For those graduates out there who are also avid gamers, we have some good news: your skills may come into good use when applying for your next job. The Independent has revealed that some graduate recruitment portals are now incorporating gaming into the selection process.
Case in Point
Harver acquired pymetrics to add their gamified behavioral-based soft skills assessments to an already robust suite of data-driven talent decision solutions. The game-like interface of pymetrics’ assessments helps to engage candidates and internal job seekers alike, to the tune of a 98% completion rate. Underneath the compelling surface of these gamified assessments is a science-backed, fairness-first approach to matching talent to the right jobs with objective behavioral data.
Of course, hiring organisations are also investing in a game-like approach to assessing talent that is serious business. For instance, BNP Paribas bank ran two online games for candidates – a coding based game for those students interested in technology, and a finance game with virtual bankers and clients for those going into finance.
KPMG, the top global accounting firm, presented potential new recruits with an adventure challenge called “80 Days”, requiring players to travel around the world in a hot air balloon in the quickest time possible, facing 10 challenges along their journey.
Forbes refers to the recruitment game “My Marriott”, a Facebook app developed by Marriott International Inc. The international hotel chain created the game, which has a similar concept to The Sims, where players act as managers in a virtual hotel kitchen, taking on the responsibilities of hospitality professionals and ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
The game allows candidates to get an idea of the kind of work they would be involved in, and to earn rewards, giving them a positive feeling towards the company and the industry.
The game was implemented to expand the company’s recruitment outside of the U.S. to the international arena, and attract more millennials.
It’s a good example of how social media and gaming can be used to attract potential hires from all over the world – to engage and offer them the opportunity to find out more about the company and what a job there might be like.
Advantages of Gamification for Recruiters
Although initial capital investment when implementing gaming into the recruitment process can be high, outsourcing to gaming companies who specialize in this kind of thing could cut costs in the long run.
In today’s market, there’s a lot of competition, and gaming could help companies to differentiate themselves. Games are attractive and engaging – and much more exciting than the usual hiring processes.
Chris Pateman, VP, EMEA, APAC at Harver, says, “Increasingly, I’m reassured that graduate recruiting teams are recognising that their recruitment process is a direct reflection of their business culture—with a fun and dynamic environment, their hiring approach should reflect that. Gamification is a great way of bringing the experience alive.”
Gamification can also help recruiters expand their client base. As the girth of the technology industry grows, jobs in this sector are becoming a more viable option for students.
Gaming is well suited for this kind of recruitment and thus will help traditional recruiters expand their specialisations and clients by tapping into this market of technologically based companies.
Advantages of Gamification for Candidates
Gaming can add to the recruitment process by introducing a new way of evaluation that goes beyond the black and white applications of CVs and cover letters, giving potential hires the opportunity to illustrate their skills through practical situations and tests.
Gaming could also help students become better prepared for work. Graduate Wojciech Kowalczyk says one of the games in BNP Paribas recruitment helped him demonstrate his skills and aided him in his first steps in his investment banking career.
pymetrics’ soft skills assessments make it easy and enjoyable for candidates to learn and improve. While candidates complete assessments using a game-like interface, supporting fairer hiring and talent development is serious business. By mitigating inherent human biases through validated AI, pymetrics’ assessments help employers to identify quality candidates, hire equitably, reduce turnover rate, and enhance overall talent performance.
Gamification in the Workplace
According to Forbes, the gaming trend comes from the need to increase engagement among employees as well as creating a system of reward and recognition in the office, while making processes more visible and open.
In a recent Pew Internet/Elon University report, ‘The Future Of Gamification‘, university researchers suggested that the principles behind gamification could improve motivation, learning, creativity and participation.
Of the 1021 internet experts that were interviewed, 53% of them predict that there will be significant growth and progress in the use of gamification in the workplace by 2020, in areas from education to marketing, communications and wellness.
Gaming is a powerful tool because it draws out the competitive nature of people, engaging them and making them more likely to work harder to achieve rewards. This can be used both in the workplace and in recruitment, offering an interesting alternative to traditional recruitment methods.
