Employers of all sizes are looking for new ways to engage, motivate and reward their employees. Employees are looking to receive regular feedback and to be recognised for their achievements. And younger, ‘Gen Y' staff in particular, want their workplaces to reflect their lifestyles. They want work to be social and fun.In 2011, Gartner highlighted the increased importance of gamification to innovative organisations, helping with the product/service development process and driving higher levels of engagement both internally and externally. This week, Springwise described a new social network, MyCornerOffice, which gives employees a ‘virtual office' in which they can display awards, share news updates, and collect points via a customised employee recognition programme.In her recent guest blog post for Forbes.com Gen Y-er Katherine Heisler explains why gamification, when built into corporate culture and processes, can be so powerful. The combination of technology with game mechanics encourages employees to ‘engage in desired behaviours' - and in return they receive feedback, recognition and increased social activity.Gamification will only increase in popularity and importance. It benefits not only employee engagement and morale, but can deliver a true competitive edge to organisations as they seek to innovate, collaborate and build stronger connections with their customers and communities.