To effectively achieve HR objectives, gamification of recruitment is a real solution. Companies need skilled, qualified employees, but they also need to retain them for as long as possible after hiring, to reduce turnover.
Game-based recruitment is an innovative hiring process that can attract and retain pure talent right from the interview stage. In human resources, it appears to be a good lever for employee acquisition and commitment.
In fact, this recruitment method has many other advantages that have made it a success with major brands such as Deloitte, Google, PwC and others. Find out here why and how to use gamification in recruitment to recruit through play.
Recruitment gamification: what is it and what are its principles?
Gamification includes the English word game which simply means game. In human resources, this term refers to an innovative, fun recruitment method based on role-playing and games to motivate and engage job applicants.
The gamification of recruitment is also known as “recrutainment”. This word is a fusion of recruitment and entertainment(entertainment in English). This process, which is increasingly used in recruitment, encompasses concepts such as :
- The competition;
- Analysis;
- Understanding;
- Pleasure.
The gamification of recruitment even makes use of the correlation between science and recruitment to help recruiters find the ideal candidate. So, while the activities proposed in these processes are often entertaining, there’s no question of regarding them as mere games.
They enable recruiters to analyze the behavior of each candidate in a highly original setting. The context is in fact quite different from that of traditional job interviews, which can be very stressful.
Recruiting through play allows applicants to express themselves more fully and freely. Recruiters can then make optimal decisions in line with the position to be filled.
Gamification in recruitment has already proved its worth. Thanks to the Facteur Academy game, turnover at the CFA des métiers de la Poste and Formaposte has dropped from 25% to 8%.
The main objectives of game-based recruitment for companies
An HR strategy for gamifying recruitment must have clear and specific objectives. The expected results for the employer are generally :
- Identify atypical profiles and talents;
- Reduce turnover in your company;
- Facilitating the creation of social links;
- Increase the number of bids received;
- Assessing soft skills or hard skills;
- Increase employee involvement and loyalty;
- Attract candidates who are familiar with the game world.
These objectives often have a direct positive impact on the company’s image, making it appear modern, caring, friendly and atypical. Gamification processes in corporate recruitment also improve the candidate experience and the employer brand.
Discover the challenges, tools and key features of interview software that you can use in your company to hire with this effective and innovative recruitment tool.
The benefits of game-based recruitment
Gamification in human resources offers many advantages to companies. It is also of great interest to employers and candidates, who can be users of dedicated software.
Why recruit through play?
For a company, recruiting through games offers real benefits in the short, medium and long term by offering a bold, innovative recruitment test. In particular, it enables :
- Assess candidates under realistic conditions;
- A simple, fast and efficient recruitment process;
- Evaluate candidates’ team spirit;
- Improve talent acquisition, with a definite value in identifying potential ;
- Facilitate the integration process for new employees;
- Reinforce corporate culture;
- Display and enhance the company’s brand image.
The many advantages of gamification in recruitment justify its use by more and more companies. Candidates are immersed in a real-life setting, where it’s really hard for them to lie about their personality and skills.
This HR strategy offers a better chance of finding the rare pearl. It is also an excellent solution to how to reduce turnover effectively? Original and innovative, gamification also helps to improve brand image.
This enables the company to attract more quality partners and customers. Recruitment gamification is also a tool for internal recruitment and ongoing training. Finally, this process can help to engage and retain employees for company growth.
What are the benefits of gamified recruitment for candidates?
Job applicants are more likely to reveal their best side in a gamified recruitment process. They discover the company more easily, and find it easier to take their first steps. Similarly, job applicants can better reveal their potential in these contexts.
Gamification of human resources recruitment also makes the recruitment process more user-friendly and shorter for candidates. Whether used for internal recruitment or ongoing training, gamification is of great interest to employees and company staff alike.
How do you set up a game-based recruitment process?
The gamification of an HR recruitment process begins with the definition of its objectives and budget. The process to be implemented must be based on other aspects. The game must be :
- Simple ;
- Fun ;
- Interactive ;
- Efficient.
Diversity and inclusion: improve your practices with these points. Analysis and measurement of results are also important in a game-based recruitment process. To this end, it is essential to identify KPIs for each pre-defined objective.
However, it’s not enough to have a good game-based recruitment process. It needs to be promoted on strategic channels to increase its visibility and the interest of potential candidates. Your marketing team could be in charge of this equally important step.
Gamification in recruitment: choosing games according to target and objectives
Gamification in recruitment uses different types of games that correspond to a given target and objectives. The choice of game type in this recruitment process also depends on the budget available and the number of people to be recruited.
Fun tests
Fun tests are suitable for all candidates, whatever their profile. They can therefore be used as a recruitment test for any position.
A fun test to assess the logical and analytical skills of participants or users. These tests can be customized or used with recruitment software.
Escape games
Popular and entertaining, escape games plunge candidates into a life-size world of escape, where they have to use their intelligence and soft skills to solve enigmas. The challenge is to escape together before the timer runs out.
This type of game calls for stress management, reflection, leadership, communication and listening skills. An escape game can also be used in the workplace for a company interview.
Challenges for gamification in recruitment
A challenge pits people against each other in singletons or teams on a given theme. The problem usually has to be solved before the timer runs out. This type of entertainment helps identify competitive profiles.
Hackathons
Hackathons are traditionally competitions between digital professionals that can last several days. They can be programming or hacking competitions.
Serious games
The serious game is often used as part of a training program to deepen a candidate’s knowledge. They can also be used to determine whether or not the position you’re applying for is really the right one for you. In practice, companies use them for job changes.
What are the mistakes to avoid in a game-based recruitment process?
To successfully gamify recruitment in a company, the employer or recruiter must avoid certain common mistakes.
Underestimating candidates
Make a good compromise when it comes to the level of difficulty of the games proposed. A game that’s too simple will clearly be of no interest to participants, and this can affect their image of the company. On the other hand, finding the right balance will help to generate interest in your company.
Offering a game that doesn’t fit in with the corporate culture
The proposed hiring process must reflect your company’s brand image. It must be modern and dynamic to create commitment. Above all, stay true to your corporate values and culture, or risk seeing your turnover rate in jeopardy.
Trapping candidates
Don’t give candidates looking for a position in your company an impossible exercise to solve. Likewise, be transparent about the objectives, participants and rules of the game.
Slipping unsolvable traps into your HR recruitment gamification could have a detrimental impact on the lasting relationship of trust you want to build with your potential future employees.
Preventing participants from expressing themselves at the end of recruitment gamification
It’s essential to take care of the human relationship in a game-based recruitment process. For example, plan a short debriefing after the game to highlight the skills observed, provide explanations or allow candidates to express themselves.
This tip will ensure a positive experience for all participants. Even if they don’t make the cut, they’ll take away good memories and lessons learned.
Conclusion
Finally, gamifying your recruitment process is an effective and innovative way of unearthing talented and committed new employees. This recruitment method offers numerous advantages for companies, employees and candidates alike.
Of course, there are a few essential steps to take in order to take full advantage of a gamified recruitment strategy in your company.
