If this is true, then I’m all set for that application I put in
Let’s face it, job interviews suck. Actually getting an interview, for me at least, is a minor miracle so it’s just as deflating when you have to go through the whole process of trying to make yourself sound like a great candidate and answer all the inane questions flung at you. Now if somehow job interviews could take into account my love of videogames, I’d feel a lot less nervous about sitting down for one.
Thankfully that seems to becoming a reality; in an interview with The New York Times, MIT economist Erik Brynjolfsson talked about advising a company that are making videogames to help aid the recruitment screening process. The developers are called Knack and they’re creating games that will test candidates’ skills, like multi-tasking, or character attributes — like how easily distracted or focused they are.
Whilst there’s a concern that games might disadvantage some applicants who aren’t as familiar with games, I’d feel that this might be good way to get some kind of useful data. If you’re looking for how someone deals with pressure or a situation where they have to make a snap decision, then a specially tailored game could be a good way to really see that in action, rather than having the straightforward interview where you can just make up any old answer. Hope my next interview has a Spelunky section; I’d be a dead cert for that job no doubt.
Your Next Job Application Could Involve a Video Game [The New York Times]
