Gamified workshops in career choice: Gamification to reduce the lack of personnel in the logistics sector

The logistics sector is challenged by a shortage of skilled personnel. The personnel shortage is triggered by a low attractiveness of the logistics sector, the lack of presence of logistics in education and training as well as demographic changes. This study aims to examine the effects of gamified workshops for people in career choice processes using the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) applied in logistics. Gamified workshops are used to influence the image and the job interest in the logistics sector. A one-group pre-test-post-test study with a standardized questionnaire and a sample of 160 persons was conducted based on the SCCT. The results show that all constructs of the SCCT raised after the gamified workshops, with five out of six constructs showing significant improvements. Thus, we derive those gamified workshops are a suitable treatment to increase attractiveness of sustainable logistics jobs. The high self-efficacy of the respondents indicates that the level of difficulty of occupations in the logistics sector is not perceived as too high and therefore is not perceived as an entry barrier. The positive results speak in favor of continuing the research, with a subsequent longitudinal study, and to test the success of gamified workshops in other sectors with a shortage of skilled workers.