Matt Barney

Working with a Sourcer was a new concept for me in the past few years & was a bit of a wall to overcome on the frontend... "internal competition, but they're helping me? We're chasing the same people & I have to be okay with it? Whaaaaaaaaa??!!??!!??" EEERRRRRRRRRR! WRONG APPROACH McFLY! Teamwork makes that dreamwork! Communication & collaboration, the willingness to share information & help the Sourcer up-level their own skills / Video Game knowledge whenever possible have all been crucial to ensuring all-around success in the Sourcer + Recruiter setup. If they win, you win! Help them help you, be a guiding light & pssssssh, it makes you + the Industry all the better!

Data certainly helps: who have you reached out to, who responded & how, what regions are these candidates located in, who did not respond & have you followed up, etc. This will allow you to paint the picture on where the Team might stand in the market. Are the candidates you are speaking to interested in working there? Do candidates prefer their competitors / where is this team ranking on top target employer lists? Is remote an option or are we requiring relocation? A few simple questions will be able to tell a lot not just about the difficulty in the skill-set, but also what the market is saying about them as an organization. If their ideal talent isn't interested, this will help you identify trade-offs or flexibility on a level, etc.

Don't be pushy - sometimes it can take a person weeks before they are ready to dive back into a job search after a layoff / role ending. Respect their boundaries, don't try to force a role onto them if it's not a match & listen to their needs / wants for their next role vs. making an assumption based on the role they were just in. It is okay to reach out ASAP, as for Recruiters it can be a race, but just don't be pushy. Be empathetic / sympathetic to their situation. Don't treat them like a number. Follow up & don't ghost them - keep in touch even if you don't have an update. They may send you roles at your company you're not aware of, be open to partnering internally as well to help the candidate achieve success (vs. only your role).

My shortest contribution on one of these talking points: Be relational. Be transparent. Advocate for your candidates & the Business equally.

It’s best to move on. You have to advocate for both sides equally & find out where the truth lays, but at the end of the day for whatever the reason was, the process just ended for that candidate with that particular team. It may not be their fault either & this is when the concerns need to be raised internally (& swiftly!), but unfortunately for the candidate there needs to be another team to look into. You’ll have both sides & then somewhere in the middle - if there wasn’t a witness in the exchange, it makes it extremely difficult (if there’s a history, this REALLY becomes a bigger issue internally). Putting someone into a day-to-day with a Manager where we’ve got massive issues before they even started sets no one up for success.

All of the above & then some. Portfolio needs to be quality over quantity, you need to keep your resume & skills up-to-date, you must be applying + attending any Gaming events possible for direct face time with Studios, & you have to be actively networking. Be direct in your communication, master the STAR format for interviews, & be respectful when networking. A lot, right? Be ready to complete & repeat this cycle A LOT when looking to land that first role in Games. For some, it’ll be an easier / shorter hiring cycle. For others, it could take months or years & be a very, very difficult path… if you’re down to play the hiring game, the end rewards are extremely fruitful!