Pre-employment Game-based Assessments for hiring | 2024/25 Guide For Recruiters

Game-based assessments in recruitment have gained significant popularity in recent years as a unique, engaging, and highly effective approach for assessing candidates’ skills, behaviors, and personalities

Recruitment is a fast-growing and innovative space where employers and HR professionals are constantly looking for new and improved methods to identify and hire top talent. Cost pressures and advancement in assessment science in the last decade have prompted many business leaders to further rethink their hiring processes, placing a greater emphasis on candidate engagement and game-based assessments. With many companies adopting them as a part of their recruitment assessment strategy, online game-based assessments are now just as popular as the traditional resume and interview process.

But how do game-based assessments work? And when should they be integrated into the recruitment process? 

In this article, we explore the intricacies of game-based assessments, highlighting the differences between game-based assessments and gamified assessments, their benefits and limitations, and the reasons why you should jump on board with this modern approach to recruitment, just as many organizations have successfully done.

Game based assessments offer a compelling alternative to traditional assessment methods, thanks to their ability to accurately measure candidates’ skills and behaviors whilst ensuring an engaging and enjoyable candidate experience. Gamification in recruitment is a useful tool for businesses aiming to make informed hiring decisions and build high-performing teams.

Whether you’re a talent acquisition expert, hiring manager, or HR professional, read on to discover how game based assessments can help you identify, engage, and hire top best-fit talent.

Contents 

  1. What are game-based assessments and gamified assessments for hiring?
  2. The science behind game-based assessment
  3. What are the common types of game-based assessments?
  4. Why do employers use game-based assessment for hiring?
  5. At what stage are game-based assessment methods used in the hiring process?
  6. When to use game-based assessments in hiring?
  7. What game-based assessments do employers use for assessing and hiring candidates?
  8. Why top companies use Assess Candidates game-based assessments to hire
  9. Game-based assessments: client application story

1. What are game-based assessments and gamified assessments for hiring?

In recent years, both game-based assessments and gamified assessments have emerged as modern and innovative assessment methods used in the hiring process for candidate evaluation. While these two terms are often used interchangeably, they actually refer to two distinct types of assessments that have different purposes and design principles. But what is the difference between game-based assessments and gamified assessments?

Game-based Assessments and Gamified Assessments for Hiring

Definitions

  1. What is a game-based assessment?

A game-based assessment is a type of psychometric assessment that utilizes game mechanics to accurately measure job-related cognitive abilities, behaviors, and personality traits, such as numerical aptitude, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Instead of a traditional question-based format, game-based assessments involve interactive and immersive tasks with scoring systems, feedback mechanisms, levels, and increasing difficulty. They are designed to provide a more engaging and enjoyable experience for candidates compared to traditional assessments.

A recent study revealed that candidates prefer game-based assessments over traditional question-and-answer tests, with 26% of candidates strongly agreeing and 25% somewhat agreeing. This preference is particularly evident amongst younger candidates (34 and under) compared to older ones.

  1. What is a gamified assessment?

A gamified assessment is a traditional assessment that has been modified to include game-like elements, such as points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards to increase candidate motivation and engagement. 

How do gamified assessments work? Gamified assessments for recruitment are not necessarily based on games themselves, but they incorporate game design principles to enhance the assessment experience. For example, a gamified assessment might award points for completing certain tasks, or display a leaderboard that shows how the candidate compares to other applicants.

  1. What is gamification in recruitment?

Gamification in recruiting refers to the incorporation of gaming elements into a conventional non-game-related recruitment process. Applied strategically with the right tools and technology, this can help assess candidates and make the hiring assessment process more progressive and engaging. 

In summary, game-based assessments and gamified assessments are innovative and effective methods for candidate assessment and selection. In the following sections, we will explore these assessments in more detail, including the science behind them, what skills are assessed, and how employers are using them to revolutionize their recruitment strategies.

Enhance your hiring assessment process with our full range of immersive game-based assessments.  HIRE FOR FREE

Assess Candidates Game-based Assessment Examples

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2. The science behind game-based assessments

First and foremost, game based assessments are rooted in the principles of psychometrics, the field of study concerned with measuring psychological variables such as cognitive ability, behavior, and personality. Psychometric assessments have been used in hiring for many years, with the aim of providing objective and reliable insights into job-related skills, competencies, and preferences.

But how do game-based assessments measure candidate abilities and performance? 

Game-based assessments use data analytics and machine learning algorithms to track and analyze the behavior of candidates as they navigate through the recruitment game. By collecting data from data points, such as response time, decision-making, interactions, and outcomes, game-based assessments provide objective insight into a candidate’s cognitive and behavioral strengths. These two aspects are most predictive of job performance. 

We will now take a look at how game-based assessments differ to traditional psychometric assessments, such as aptitude tests and personality tests.

What is the difference between traditional psychometric tests and game-based assessments?

Traditional psychometric tests and game-based assessments differ in their design and approach to measuring candidates’ abilities. Whilst traditional psychometric assessments have a long history of scientific research and validation and are widely accepted as the norm for candidate assessment, game-based assessments have proven to enhance the candidate experience, reduce biases, and offer a more accurate evaluation of candidates’ natural abilities in a more engaging and positive way. 

Game-based Assessments versus Traditional Psychometric Assessments

Traditional psychometric assessments versus game-based assessments

  • Traditional psychometric assessments used within recruitment processes, such as numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and logical reasoning tests, are typically standardized, timed, and consist of questions that assess cognitive abilities. These tests should be administered in a controlled environment, such as online, in a testing center, or during an assessment center. In contrast, game based assessments use interactive challenges and tasks or job simulations, similar to what candidates would encounter in the workplace, to assess both cognitive and non-cognitive abilities.
  • Traditional psychometric tests are often time-consuming, intense, and stressful for candidates, which potentially leads to bad candidate experience, application withdrawals, and a loss of quality talent. On the other hand, game assessments are designed to be short, reduce candidate stress and anxiety, and boost candidate interest and engagement throughout the hiring process. 
  • Traditional psychometric assessments, such as aptitude tests, often involve repetitive question styles to assess cognitive abilities that can be practiced, leading to the ‘training effect’. This means candidates might perform well due to their familiarity with the questions rather than their natural cognitive abilities. Game based assessments reduce the ‘training effect’ by offering a variety of unique challenges, using adaptive difficulty to match candidates’ abilities, and gathering data throughout the entire game process rather than just the final outcome. This approach provides a more accurate assessment of cognitive skills. 
  • Traditional psychometric tests, such as personality questionnaires, rely on self-reporting, which can lead to candidates answering questions about their personality traits more favorably for employers. This ‘social desirability’ bias can cause inaccuracies in candidate results. In contrast, game-based assessments that measure personality, such as the Balloon Analogue Risk Task BART game, use objective data points to capture candidates’ natural behaviors in action, making it difficult to behave in a socially desirable manner.
  • Traditional psychometric assessments can disadvantage neurodivergent candidates due to their design. On the other hand, game-based assessments focus on measuring both conscious and unconscious behaviors and actions, rather than final responses. This approach is less stressful and more suitable for individuals with neurodivergent conditions.
Assess Candidates Psychometric Tests Examples

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It’s important to note that both traditional psychometric tests and game based assessments in recruitment have their strengths and limitations. While game based assessments can be used to replace traditional psychometric assessments, we recommend that they are used as a tool to supplement and enhance more traditional selection methods. Game based assessments offer a unique and engaging way to assess candidates, however, traditional psychometric tests remain the essential tool to measure specific cognitive abilities, such as numerical reasoning or verbal comprehension. 

Ultimately, the choice between using a traditional psychometric test or a game based assessment for recruitment will depend on the specific needs of your organization and the skills you want to assess. A balanced approach that uses a combination of both assessment types can be most effective in identifying the right candidates for the job.

It was found that game based assessments are a growing trend in HR and talent acquisition as they provide valuable comprehensive insight into the potential of future hires during employee selection assessment.

Let’s now move onto the common types of game-based assessments and what they assess.

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3. What are the common types of game-based assessments?

Game-based assessments utilize game-like tasks and challenges to test specific skills and traits that are predictive of on-the-job performance, for example, problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, learning agility, and resilience. In this section, we explore the common types of online game-based assessments and the various skills and competencies that are assessed in candidates.

  1. Cognitive Ability

Cognitive ability refers to the functions and skills involved in perception, memory, learning, reasoning, judgment, and understanding. Game based assessments in recruitment can measure cognitive abilities such as mental arithmetic, problem-solving, attention, and memory. These abilities are crucial for job roles that involve complex problems and require critical thinking and decision-making under time pressure. 

  1. Behavior

Game-based assessments can also effectively assess candidates’ behavioral competencies and soft skills, such as communication skills, multitasking and prioritizing, teamwork, leadership, and adaptability, which are essential for success in most job roles. 

  1. Job Simulation

Through job simulations, game-based assessments can also evaluate job-specific skills such as programming, data analysis, and customer service. This style of game-based assessment replicates real-world workplace scenarios in a game-like environment and assesses how candidates approach and deal with problems effectively.

  1. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions of themselves and of others. Game based assessments in recruitment, such as the i-EQ™ game-based assessment, can measure emotional intelligence through tasks that require candidates to display empathy, self-awareness, and social skills. 

  1. Personality

Game based assessments can also be an effective method for capturing candidates’ personality and preferences. One example is the Balloon Analogue Risk Task BART game. Although this task may seem to only measure one personality trait – risk-taking – in fact it also looks at candidates’ decision-making, sociability, and work management.

Game-based assessments can be designed to assess cognitive abilities, soft skills, job-specific skills, emotional intelligence, and personality traits, which are all crucial for recruiters to paint a well-rounded picture of a candidate. By incorporating game-based hiring assessments into recruitment strategies, HR professionals can make informed hiring decisions that lead to improved job performance and lower turnover rates.

In the next section, we will explore the many benefits of why employers do and should use game-based assessments for their hiring. 

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4. Why do employers use game-based assessments for hiring?

Game-based assessments, in recent years, have become a reliable and innovative tool for quickly and accurately determining a candidate’s suitability and potential for a given role. In this section, we explore the benefits of using game based assessments in recruitment, including how they create a more positive candidate experience, reduce biases and discrimination in the hiring process, and save time and money for recruiters. 

Benefits of Using Game-based Assessments for Recruitment

What are the benefits of using game-based assessments in recruitment?

  1. Enhancing the Candidate Experience

Game-based assessments are designed to create a more relaxed, stress-free assessment environment for candidates by replacing traditional questions with interactive and immersive tasks. Many candidates report feeling at ease whilst taking a game-based assessment that they forgot they’re being assessed. 

Did you know? 70% of candidates say they have had a positive experience with game-based assessments, compared to 41% who said the same about traditional assessments (HireVue). 

Employers who can offer candidates an engaging, fun, and positive recruitment experience are more likely to attract and retain top talent. This can help to increase candidate engagement, reduce application withdrawals, and expand the pool of high-quality candidates, making it easier for employers to find the right person for the job.

  1. Enhancing Employer Brand

An enhanced candidate experience through game-based assessments also boosts employer brand. These assessments convey employers as innovative, dynamic and attentive to candidate experiences. This is an important competitive edge for companies in the war for talent, helping to retain candidates during the hiring process and attract higher-quality candidates in the future.

A survey by TalentLMS revealed that 78% of candidates claim a gamified recruiting process makes a company more attractive and desirable to work for.

  1. Reliable Predictor of Job Performance

Due to their uniqueness, adaptive difficulty, and immersive nature, game based assessments aim to measure candidates’ natural behaviors and cognitive abilities. This offers employers authentic trustworthy insight into candidates to help them accurately predict their job performance. Employers can make informed hiring decisions with confidence, leading to better hiring quality.

  1. Save Time and Money

Automated online game-based assessments streamline the hiring process, allowing employers to screen candidates quickly and efficiently. Thousands of candidates can be tested in minutes and the results immediately accessed in one click, saving recruiters time and effort

Most game-based assessments take less than 10 minutes to complete. This is because they can rapidly capture a holistic view of cognitive skills and achieve sufficient measurement reliability in a short period of time, removing the need for a lengthy recruitment assessment process. For example, multiple game-based assessments can be administered in the same time it takes to complete one traditional ability test. 

Once developed or through using a third-party assessment provider, game-based assessments have a relatively low cost per candidate to administer, making them a cost-efficient selection method

Game-based assessments can reduce the time-to-hire by up to 50% (AssessTEAM).

  1. Reducing Bias

Game-based assessments have convergent validity and test-retest reliability. The use of data points and machine learning algorithms ensures that insights are data-backed and objective. This minimizes the influence of conscious and unconscious biases. Candidates are assessed based on their skills and performance rather than demographic factors or preconceived notions, creating a fair, inclusive, and objective assessment process.

Contrastingly, traditional recruitment processes, such as CVs and interviews, are often subject to biases related to candidates’ education, background, gender, and ethnicity. This can result in candidates being assessed on varying and potentially unfair criteria. 

  1. Improving Diversity and Inclusion

By using game-based hiring assessments, employers’ recruitment processes appeal to a broader range of candidates, enlarging and diversifying the talent pool. These assessments can also identify candidates with a more diverse range of skills and competencies. This can help to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce

Are you aware? Game based assessments have been proven to alleviate test-taking anxiety. This can help to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly and objectively, without being hindered by external factors such as anxiety.

  1. Candidates don’t need to have prior gaming experience

Game assessments are designed to ensure there is no need for candidates to have prior gaming experience. The game assessment process is as simple as a traditional psychometric test.

By incorporating game-based assessments into your hiring assessment process, employers can make more informed decisions about which candidates to hire, leading to a more successful and productive workforce that performs better and stays longer

Take advantage of the benefits of using interactive game-based assessments in your recruitment process.  HIRE FOR FREE

However, like any assessment methodology, there must be a consideration of the drawbacks in using them so you can make an informed decision for your hiring process. 

4 drawbacks to consider when using game-based assessments in recruitment

  1. Limited Scope: Game-based assessments tend to focus on specific skills or traits, such as problem-solving or decision-making, rather than providing a comprehensive evaluation of a candidate.

Solution: Combine game-based assessments with other types of assessments, such as traditional cognitive ability tests or personality questionnaires. This can provide a comprehensive evaluation of a candidate’s abilities.

  1. Face Validity: Game assessments don’t show a true reflection of how a candidate will perform in their day-to-day job. Games in recruitment are designed to be “fun” but they are not real, scientific assessments and candidates assume they are not being taken seriously.

Solution: Game assessments have been scientifically validated as an effective selection tool for hiring.

  1. Cheating: It is technically possible that candidates can cheat on a game-based assessment online or it can be completed by someone else. 

Solution:  Whilst looking for solutions on the market, consider checking what measures the assessment test providers offer to prevent cheating. Many third-party assessment providers, like Assess Candidates, will offer cheat detection technology and mechanisms

  1. Cost: Developing and implementing game-based assessments can be costly, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. The cost of developing or licensing the recruitment games, administering the assessments, and analyzing the results can be prohibitive for some employers. 

Solution: Partner with third-party vendors or providers, like Assess Candidates, who specialize in game-based assessments. We can offer cost-effective solutions that are tailored to the needs of the employer, including pre-existing assessment games. Additionally, employers can consider using game-based assessments as a supplemental tool rather than a replacement for traditional assessment methods, which can help reduce the overall cost of the recruitment process.

Now that we have gone through both the benefits and drawbacks, we will focus on the use-cases for game-based assessments; at what stage and in what situations are game-based hiring assessments commonly used for recruitment. 

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5. At what stage are game-based assessment methods used in the hiring process?

Game-based assessments can be implemented at different stages throughout the recruitment process, but are most effective at the early to mid-phase of hiring assessments, and can be used to assess candidates at all levels. Employers will invite applicants to take a game-based assessment online, either instead of or in combination with other online employment assessments, such as numerical, verbal, and logical reasoning tests, situational judgment tests, and/or personality tests. This is a good method to screen candidates and sift before moving on to video or in-person interviews or assessment centers. 

Game assessments are usually distributed online. A candidate receives a link to a pre-employment testing platform and has a dedicated period of time (usually several days) to complete the game assessment. Recruiters then review candidate results and select individuals to advance to the next round of hiring assessment.

Below is a detailed explanation of how game-based assessments can be effectively implemented at various different stages of the hiring process:

Stage of hiring processPurpose of game based assessmentBenefits
Early-stage screeningTo sift candidates– Saves time and resources by quickly identifying candidates who don’t meet the minimum requirements
– Reduces unconscious bias in the screening process
Initial evaluationTo assess skills and competencies– Provides a more accurate and objective evaluation of candidates 
– Measures a wide range of competencies and skills
In-person assessment at interviewTo ensure a positive candidate experience– Creates a more engaging and interactive interview process 
– Provides a multi-dimensional view of candidates’ abilities and potential 
– Reduces interview bias and subjectivity
Final evaluationTo compare top candidates and make data-driven hiring decisions– Provides a standardized and objective evaluation
– Identifies top candidates based on data and evidence 
– Reduces decision bias and subjectivity
How Game-based Assessments are Used in the Hiring Process

The incorporation of game-based assessments at different stages of the recruitment assessment process can help organizations reduce biases, ensure a positive engaging candidate experience, and make more informed hiring decisions.

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6. When to use game-based assessments in hiring?

Are game-based assessments suitable for all roles or all organizations? 

The simple answer is…no. Game-based assessments are particularly effective in assessing candidates for roles that require strong cognitive skills, such as consultants and software developers, or for leadership and management positions that require real-world behavioral competencies, such as decision-making and problem-solving. However, roles that require specific technical skills or knowledge may be better evaluated through traditional assessment methods. 

When deciding whether to implement game based assessments, it’s imperative to consider the specific needs of your role and organization. 

4 examples when employers should use game-based assessments in recruitment

  1. Roles that require cognitive skills: Game-based assessments can test candidates’ cognitive abilities in a way that traditional assessments may not, allowing employers to accurately and reliably identify candidates with the desired skills for the role.
  1. High-volume recruitment: If you are recruiting to fill a large number of roles, game assessments can help you quickly and efficiently screen large volumes of candidate applications, enabling you to focus your time and resources on only the most promising applicants.

Game-based assessments as high-volume hiring assessments are typically used by organizations who have launched structured graduate schemes and want to hire several graduates in a relatively short period of time.

  1. Roles with high turnover: If you are hiring for roles with high turnover rates, game based assessments can help you to identify candidates whose natural skills and competencies are aligned to the role and company. Best-fit candidates are more likely to feel energized in the workplace, perform better, and stay in the role for longer. 
  1. Attracting the next generation of candidates: If you are looking to attract the next generation of candidates, game-based assessments are a great way to engage them in the early stages of the recruitment process. Younger candidates are often more familiar with technology and may find hiring games more appealing than traditional assessments.

Which employers use game-based assessments for hiring?

Game-based assessments are being increasingly used in the recruitment processes of large multinational organizations as well as smaller progressive companies and startups looking to harness this innovative technology. Here is a list of some of the top employers using game-based assessments for hiring: 

  • PwC
  • KPMG
  • EY
  • Shell
  • Unilever
  • P&G
  • Siemens
  • JP Morgan
  • Accenture
  • HSBC
  • Bank of America
  • IBM
  • Deloitte
  • Citi and many more!

Which industries use game-based assessments for recruitment?

Game-based assessments are commonly used for recruitment in various industries, including technology, consultancy, banking, and finance

  • Technology: game based assessments are increasingly used for hiring in technology roles. Some employers within technology that implement game based assessments into their hiring processes are Siemens, IBM, Amazon, and Tesla.
  • Banking & Finance: game based assessments are commonly used to hire for banking and finance jobs. A lot of investment banks and financial institutions use game assessments, such as HSBC, Citi, JP Morgan, and Bank of America.
  • Consulting: game based assessments are also increasingly used for consultancy recruitment. The top consulting companies using game based assessments are PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, and EY (‘The Big Four’).

Below, we outline some example roles where game-based assessments could be used to assess candidates and enhance the recruitment process.

Using game-based assessments as hiring assessments for technology roles:

The variety of skills required for these technology roles makes using game-based assessments in the hiring process particularly appropriate. Some of Assess Candidates game assessments that can aid in assessing these necessary skills include: 

Using game-based assessments as hiring assessments for banking and finance roles:

The diverse skill set required for these financial roles makes incorporating game-based assessments in the hiring process highly effective. Some of Assess Candidates game-based assessments that can help evaluate these essential skills include: 

Using game-based assessments as hiring assessments for consulting roles:

The varied skills required for these consultancy roles makes game-based assessments an effective selection method for the recruitment process . Some of Assess Candidates game-based assessments that can help evaluate these necessary skills include: 

We will now cover these specific game based assessments, which are commonly used by employers for recruitment, in more detail.

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7. What game-based assessments do employers use for assessing and hiring candidates?

Game based assessments can range from simple interactive tasks and challenges that assess cognitive skills and behavior within a game format to immersive job simulation experiences that analyze a candidate’s personality traits, behaviors, and skills to predict their one-the-job performance.

Below is a table that outlines the different online game-based assessments from Assess Candidates, the skills that are measured and the industries they could be used in:

Assess Candidates Game-Based AssessmentsSkills measured:Useful for industries:
BARTPreferences & Risk-TakingBanking, Consulting, Finance
i-EQ™Emotion RecognitionBanking, Consulting, Finance
MathBubbles™Mental ArithmeticBanking, Consulting, FMCG, Technology
MTA-Tray™Organizing, Attention and MultitaskingAccounting, Banking, Consulting
Flanker TaskSelective AttentionBanking, Consulting, Technology
Cognition-M™Cognitive MemoryFMCG, Consulting, Technology
Cognition-A™Cognitive Attention Consulting, Pharma
PassCode™Attention and ResilienceBanking, Finance, Technology

Here is some more detail behind each of these pre-employment game-based assessments. 

Balloon Analogue Risk Task – BART Game

How does the BART Game work?

Based on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task from Lejuez et al. (2002), this game involves pumping balloons to collect tokens. 

There are 15 balloons in total. To inflate the balloon, candidates will press the ‘inflate me’ button which will earn them tokens. Candidates can bank their total tokens at any time by clicking the ‘collect me’ button or they can choose to continue pumping with the risk that the balloon could burst and they would lose all their tokens for that balloon. 

The BART game measures candidates’ preferences and personality, specifically their risk-taking, decision-making, and sociability. This correlates to how candidates might prefer to approach risks and complex decisions in the workplace.

assess candidates bart game example

The BART game-based assessment is untimed, but should take under 5 minutes to complete. 

i-EQ™ Game

How does the i-EQ™ Game work?

The i-EQ™ game requires candidates to accurately recognize the emotional expressions of different people’s faces and body languages from pictures. There are 40 faces in total.

This game assesses one aspect of emotional intelligence and sociability. How well candidates understand and manage the emotions of others correlates to how well and naturally they communicate, empathize, and work with others.

assess candidates emotional intelligence game example

The i-EQ™ game-based hiring assessment takes 3 minutes to complete.

MathBubbles™ Game

How does the MathBubbles™ Game work?

The MathBubbles™ game presents candidates with math sums in bubbles and requires them to calculate and select the correct bubbles which correctly reach a target number. There are 10 bubbles per round and 9 rounds in total.

This game measures candidates’ mental arithmetic and technical ability to quickly calculate numerical sums. This correlates to how candidates might naturally handle numerical information under time pressures in the workplace.

assess candidates math bubbles game example

The MathBubbles™ game-based assessment takes 5 minutes to complete, with each round lasting 30 seconds.

MTA Tray™ Game

How does the MTA-Tray™ Game work?

The MTA-Tray™ game involves sorting colored parcels into the correct colored mailbox in a large post office. There are different types of mail that need to be sent to the correct centers, with some awarding more points than others. There are 63 parcels in total and 3 rounds. 

This game tests candidates’ organizational, multi-tasking, and prioritization skills when dealing with multiple sources of information and tasks in the workplace. It also measures accuracy and attention to detail.  

assess candidates mta tray game example

The MTA-Tray™ game based assessment takes 6 minutes to complete.

Flanker Task Game

How does the Flanker Task Game work?

Based on the Eriksen and Eriksen Flanker Task (1974), candidates are presented with multiple fish in a line that are pointing in a particular direction. Using the keyboard or on-screen arrows, candidates have a couple of seconds to indicate the direction of the center ‘target’ fish, whilst ignoring the direction of other neighboring ‘distractor’ fish. There are 80 rounds in total.

The Flanker Task game measures candidates’ attention and attention-suppression, their ability to ignore. distracting irrelevant information. This correlates to how candidates might naturally be able to concentrate and analyze information in high-pressured work environments. 

assess candidates flanker task game example

The Flanker Task game-based assessment is untimed, but should take under 5 minutes to complete.

Cognition-M™ Game

How does the Cognition-M™ Game work?

The Cognition-M™ game requires candidates to remember the positioning and sequence of orange blocks after they appear for a few seconds and then disappear. The number of orange blocks and the difficulty level increases after each correct answer. Candidates continue playing until failure, when the session will end. 

This game focuses on candidates’ short-term memory to determine how they might naturally process multiple sources of information, remember key information daily, and stay organized in the workplace. 

assess candidates cognitive memory game example

The Cognition-M™ game-based assessment is untimed, but should take under 3 minutes to complete.

Cognition-A™ Game

How does the Cognition-A™ Game work?

Incorporating the Stroop Effect (1935), the Cognition-A™ game works by presenting candidates with a rectangle box and asking them to match colored shapes to the correct color word of the sides of the rectangle. For example, a red colored object would move to the side labeled ‘red’, ignoring the color of the background. Candidates continue playing until failure, when the session will end. 

This game measures attention and accuracy to determine how candidates might naturally process and handle multiple sources of information at the same time in the workplace.

assess candidates cognitive attention game example

The Cognition-A™ game-based hiring assessment is untimed, but should take under 3 minutes to complete.

PassCode™ Game

How does the PassCode™ Game work?

The PassCode™ game asks candidates to select the green tick once the desired digit is highlighted in order to crack the code for the mobile phone. If done incorrectly or too fast or too slow, the code is reset. There are 5 codes to crack.

This game assesses candidates’ attention levels and resilience. This correlates to how candidates might concentrate, make quick accurate decisions, and bounce back against mistakes and challenges in the workplace.

assess candidates passcode game example

The PassCode™ game based assessment is untimed, but should take under 5 minutes to complete.

Now we will delve into why employers are using Assess Candidates game-based assessments to enhance their hiring assessment processes and select top best-fit talent.

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8. Why top companies choose Assess Candidates game-based assessments to hire

At Assess Candidates, we specialize in game-based assessments that use interactive tasks and challenges to measure specific cognitive skills and/or behavioral competencies, providing a more engaging and enjoyable experience for your candidates.

Here is an example of our reporting dashboard available on Assess Candidates, which will be accessible to you as a hiring manager or talent acquisition professional when assessing candidates.

Game-based assessment campaign dashboard for recruiters

Here are the top four reasons why you should use Assess Candidates’ game-based assessments as your hiring assessments:

  1. Expert Design: Assess Candidates’ game-based assessments, designed and developed by Chartered Scientists, Psychologists, and Psychometricians, have undergone rigorous testing and validation. As a result, they offer a reliable method for selecting top talent across a wide range of organizations. We have ensured that our game-based assessments accurately measure specific competencies and skills.
  1. ATS Compatibility: Assess Candidates’ user-friendly assessment system allows employers to view detailed reports on candidate performance and make informed hiring decisions with confidence based on their own hiring criteria. Employers can easily filter, rank, and shortlist candidates based on how well they have performed in each game-based assessment. We also have the added option to integrate with your existing ATS for a seamless experience.
  1. Engaging Candidate Experience: Assess Candidates’ immersive and interactive game-based assessments provide a more positive and engaging candidate experience when compared to traditional assessments. Our game-based assessments are presented to candidates on a portal that is accessible from any device and fully branded to your organization for a seamless experience that candidates associate with your company.
  1. Accessibility Support: Assess Candidates provides support for individuals with disabilities, including additional time allowances and features for those with visual impairments. This includes zoom functionalities and avoiding certain colors and images, in compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), to ensure compatibility with screen readers.

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9. Game-based assessments: client application story

Client Problem Statement:

Imagine a mid-sized accounting firm is struggling to identify and hire the right candidates for its entry-level accounting positions. In this scenario, their current recruitment assessment process attracts motivated and culturally-fit candidates, but fails to adequately assess the necessary accounting knowledge and technical skills required for the roles. This causes mis-hires, extra training costs, and dissatisfaction among HR business leaders. The firm would need a more effective way to assess candidates’ accounting knowledge, numeracy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Assess Candidates Proposal:

In this scenario, Assess Candidates would recommend using a game-based assessment alongside other traditional psychometric assessments, to quickly and accurately measure the key competencies needed for success in this firm’s accounting roles. The game-based assessment, MathBubbles™, would provide an engaging candidate experience and, alongside a pre-employment numerical reasoning test, help evaluate the numerical abilities of candidates under time pressure. This is an essential skill for accountancy work. Additionally, a situational judgment test would measure essential accounting skills, and a personality questionnaire would assess whether candidate preferences align with the role.

Result:

By implementing a blend of assessments, the accounting firm would be able to identify and hire top talent more effectively, ensuring new hires have the desired technical skills, preferences and behavioral competencies for the entry-level accounting positions. This approach would offer a more accurate and reliable method to assess candidate skills, while ensuring an engaging assessment experience.

Interested in getting the latest insights and advice on candidate assessment? Keep reading for frequently asked questions and sign up below with your email to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do game-based assessments measure?

Game-based assessments can measure cognitive abilities, behaviors, and/or personality traits using interactive game mechanics. These assessments particularly excel in evaluating cognitive skills, such as numeracy, problem-solving, decision-making, attention, and memory. By measuring both conscious and unconscious behaviors, game assessments provide accurate insights, which enable employers to predict candidates’ job performance. This makes game-based assessments a highly effective recruitment tool.

How effective are game-based assessments for hiring?

Game-based assessments are highly effective for hiring. They undergo rigorous scientific research and validation to ensure accurate assessment of candidates’ skills, behaviors, and preferences. By simulating real-world tasks, these assessments offer deeper insights into candidates’ job performance and cultural fit within an organization. Success stories from companies like IBM and EY demonstrate the effectiveness of game assessments in improving candidate engagement and predicting job fit.

Where in the recruitment process are game-based assessments used?

Game-based assessments can be effectively implemented at various stages of the recruitment process. They are particularly beneficial during initial screening to sift and identify top candidates to invite to the next recruitment stage. Game-based assessments can also be used during skill evaluation phases, for in-person interviews, and final evaluation.

Do game-based assessments ensure objectivity in the hiring process?

Yes, game-based assessments are designed to ensure objectivity in the hiring process by using standardized metrics, reliable data, and machine learning algorithms to assess candidates. They reduce biases by focusing on objective skills and behaviors, rather than subjective judgments and preconceived notions. Data driven game-based assessments offer employers a fair candidate assessment for bias-free hiring decisions.

How difficult are game-based assessments?

Game-based assessments vary in difficulty based on the skills they measure. Although challenging, they are interactive and engaging games designed to ease candidate stress and anxiety during the hiring process. The main challenge for candidates is their unfamiliarity; however, game-based assessments adapt to different skill levels, allowing for identification of each individual candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.

How do game-based assessments save time, money, and resources?

Game-based assessments streamline the hiring process by quickly and efficiently assessing candidates’ skills and competencies. They eliminate the need for lengthy manual screening of applicants’ CVs and cover letters, saving time and workload. Additionally, game-based assessments help identify top best-fit talent early on in the recruitment process, minimizing the risk of mis-hires and costly training expenses.

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