How PepsiCo boosted onboarding engagement to 99% with a gamified microlearning app

For large organisations, onboarding can be overwhelming for new hires — and a challenge to keep consistent across locations. PepsiCo wanted an onboarding experience that would engage people from day one, reinforce key knowledge, and be easy to access on any device.

The challenge

• Onboarding was inconsistent across different sites

• Traditional training materials were text-heavy and hard to retain

• New hires often forgot critical details once training ended

• The organisation needed a solution that could scale globally

Our approach

We designed a gamified microlearning app that turned onboarding into an interactive, bite-sized experience.

• Modules were delivered as short, mobile-friendly microgames

• Each game reinforced key knowledge through repetition and instant feedback

• Leaderboards added friendly competition, encouraging full completion

• Content was tailored to PepsiCo’s brand and culture

The results

Within the first rollout phase:

• 99% engagement rate across all new hires

• Faster time-to-competence compared to previous onboarding

• High recall of key processes and standards during follow-up assessments

• Positive feedback from both learners and managers

What made it work

• Bite-sized learning — Easier to fit into busy onboarding schedules

• Interactive practice — Learners engaged actively instead of passively reading or watching

• Consistent delivery — Every new hire got the same quality onboarding experience, regardless of location

Bottom line:
By transforming onboarding into a gamified, mobile-friendly experience, PepsiCo kept new hires engaged, retained key information, and achieved one of the highest engagement rates we’ve seen in large-scale onboarding.