Table of Contents
Staying industry-relevant as a recruiter demands ongoing learning and staying updated with the latest trends, tools, and best practices in the field of recruitment.
It also involves cultivating a deep understanding of the job market, honing interpersonal skills for effective communication with both clients and candidates and leveraging technology to streamline the recruitment process.
Recruiters should actively seek feedback to continuously improve their strategies, adapt to the evolving needs of the workforce, and foster strong relationships with hiring managers and human resources professionals.
By staying informed, and adaptable, recruiters can navigate the complexities of talent acquisition successfully.
1. Gaining Knowledge:
Make a habit of continuously exploring new developments in the industry, such as emerging gaming companies and products. Trends evolve rapidly, so, as a recruiter, staying informed about current trends like the rise of MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games or the increasing importance of mobile gaming is crucial. When was the last time you read something about other companies? Do you know what games were on top in the last year? Who won the Game Of The Year title in 2023?
If you are wondering how this is possible, well, the answer is simple: Passion.
Only 1 word to make all of this possible?! Yes, and No at the same time, because having passion helps and makes you learn everything faster and better, but it still requires a lot of hard work! You have to follow different companies, YouTubers, and so on, to gain your knowledge (and always do your due diligence!)
2. Adaptability:
The conventional structured interview format with preset questions is no longer the standard. Yes, there are still industries and places where that type of interview has to be used. Still, the generic called “IT industry”, has shifted to creating a virtual environment where professionals feel comfortable expressing themselves on different job & industry topics, without even being asked about them. Try for yourself, and send us the results! Use a more conversational approach to enable candidates to showcase their experiences confidently. The “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” question is deprecated, and only dinosaurs still use it — Sorry T-Rex 🙁
Ok, so you do not want to put away that Behavioral interview table with questions?! Do you think that “What are your long-term career goals?” is still a good question to be asked at an entry-level candidate interview?!
Fine, do it, but, do a favor to all the other recruiters: Never ask people what zodiac sign they have! Do not put candidates to identify with an animal, and do not ask them what is their favourite color!
If you, my reader will ever be put in a situation like this, we have a funny answer for the last one: “The color of money and freedom!”
3. Diversifying Recruitment Tools:
OK, we now have artificial intelligence, and VR is coming so fast, but somehow, Excel is still the most used tool in Recruitment. This goes from candidate databases to reports, metrics, and many more things. I do not say it isn’t good, but other tools (free ones), can do the job and have a user-friendly interface. Expand beyond Excel and consider incorporating open-source recruitment tools into your workflow. Some good tools are Clickup, Trello, Asana, and Jira. Make yourself a present and try one! Your time will be thankful for that.
Regardless of the free time that you get from using these tools, remember that even if you are a recruiter, you need your “tech stack”. You might wonder why, and the answer is plain simple: because, you won’t be in the same company forever, and other companies is sure to have at least one of each of the following:
- HR Database for the employees, with features in it (ADP )
- Candidates tracking systems (Workable)
- Project Management Tools (Asana, Jira, Trello)
- Calendar Management (Calendly)
4. Networking and Global Perspective:
Embrace networking with other recruiters, and HR professionals, and participate in industry-related events. In the current global market post-COVID, gaining insights and information from diverse sources is critical to stay globally aware and competitive. Lonely people do not succeed anymore, sorry Wolverine…
I mean, this should be even mentioned, however, there are still lots of recruiters who are staying alone, without even asking their connections to refer them candidates or guide them when they don’t know something.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, when you need it. That unicorn role won’t close by itself!
P.S. Check this and you will find TOP candidates: Games Job Seeker’s Workbook by Amir Satvat
5. Understanding Technology as a Recruiter:
While you may not be a tech expert, understanding technology relevant to the domains you recruit for can be immensely beneficial. Having a basic grasp of technology helps in better comprehending the projects, roles, and requirements within the tech industry. Java and JavaScript are the same?! Houdini is a magician with a rabbit?! Bugs are those nasty little creatures that no one wants to see?! Unreal means just “imaginary”, and Unity is “united”?! Hopefully, you said no 😉
If you think of learning some of the main tools that are used in the gaming industry, try our Resources Page! We have already added resources that we recommend!
Conclusion
As you can see, remaining relevant in this changing environment requires a lot of learning and adaptation.
Being a recruiter involves a high capacity to adapt to industry trends and job best practices. In the end, you work with other people, from different generations, with different abilities, and it’s 100% true that each of them is unique, so you must be able to understand all of them!
