Games-based assessments - a brief guide
We now have games - based assessments to practise for free in our Graduates First package - go and have a try!
If you have applied to any of the larger organisations the last couple of years you might have noticed that some of them have added an extra layer to their application process: the games-based assessments. Gamification involves candidates playing a game, which are then assessed for certain competencies and personality traits. It is usually used early on in the application process, and is used in a variety of sectors in companies such as RSB, Deloitte, Unilever and Vodaphone, to mention a few! You can find more examples in Target Jobs - the Graduate Job Hunter’s Guide to Gamification.
But why are companies now using games as a way of assessing candidates?
One of the main reasons to introduce games as an assessment is to remove unconscious bias in the application process and be fairer overall. If you are interested in how and why technology is used in the application process, read my recent blog: Will Robots Assess My Next Video Interview
But, how can I prepare?
- No, you don’t need to be a pro-gamer, you usually have the option to practise the game before you actually start and this should familiarise you with the game. However, familiarising yourself with some of the typical platforms, such as Pymetrics and Arctic Shore, may give you more awareness of the look of the games and how they function. You can also practise some typical games on Graduates First and I advise you to do so to gain awareness on how they work. See our old blog post for more practise examples: Play games and score a graduate job!
- Be aware that the same game may be used differently by different companies! Therefore you may have to play the same game several times, but the competencies the company is looking for may be widely different e.g. a typical Pymetrics game is where you inflate a balloon (can be practised on Graduates First). You can inflate the balloon as much as you want and get more cash for a bigger balloon, however the balloon may burst at any time. Are you a risk-taker and try and inflate the balloon as much as possible, or do you play it safe, prioritising not to burst any balloons? Or maybe you end up in the middle, like I did when I tried the game. Some employers may prefer that you play it safe, others may prefer you are more of a risk - taker. Even the time you use to inflate the balloon may be assessed in different ways!
- Points don’t always mean prizes! As with the above balloon game, the amount of points/money you get for each balloon is not always assessed, it is your behaviour around inflating the balloon which may be more interesting to the employer. For example, if you decided to be a risk-taker in the above game and win a lot of points, this won’t be beneficial if the employers are looking for candidates in a job that values caution.
- Be yourself! They are trying to see whether you fit the company, therefore try and relax and have fun with it!
- This might be obvious; but make sure you read the instructions of the game, be somewhere quiet when doing the game and ensure there are no interruptions! Be focused, treat it as you would any assessment.
- If you have a disability which may affect you playing the game, then contact the employer. Alternative assessments can be used. Pymetrics said in a recent webinar that they are currently researching into how gamification may affect candidates with different disabilities.
Find out more and find some practice games here:
- Graduates First has 3 games you can practise, including the balloon game.
- Arctic Shores have some you can practise on your phone - see links in blog post or go to Arctic Shores directly
- Target Jobs has a great guide to games-based assessments
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