You’d be hard-pressed to find someone under the age of 60 that has never played a video game. Since the arrival of the computer age, games have been used right alongside productivity tools and occupy a world of their own.
But as Gen Y individuals began to complete their education and training to enter the workforce, companies found that their childhood games had another value. In the last few years, there have been increased efforts to include gamification in training and other day-to-day- work processes.
While the efficacy of gamification grew from the attributes of the youngest generation of workers, many companies discovered two valuable lessons. One, gamification works well across generations of workers. And two, beyond training, it can be a very effective tool for recruiting and hiring.
Identifying Essential Skills
Scoutible is one company that utilizes the value of gamification in recruiting. Using a video game, employers can identify potential candidates with the essential skills required to mesh well with their company culture and make a solid addition to their team.
Traditional recruiting is notoriously focused on hard skills; these skills aren’t difficult to assess. While almost 50% of new hires fail, only 11% fail due to a lack of hard skills. They either have them, or it quickly becomes apparent that they don’t.
Scoutible’s focus on gamification in recruiting seeks to assess the more challenging aspect of recruitment – pinning down essential skills like motivation, emotional intelligence, temperament, and the ability to accept and respond to coaching. The game uses an app that is approximately 15 minutes long.
Hiring managers using the game can test current employees to benchmark what skills the current staff possesses. They can then match potential recruit’s skills to those inherent in the company.
Benefits to Gamification
There are several benefits to this method:
- Bias – Traditional recruiting tools often contained questions which employees could guess the desired answer even though they may not possess that essential skill. In the Scoutible game, bias is eliminated because there is no apparent “right answer.” The applicant’s performance will be a genuine indication of their skills.
- Customization – Not every company needs the same essential skills. Gamification allows companies to test for the skills they value most in their business model and culture. For example, in companies where applicants often lack experience, the game may look for coachability. And for companies that require a lot of in-person contact with co-workers or clients, temperament may be the most desired skill.
- Engagement – Gamification also engages applicants. Those who quickly accept the game and do well are likely to be more motivated employees. Also, potential candidates who understand what the game is used for may view the company as a fun and exciting place to work.
- Time to Hire – The recruiting process has grown longer over time, wasting company resources and turning off many candidates. Scoutible’s effective approach reduces hiring time by pinpointing critical skills in significantly less time than traditional testing, which can drag on for several days.
Additional Gaming Tools for Recruitment
While Scoutible’s game app has helped companies zero in on essential skills, other gamification tools are available for customized needs. These include coding exercises for tech industries, puzzle-solving games to benchmark specific skills, and simulation games to see how candidates respond to different scenarios.
Understanding Your Recruiting Needs
Every company is different, and new businesses are constantly evolving. Gamification can help improve the hiring process, but first, you have to know what you need and why you need it.
As an entrepreneur, your time is often spent getting products up and running. And hiring may not be your strong point. The Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre (HBEC) at Georgian College offers entrepreneurs training, mentorship, and guidance to help new business leaders succeed.
Whether you choose the path of traditional recruiting or gamification, we can help determine which skills best fit your company culture. Our programs help entrepreneurs look at their business comprehensively – from recruiting through R&D and beyond.
Contact us today to find out how we can help in your journey.
