Assessment science has evolved significantly in the last decade with a growing emphasis on candidate experience. Game-based assessments have revitalised pre-employment testing, aligning with the heightened focus on candidate engagement. A study conducted by Criteria revealed that, on average, candidates favoured game based assessments, with 26% strongly agreeing and 25% somewhat agreeing with this preference. Our blog explores the importance of the top game based assessments for recruitment, the benefits of using them, and how Accendo can help you in your recruitment journey.
Introduction
Recruitment and hiring processes have evolved significantly in recent years, with a growing emphasis on identifying the best candidates for a given role.
Unlike Mario Bros., where eating a mushroom makes one grow, there are no boosts that would catapult a candidate into a graduate job. In this context, game-based assessments for hiring have emerged as a novel and engaging approach to evaluating job applicants. Read on to find out more about game-based assessments and the top 10 game-based assessments that are transforming the recruitment and hiring landscape.
Game-based assessments can help to predict job performance with 29% greater accuracy than traditional assessments.
Criteria
What are Game Based Assessments?
A game-based assessment is an evaluative method that incorporates game-like elements to effectively gauge a candidate’s skills and knowledge, including:
- Scoring systems
- Feedback mechanisms
- Time constraints
- Progressively challenging tasks
The best game-based assessments for hiring are used in the early application stages. However, this does not guarantee immediate job placement. Candidates are still required to attend interviews and assessment centres. Organisations such as Deutsche Bank use interactive games to provide prospective candidates with insights into their culture and fit, giving food for thought to candidates before they decide to apply.
Why Employers Use Game Based Assessments for Recruitment and Hiring?
Resumes offer a glimpse into candidates’ past experiences but often fall short of accurately assessing their skills. In contrast, cognitive ability tests have been used as popular selection and recruitment tools for decades, and with good reason – the predictive validity of cognitive ability for job performance is well documented. The best game-based assessments can evaluate:
- Assessing soft skills – Games can effectively evaluate candidates’ soft skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and adaptability which are crucial for success in many roles.
- Engagement and interaction – Games, unlike conventional assessments, engage candidates in a dynamic, interactive experience that unveils their genuine capabilities.
- Reducing bias – Game-based assessments can reduce unconscious bias by emphasising performance over demographic factors, leading to more objective evaluations.
- Predicting job performance – Well-designed games can simulate real work scenarios, giving employers a glimpse into how candidates might perform in the actual job.
- Differentiating the employer brand – Using cutting-edge assessments sets the employer apart as an organisation that embraces innovative techniques and values a progressive approach to talent acquisition.
- Cost-effective selection process – Once developed, game-based assessments can be administered to multiple candidates at a relatively low cost per candidate, making them an efficient selection tool.
Four Types of Game Based Assessments
The diverse range of the best game based assessments for hiring caters to specific attributes and behaviours, with the choice of assessments depending on the skills or qualities sought by an organisation.
70% of candidates say they had a positive experience with game-based assessments, compared to 41% who said the same about traditional assessments. (Source: HireVue)
Common types of the best game-based assessments for recruitment include:
Single game assessments
Single game-based assessments are tailored to test skills such as numeracy, memory, or logic, through concise and interactive tasks. Arctic Shores and Pymetrics offer a range of single assessment games.
These assessments are used for a range of roles, including administrative, data analysis, technical support, quality assurance, digital marketing, and language proficiency. An example of this assessment is the BART (Balloon Analogue Risk Task) game, commonly used by organisations like PwC.
Interactive game based assessments
These game-based assessments come with a distinction – they require actions like moving or circling answers, rather than mere clicks. While these assessments enhance the user experience, their primary focus remains the measurement of skills instead of behaviours.
Game-based assessments, such as numerical, logical, situational judgment, and personality tests, are offered by providers like Pymetrics, SHL, and AON Cut-e. These assessments are used for various roles, including digital, tech, marketing, advertising, and business development positions.
Job-simulation game based assessments
These game-based assessments for hiring immerse candidates in a virtual work environment tailored to the specific company to which they have applied. This type of assessment evaluates work preferences and judgment through situational judgment tests and work personality questionnaires.
These game-based assessments are used for roles with practical decision-making and problem-solving skills, including management, operations, engineering, technical, healthcare, and project management positions.
Emotional intelligence game based assessments
These game-based assessments are designed to measure the ability to understand and manage emotions. These assessments incorporate game-like elements and scenarios to gauge an individual’s aptitude for recognising emotions, empathising with others, and handling emotional situations.
These game-based assessments for hiring are commonly used in roles related to customer service, sales, leadership, management, healthcare, HR, and people management. These roles require an elevated level of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
Game-based assessments can reduce the time to hire by up to 50%.
AssessTEAM
Benefits of Game Based Assessments for Recruitment and Hiring
When used correctly, the goal of the top game-based assessments for recruitment is to produce the same subjective experiences as games do (Huotari and Hamari, 2012), and to use game mechanisms to create enjoyment and playability (Landers and Callan, 2011). Here are five benefits that the best game-based assessments have to offer.
Quick evaluation
Game-based assessments enable hiring managers to assess candidate potential quickly and effectively. These assessments represent a significant advancement from traditional assessment tests, which are often laborious and time-consuming for candidates, and not always pertinent.
Boost ROI and hiring costs
Game-based assessments can help employers save time and money on the hiring process by reducing the need for multiple interviews and assessments. This can lead to a significant boost in ROI and a reduction in overall hiring costs.
Accelerate growth by hiring the right people faster
Game-based assessments can help employers identify and hire top talent faster than traditional methods. This can help employers accelerate their growth by having the right people in place to support their business goals.
Game-based assessments can deliver a return on investment (ROI) of up to 500%.
HireVue
Reveals true abilities
The best game-based assessments unveil a candidate’s natural behaviour and responses in a manner that traditional assessment methods cannot. They are progressive, adapting as candidates engage with them, and do not rely on gimmicky attention or flashy mechanics. Instead, games reveal a candidate’s abilities in problem-solving and logical thinking. After all, cognitive ability is:
- 6x more predictive than years of education
- 4x more predictive than years of experience
- 3x more predictive than reference checks
Gain competitive edge by using innovative hiring methods
Game-based assessments are a relatively new and innovative approach to recruitment and hiring. By using game-based assessments, employers can gain a competitive edge over their competitors by demonstrating their commitment to innovation and their focus on hiring the best possible talent.
Top 10 Game Based Assessment for Recruitment and Hiring
The diverse array of the best game-based assessments for hiring are offered to employers by numerous reputable assessment providers. Among the leading game assessment providers are:
| Assessment Provider | Tools Offered |
|---|---|
| Accendo | Game based assessments and psychometric tests for recruitment and hiring |
| Arctic Shores | Game based assessments |
| Cubiks | Various talent assessment solutions, including game based assessments for hiring |
| Harver | Pre-employment assessment software, including game based assessments for hiring |
| HireVue | Video interviewing platform and game based assessments for recruitment |
| Mercer | Mettl | A suite of assessments, including game based assessments for recruitment |
| Pymetrics | Neuroscience game based assessments |
| SHL | Various talent assessment solutions, including game based assessments for recruitment |
| Talegent | Game based assessments and psychometric tests |
| TalentQ | Game based assessments and psychometric tests for recruitment |
Game-based assessments can improve the candidate experience, with 75% of candidates stating that they prefer interactive assessments over traditional ones.
If you enjoyed this blog post, you would love our blog post on our Top 20 Recruitment Assessment Tools for Graduate Hiring in 2023 and 2024. Seize the opportunity to stay ahead, enhance your hiring strategy, and attract top-tier graduates to fuel your organisation’s success.
Why Top Companies Choose Accendo’s Game Based Assessments for Their Recruitment and Hiring
Top-tier companies recognise the unparalleled value of Accendo’s game-based assessments for their recruitment and hiring needs. These interactive game-based assessments for hiring are offered through Cognify by Criteria and accessible via Accendo’s Assessment Marketplace.
Cognify stands out by assessing cognitive attributes such as problem-solving, numerical reasoning, and verbal knowledge for all roles, enabling the reliable prediction of candidates’ job performance while providing an engaging candidate experience.
| CHC Construct | Cognify Broad Ability | Games |
| Fluid Reasoning | Problem Solving | Short Cuts Grid Lock Resemble |
| Quantitative Knowledge | Numerical Reasoning | Numbubbles Tally Up |
| Reading & Writing | Verbal Knowledge | Proof It |
With Accendo’s Cognify game-based assessment, you can:
- Enhance candidate selection
- Reduce the risk of poor hiring decisions and improve productivity
- Improve recruitment efficiency
- Reduce bias in the hiring process
- Enhance your employer brand and attract top talent
- Increase talent retention by matching candidates to the right roles
- Provide ongoing talent management and personalised employee development
Incorporating game-based assessments into the hiring process can reduce the time to hire by up to 36%, streamlining the recruitment process.
The primary report generated is the Game-Based Assessment Report, which is based on the results of Cognify. TalentPulse also allows you to use other information relevant to the candidate’s role fit, including insights from additional assessments, such as psychometric assessments, interviews, and reference checks, that yield valuable responses for your game-based assessment reports.
The Game-Based Assessment Report is designed for recruitment and selection purposes and details an individual’s cognitive abilities. This includes the Overall Cognitive Score interpretation based on the insights from the Criteria Cognify assessment. Further understanding of the candidate’s cognitive abilities are based on Problem Solving, Numerical Reasoning, and Verbal Knowledge.
Using game-based assessments in recruitment can result in up to 30% cost savings, as it reduces the need for extensive manual screening processes.
Distinguishing itself as a unique selling point, Accendo proudly presents Ace, our TalentPulse virtual guide. Unlike conventional assessments, the use of Ace:
- Ensures that candidates embark on their assessment journey with enthusiasm, leading to higher completion rates.
- Emphasises positive engagement and candidates can expect a reassuring, personable presence.
- Sets the tone for a candidate-centric approach with a cheery greeting of “Hey there, I’m Ace, your guide throughout this experience. Whenever you’re ready, just click on the button below!”
Best Practices for Using Game Based Assessments for Recruitment and Hiring
Here are the five best practices for utilising top game-based assessments for recruitment:
- Alignment with job roles – Ensure that the best game-based assessments closely mimic real job tasks and skills required for the assessed positions.
- Clear objectives – Define clear assessment goals and what specific competencies or attributes the top game-based assessments aim to measure.
- Candidate experience – Prioritise a positive candidate experience by offering engaging, user-friendly games that reflect your organisation’s values when using the top game-based assessments for recruitment.
- Data-driven analysis – Utilise data analytics to measure the effectiveness of top game-based assessments in predicting job performance.
- Continuous improvement – Regularly review and update your top game-based assessments for recruitment to align with changing job requirements and industry trends.
Key Actionable
Game-based assessments are powerful tools in modern recruitment and hiring. The best game-based assessment tools should provide:
- Swift candidate evaluation and engaging experience – Game-based assessments empower hiring managers to swiftly and effectively evaluate candidate potential. They also foster strong engagement with candidates, creating a sense of belonging.
- Faster candidate hiring and onboarding – Game-based assessments empower employers to swiftly identify and onboard top-tier talent, outpacing traditional methods.
- Maximise your hiring ROI – Game-based assessments streamline the hiring process, saving employers both time and money by minimising the need for multiple interviews and assessments.
Unlock a New Level of Hiring Success with Accendo’s game-based assessments. From rapid candidate evaluation to identifying top talent faster, our platform delivers unmatched results. Experience the difference—get a FREE trial today!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Examples of game-based assessments encompass a wide range of interactive evaluations, including simulations, gamified quizzes, role-playing scenarios, and problem-solving challenges. These assessments gauge various skills and aptitudes in a dynamic and engaging format.
Games can be used as assessments by integrating scenarios, challenges, and simulations into the assessment process, allowing candidates to highlight their skills, problem-solving abilities, and decision-making in a practical context.
The game approach in assessment benefits both employers and candidates. Employers gain insights into candidates’ practical skills and problem-solving abilities, while candidates experience a more engaging and fair evaluation process.
An example of game-based learning and assessment is a scenario-based simulation for medical professionals, where they diagnose and treat virtual patients, enhancing their clinical decision-making and problem-solving skills.