Disengagement is reaching extremely high levels in the American workplace. According to a recent Gallup poll, as much as 70 percent of the workforce is “not enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace,” which results in estimated lost productivity of between $450 billion and $550 billion annually. Now employers are striving to correct the trend, trying anything from unlimited vacation days to completely flat organizational structures to promote satisfaction and engagement. While these efforts have seen a modicum of success, they may not address the root causes of dissatisfaction and disengagement. In other words, a break room refrigerator stocked with craft beer can’t compensate for a job that is boring or that an employee simply doesn’t like doing. The true solution for the engagement crisis is to focus on making the employee’s day-to-day, task-to-task experience better. Gamification is one way to accomplish this, particularly as it pertains to programs that promote recognition. For example, have an employee take on a leadership role, acting as the mentor for a new hire. This employee can be given a badge on her intranet profile that others can see. While the act itself may be small, studies have shown that such recognition has a significant effect on performance and engagement.