14 Dec 2018
VIDEO GAME STUDIO TIPS TO HIRE PROGRAMMERS
Job boards can be the perfect tool to a recruitment strategy if used effectively. We have put together some top tips for Game Studios
There are lots of generic job boards out there. While generic job boards are brilliant, a niche gaming or art job board is likely to be far more beneficial for your search. Are your competitors using the site? Are large AAA studios using the site alongside small independents? Is the site used mainly by recruitment agencies or studios?
Ask your account manager to do a quick search on the resume database to find out how many “gameplay developers” or “3D artists” are registered to the site? Bear in mind this figure will likely only show people that have chosen to be found.
You won’t fill every job that you place on a job board. Some positions you may not even get any applicants, it all depends how hard to fill your roles are. If you normally struggle to fill a role via a recruiter, then expect the same off a job board – unless they target the right person at the right time. Often there is the presumption that a job board is poor if you don’t fill that position within the allotted timescale. However, the simple reality is that the right person just hasn’t come across your job in that time period. Have you tried maximising your potential on the site with some extra branding or targeted mailers?
If you have a role that head-hunters are struggling to fill and isn’t getting much response on a job board, why not change your process? Don’t make candidates apply via your ATS (Applicant tracking system), just accept the CV. Make it as easy as possible for the right people to apply to your role.
If relocation is required, why not offer a telephone number where people can call and ask questions. Relocation is a massive step for people and you need to manage this huge change in the best possible way.
Okay, so you have placed your advert, a few weeks have passed and you aren’t receiving the correct response – either the standard isn’t great, the applications are irrelevant or applicants are too junior or senior. What can you do?
Well don’t just sit there and let the same thing happen! As my old boss used to say, “Always do what you have done and you will always get what you have done.”
Maybe change the copy. Is it candidate centric? Does it sell the job to the applicant? Does the job copy accurately reflect the job, or does it need tweaking?
Try looking at the stats. Does it have a low number of views? It could be that the job isn’t getting found in searches - maybe look at the job title or the keywords within the advert.
Is your ATS system clunky and putting candidates off? Don’t be shocked if 50% of the people that apply for your job don’t complete the process when they land at your ATS.
Have you just committed to a standard advert? How does your job stand out? Should you look at extra branding or a featured job? Have you advertised a salary and all the related benefits?
Job boards work great if they are used proactively.
If you think about your own job search, then you will likely look at 3 things before delving deeper. The job title, the salary and the location. Have you advertised each of these?
If you don’t want to advertise a salary, have you considered advertising a salary bracket?
Have you advertised the key words that the job involves so when a candidate does a search they will find your job? Remember that candidates sign up for job alerts based on certain criteria. Has your job fulfilled all of that criteria, or will your job just get lost within hundreds of other jobs.
When most people purchase from a job board they will normally just buy standard job credits and place their job, expecting to fill the position just from this. Don’t get me wrong, it does happen quite a lot from a standard posting – but if your role is harder to fill then you may need to look at additional options for the job.
Options on most job boards include things such as:
· Banner adverts
· Featured listings
· Dedicated e-shot
· CV Search
· Job refreshes
If you are targeting a hard to fill role, then maybe a CV search could help you headhunt that perfect candidate.
If you have an ongoing role and need to make multiple placements, then maybe some extra branding on the homepage that showcases that particular role is the best way to go.
Quite often passing traffic will come across the job board without any intention of changing jobs. What if they’re your perfect candidate, but they don’t find you.
Remember, your game studio has to stand out!
Absolutely. It is no surprise that you see so many recruitment agencies on job boards. A recruitment agency works by headhunting candidates that are perfect for your role and delivering them to you. Where do you think they find these candidates? 90% of the time it will be from LinkedIn or a job board.
If recruitment agencies are using the job boards, then why aren’t you? Studios will always need external recruitment, but why not run a campaign alongside the agencies. Just one placement made via a job board that you would normally fill via an agency will quite often result in a huge cost saving.
Job board work if you use them correctly.
There’s no reason not to. Different job boards attract different candidates as they are all marketed in different ways.
Some boards may be a dedicated niche job board, some may be part of a much larger company. They will all attract different candidates.
Don’t be afraid to go back to a job board that hasn’t worked in the past. Account managers change. Marketers change. The SEO will get better and the size of the job board database will grow.
Every good article is ended with a request for business. If you haven’t used GamesJobsDirect.com before, or fancy giving us a try – Then why not give me an email @ jamie@gamesjobsdirect.com or give me a call on +441302 247227
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