What if you walked into an interview and they handed you a video game controller?
That’s not too far off from the latest trend in hiring: gamification. Employers are realizing more and more that there’s more to a person’s story than their resume. A one-page document is not always telling when it comes to the skills and intuition needed for certain positions. That’s where the video games come into play.
Marriott recently tried this tactic with a Farmville-like game in hopes of recruiting talented hospitality individuals. The project wasn’t a huge success, but the concept is intriguing. Other companies like Facebook and Google offer coding challenges and contests for a chance to land a position — or at least get noticed by the hiring staff. Still others are turning the application process into a Foursquare-inspired situation filled with badges for those who go far. Think of each step of the interview as a new “level” the applicant unlocks.
In the future, companies may move towards a more creative “pitch” approach, where potential employees prove their skills with a relevant concept or idea or job proposal instead of just a resume. What do you think of this new trend?
Read more about gamification at Mashable and Entrepreneur.
Spectrum Brands Careers Blog 
May 22, 2014
Career Advice