Imagine if your next job interview included a round of video games with your potential new colleagues.
Nonsense? No. According to game researcher Tobias Michael Scholz, gaming is an effective way to spot skills that job seekers didn't know they had.
"By observing how people play and interact with others in the game, we can get a good picture of who they really are. It can make it easier to see if they will fit into the workplace environment," he says.
Scholz is an associate professor at the University of Agder. And his path into academia actually started with video games.
From raid leader to middle manager
When he was in his twenties, Scholz often led teams of up to 40 players in the popular online game World of Warcraft.
"Leading raids with people from around Europe showed me how I wanted to lead and organize teams," says Scholz.
The experience inspired him to study organization and management.
Today, Scholz is researching how skills from the gaming world can be transferred to the workplace. He has developed a framework called 'Metaframe' which looks at how players function in teams and what strengths they bring to collaboration.
Recruitment through gaming
Scholz has tested the concept with companies in Germany. In an event called 'Outplayed', students played tournaments with company representatives.
The researchers observed the players and how they interacted throughout. Based on this, the companies received a report on which students might be potential candidates for them. Some of the students also landed jobs.
"I remember one student in particular. He was almost completely silent during the interview process, but when feeling at home playing the game Valorant, he became a clear leader. I could almost see his career opportunities flourishing," says Scholz.
(Gaming) skills workplaces need
Scholz says that gaming can help players develop a range of skills that are sought after in today's workplace, such as analytical, strategic and critical thinking.
"In addition, many games receive regular updates that can change the very basic rules for players. This means constantly having to adapt, which builds resilience and creativity," says Scholz.
He points out that gamers who are used to coordinating complex tasks in real time and communicating clearly under pressure often excel in their professional lives.
"There's a lot of talk about artificial intelligence taking over many professions. But one of the most important qualities that companies look for when hiring someone is the ability to think differently. And that's a quality many gamers have," says Scholz.
Games can predict career choices
It's not just team play that can be useful. Scholz points out that the games you like may indicate the kind of career you might choose. Take the city-building simulator SimCity, for example.
"An old study claimed that 10 per cent of all architects chose their careers because they played SimCity. I recently spoke with the dean of an architecture programme in Australia, and he thought the actual number must be around 50 per cent," says Scholz with a laugh.
Scholz also tells the story of a colleague currently working at the European Central Bank. He started his career trading in World of Warcraft, to the point where he completely tanked the economic system on several game servers.
More than just gaming
But it's not as simple as spending all your time on League of Legends and thinking that it will lead to a top job in business. The key words are balance and reflection.
"It can be too much gaming, absolutely. It's important to have time where you reflect on what you've learned," says Scholz.
Professional esports athletes actually play less than we think. Of an eight-hour workday, only three to four hours are spent gaming. The rest is dedicated to strategy, discussions and physical training.
Career as a skill tree
Scholz is now working on developing a career development system that is inspired by skill trees in video games.
"In many games, there is a visual system where you can see what skills you have gained and what skills you can unlock further. We are transferring this to the workplace as a more engaging way to plan career development," he says.
In the model, career paths are visualized as branches. Employees can see different directions in which they can specialize and utilize their expertise and gain a clearer understanding of what they need to learn to achieve career goals.
"Employees get a better sense of progression and mastery, while companies ensure that skill development is strategically aligned with business needs," says Scholz.