It’s safe to say the past fifteen months have reshaped workforces and had significant impacts on recruiting. As we ease back into the office after more than a year away, many business leaders are forced to decide between keeping employees remote or returning them to an onsite office.
The unexpected shift has caused us to adapt and rethink the way we do business. As video game recruiters, we’ve come face-to-face with this new reality of hiring and are witnessing many of these shifts first-hand.
Is The Future of Video Game Jobs Remote?
If anything positive evolved from the pandemic; workers proved that they are just as productive, if not more, when working from home. By and large, working remotely in the games industry typically meant that you were a freelancer or external consultant. The idea of the core game dev team working completely remote was once a non-starter to most industry leaders. However, many have realized that working from home reduces overhead costs (no more office lease space!) and can increase employee retention and happiness.
Yes, remote work will continue to grow, but it is far from replacing onsite job positions. At DAM, we’ve been seeing approximately 45% of our active jobs listed as full-time remote with no expectations of the employees returning to the office. Both have benefits, and many times it depends on the team environment, whether remote or in-person is more suitable.
If there’s one thing that has evolved from the pandemic, it isn’t remote work—it’s workplace flexibility.
What ‘Workplace Flexibility’ Looks Like for Employers
Structure and flexibility are now the most sought-after work benefits job seekers look for in the market. This doesn’t mean applicants are looking for remote-only jobs. They are looking for the option to have a
flexible schedule, whether that means working from home one day a week or simply having the option if need be.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we are adaptable. In a matter of days, nearly the entire world had their life placed on halt and were sent home with their work computers for an unknown amount of time. Fifteen months later, we are just starting to ease into post-pandemic life, but what we learned in those months will alter the workforce forever.
Top Video Game Jobs for Remote Work in 2021
When it comes to the gaming industry, and more specifically, the five key disciplines in product development for remote video game jobs, here is what we’re seeing at DAM:
- Software Engineers: 48% of DAM’s total active remote job openings, putting it in the top spot for remote video game jobs in 2021. This is mainly due to the current job demand.
- Art & Animation: 27% of DAM’s total active remote job openings
- Design: Similar to art and animation, design jobs are increasing remote positions, and 13% of job postings are now fully work-from-home.
- Production: 4.3% of production roles are currently hired as remote positions, although it is expected that the number will increase slightly in 2022.
- Product Management: Similar to Production, at 4%
FAQ’s Regarding Remote Video Game Jobs & Recruitment Trends
Are Employees Less Productive at Home?
When the pandemic hit, and nearly all workers were sent home from the office, business owners were worried their productivity rates would plummet. What we saw in the industry was that after the initial transition, productivity rates weren’t impacted. Employees were still able to meet deadlines, work efficiently, and communicate with teams and leaders as needed.
What Should Job Seekers Know About Current Recruitment Trends?
Even with the growth of remote positions, onsite jobs will always be available. If you are a job seeker in the gaming industry and work better in team environments, our team here at DAM will help match you with the ideal candidate and work environment.
What Should Employers Know About Current Recruitment Trends?
As a recruitment firm, we work as advocates for our clients. Recruiters such as DAM streamline the hiring process and help your team decide whether to hire remotely or onsite for specific video game jobs. The current job market isn’t the easiest to navigate, especially when trying to upscale and expand your business. High-demand jobs, such as engineers, are more often being hired in remote positions in 2021. We’d also encourage employers to keep their options open, whether it’s fully remote or some sort of workplace flexibility. In many instances, this flexibility is worth more to prospective employees than a higher base salary. Without this flexibility, employers risk being uncompetitive in their recruiting efforts and losing a huge strategic hiring advantage in a recruiting landscape where talent is in very high demand and very short supply.
Video Game Recruiters: Taking A Look at 2022
Remote gaming jobs will continue to grow. The question is, how will companies adapt and when is it more effective to work onsite vs. remote? As the leading games industry-leading recruiting firm, it’s our job to understand both the candidate and employer sides regarding remote positions & hiring trends.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a DAM client, click here.
If you are seeking employment in the video game industry, click here.
If you would like to learn more about remote video game jobs, click here.
