Episode four

The FAQ is back with a bang to give you some amazing insight on your Friday afternoon!

This week I had the plesure of talking with Kate Parker who is the Senior People Projects Manager over at Kepler Interactive . Kate's experience is incredible, and her insights into recruitment and people management are invaluable for anyone looking for a new role.

I'll stop talking now and let you hear what Kate has to say.

How did you get into the industry?

I’d decided I was ready for a change. I'd worked in a HR team on a placement year before going agency side when I graduated. I enjoyed the challenge of agency but felt like I was always on the outside.

I loved working with candidates and helping them to find that next step in their career, but I was missing what came next - seeing how they developed and the impact they’d go on to have. ?

I saw a role advertised for an in-house role with Team17 which ticked all my boxes. I was lucky enough to meet an open-minded team who valued the skillset I had over industry experience.

Gaming felt like a next step from the startup focused tech industry I'd been supporting, remaining in a passion driven industry, just in a more creative environment. And 4 years later, I’m still here.

How does the studio encourage creativity and innovation?

One of our values at Kepler is Intellectual Agility, which is essentially not doing what has always been done. We’re asked to approach things with new and creative ideas. What’s great about this is that we build for our specific needs, rather than replicating something that was based around a different audience.

We also aren't afraid to fail. We'll often trial things first on a minimum viable basis before investing significant time or money. When trying something new there isn't a blueprint for how, or data to prove if it will work, so we do sometimes have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Within my team specifically, we build from what the data tells us and iterate on that over time as peoples needs and wants change. Version 1 is a very well used phrase.

We're also encouraged to step out of roles and into spaces we wouldn't usually operate in. This gives real diversity in thought and brings new ideas in the room. It's not about years' experience here, but a focus on being curious, taking opportunities and pushing boundaries.

Are there any key things a candidate should do before and during an interview to increase their chances?

There are quite a few things you can be doing ahead of interviews, which will impact how you perform during an interview. The key things I would highlight are:

• I'd like to think you've done a good amount of research into the company before applying but if not, research! I'm not just talking the careers page and website, look at their socials - what do they talk about? Search for articles and awards, really get to understand how they position themselves and what is happening in their world right now. I also quite like to look at who they employ and where those people have worked before - especially in the team I'd be joining. This tells me what those people can offer me, and what I can offer them. Is there a clear skill gap that I can highlight the ability to fill? It might also give you context of the types of people they hire.
• Deeply understand the role – why are they hiring? What, if you joined, are they looking for from you? This will inform the experience and examples you highlight during the interview.
• Looking into the people you're meeting with: you've presented yourself to them through your application and any previous conversations you've had. Getting to know them ahead of the call can help with feeling you’re on a level playing field, and make you feel more comfortable during the call.
• Re-read your CV and anything else you've shared. Think about what might be most relevant or interesting to them and how you'd elevate that from what you've already shared. It's super important to think about what you want to share about yourself, how you want to share it and consider any follow up questions you might receive. Finally, think of anything you've missed either from your CV or during earlier conversations that you want to share about yourself.
• Interviews should be a two-way street. You'll (hopefully) do 80% of the talking, so think about what you'd like to hear from them - and specifically those two people. Of course, it’s important to ask your key questions about hybrid working and benefits but go beyond that. Interviews are a great chance to see the company through different people's eyes, so use this chance to get different views. It will help you to understand the experiences of different team members and if you're hearing the same stock answers, you'll be more likely to spot the red flags.

How important is honesty in the recruitment process?

The way I like to think about this question is, how would you feel if you joined a company and everything they'd said about themselves wasn't true, or certain things had been embellished? You would not be impressed; in fact, you'd probably be very unhappy. So why is it any different for candidates? Honesty should be a base line expectation for candidates and companies. Ultimately, you're going to find out the truth eventually.

Most of us spend 5 days out of 7 at work, so it's important to be yourself during the recruitment process, providing an insight into who you are and what you offer. That way both sides can decide if it’s right.

If there is something you've not had experience of which is a requirement, be transparent about that. Demonstrate where you've upskilled before and talk them through how you'd approach doing the same in this role. If you are feeling like there is something you don’t want to share, or you're trying to hide - I'd take some time to reflect on why that is.

What role does a candidate's portfolio play in your evaluation, and what should it include?

Portfolios are your opportunity to elevate your application from a 2-page document. Writing a CV is hard, you don't want to write loads, but you also don't to miss anything important out. Here's where a portfolio of your work comes in - and this isn't just for artists or designers - if you're in TA highlight some of your employer brand content, discuss your approach and how you contributed. If you're in marketing, showcase the campaign you're most proud of, what you delivered and impact that had.

So often we perceive portfolios to be relevant only to roles within a studio, but they're so valuable across a range of roles. We’ve taken a first step with writing our impact in a CV, but why not share your work in colour? And add more by annotating to explain your approach, why you did that, what your thinking was behind decisions.

Bring it to life and showcase what you can do.

What is your perspective on candidates who are looking to switch into the gaming industry from other fields?

I really do advocate for people looking to switch into gaming! I've done quite a lot of work on this, bringing Project Managers from Tech over to be Producers, I've hired someone from the energy sector into influencer relations, someone from marketing pharmaceuticals into brand management; it is possible with open minded teams.

There is real value to bringing in outside perspectives, ideas and ways of working. Gaming is still new, and we don’t get it right all the time. Candidates from outside industries could inject some new approaches in a super saturated market. This is random, but I recently listened to a podcast with the CEO of the British Beauty Council – who has done some amazing work for the industry - and she talked about taking inspiration from car manufacturing and the food industry when designing packaging for her beauty brand Ruby & Millie.

I was personally hired with no gaming background but in my interview, I prepared a lot for what I thought I’d need to know. I read the 2020 UKIE census and spent a lot of time researching competitors, where the company usually hired from to understand a bit more about the talent market, and I sent the report to the interview team in case they hadn't seen it. I showed the desire to learn and brought that into my interview.

I do think there is a belief that in support functions its easier but ultimately, we need a very good level of understanding to do our jobs too - and I showed that I understood that in my interviews.

I'd recommend matching the experience you have to what's outlined in the advert. Build a view in the reviewer’s mind of how you would make the transition into gaming, what you know you'd need to learn vs the things you already understand.