Many can agree that as times have changed the hiring process听has听not听improved much at all. Applicant pools have become much larger and there are so many more jobs on the market,听so how can employers sift听through听hundreds of听resumes to find the听best听possible candidate?听That鈥檚听where听gamification听comes听in.听By听using games backed by听neuroscience听it may now be easier to听identify听who may be a good fit for a job听regarding听both听technical and interpersonal aspects.听
There are听many ways games are听being听used听for听hiring听purposes听today.听Some are used to听identify听cognitive听and emotional abilities of their candidates while others听demonstrate听critical thinking and teamwork skills听[1].听These all can be seen听in the games听produced by听the听start-ups听KnackApp,听Scoutible, and听many others, which all aim to use gamification to increase the听efficiency听of the hiring process.听When it听comes听to听KnackApp听they have a听four-step听process.听First, the听user听plays听one of their free games,听secondly,听they offer听personalized听careers听guidance based on听the听results.听Thirdly,听they show听list the user鈥檚听strengths听and skills.听Finally,听KnackApp听connects听you to communities where they听believe听you would fit听well,听and thus help you get听discovered听and听hired听[3].听Scoutible听is听a very听interesting听example as well.听An听RPG puzzle was听created in听which you听interact with NPC鈥檚,听do quests,听and solve听puzzles.听The result听shows听the user听what听their听top听soft skills听are,听and听also听allows听the employer you are applying to听view听the results听as听well听[4].听You can test their听games听out听by听playing them online听or getting them through the app store.听
While many听claims听that gamification听helps听to remove bias in the hiring process,听some听have also claimed that it will instead increase听an听unconscious听bias.听One way to look at it is employers would be biased to only听hiring听those who they think have the ideal听personality,听which they听deduced听from a听game.听However,听these results could be flawed in many ways.听For听instance, since听the听game could听determine听whether one is hired or听not, people听who are applying for the job could very easily play the game a certain way to make听themselves听look听as good as听possible听in the eyes of the听employers. There could听also be听issues听arising听when听someone who听hasn鈥檛听played听games听very much听would be at a听disadvantage听when playing since they would have a harder time听understanding听how to go听about听the听game [2].听
To听conclude,听gamification听is truly an interesting way to go about the hiring process especially in the market as听competitive听and听oversaturated听as they are today.听However,听we must be careful to not rely too much on the results of these games when hiring as they may not be as useful to听hiring听as foreseen听due to unexpected challenges.听
References
[1]听Hak, A. (2019, May 21). How to remove hiring bias through gamification. Retrieved from听https://thenextweb.com/work2030/2019/05/20/how-to-remove-hiring-bias-through-gamification/听
[2]听Horton, A. P. (2018, February 22). The Downsides听Of听Using Personality Tests听For听Hiring. Retrieved from听https://www.fastcompany.com/40533339/the-downsides-of-using-personality-tests-for-hiring听
[3]听Join听KnackApp. (n.d.). Retrieved from听https://knackapp.com/听
[4]听Scoutible. (n.d.). Retrieved from听https://www.scoutible.com/听
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