Recent statistics show that only 35% of candidates are qualified for the jobs they apply to! This fact can be debilitating if you are a recruiter or an organization that has limited resources to spend on hiring. This rate also increases the risk of you recruiting the wrong candidate who could end up not producing the desired outcome you are looking to get from an employee.
But, on the flip side, if you look at the issue from the candidate’s end, interviews nowadays have become very monotonous and the traditional way of screening candidates has been now proven ineffective. Though the growing generational gap, the increment of qualified candidates who are millennials and gen z, could be a facilitating factor, the truth revolves around the fact that interviews still follow the same or similar patterns as to how they were conducted years ago, and also they are failing to evolve according to modern trends.
Even though the patterns slightly changed during the pandemic, the organizations are now reverting back to the “usual ways” which again bores and discourages candidates. So what could make interviews more exciting? A viable answer to this question could be incorporating interactive interviews that consist of game-based assessments into your recruitment process.
What are game-based assessments and how are they facilitating recruitment?
Also known as gamified-recruitment or game-based psychometric assessments, game-based assessments are being widely adopted by large corporations for recruitment and they are getting increasingly popular.
As for the question of what a game-based assessment is, it is an assessment type that incorporates game-based elements into regular aptitude testing for candidates. They are pre-hire assessments that are designed to test and assess candidates’ abilities and skills through engaging experiences. These assessments can be used as alternatives to the traditional candidate screening process or used alongside them in order to make the recruitment process more effective. Since the figures have proven this testing process to be more effective than the usual screening processes, the regular psychometric assessments, and their competency testing counterparts are now being replaced by game-based assessments.
Through candidate feedback, these assessments have been praised for offering a more engaging, lively, and realistic interview experience.
If we dive deeper to understand what a game-based assessment is, there are 3 main types of gamified assessments and they are listed as follows.
- A collection of short tests
- Games that extend to a longer duration
- Simulation experiences
Short tests or short games, test and assess candidates’ behavioral traits. These usually test if the candidate has a good memory and fairly sound cognitive abilities. It also analyzes a particular candidate’s risk-taking behavior and ability and decision-making capacity under a short stipulated time.
Longer games, on the other hand, test the candidate’s attitude and personality. Particularly the candidate’s calmness and resolve. This will also help entities gauge the candidate’s decision-making ability and capacity.
Finally, the job simulation experience being the deciding assessment tests a set of more crucial capabilities and skills for it is considered the most important of all. In this game-based assessment, several tests will be combined to create a challenging environment that tests a candidate’s cognitive abilities along with their situational decision-making abilities, logical and numerical capabilities, and also personality traits. These assessments will usually take a little more than an hour to complete and they are more complex in comparison.
Why are companies adopting game-based assessments?
A game-based assessment breaks through the traditional norms of a selection process and it makes the process exciting for the recruiter as well as the candidate. It makes the selection process efficient by tapping into the candidate’s true potential and showing it to the reviewer.
Also, a game-based assessment helps test a candidate’s cognitive abilities in a more effective and accurate way where the recruiter is able to assess the candidate’s ability to offer solutions to novel problems, how they can adapt to change and to think under pressure. These assessments also favor the candidate who does not have relevant work experience but is skilled and knowledgeable to fit into the position they have applied for.
In addition to that, game-based assessments can creatively and effectively evaluate the following abilities.
Fluid intelligence: This is the ability to provide solutions for unique problems under unfamiliar circumstances. It is a key skill that is an indicator of efficiency and better job performance.
Working memory: This is the ability of a candidate to disseminate and assimilate new and vital organizational information. This is an ability to make sense of new information through experience gained over past encounters and previously acquired knowledge. In simple terms, this could also be termed as the ability to connect dots.
Problem-solving: A straightforward and essential ability, problem-solving skill is what drives an employee to derive appropriate and effective solutions for sophisticated problems. This skill is very important today since traditional norms and the “usual way of doing things” will no longer be effective against exogenous and unique problems that arise in today’s corporate world. The corporate landscape continues to grow more competitive and dynamic. Thus it calls for more skilled and innovative problem solvers.
Creativity: Linked synonymously with one’s intelligence, creativity is a skill that requires a lot of nurturing and it is a key indicator of a candidate being a good hire. Creative individuals in an organization can come up with distinct and innovative solutions for problems. They also possess divergent thinking that goes beyond the traditional norm to find solutions for complex problems. By hiring creative individuals, organizations can attain an exceeding level of competitive advantage over their rivals as creative individuals can effortlessly propel an entity toward excellence.
To sum it up, game-based assessments are far more effective in tapping into and identifying hidden skills and abilities of candidates which are far more difficult to extract and assess through traditional evaluation methods. These assessments are fairer, more engaging, and faster to engage and evaluate candidates than the usual, lengthy assessments.
How to prepare for a game-based assessment
There are numerous ways one could prepare for gamified assessments but first of all, you need to know how it is set up so that you can attend them confidently. There are numerous platforms for setting up a game-based assessment and a recruiter customizes the level of complexity and the testing criteria based on their hiring requirements. So you have to be prepared to ace these assessments. Here are a few things you should consider doing as a candidate.
Try it out and get yourself familiar with the technology
Though it is difficult to guess how the interface would look like or what kind of games you’d get, taking an assessment without no prior experience could be difficult. When preparing for the assessments, be sure to check out some dummy tests that are available online and view some videos on youtube so that you won’t be completely in the dark. Read directions and reach out to friends and contacts who have attended similar types of assessments and know their experience. Doing these might not sound like a lot but it can make all the difference.
Have control over your environment
Like video interviews, you will need to have a certain amount of control over your surroundings. It is vital that you find a place where you will be able to concentrate and you will be free from external noise and any other distractions. Make sure that you are wearing comfortable clothes and that you use the washroom before you start the assessment. In addition to that, check if you have a stable and strong internet connection beforehand. Settle in and be seated in a relaxed position before the assessment begins – you will need to be at a ready position at least a minimum of 15 minutes in advance.
Assess what is being measured
While taking a game-based assessment, depending on the questions or the game you get, try to assess what is being tested. The subject area that you are being tested on will directly co-relate to your job description and understanding this is crucial for effectively navigating the assessment.
Use the right and the best device available for the test
Last-minute technical failure is one thing that you should try to avoid at all costs. In order to avoid this from happening, preparing for the assessment well in advance is key. It is also not advisable to log in through your phone since it could have smaller screens which could affect your field of view. So it is always ideal to use a PC or a laptop in order to have a flawless assessment session. In addition to this, the employer or the recruiter will also provide information on the assessment as to which device is best to attend the assessment session.
Read the instructions thoroughly
Before pressing start, make sure you thoroughly read the instructions. Never presume that you know how to attempt the assessment. Certain companies know this and they will try to trick you by tweaking the instructions so be cautious. On the recruiter’s side, these could also give them the opportunity to test out candidates’ attention span and their ability to adapt to change.
Provide your answers honestly and don’t stop till you are done
Speed is key for many of these assessments and you will find a timer in the interface which indicates the remaining time throughout the assessment. Since this is not a time to overthink, answer honestly and do not stop. Continue answering the questions even if you got an answer wrong, don’t feel discouraged. Continue with your answers and keep going. And also, do not feel overconfident when you keep getting simple questions. Try and keep your mind as neutral as possible and stay positive throughout the session. Even if you didn’t get a good result in the end, bear in mind that you have gained vital experience which would help you ace the next game-based assessment you are taking. so stay positive at all times.
Key differences between traditional psychometric tests and game-based assessments
To understand the effectiveness of this ingenious evaluation method, one would need to know the differences between traditional evaluation methods and games based evaluation method here are 3 distinct differences between the two methods.
1. Measurement of behavioral traits
During traditional evaluation assessments, candidates are given a variety of predetermined questions where they are required to provide answers within a stipulated time. Whereas in a gamified evaluation, questions and answers dynamically change and the candidates need to leer away from the traditional mindset to provide the right answer to the questions they get. This helps entities better evaluate individual behavior rather than gauging them only through speed and accuracy.
Game assessments also measure candidates’ response time, behavioral patterns, risk-taking ability, and also candidates’ ability to react to feedback.
2. Collection of data based on candidate’s answers and behavior
Game-based assessments collect critical candidate data throughout the assessment session and toward the end of the session, the collected data will be made visible to individuals from the recruiter’s end. The data collected could be stored and later, could be analyzed and compared with other candidates’ data.
3. Candidate experience
Traditional evaluation methods are mundane and repetitive. Whilst gamified assessments offer candidates an enriching experience that facilitates and improves their skills. These assessments are also dynamic and interactive so the candidate wouldn’t feel bored or exhausted.
The future
Though many entities still rely on traditional evaluation methods, many are rapidly adopting gamified assessments to evaluate candidates which are also proving to be more effective. Some entities in order to further increase the effectiveness of this review process, are incorporating other recruitment practices such as AI-based video interview practices offered by interviewer.AI. Whether they are using it as an additional method of evaluation or their primary evaluation method, gamified assessments are here to stay. And their capabilities too prove that they are both effective and efficient in evaluating candidates.
Interviewer.AI is a technology platform purposely built to support Recruiters and HR teams in finding top talent for their companies. Interviewer.AI is a state-of-the-art video recruiting software that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to screen in advance and shortlist the candidates that meet the criteria set. HR teams use the software to make the recruitment process more efficient and shorten the hiring cycle. Learn more about how Interviewer.AI can help your business.
Increase your hiring team’s efficiency using a combination of resume scoring, skill assessment, and asynchronous video interviews.
Gabrielle Martinsson is a Content Writer at Interviewer.AI. She’s a tech geek and loves optimizing business processes with the aid of tech tools. She also loves travelling and listening to music in her leisure.
