IQTalent’s Post

In the gaming industry, finding the right talent can feel like a quest. How do you stand out with so many studios vying for top candidates? Our latest blog shares 10 insightful tips to help you source and engage the best artists, designers, and engineers. Learn how personalized outreach and industry knowledge can make all the difference. Catch the full blog here: https://hubs.la/Q02Kj3Q00 #GameDev #Recruiting #HiringTips

What is the next step in video game recruitment? In my six-year journey as a game industry recruiter, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most talented professionals in the field. However, recent layoffs have seen many of us, myself included, stepping away from our roles. This shift prompts a critical question: what’s the end goal for recruitment in the video game industry? Despite the industry’s state of flux, the demand for exceptional talent remains paramount—after all, without a team, there is no game. This leads to pondering the strategic direction for studio hiring practices. With a wealth of candidates now on the market, are studios expecting roles to be filled organically? Or is there a trend towards delegating recruitment responsibilities to external agencies? The answer isn’t clear. I’m eager to start a conversation on the current and future state of recruitment within the video game industry, so let me know what you think. #gamesjobs #videogames #computergames

I've worked with 40+ Game Studios. And helped them hire 100s of candidates. 1 thing I noticed that's clear. Game studios lack a clear hiring strategy (at times!) They often don't define the role well, and that's the real problem. - a well-defined role makes recruitment faster and more efficient. - the right brief leads to the right candidate by setting clear expectations. - and you save time by clarifying roles upfront. At Eleven Eleven we: - have detailed calls to understand and define the role brief. - set up sessions to align on hiring goals and expectations. - continuously refine role descriptions to match evolving needs. Otherwise, you run the risk. Risk that leads to confusion and delays. Thankfully this has all been learned the hard way. Example: 1) Initially due to an unclear role definition 3 of our candidates were LOVED. 2) Got to final stage -> Received no offers. 3) Reason: Poor fit. 4) The role was redefined a month later (split into 2) 5) 2/3 of the candidates got offered roles! So now we're serving clients the right way. PS. If you're a Game Studio looking to polish your hiring strategy. And you want to: - Hire top talent without lifting a finger - Get carefully screened candidates - Get an exclusive, hands-on approach to hiring Shoot me a DM and let's chat.

My goal has always been to redefine the game recruitment process with a focus on quality over quantity. So here is why partnering with me is a game-changer for your studio: 1️⃣ Quality, Not Quantity: I believe in forging lasting partnerships with studios that share our values. I'd rather work with a select few studios where the culture, team dynamics, and projects align seamlessly. It's not just about filling roles; it's about crafting the perfect fit. 2️⃣ Your Studio, Our Business: When you work with me, it's not just a transaction—it's a partnership. We immerse ourselves in understanding your studio's DNA, treating it as if it were our own business. This deep knowledge enables us to connect with candidates authentically, making it feel like we're expanding our own team. 3️⃣ Beyond LinkedIn Scouring: I go beyond traditional recruitment channels. You'll find me actively engaging on platforms like ArtStation, GitHub, Reddit, Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, X, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, and Discord servers. I'm building connections with ideal candidates who might not even be on job boards or LinkedIn. 4️⃣ Honesty & Transparency: No fluff, no empty promises. From the start, I lay out clear timeframes, my availability, and when you can expect those CVs. I bring honesty and transparency to the table, offering constructive feedback and insights to improve the hiring process. No more overpromising and under-delivering! 5️⃣ Proven Success: Numbers speak louder than words. Over the last 5 years, I've placed candidates over 100 candidates with studios, and only two have left within a year—a testament to our commitment to finding the right fit. Don't just take my word for it; check out the glowing testimonials from satisfied partners! If you're ready to fill the roles ahead of your next milestone as well as improve your recruitment experience with agencies and see firsthand what it's like to work with us, drop me a message. I'm always open for a chat, because your success is my success! 🎮✨ #gamesrecuitment #videogames #gamesindustry

Who are we? And what are we doing here? When everything seems like it’s on fire in the #gamesindustry, it’s important to take stock of who you are, why you do the thing that you do, and maybe (re)define your purpose. When you're in need of a new a job, fast, this might sound counter-productive, right? Maybe. Maybe not. For many in games, shit just hit the fan. That may be true, and it may be urgent. But taking a moment to reflect, understand your value, puff out that chest and nail every f*cking interview is going to get you there quicker. Metaphorically, we’re in a similar business headspace right now. We need to offer more CLARITY on our value. And NAIL every opportunity to prove it. Reflecting inwards, we got some things wrong last year. And it stings like hell. But we know it. So we’re redefining our purpose. At the worst possible time. When no-one is hiring. And everyone is firing. “We’re changing the way studios think about hiring talent” is what we say. It’s our M.O. So how exactly have we done that. Where’s the proof? ▪️Whilst we don’t claim to be the first to offer embedded, in #games, we have pioneered the models our competitors are now copying. ▪️ This week, we complete a 3.5 year, 60+ headcount hiring project for a studio who recently won 2 awards for the trailer that made their game one of the most anticipated Xbox Game Pass releases in the coming year. We did it all without an expensive ATS or fancy ads. ▪️ We hired 13 people for one of the UK’s most sought after but ‘hardest-to-recruit-for’ studios behind one of the best mobile/ipad games of the last decade, complimenting the headcount growth with an entirely new progression framework being implemented this year. Hiring us being “the best HR & People Decision we’ve made all year”. Their words. So yea, we changed some minds. And we’ve had a belting time doing it. Of course, there’s more to come. #wearestudiotypes #talentpartner #gamedev #recruitment

MASTER THE ART OF GAMES RECRUITMENT! /// Attracting top talent in the gaming industry can be challenging. Our latest blog offers actionable insights to meet and exceed candidate expectations: - Synchronising Timelines: Aligning Recruitment Durations with Candidate Preferences - Navigating Deal-Breakers: Identifying and Mitigating Recruitment Deterrents - Tipping the Scales: Factors Influencing Candidate Decision-Making 🔗 Dive deeper into each strategy by reading our full guide: https://vist.ly/3b9c4 Elevate your hiring process and secure the best talent in the gaming industry today! #GamingRecruitment #TalentAcquisition #HRStrategies #GamingIndustry #RecruitmentTips

In 6 months, we signed contracts with 75+ gaming studios to supply them talent and killed the product behind it. Why? Studios were ready to pay 15-20% fee on annual CTC of a candidate. That's a 100% premium on what industry usually charges. We saw all the signs of it working, but we decided to pivot completely. During 0 to 1 phase of our new product at Outscal, I and Manas Gangwani were actively experimenting on our product what now is outscal.com/jobs Manas being POC for first 15 partner game studio knew their hiring needs in-out. When he started interviewing candidates and having deep technical rounds with them, he was able to match candidates to the right companies seeing conversion rate as high as 60-65% Conversion rate here = Number of candidates hired/ Number of candidates referred. But, the system started to break as we started to scale. We first looped in our business team and on-boarded 75+ studios that were actively hiring game developers. Our B2B partnership team was connecting with HRs, hiring managers to understand their hiring needs. Sideways, we hired a technical recruiter who was manually matching the candidates to the provided job description. It was no longer Manas alone taking care of the whole process end-to-end. We were still able to get candidates placed but the conversion ratios came falling down. Quality fell as communication gap increased b/w tech interviewers and business teams. These were a few things that were screwed internally and could have been fixed to certain extent. (and we even did fix) but there were many that were beyond our control and played crucial role in conversions and eventually revenue generation. For example: Even when we did everything, absolutely right: - companies would decide to not hire, or delay hiring. - when companies were eager to hire, the candidates that were perfect fit for the role would reject the offer because they either didn’t like the game project or the niche that studio was operating in. - candidates or companies would call off the deal for even minute mismatch in their compensation expectations. The list of problems would go on and on. We soon realised that recruiting being a people-ops business didn’t gel up with our ed-tech minds. We decided to stick to the up-skiling game. (what we were best at) If you haven’t read the part-1 of this post then please check comments.  In next post, know why we’re now betting on our game dev job portal. Follow me here 👉 Mayank Grover and I promise to bring the best gamedev content to your feed.

🌟 A Call to Action for Our Games Community - Three Layoff Situations 🌟 In the face of adversity, the true spirit of our industry shines brightest. It's with a heavy heart that I share news of recent layoffs within our community: - Supermassive Games Ltd on 2/26: 90 talented individuals. - Electronic Arts (EA) Codemasters on 2/23: A yet undisclosed number of staff. - Electronic Arts (EA) in Cologne, Germany on 1/25: The entire localization department, approximately 20 people (reported to me just last week by members of that team) This series of continued layoffs underscores the volatility our industry faces and the immediate impact on our friends and colleagues. Yet, in these moments, our community's resilience and willingness to support each other become our beacon of hope. I've been moved by the outpouring of solidarity and want to channel this energy into actionable support. 🔗 I encourage everyone to explore AMIRSATVAT.COM, a hub offering eleven critical resources for career advancement, freely accessible and updated weekly. Specifically, resource #7, where I offer to amplify your voice by creating and sharing support posts — 82 posts so far, each reaching over 100,000 people. Just copy, blank out, and populate the template with teammates' individual details and consent and send to me. Here are other ways you can make a difference: - Spread the Word: Share this post to raise awareness. Every share counts. - Offer Direct Support: Whether it's advice, a listening ear, or any form of assistance, your contribution matters. - Engage: Join over 2,000 volunteers in our community engagement initiatives. There's strength in numbers. - Take Action: No effort is too small. Start where you can; every bit helps. Let's unite in supporting our colleagues. Your action, no matter the size, can pave the way for someone's new beginning. Together, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and solidarity. #IndustrySupport #CommunityStrength #CareerResources #SolidarityInAction #gamesjobs #gamesindustry

Really, really sad to see the news about One Player Mission today, an industry icon that sadly hasn’t been able to weather the storm that has engulfed gaming over the last year. It’s tough out there for all of us right now and this shows that the impact of the waves of redundancies we’ve seen lately stretches beyond just the studios affected right through to support functions and external agencies like ours…sending our support to all those affected. If you’re in the market for a new recruiter, agency recruiters can make great internal recruiters (I’m proof of that having made the jump myself in a past life) and can bring a different and valuable new perspective to your hiring processes. Sadly, I’m sure these won’t be the last redundancies we see in gaming recruitment and we’ve had to make changes ourselves to our model over the last six months due to the volatility in the marketplace. The old cliche tells us that after the storm, there will be a rainbow 🌈 and that proverbial pot of gold at the end of that is all any of us business owners can keep striving for at the moment! It goes without saying that if you’re a studio affected by this closure and need a new partner to help with your hiring, feel free to reach out to discuss how we could support you. #gamingnews #gamingindustry #recruitmentagency #gamingjobs #oneplayermission #recruitment #gaming #mobilegaming #AAA #jobsingames #gamedevjobs

The way I often describe the last 12 months in Gaming, is that it’s been a ‘bloodbath’… Post GDC, data from the GameLogic team showed a 4-5 week period of consecutive improvements in key metrics (new jobs, new clients, 1st interviews etc) and I hoped we’d kick on. Q2 somehow ended up being WORSE as most hiring amongst our clients then totally dried up 😭 In the last 3 weeks, we’ve seen a similar uptick in key metrics, but this time, there are other indicators of a market that is turning; -an increase in job openings for TA folk and more in TA landing new gigs- a great sign of hiring intent -MAD busy with CodeDev - an amazing number of Studios have reached out, needing our support with Unreal projects. Studios need great talent, and though many can’t/aren’t hiring permanent staff right now, that will follow -LinkedIn response rates from candidates, for the first time are down! Why is this significant? Quite simply, more candidates are coming off the market or involved in multiple processes- another great sign 🙏 I’m not getting ahead of myself, but all of the above show positive indicators for a stronger end to the year- let’s hope we are at the beginning of a recovery. What else are people seeing out there?