Assessing the Perfect Candidate with an Escape Room - Blog

The traditional interview process is often a tedious and uninspired experience for all parties involved. But what if there was a way to break from the monotony of phone calls, whiteboards, and buzzword-filled conversations? One alternative approach that some companies are now using is the escape room interview. Rather than the formal setting of a corporate office, the escape room provides a unique and interactive environment to assess job candidates' skills and personalities.

No, we're not talking about interviewing for a job with an escape room, but rather using an escape room setting to evaluate your next candidate . This is an innovative approach that some companies are now using as a way to assess job candidates' abilities and personalities in a unique and interactive manner.

Soft-Skills are Increasingly Important

According to LinkedIn's Talent Trend Analysis, soft-skills are becoming ever more important:

Soft skills can make or break a hire—and they can also make or break a company: 92% of talent professionals say they matter as much or more than hard skills when they hire, and 80% say they’re increasingly important to company success.

But while everyone agrees soft skills are extremely valuable, most companies still struggle to assess them accurately—and only 41% even have a formal process in place to measure them.

A Better way to Assess a Candidate

Move beyond the trite question of "what's your greatest weakness" and gain a more insightful understanding of a candidate's personality, teamwork, and communication abilities. Utilizing an escape room setting provides a distinctive approach to evaluating a job candidate on multiple levels.

The unique setting of an escape room can create a more comfortable atmosphere for the candidate, fostering natural interactions with the interviewer(s) during the game. This can give a more authentic insight into the candidate's personality and how they align with the company culture.

Identify Personality Traits

If there's one thing I've learned in my experience in the escape room industry, it's that escape rooms are oddly efficient at revealing a player's core personality traits. From natural leaders, to creative thinkers, to the detail-oriented, an escape room quickly breaks down barriers and allows an individual core strengths (and weaknesses) shine through. Letting the interviewer(s) shift roles and personality traits throughout the experience can reveal how a candidate adjusts to shifting team dynamics.

Is the candidate good at task delegation, following instructions, or making intuitive connections? A well designed escape room can help answer all of these questions and more.

Culture Fit and Collaboration

The difference between a candidate who possesses technical expertise and one who seamlessly blends into the team can be crucial. A poor fit can hinder team dynamics or even cause conflicts within an established team. While there's no replacement for on-the-job experience, utilizing an escape room setting can provide a close approximation.

The candidate and your interviewer(s) will be placed in a challenging situation with the added pressure of a clock counting down. The question is, can the candidate work together with the team to achieve the common goal?

It's not just about solving the puzzles, but also about how the candidate communicates with their team members, manages their time, and handles stress.

A Memorable Experience

An escape room interview can offer a unique, enjoyable, and memorable experience for the candidate during their job search. Even if they end up not being the right fit for the role, you're sure to get a glowing review on Glassdoor. As an added benefit, conducting an escape room interview can be a fun team-building activity for your current employees and can improve employee morale.

Assess your Next Candidate at Unity Escape Rooms

If you're a company looking for a new way to evaluate candidates, consider an escape room interview as a fun and effective alternative to a traditional interview.

Reach out to us at info@unityescaperooms.com and we will work with you to finalize all the details.

References

• LinkedIn Report: These 4 Ideas Are Shaping the Future of HR and Hiring
• Are Escape Rooms and Games Great Ways to Test Potential Hires?