Human Resources in the Video Games Industry: Best Practices

Creating a successful team requires more than just recruiting talented individuals. It also involves ensuring culture fit with the organization and team, managing diversity, and fostering a culture of openness and positivity that aligns with both business and team goals. Those of you working in Human Resources in the video games industry (a super creative and challenging field) can achieve this by focusing on the following key elements:

Strategic Hiring and Culture Fit

When building a game dev studio team, Human Resources officer should focus on finding individuals with both strong technical skills and a good fit with the studio’s culture. Gamedev is a creative and collaborative industry where teams of QA specialists, designers, programmers, artists, animators and project managers (and more!) must work closely together. During interviews, the recruitment team should prioritize both skills-based assessments and cultural fit. This requires a clear understanding of the team dynamics the new hire will join, as well as the company’s mission, vision, and values. To assess technical skills, a senior team member can be included in the interview process, or a technical test may be administered.

Onboarding and Continuous Learning

Effective onboarding is crucial for integrating new employees into the team. HR department, specifically the organizational development team, should create a welcoming and structured onboarding experience that sets clear expectations, provides support, and offers career growth opportunities from day one. When new team members feel supported and appreciated, they’re more likely to stay long-term, helping the company save on recruitment and training costs. Beyond onboarding, continuous support and learning opportunities ensure team members stay current with industry trends and further develop their skills.

Maintaining a Positive and Supportive Culture

A positive and supportive culture is essential for the success of a game studio—or any company. HR plays a key role in shaping this culture by overseeing the employee lifecycle, from gathering recruitment needs to supporting employees as they grow within the organization. HR is responsible for fostering open communication within the team, maintaining a good work environment, supporting work-life balance, and recognizing team efforts by implementing a fair performance management system. Game studios that cultivate a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive environment tend to retain their top talent.

Diversity and Inclusion

It’s important to recognize that diverse teams tend to generate more innovative and varied ideas. In a world of remote work, companies have access to top talent worldwide, and recruitment should actively seek people from diverse backgrounds, regardless of gender, race, or nationality. Fair recruitment processes and equal pay initiatives contribute to an inclusive work environment. In a study conducted by IGDA (International Game Developers Association), 87% of developers indicated that workplace diversity is important.

For example, Ubisoft is well-known for promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DIA) initiatives, offering diversity training and conducting regular employee listening sessions to gather feedback. These initiatives help address challenges early, leading to higher employee satisfaction and retention. Similarly, Riot Games has prioritized inclusivity, transparency, and employee well-being through changes led by its HR department, resulting in improved morale and a more positive workplace culture.

Human Resources in the Video Games Industry: Summing Up

Building a successful game studio and making a name in the games industry requires more than hiring top talent. An effective Human Resources department is essential to guide processes, foster open communication, and create a safe work environment where employees can thrive.