Gaming on Resumes: A Detriment to Job Prospects?

A recent experiment conducted in Germany has shed light on how extracurricular activities, specifically gaming, might negatively impact job applicants' perceived suitability. The study, published in the Journal of Personnel Psychology, indicated that hypothetical candidates who included gaming on their resumes were consistently rated lower in terms of hireability compared to those who listed participation in volleyball, even when both activities were presented at similar proficiency levels.

Gaming, the act of playing digital games for enjoyment, competition, or social interaction, encompasses a wide array of cognitive and social skills. These include analytical problem-solving, strategic foresight, refined hand-eye coordination, swift decision-making, and the capacity to master intricate rule systems. Furthermore, many multiplayer games foster crucial social competencies such as cooperative teamwork, effective communication, leadership qualities, and conflict resolution.

Historically, employers often disregarded gaming as a valuable skill set, especially if these skills weren't formally certified or directly linked to academic achievements. However, this viewpoint has begun to evolve, particularly within sectors like information technology, engineering, design, data analysis, and project management, where the transferable skills acquired through gaming are increasingly acknowledged. Despite this gradual shift, the professional value of gaming skills still frequently goes underestimated and can even be viewed unfavorably by many potential employers.

Johannes M. Basch and his research team sought to investigate how applicants' gaming proficiency influenced evaluations of their hireability and resume quality during the initial screening phase. Their study specifically contrasted gaming with team sports, such as volleyball, at both neutral/average and high proficiency levels.

The study involved 162 German participants, with an average age of 32, 64% of whom were women. A significant portion (38%) held a bachelor's, master's, or PhD degree, yet only 4% had prior experience as hiring managers. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups and were asked to evaluate a fictitious job applicant for a customer service advisor position from the perspective of a hiring manager. Each participant reviewed a job advertisement detailing the necessary skills and responsibilities, followed by a candidate's resume. The resumes uniformly listed jogging as an extracurricular activity, with the second activity being either 'volleyball' or 'gaming,' depending on the group.

For the high-proficiency conditions, one group's resume stated the applicant was a diagonal attacker and team captain in the third national volleyball league, while the other group's resume highlighted the applicant's competitive participation in the Prime League, the official German League of Legends league sanctioned by Riot Games. The findings consistently demonstrated that applicants who listed gaming as an extracurricular activity received lower hireability ratings than those who listed volleyball, a trend observed across both proficiency levels. This suggests a persistent bias against gaming in professional contexts, regardless of the demonstrated skill level.

The researchers acknowledged that their study represents a preliminary step in understanding the role of gaming skills in candidate preselection. They emphasized the need for future research to address the limitations of their study and explore whether these effects vary across different job sectors, specific job requirements, and organizational cultures. They also noted that the phrasing of their fictitious job advertisement might have inadvertently steered participants to prioritize interpersonal skills, making volleyball, as a team sport, appear more relevant than gaming, which requires different types of collaborative abilities.

The study, titled 'Game Over or Game Changer? The Impact of Applicants' Gaming Skills on Their Hirability,' authored by Johannes M. Basch, Marie L. Ohlms, and Maria Hepfengraber, provides valuable insights into the perceptions of gaming within the recruitment process. It underscores the challenges gamers may face in leveraging their skills for career advancement and calls for a more nuanced understanding of how diverse extracurricular activities contribute to professional development. The results highlight a prevailing preference for traditional team sports over digital gaming when assessing candidate suitability, despite the demonstrable cognitive and social benefits of the latter.