Listing Games on Your Resume Could Harm Your Job Chances

Understanding the Perception of Gaming in Professional Settings

A recent study conducted in Germany has shed light on how extracurricular activities listed on job resumes can influence perceptions of an applicant’s hireability. The research, published in the Journal of Personnel Psychology, revealed that a fictional candidate who listed gaming as an extracurricular activity was rated lower in terms of being a suitable hire compared to another candidate who listed volleyball.

This finding raises important questions about the evolving perception of gaming and its relevance in professional contexts. While gaming is often seen as a form of entertainment, it involves a range of skills that are increasingly being recognized in various industries.

The Skills Associated with Gaming

Gaming is not just about playing digital games for fun; it encompasses a wide array of skills. These include problem-solving, strategic thinking, hand-eye coordination, rapid decision-making, and the ability to understand complex rule systems. Moreover, many games require social interaction, which can develop teamwork, communication, leadership, and conflict management skills—particularly in multiplayer environments.

Despite these competencies, employers have historically dismissed gaming skills as irrelevant, especially when they are not formally certified or linked to educational qualifications. However, this viewpoint is gradually changing, particularly in fields such as IT, engineering, design, data analysis, and project management, where the transferable skills from gaming are more readily acknowledged.

Changing Perceptions in the Workplace

Some employers now value gaming-related competencies such as systems thinking, adaptability, and collaboration under pressure. Nevertheless, these skills still need to be carefully framed in professional contexts, as they are often undervalued or even looked down upon by many hiring managers.

The study aimed to explore how gaming skills might affect an applicant's perceived hireability and resume quality during the preselection process. Researchers compared the impact of gaming and participation in a team sport, such as volleyball, as extracurricular activities on job resumes. They evaluated these at two proficiency levels: neutral/average and high.

Methodology and Findings

The study involved 162 participants recruited in Germany through social media posts. Their average age was 32 years, with 64% being women and 38% holding bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degrees. Only 4% had prior experience as hiring managers.

Participants were randomly divided into four groups and instructed to take the perspective of a hiring manager evaluating a fictitious applicant. They were presented with a job advertisement for a customer service advisor position, which outlined the required skills and responsibilities.

Depending on their group, participants were given a resume that included jogging as an extracurricular activity, along with either "volleyball" or "gaming" as the second activity. In the neutral/average skill level conditions, only the name of the activity was listed. In the high-proficiency conditions, additional details were provided, such as the applicant being a diagonal attacker in the third national volleyball league or competing in the Prime League in League of Legends.

The results showed that the fictional applicant listing gaming as an extracurricular activity was rated lower in hireability compared to the one who listed volleyball, regardless of the proficiency level.

Implications and Future Research

The study authors concluded that this research could serve as a starting point for further investigation into the role of gaming skills in candidate preselection. They emphasized the need for future studies to address the limitations of their work and examine whether these effects vary across different job sectors, requirements, and organizations.

The paper, titled “Game Over or Game Changer? The Impact of Applicants’ Gaming Skills on Their Hirability,” was authored by Johannes M. Basch, Marie L. Ohlms, and Maria Hepfengraber. The authors also noted that the wording of the fictional job advertisements may have influenced participants to place greater emphasis on interpersonal skills than on computer-related skills. This could have made volleyball, as a team sport requiring interpersonal communication, appear more relevant for the job position than intended.

Conclusion

This study highlights the ongoing challenges that gaming skills face in professional settings. While the skills gained from gaming are valuable, they are often not recognized in the same way as traditional extracurricular activities. As the workforce continues to evolve, it is essential for employers to re-evaluate their perceptions and consider the diverse range of skills that candidates bring to the table.