Talent assessments are the go-to tools used by organizations worldwide to hire talent objectively and accurately. There are multiple assessments used including skill tests, job simulations, aptitude, and personality tests.

Job seekers get turned off by a tedious, unengaging, and overly-demanding assessment process, especially if they could have other options. These assessments are marred low completion rates, low validity, and bad hires because of over dependence on test-takers self-awareness of their strengths, inherent recruiter bias, and their non-engaging nature. Traditional assessments also impact candidate experience as they are often seen to induce stress and candidates get nervous during the assessment process. They don't seem fair to the candidates as some of the candidates can easily fake or manipulate it causing irreparable harm to the employer brand.

Organizations across industries are taking a game-based approach to assessments for informed hiring process. Game-based assessments are psychometric assessments intentionally built as games. They have several key advantages over traditional methods of assessment in terms of improving candidate experience and employer brand.

1. 1. Inclusive and accurate hiring process
2. Unlike traditional assessments, game-based assessments are progressive - they adapt as the candidate engages with it. Furthermore, framing the assessment as a 'game' rather than a 'test' reduces anxiety, making the hiring process more inclusive and accurate for candidates who get nervous during formal testing.
3. 2. Higher completion rates
4. Gameplay is significantly more engaging than a traditional psychometric assessment. Some organizations experience dropout rates of over 30% with a traditional approach to assessment. Candidates are generally more likely to complete a series of games than a lengthy test and are more likely to enjoy the experience.
5. 3. Reduced test-taker's bias
6. Game-based assessments also minimize bias from a candidate perspective: Games do not assume that the test-taker is aware of one's personality and the design of games is inherently engaging, typically resulting in improved focus by the candidate on the assessment.
7. 4. Reduced stress and anxiety
8. The immersive nature of the game tasks tends to reduce stress resulting from so-called stereotype threat (i.e. negative stereotypes about e.g. cultural and/or gender differences raise inhibiting doubts and high-pressure anxieties in a test-taker's mind). Furthermore, games may minimize socially desirable responses, by eliciting more authentic behaviour.

A well-designed selection process is critical for sustainable and scalable talent identification. It allows recruiters to leave a lasting positive impression on applicants (who are not only prospective employees but also potential or existing customers). Stronger engagement with applicants allows better candidate experience. The candidates remembered the company as having an innovative approach to pre-hiring assessments thus enhancing more referrals and employer branding.

Game-based assessments convey a fresh and dynamic employer image. The enhanced candidate experience creates an important competitive edge for companies in an increasingly global war for talent.