Gamification in Employee Training: O’Brien Fine Foods' Story

Developing our people is at the core of what we do.

- Darina Callanan, Human Resources Business Partner at O’Brien Fine Foods

As Ireland’s leading producer of premium cooked meats, O’Brien Fine Foods has built its success on quality — both in its products and its people. With more than 600 employees and over two decades of experience, this family-run business continues to grow internationally while staying true to its values.

This GoSkills success story shows how investing in employee development has helped O’Brien Fine Foods strengthen its culture and maintain its competitive edge.

The challenge

O’Brien Fine Foods wanted to take its learning and development initiatives to the next level by:

• Improving employees’ Excel and PowerPoint skills

• Fitting learning into limited time blocks across busy production schedules

The solution

To make learning engaging and accessible, the company turned to the GoSkills Learning Management System (LMS). By using off-the-shelf courses, a leaderboard, and gamification tools, O’Brien Fine Foods created an environment of friendly competition that encouraged participation and collaboration.

The “Battle of the Brains”

To spark excitement and motivate learners, O’Brien Fine Foods launched an internal learning competition — the “Battle of the Brains.”

Teams competed to complete the most GoSkills courses within a one-month period, earning points and recognition along the way. For this competition, teams competed to complete the most GoSkills courses possible. Not only did employees complete a record number of courses, but they also began recommending specific courses they liked to their colleagues! The Human Resources team observed the following:

• Employees completed a record number of courses within the period

• Colleagues began recommending their favorite courses to one another

• A culture of continuous learning took root across departments

The winning team proudly claimed the title of Battle of the Brains Champions, along with GoSkills-branded coffee mugs, water bottles, and plenty of bragging rights!

The results

Through the GoSkills LMS, O’Brien Fine Foods achieved:

• Increased engagement in employee development programs

• Improved digital skills across the workforce

• A stronger, more connected learning culture

What started as a fun competition turned into a lasting commitment to professional growth — proving that when learning is enjoyable, everyone wins.

Why it worked

The success of O’Brien Fine Foods’ learning initiative came down to two key elements: microlearning and gamification. By breaking courses into short, digestible lessons, employees could fit learning into even the busiest schedules without feeling overwhelmed. The gamified elements, such as leaderboards and team competitions, added a sense of play, recognition, and motivation that traditional training often lacks. This combination made learning not just convenient, but genuinely enjoyable — turning skill development into a shared, rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Success story

Read the complete case study to know the success story behind the O’Brien Fine Foods learning program, and unlock three key takeaways to boost your own company's employee development.