Gamification

Today my post is slightly different from my previous ones, this time: (1) this is not about one specific job ad that I found from internet job portal or newspaper, and (2) the recruitment advertisement is not from Estonia.

The other day when I was reading about different recruitment topics I found information about gamification. I hadn’t heard anything about that concept before, but there I was, readying about it. The more I read, the more excited I got. I felt that this is something really different and something that is really worth to study; and I still feel so.

So what it is? Basically, it is a recruitment strategy which uses game design mechanics and techniques in non-game contexts. Gamification is not only used in recruitment, but it is a tool that has successfully been used also in trainings, and other HR areas. To be honest, I have had also privilege to try it in one change management training.

Several well-known companies such as Marriot (they had a Facebook game called ‘My Marriot Hotel’), KPMG, etc. have used gamification for recruitment purposes.

Today I would like to introduce you KPMG’s game ’80 Days to Race the World’ that I played myself in last week. But I must warn you that this game is indeed an interesting and addictive one. I am not exaggerating when I am saying that I played it myself about 8 to 9 hours.

Now about the game; before you start to play it you are of course supposed to read the instructions of the game and the terms and conditions, so that you’d know what and how. What is this game about? Basically the players compete there by flying around the world in a hot air balloon. They must visit KPM’s offices to re-fuel the balloon and to find and solve the challenges. To pass the game player must pass 10 challenges and fly over the equator and do this within the deadline (meaning within 80 days or before game closes).

So what it all has to do with recruitment? Well, first of all, the game is targeted to those who are interested of applying to KMPG (when registering to the game players must indicate which area they are interested applying to). Secondly, by flying around the world with hot air balloon the player gets to know the company and its activities in different countries (when landing on company’s location in different countries players get the overview of that specific country’s activities). Gamification gives companies also opportunity to communicate their employer brand to external audience. With this specific game KPMG can show their global network of offices in different countries, people see that they are an innovative company with different approach to candidates, etc.

I myself am a true believer of games as HR tools. Games help people to be more open, more concentrated, more collaborative and more open to solve problems, and. This means that games give employers tools to learn more about their employees and candidates. That is because I believe that gamification is something that is worth to try.

And finally; using gamification doesn’t mean that all companies now need to invent their own computer games. You can have different playful approaches to your recruitment process; like some employers have done when recruiting IT professionals. Companies have created their own artificial databases to hide a secret code and people who were interested of the job need to find them.

Takeaways

-          You must consider that just a job advertisement itself doesn’t make desired candidates to apply to vacant position. Job ad must be attractive to potential candidates, so that they would want to apply to vacant position. One of the possibilities to attract candidates is the use of gamification in recruitment process.

-          Companies can use gamification in recruitment process to communicate their employer brand identity. Take advantage of your strengths and communicate them to your target group.

-          As for the bonus, gamification can also help employers with selecting suitable candidates for vacant position. You can use your game to assess candidate’s skills, characteristics, teamwork, etc depends of the game you are using.