Gamification redefines recruitment by bringing science and fun to the art of recruitment. It introduces an exciting and equalizing element to the ever-monotonous process of recruitment.
It’s no surprise that the digital revolution continues to transform recruitment. In the span of a decade, we have moved away from traditional job platforms into a new world of innovative recruitment tools and strategies. Deloitte Insights inform us that 56% of companies are restructuring their HR processes to leverage digital recruitment tools.
This, of course, is a welcome change, since recruitment is now among the most important jobs modern-day businesses have.
The Challenge and The Chase
Sourcing top talent for key roles remains vital to maintaining a competitive advantage, but it now presents a tougher challenge for HR professionals.
According to ManpowerGroup’s latest studies, approximately 73% of employers are having a difficult time finding skilled candidates. Meanwhile, 45% of employers are concerned that they won’t be able to find candidates who possess the necessary talents.
Presently, the job market sways strongly in favour of candidates. Top-tier entry-level candidates are aware of their demand and understand the market well. Simple online job postings no longer facilitate HR departments in effectively reaching new talent.
So how can a company reshape its hiring strategy to attract high-quality candidates?
I believe that the secret lies in differentiating yourself from other players in the industry using gamification tools, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and recruitment marketing. Don’t chase top-tier talent; rather, establish a recruitment process that not only draws them towards your company, but also showcases your employer brand in a memorable way. If you are unable to make your employer brand stand out, you stand to lose high-quality applicants to competitors who do.
The beauty of this major shift in the recruitment paradigm is not only that you create an employer brand that stands out, but you can expect higher ROI, reduction in cost, a surge in the applicant pool as well as better retention compared to conventional hiring methods.
Here is my outlook on the quickest way a company can embrace the new tech era of recruitment to their full advantage:
Make a Game Out of It
I have observed gamification – the technique of turning a process into a game – improve customer engagement, employee motivation, employee productivity, and evaluation. But it is its application in recruitment that is most intriguing.
To define it, gamification in recruitment makes use of game theory and design to digitally engage candidates and assess their aptitude and competency. Gaming modules enhance job seekers’ interest in a brand, while cutting down on the number of obstacles that exist in the current recruitment process.
Candidates generally pre-plan their answers to the standard questions asked in job interviews, therefore making it difficult for recruiters to evaluate the candidates against the job requirements. On the other hand, we must also acknowledge the unconscious bias that exists in all recruitment, which can lead to unintentional discrimination and poor decision- making.
This is where gamification can help. Gamification redefines recruitment by bringing science and fun to the art of recruitment. It introduces an exciting and equalizing element to the ever-monotonous process of recruitment. When gamification is integrated into recruitment, it often entails challenges revolving around organisational challenges, quests related to the company, as well as behavioural and aptitude tests.
It’s gamification that now succeeds in encouraging candidates to engage with your company by presenting a simulated work environment.
Meanwhile, recruiters have before them an unbiased system to genuinely assess the candidates’ competency, behavioural traits, aptitude, creative thinking ability, and problem- solving capabilities. Moreover, recruiters are better able to select candidates who are in-line with organisational culture and embody the necessary talents for a particular role.
The best part is that there’s no need for every company to set to work building a gamified recruitment process from scratch, when there are ready-to-deploy platforms like ‘C-Factor’ available. C-Factor is a tool deployed by The Talent Games, a venture I initiated to transform the recruitment process and bring it into the 21 st century.
Final Thoughts
Technology is contributing to and facilitating the process of hiring in manifold ways. The key lies in maintaining the human element in the recruitment experience for all those involved. Gamification is one solution that doesn’t replace the connections we make it in-fact reinforces deeper engagement between employer and employee.
Gamification therefore goes beyond conventional interviewing to make the process of recruiting more in-depth, interactive, memorable, and impartial. When used in combination with other channels like social media, it also supports and reinforces employer branding, effectively curtailing hiring problems and resulting in a recruitment process that is more proficient than ever before.
About the Author :
Paul Keijzer is the co-founder & CEO of The Talent Games. He is a sought- after speaker who covers topics like HR Tech, HR Best Practices, Gamified Assessments, Leadership, Talent Management, and others. Today, Paul can be found amongst the leading figures in the HR Tech landscape, especially when it comes to the subject of gamified recruitment and assessment solutions.
