This article about gaming recruiting tips was originally published in December 2019. All relevant statistics and information have been updated as of July 2024.
Recruiters know that when they have tricky job openings, they have to come up with new and exciting ways to attract a small pool of talent away from their current roles. These candidates have specialized skills and are constantly contacted by recruiters. As a result, they tend to ignore emails, calls, and InMail messages. So, what can a recruiter do to grab the attention of these top candidates? And once they do pay attention, how do you persuade them to consider a change?
Gaming is one of those industries where the roles are very specific, with a limited number of qualified candidates available for each unique role. The studios are all known to one another and compete for talent. It’s the “small town” version of recruiting. Everyone knows everyone, and secrets never stay hidden for long.
Whether you’re searching for the perfect art director in California, a quirky animator in Oregon, or someone as unique as a vehicle artist in Texas, the challenges are the same: more open positions than top candidates to fill them — leading to fierce competition in the recruiting world.
Try our top 10 tips for recruiting gamers — from artists to engineers. These simple tricks will help you find the best of the best AND get a response from your outreach!
1. Find Candidates’ Portfolios.
When sourcing for game artists, take the extra time and effort to find their portfolio and compliment a specific piece of work. This simple act shows you are interested in viewing their work and have positive things to say about something they put a lot of effort into. Candidates will appreciate the time you took to review their work and find something specific you like about it. IQTalent utilizes sophisticated AI tools to enhance these search capabilities.
2. Craft Your Outreach Differently Depending On The Type Of Career Field You Are Targeting.
There’s no one-size-fits-all outreach message for gaming candidates. Tailoring your communication based on the specific interests and preferences of artists, designers, and engineers can significantly enhance your chances of engaging with top talent. We’ve found that artists tend to respond more when focusing on artistic style and aesthetic qualities. In contrast, designers respond when talking about specific game design features. Meanwhile, engineers want to hear about the tech stack the game would be using. Here’s how you can customize your outreach efforts for each career field:
Artists:
Focus on Artistic Style and Aesthetic Qualities: Artists are inherently driven by creativity and visual expression. Highlighting aspects such as unique art styles, portfolio diversity, and opportunities for creative freedom can capture the attention of artists. Personalized feedback on their artwork or design choices can showcase your genuine interest and appreciation for their craft.
Designers:
Emphasize Specific Game Design Features: Designers thrive on problem-solving and creating engaging gameplay experiences. When reaching out to designers, discuss elements like innovative game mechanics, level design challenges, or narrative depth. Demonstrating a deep understanding of game design principles and showcasing how their expertise can contribute to creating immersive player experiences can resonate with designers.
Engineers:
Highlight Tech Stack and Development Challenges: Engineers are typically interested in the technical aspects of game development. Tailor your outreach by focusing on the technologies and programming languages used in the game development process. Discussing complex coding challenges, optimization techniques, or opportunities to work with cutting-edge tools can attract the attention of engineers. Providing insights into the tech stack of ongoing projects and the potential for skill growth can be compelling for engineering candidates.
3. Know The Game And Understand The Role You’re Recruiting For.
A game can be very specific regarding genre and art style. The more information you know about the type of game the team is building, the more you understand what you’re looking for and what skills an ideal candidate has. This will take some research into the industry, but it’s worth the effort to speak the gaming language to your candidate.
For example, if you’re creating a Boolean search to find someone who has experience working on a shooter game, several keyword iterations could yield the most accurate results that may not be obvious. Shooter experience could pop up in a profile as “fps” (first-person shooter) or “tps” (third-person shooter), for example. The more you understand these details, the more successful your search will be.
4. Start Playing Games!
Similar to #3, immersing yourself in gaming and learning to speak the language will help you understand precisely the type of game your client is building. IQTalent often advocates for this immersive approach, ensuring that their recruiters are well-versed in the specific sectors they serve.
Shortly after you start playing, you'll see similarities between your client’s project and games released by other studios that you’ve played. You can then look up the credits for these other games and find names of artists, designers, and engineers you know will already be a great match for your team.
5. Learn More About Schools That Specifically Offer Game Design Degrees.
Find out which schools offer the best programs. Yes — game design degrees really exist. This is a great way to find junior or entry-level candidates.
6. Utilize Internal Referrals.
The gaming industry is incredibly small, and current employees likely already know a candidate or two who would be a great fit. Similarly, connecting on LinkedIn with your client's current employees and combing through their first-degree connections is a great place to start.
7. Use Different Platforms For Different Positions.
For example, you may find a few decent art candidates on LinkedIn, but almost every artist will have their work posted on websites such as Artstation, Behance, or even Instagram. Don’t assume LinkedIn is the end-all-be-all for your search, especially for creative roles!
8. Promote The Studio Culture.
The gaming industry culture is often perceived as fun, casual, and laid-back, but it involves mandatory overtime hours (known as “crunch”) closer to a release date. Nearly every studio has some sort of cultural selling point that should be used to appeal to candidates. For example, Cold Iron Studios actively avoids crunch, promotes work/life balance, and has an unlimited PTO policy. They also have a huge, free snack bar for employees. Remember, this is a competitive field; salary and location won’t be the only way to sell the job.
9. Understand The Importance Of Social Media For The Studio.
Candidates in the gaming industry do plenty of research into the studios they are considering. Because of the competitive nature of the industry, these candidates can be picky. Before they make a change, they want to know everything about a studio, from culture to benefits. A solid social media presence showcasing how amazing it is to work at your studio is helpful. Social media is critical if your studio is a startup with no previously released games that can attract a candidate’s attention. As recruiters, we can only help the studio as much as the studio helps itself!
10. Finally, Encourage Hiring Managers To Attend Gaming Conferences Such As GDC Or E3.
Encouraging hiring managers to participate in prestigious gaming conferences like the Game Developers Conference (GDC) or the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) can be a (forgive the pun) game-changer in sourcing top-tier talent within the gaming industry. Here's how urging hiring managers to attend these events can enhance recruitment strategies and attract prospective candidates:
Industry Networking Opportunities
GDC and E3 are premier events where game developers, industry experts, and enthusiasts converge to share insights, showcase innovations, and network. Encouraging hiring managers to attend creates valuable networking opportunities to connect with potential candidates and industry influencers.
Candidate Engagement and Awareness
These conferences act as a magnet for passionate game developers and industry professionals seeking new opportunities. By attending, hiring managers can engage with candidates firsthand, gaining insights into their skills, interests, and potential cultural fit within the organization.
Showcasing Company Culture and Vision
Participation in gaming conferences allows hiring managers to represent their organization and exhibit its culture, values, and projects to a targeted audience of gaming enthusiasts. This active presence showcases the company's commitment to innovation and can attract talent who resonate with its vision.
Talent Scouting and Recruitment Planning
Observing presentations, panels, and demos at these events enables hiring managers to spot emerging talent, innovative game projects, and industry trends. Identifying potential candidates early on and initiating conversations can lead to strategic recruitment planning and securing top talent for future roles.
Industry Insights and Knowledge Sharing
Attending conferences like GDC and E3 exposes hiring managers to the latest industry developments, technological advancements, and creative trends shaping the gaming landscape. This firsthand exposure enhances their understanding of the industry, allowing for informed decision-making in talent acquisition and project planning.
These events are essentially Comic-Con for game developers. Candidates who are open to new opportunities will definitely be attending.
Feel like you’ve tried everything and still can’t find great candidates for all your open roles? Why struggle alone when you can team up with the pros? We’ve been finding designers, artists, and engineers for years, and we’ve got all the gaming recruiting secrets! Connect with us today, and together, we'll develop a winning hiring strategy that will attract game-changers to your team!
