The Global Diversity Office at MasterCard launched its first multiplatform, interactive gamification program, EDGE (Employees Driving the Global Enterprise), in December 2013.

Created in partnership with Global Talent Development, the goal of the program was to enable MasterCard employees around the world to articulate clearly and accurately what MasterCard does, and how it benefits individuals and society. The program is open to all 10,000 employees worldwide.

“Our Business Resource Groups are extremely engaged, and wanted tools to help them talk to their community, and to their friends and neighbors, about our business and the role it plays in the financial and technology industries,” says Arlene González-Pagan, director of global diversity and inclusion. “To ensure everyone was having the same conversation, and had the same learning background, we created EDGE. The format makes it more engaging than your typical program so that employees can easily retain the information—which can be a lot, especially for new hires.”

The program is presented in the form of a four-part challenge that incorporates videos and quizzes, and mirrors a day in the life of a MasterCard employee—who they may meet, the environments they may encounter, and questions that may be asked of them along the way. There is also an online community that allows employees around the world to connect, socialize, and communicate what they’ve learned, as well as videos and visuals to share within groups.

This program has been so successful, and had such a significant impact on the business, that it will now be incorporated into the onboarding process for all new employees.

“Launching this program was incredibly energizing,” says González-Pagan, “and it has inspired us to take more innovative paths in other areas of communication to keep our employees engaged.”