, high-stakes crises. It presents fictional scenarios, such as product recalls or PR mishaps, and requires employees to create practical response plans quickly.

How to play? 

• Choose a crisis scenario and prepare your team.
• Teams must develop a comprehensive response plan within a set timeframe 

Crisis management simulation training game benefits businesses by: 

1. Teaches employees how to lead and remain calm under pressure.
2. Sharpens collaborative skills that are necessary for handling real-life crises.

4. Role Playing Games

Role-playing games allow employees to practice real-world scenarios, like customer interactions or workplace conflicts. These games help develop soft skills like communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution. 

a) Customer Service Role Play

Customer Service Role Play immerses employees in realistic scenarios, allowing them to practice and refine their customer interaction skills. This hands-on training enhances their ability to deliver excellent service. It also increases customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving revenue growth.

How to play? 

• Employees take part in role-playing activities focused on customer service scenarios.
• Set up a scenario and allow them to respond. Their answer will show whether they're a good match or if they lack the needed knowledge and experience.

Here are some benefits of this scenario-based learning game: 

1. Builds confidence in dealing with demanding customers.
2. Improves service quality, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

b) Conflict Resolution Role Play

The Conflict Resolution Role-Play trains employees to manage workplace conflicts confidently. It involves real scenarios, like colleagues disagreeing or giving feedback, allowing practice in a supportive setting.

How to play?

• Employees are paired up and given conflict situations to role-play.
• Each participant worked on resolving the conflict calmly and professionally.

The benefits of conflict resolution role play are:

1. Builds strong listening and dialogue skills.
2. Encourages understanding of different perspectives.
3. Reduces workplace tensions and conflicts and allows employees to focus more on tasks. 

5. Virtual Training Games for Adults

With remote work rising, virtual training games are vital for keeping dispersed teams connected and engaged. These games aim to boost communication, teamwork, and creativity in a virtual space.

Source: Financesonline

a) Virtual Pictionary Game

Pictionary is a guessing game. Players draw pictures, and then their teammates guess the meanings of the drawings. One person draws, while the others guess the word or phrase.

How to play? 

• One player draws a word or concept on a virtual whiteboard.
• While teammates try to guess the word, they can use online drawing tools in a virtual meeting.

This virtual training game for adults offers many benefits, such as:

1. Encourages creativity and quick decision-making.
2. Builds communication skills and promotes creative problem-solving, which is crucial for remote teams.

b) Virtual Scavenger Hunt 

Scavenger hunts are fun training games for employees. They boost creativity and coordination through competition and promote team collaboration and innovation.

How to play?

• Split your participants into two or more groups based on the total numbers.
• Teams must complete tasks or find specific items within a virtual environment. They work together to solve clues and complete the hunt.
• The first team to finish all tasks wins. Scavenger hunts can be made more exciting by adding puzzles, hints, and twists, which can lead teams to the finish line or final goal.

Some of the benefits of this game are:

1. Encourages teamwork and communication in a virtual setting.
2. Strengthens remote team collaboration, leading to more productive virtual teamwork.

6. Reflection and Feedback Games

Reflection and feedback games encourage employees to check their performance and identify areas for improvement. These activities promote continuous learning and help employees apply the training to future tasks.

a) Peer Review Role Play

The Peer Review Role-Play activity encourages employees to give constructive feedback and improve. In this activity, employees participate in various tasks or scenarios. Following the performances, peers provide feedback, pointing out strengths and areas for growth.

How to play?

• Employees engage in assigned tasks or role-play scenarios, including presenting an idea or handling a customer complaint.
• Later on, peers give feedback, highlight strengths, and suggest improvements.

The benefits of this training game for employees are the following:

1. Encourage employees to reflect on their performance.
2. Helps to normalize constructive feedback in the workplace.
3. Identifying employee strengths and weaknesses supports continuous skill development, leading to better performance.

b) Plus/Delta Reflection

The Plus/Delta Reflection is an easy but powerful activity. It promotes improvement through thoughtful reflection. This activity encourages employees to review a training experience, identify successes, and pinpoint areas for future improvement.

How to play?

• After a training activity, employees discuss aspects that went well (Plus) and areas needing improvement (Delta).
• This open discussion provides each participant with clear takeaways.

The following are the benefits of this activity:

1. Help employees develop a growth mindset by viewing feedback as a path to improvement.
2. Promotes a culture of constructive feedback.

How to Choose the Right Training Game for Your Employees?

Choosing the right training games is crucial; they must meet your team's needs and your business goals. Here is how to select a suitable training game for your employees:

1. Align with Business Objective

Choose training games that can develop the skills and behaviors you wish to encourage in your employees. For example, simulation games can improve leadership and decision-making. To improve team collaboration, you can try problem-solving games and The Escape Room Challenge.

2. Know Your Audience

Consider your employees' preferences and learning styles. Companies can gain insights into what types of training match their staff by conducting surveys or informal discussions. This helps determine whether employees prefer hands-on activities, competitive challenges, or collaborative games. Understanding these factors enables organizations to tailor their training game to align with employee interests.

3. Balance Fun and Learning

Fun training games for employees are important for engagement, but they should have clear learning objectives. These objectives might include improving communication skills, promoting teamwork, and enhancing problem-solving abilities to solve new challenges. By aligning games with these specific goals, training sessions can be both enjoyable and purposeful.

Improve Your Team Productivity with Training Games

Training games are crucial in today’s workplace, transforming the way employees learn and apply new skills.  These interactive games for training sessions not only engage employees but also build important skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. 

Companies can adopt any of the training games we’ve mentioned or opt for online games, such as quiz competitions, to speed up learning and improve productivity. For this task, you can use Coursebox AI Quiz Generator. 

By using our tool, companies can promptly and easily create editable quizzes by converting PDF files and videos or relying on AI for assistance. So what are you waiting for? Start using it now and prepare your employees for growth and success. 

FAQs

How do you make staff training fun?

You can make staff training more fun by using interactive games for training sessions that engage employees and encourage them to participate actively. The examples include: 

• Virtual Pictionary Game
• Two Truths and a Lie
• Escape Room Challenge
• Customer Service Role-Play
• Marshmallow challenge

What are training activities?

Training activities are exercises or games designed to help employees learn specific skills. These activities can range from role-playing to problem-solving challenges that simulate real-world situations.

What are the four main parts of the training activity?

A good training activity for employees includes:

1. Setting the context of the activity and explaining the purpose.
2. Giving clear guidance on how to perform the activity.
3. Implement the actual task or game.
4. Overview of the outcomes and key learning points.