Not so long ago a company approached us, because they were looking for an activity they can use in their assessment center, while hiring new candidates. They were putting together a team which were meant to be highly dependent on effective teamwork. They wanted to see if the selected candidates can work together but also if they have the desired soft-skills individually. After some discussion we agreed that we already have the right tool in our portfolio!

Time Crimes, our portable escape game requires problem solving, logical thinking, focus, creativity, communication and teamwork to be completed successfully. It also increases the chance of the team to finish the game within the given time limit if players know how to share tasks and they can organize themselves. While these are the skills highly required also in a business environment, with the game players are taken into a scenario, very different from daily office work, which helps their genuine personality and attitude towards other team members come to light. Therefore the HR professionals decided to include the game in the assessment process and take advantage of this opportunity.

The game is designed for up to 25 players, however in this specific occasion there were only 10 candidates who already passed through the previous selection process. However, they did not know each other – it was their first time they met as a group and they already had a serious challenge to overcome together.

Compared to the usually relaxed environment and joking players, this game started rather with a dense atmosphere, also because 6 professionals were watching the performance of the candidates during the game. Well, it is part of an assessment center and coping with a stressful situation. However, 15-20 minutes into the game, the candidates seemed to stop worrying about the set-up, the game drew them in!  

We are not here to discuss how the assessment went and who got hired in the end, but we have to say it turned out clearly who were suited for teamwork, who was the lonely wolf of the pack, who was the person talking more than doing less and also who got to be the natural leader by the end of the game. Also, multiple candidates had their aha-moment, when they could shine and show off a skill. 

Of course the game itself does not reveal how ready or prepared the candidates are for a position from a professional point of view. However, it can reveal team dynamics as well as positive or negative personal traits individually or within a group.

However if you are looking for a new tool, to make the recruitment process more interesting for new potential employees and at the same time you also would like to gain valuable insights about the applicants – we have just the right activity for you. Do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to discuss everything with you!