BlueLink increases employee loyalty with System4u app
The Prague-based company is part of the Air France Group. It offers flight bookings, delayed or damaged baggage claims and customer loyalty programmes. It employs more than 600 people from 50 countries.
The HR specialists there were well aware that recruiting new employees was expensive and time-consuming. So they looked for ways to retain workers for as long as possible. And they came up with an unusual idea – a loyalty game. People perform routine tasks in a fun way to improve the mood of the team.
They spent dozens of hours preparing at BlueLink. They found out what their colleagues would enjoy and conceived the game as a supporting tool for company benefit programs.
Supplier search
Then they started looking for a web application supplier. A tender was launched and four companies applied. They were most interested in System4u, who came up with the idea of setting the game in an aviation environment, which was a good fit with BlueLink’s field of operation. The HR managers were also impressed by the imaginative graphics in pastel colours, which differed significantly from the other designs.
The game is set in an aviation environment.
BlueLink knew what the app was supposed to do, but they didn’t have an exact idea of how it would work. Therefore, it was up to the developers from System4 to develop the concept into the individual parts of the game.
“It often happens that a client comes with a general assignment. This is understandable, because there is no specialist in web or mobile applications. I recommend that such clients check whether their supplier can work with it and can independently design a solution. In fact, many developers need a completely precise specification, which they just need to fulfill to the dot.” Jiří Brusenbauch, Head of Developers, System4u
How does the game work?
Called Around the World, the app starts by selecting an avatar and its balloon, helicopter or other flying vehicle. Afterwards, the player will be faced with tasks , which are referred to in the game as air tours. Employees have a large list of options to choose from.
For example, they can:
- complete the training feedback form,
- suggest improvements,
- organize teambuilding,
- to train a newbie,
- fill in the survey.
Players choose their avatar and their means of transport.
When the task is completed, the app marks it as done. The ambassadors, who are mainly team and division leaders, will check and confirm it. Employees are then credited with a specific number of air miles based on the difficulty of the task. These are then converted into rewards of their choice, such as a free lunch, a day off, a better MultiSport card and more. It’s up to them to choose a larger number of smaller ones, or wait and invest the accumulated miles in a big reward. One of the rewards is free pizza.
Trickery from developers
In order to make the game as attractive as possible for employees, the developers of System4u have added gamification elements to the game. One of them is a large map that leads from Prague through the places where the company has branches. With every kilometer accumulated, the player moves on this map and gets an extra reward for reaching a new city. In addition, he can see where his colleagues are on the map with whom he can compete.
Thanks to the map, the player can easily see how far he has gone.
When the player starts, he sees the Prague skyline on the main screen. But by the time he reaches Paris, the Eiffel Tower is already waiting for him on the screen. Another feature is that the sky changes according to the time of day – when an employee performs a task early in the morning, he sees the sunrise, and in the evening the starry sky.
The home screen changes depending on how far the player has got in the game.
Other gamification features that System4u has included in the app include player leaderboards and the ability to form teams with your teammates to earn points faster.
Also for jobseekers
Jobseekers can also join the game. They have a limited list of tasks compared to permanent employees; for example, they earn air miles for sending a CV or writing a short text about BlueLink’s activities. The advantage is that thanks to the game, the company already distinguishes itself from others during recruitment and gains the attention of potential employees.
Employees enjoy the game
The app itself took a year to create. Subsequent deployment into live operation was seamless. In the first six months, about half of the employees were involved. The game is fun and motivating.
The company is still fine-tuning the active involvement of the management. The managers have promised their participation, but their game activity is not very visible yet.
