The gaming industry continues to grow, making the need for top talent more important than ever. According to projections from Grand View Research, the industry is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 12.9% between 2022 and 2030. In 2021, the global market size was $195.7 billion.
Making the right hire at a gaming studio can mean the difference between costly turnover or retention. It can impact employee engagement or lead to quiet quitting. It can make or break gaming development success or lead to failure.
How do you find the best gaming talent? From entry-level gaming talent, to senior-level gaming employees, consider the following questions for gaming talent interviews.
Studio-related questions
Every gaming studio has a unique vision that’s conveyed in their titles and target players. This can impact the company culture, so ask candidates why they’re applying for that specific firm. Have they played any of the studio’s titles? What do they like about the games, and what can be improved upon?
Often, many game design companies will prefer to hire talent who already have familiarity with the product. A new hire who has also been a customer/player can offer advantageous insights from the playing world.
Also, ensure a hire is the right fit for your studio’s work environment. If you offer remote work or you require some in-person presence, it’s important the candidate is on the same page.
Ask studio-related questions like:
- Why did you apply to our studio?
- What titles are you familiar with?
- What aspects to a title you’re familiar with do you enjoy? What would you change?
- Why are you passionate about working in the gaming industry?
- What type of work environment do you thrive in?
Skills-related questions
Make sure the person you’re hiring has the skills you need for the role, whether it’s in design, data and analytics, product or engineering. Ask about proficiency with specific game design programs, languages and tools.
Before you discount a candidate just because they’re missing a skill, ask about their willingness to learn and develop their skillset. For example, a software engineer who’s an expert in one language may be able to easily get up to speed in the programming language your firm prefers.
Candidates may have skills that are similarly adjacent to the ones you’re looking for. Expertise in one type of tool or platform can easily translate to another.
Also, ask about continued development. A candidate who frequently takes new courses, for example, shows a valuable willingness to learn. That can help power up a studio’s potential.
Ask skills-related questions like:
- What gaming programs are you familiar with? How did you use them in previous roles?
- Are you familiar with [specific program]? If not, what would you do to execute a [program-related task]?
- What education and certifications do you hold?
- What are you interested in learning? What skills do you want to strengthen?
- How do you stay up-to-date on gaming industry news?
Contribution-related questions
You’ll also want to evaluate how a candidate can fit in with a studio both in terms of contributions and cultural fit. To uncover a gaming candidate’s potential with your studio, ask questions about previous projects they’ve worked on and how they feel their specific strengths can contribute to the studio. You can ask the candidate to reference their gaming portfolio and gaming resume to illustrate how exactly they’ve made an impact.
Gaming studios typically facilitate a lot of collaboration, too. Ask about soft skills that show a candidate will be a great team player.
Ask contribution-related questions like:
- Describe a project that required group collaboration and how you managed your role.
- What value have you brought to your previous employers?
- What’s a project you’ve worked on you’re particularly passionate about? What exact contributions did you make?
- Describe your collaboration and communication styles.
- What are your career goals? What development opportunities have you sought out?
Need Help Making Better Gaming Hires?
The gaming industry has particular nuances that need to be reflected in the recruiting and interview processes. By getting to know candidates during the interview process, recruiters can ensure more qualified candidates who are likely to be a culture fit progress through the hiring process.
If your studio needs assistance with hiring, ggLocators can help. Our expert gaming recruitment team has a qualified talent pipeline and can find the candidates who will thrive in the positions you need to fill. Contact us for a free consultation.
