How to successfully utilize social networks as a working with tool
Whether you’re leading a studio of 10 individuals or 100, developing a group of quality employee is of the utmost value. Vision, concepts, and preparation are worthless without personnel that can turn them into truth.
The common hiring procedure needs a substantial quantity of time and cash, 2 extremely important
resources for studios of a lesser size. While we have been able to successfully hire employees through conventional hiring procedures, we’ve found that using social media tools like Twitter and Bluesky to do so is quicker and more efficient.
This article will go over the benefits of hiring through various social media apps, how to use social media as a hiring tool, and the results Gylee Games has actually seen using this method.
Why do we use social networks for employment?
How to effectively use social networks for employment
outcomes from using social networks for employment
Secret conclusions
Why do we use social networks for work?
When you’re trying to hire, who you are matters enormously. Practically every time, skill will be brought into larger studios with instantly recognisable IP. We lack that advantage because we are a small studio creating something entirely new. Instead, we must rely on other resources, such as social networks, to locate top candidates and quickly determine whether they are the best fit for our company.
We have the easiest job recruiting junior-level staff given our size. We can benefit from the fact that Cincinnati is fortunate to be surrounded by numerous colleges that have advancement programmes for video games. Finding senior-level skill requires more effort if you’re not in a tech hub and are not a well-known name.
Finding senior-level skill requires effort if you’re not in a tech hub and are not a household name. We’ve utilised social media as a great equaliser.
Larger businesses frequently approach these designers directly or through employers using their standard hiring procedures. When we notice senior-level designers are back on the market, we immediately interact with them through social media, acting as a type of great equaliser.
While this would typically be discovered after the guidelines of the hiring process, when a hire is attempting to create the greatest impression, social media provides a wonderful view into who you are hiring. It is obvious that not everyone we find is a great fit for Gylee Games. You may learn a lot about a person by looking at their publishing habits, preferences, and patterns.
I think it’s important to make sure that our team works well together, and knowing a little bit about someone before we decide to hire them saves us time, money, and hassles.
We’ve found that one of the best benefits of using social networks for hiring is that we frequently find higher-quality candidates. This is twice as true for animators and painters who frequently tweet about their deals.
Hiring using social networks suggests that, in most circumstances, you can avoid the carefully selected portfolio an artist may provide you with, which does not provide you a whole picture of their body of work. As an alternative, you can see samples of their work scattered throughout the media tab of their Twitter profile. When employees are actually present online, it is far more difficult for them to falsify their identities or their skill sets.
How to effectively use social networks for employment
Working with social networks is a fairly simple process that combines normal utilisation of any offered app with a sense of mindfulness, though we’re focusing on Twitter and Bluesky as many opportunities for positions in the video games sector may be found there. Scrolling through Twitter is one thing, but doing it while understanding it as a recruitment tool is entirely different. In the end, you adopt a new perspective when using social media.
The first step is straightforward: just follow anyone you want to include in your group. It doesn’t matter if they follow you back or not, but if they do, it’s obvious that they are interested in you and want to keep track of you. You can then keep tabs on this potential candidate’s employment, educational progress, and employment offers.
Follow anyone who you want to join your group as the first step.
I first check my followers when I’m trying to work with senior staff since people in the video games industry at this level are more likely to post about their new social media accessibility. The first phase of the hiring process is just a short DM away, no matter how swiftly they act.
This approach has issues that resemble how social networking programmes grow and change. The constant changes to Twitter’s algorithm present a problem right away, making it far more difficult to discover expertise through simple scrolling. I’ve found that hashtags offer the finest and most reliable solution to this.
The best ways to find potential employees across many different professions are through hashtags like #portfolioday, however painters, animators, and writers tend to use them the most frequently. This and other hashtags are used by developers to share their work, allowing you to quickly view what they’ve just created, usually without the filter of a curated portfolio. This is one of the best opportunities to locate a variety of people whose work you enjoy combined with their availability.
It goes without saying that this requires a significant time commitment. In addition to paying attention as you navigate through various feeds, you should look beyond a person’s work to their publishing habits, the examples they admire, and other subtle aspects of their online presence that reveal more about who they are. Due to the fact that recruiting through social networks is a very do-it-yourself process, you are essentially conducting a candidate’s initial vetting. Whether you know someone personally or they come highly recommended, you should always do your research to make sure they will fit well with your company’s culture.
Working on social networks has an inherent disadvantage as well because you are exposing yourself to any potential employers.
A key disadvantage of working on social networks is that you are exposing yourself to potential employers. I frequently use Twitter and Bluesky; I share information about myself, my preferences, and the video games I’m now playing. They can learn more about me and draw their own conclusions in the same way that I can learn more about a hire by looking through their profile.
Being “great” at social networks is one of the most essential components of working on social networks. Being “excellent” at things like Twitter is important, even though it’s an ethereal concept. It gives them a glimpse into who you are as a business, and when you manage a small team, your personal character comes into play. You must provide a steady stream of engaging content while managing posts on both your professional and personal lives.
In general, social media should be used, not avoided. By using it as a tool, you may find employees for your team, learn from others, and establish stronger relationships with other businesses in your industry. Using these platforms to enter the community of video game buyers and sellers indicates that you will be able to do so when necessary.
Results from collaborating with using social networks
Overall, Gylee Games has found collaborating with social networks to be quite beneficial. Even while it isn’t the only recruiting strategy we’ve used, the majority of our staff (around 80%) has actually been hired using social networks rather than conventional working methods. This number includes a variety of employees from our many divisions as well as each of the four voice actors who have played a key role in realising our creative vision.
We’ve also noticed outstanding retention rates because these staff members were engaged via social networks. There are no surprises regarding our studio’s culture or the project we’re working on for someone we check out working with, in part because of how individualised the hiring process from social networks is and how quickly we learn more about a potential possibility.
Actually, we have never had to fire anyone we hired through social media. Misstatement on a prospect handled through this process is far less common, saving us the time and money associated with warnings that are thrown up after onboarding.
The number of high-caliber employees we have hired since adopting this practise has been the biggest change brought about by Gylee Games’ use of social media.
Let me explain this in more detail: When we try to contact through conventional methods, like LinkedIn, we receive 300 or so responses. There are a lot of people to coordinate with, which is an additional burden on a small group already engaged in daily activities. While using social media to get a job casts a lot smaller sized web, it’s easy to miss out on someone who is actually vital in this process.
I have the ability to quickly DM someone I’ve followed who would be a perfect fit. If not, I send out a contact via Twitter or Bluesky, and 10 to 15 people respond or recommend us, all of whom are excellent prospects. The next challenge is choosing someone who is not only excellently suited for the job but also excellently suited for our company. The truth is that every person we’ve hired through social media has always turned out to be a top-notch employee.
Secret conclusions
I hope all organisations working to develop video games, big and small, recognise the value of social media. In addition to helping you grow yourself, social media sites are fantastic places to quickly and effectively find and use new skills.
The benefits regarding the group that you can create using this strategy are extensive, despite the fact that it requires you to view social networks through a different lens. If you decide to hire through social networks, do bear the following guidelines in mind:
- Contact potential hires frequentlyA strong feeling of mindfulness is a necessary component of using social networks for employment. Even if they aren’t now available for employment, you should continuously be on the lookout for people who could add something to your group as you scan through your feed. You never know if that person’s career path will change, but if it does, you can quickly influence their next move to be in your line of work. When feasible, use hashtags to speed up this process even more. I often follow Portfolio Day in order to learn new skills that I can bring to my group.
- Become familiar with potential hiresSocial networks give you a view into a person you might work with, whether you can look through artwork, stories, past assignments, or simple publishing techniques. Before making a purchase or beginning any process that can include associated costs, take the time to understand their body of work and whether they would be a good fit for your company.
- master the platform you choose.You must practise using it, whether you’re using Twitter, Bluesky, or another social media platform to expand your group. That is more important than being able to communicate easily and smoothly online. You must create a stream of captivating content and a community on your own. Remember that just as a potential employee appreciates who they are, so does your internet presence reveal much about who you are. Offering yourself, your company, and your intellectual property is necessary, and doing so is made easier when you are able to use a platform effectively.
More GamesIndustry.biz Academy guides to Working in Games
Our guides on working in the video game industry cover a variety of perspectives, including hiring and retention, getting the job of your dreams, and creating the ideal corporate culture:
Onboarding: How to get new recruits started on the path to success
Prioritising employee well-being in a high-stress environment: A way for video game developers to better address the skills crisis
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