Want a job? Bring your game!
Applying for a job? Polish your résumé and grab your DS.
Research shows that video games offer a more effective method of determining which candidates to hire than traditional personality tests. According to researchers Frank L. Schmidt of the University of Iowa and John E. Hunter of Michigan State University, “work samples” and general mental ability tests are nearly twice as effective as other pre-employment assessments. Cutting-edge organizations combine these two techniques into game-like simulations that require candidates to demonstrate necessary skills and address job-specific problems. Candidates with the highest game scores are the most likely to be successful. (And no, ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → ABAB doesn’t work.)
Games can also enhance training programs. McDonald’s Japan partnered with Nintendo to develop eSmart, a DS-based training game that teaches new crew members to clean workstations, cook food, take orders, serve customers and handle other common situations. It decreased training time from 45 hours to roughly 24 and eliminated the need for human trainers during introductory lessons. In addition, eSmart allows Wi-Fi-connected trainers to monitor individual progress and provide immediate feedback. ESmart has increased training program efficiency while significantly reducing costs. And electronic games can be modified quickly to reflect new skill requirements or changes in work tasks or processes.
The U.K. launched Code of Everand in 2009 to teach street safety to children. The game uses the speed, frequency and appearance of traffic at selected U.K. intersections as the basis for monsters in a fantasy world. According to the designer, Kati, London, the game is designed to “mimic the natural rhythms of traffic and train the brain to adopt the same look-and-wait behavior in real life.”
Games can simulate many jobs for training or recruiting purposes. Repetitive jobs such as call center staff, bank teller and meter reader are easily simulated, as are many hands-on jobs such as HVAC, auto and appliance repair technicians. More complex games simulate the “soft skills” required of first-line supervisors and salespeople for moderately complex goods (mobile phones, cars, etc.) These games model how to build rapport, clarify technical information, and discuss potentially uncomfortable topics such as conflict between employees.
Video action games improve gamers’ ability to process visual and auditory information, according to Shawn Green, Alexandre Pouget and Daphne Bavelier of the University of Rochester, writing in Current Biology. Video-gamers are more aware of surrounding sounds and sights then those with less gaming experience. Gamers improve their ability to make quick decisions from multiple stimuli, the same skills required to multitask, drive a car or track children in a crowd. Researchers have concluded that people make decisions of this type through “probabilistic inference.” They unconsciously process auditory and visual stimuli to calculate and refine the likelihood of different outcomes. Video action games can be a helpful training tool for jobs requiring quick reaction times and manual dexterity.
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