In the fast-paced and dynamic world of the gaming industry, where innovation is the heartbeat and technological advancements are the norm, finding the right talent to fuel this creative engine can be a daunting task. As studios strive to deliver immersive experiences and groundbreaking gameplay, certain skill sets have emerged as exceptionally challenging to hire for. Let’s delve into three prime examples: Senior Unreal Engineers, Senior VFX Artists, and Senior Technical Artists, and explore why they stand out as the toughest skill sets to secure.

1. Senior Unreal Engineers: The Architects of Virtual Realities

The demand for sophisticated game engines continues to rise, with Unreal Engine being a cornerstone in the industry. Senior Unreal Engineers are the architects who design and implement the intricate systems that bring games to life. Their responsibilities span from coding complex mechanics to optimizing performance, and their impact on the final product is immense. As the gaming landscape evolves, these experts must stay abreast of the latest engine updates, making their skill set a challenging one to maintain and hire for.

2. Senior VFX Artists: Crafting the Spectacle

Visual effects (VFX) have become a defining aspect of modern gaming, elevating player experiences through stunning visuals and dynamic environments. Senior VFX Artists are the masterminds behind these awe-inspiring spectacles, creating effects that range from spellbinding magic to realistic weather simulations. Their work requires a fusion of artistic prowess and technical finesse, making them a rare breed that can transform a good game into an unforgettable one. The scarcity of VFX artists who possess both creative flair and programming expertise contributes to the difficulty in finding these professionals.

3. Senior Technical Artists: Bridging Artistry and Engineering

In the gaming industry, bridging the gap between art and technology falls on the shoulders of Senior Technical Artists. These individuals possess a unique blend of artistic creativity and technical know-how, enabling them to optimize assets, create efficient pipelines, and ensure that the visual elements align seamlessly with the game’s mechanics. From character models to environmental textures, technical artists play a pivotal role in harmonizing the game’s aesthetic appeal with its functionality. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of their work, finding individuals who can effectively translate artistic vision into tangible game elements is no easy feat.

Why These Skill Sets Are Tough to Hire For

The challenges of hiring for these roles are rooted in their multidimensional nature and the rapidly evolving gaming landscape. As technology advances, the skill requirements become more intricate, demanding professionals who can balance creativity with technical precision. Moreover, the gaming industry’s competitive nature means that top talent is in high demand, causing a scarcity of qualified individuals.

To attract and retain these professionals, companies must offer not only competitive salaries but also opportunities for skill enhancement and growth. Offering challenging projects, fostering a culture of innovation, and providing avenues for skill development can entice these sought-after candidates.

In conclusion, the gaming industry’s ever-evolving landscape has given rise to a handful of skill sets that stand out as particularly challenging to hire for. Senior Unreal Engineers, Senior VFX Artists, and Senior Technical Artists are at the forefront of this challenge due to their complex roles in shaping the gaming experience. Studios that recognize the unique demands of these roles and proactively create environments conducive to skill development and innovation will be better equipped to secure these elusive talents and continue pushing the boundaries of gaming creativity.

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, discussing compensation during an interview can be a delicate yet crucial aspect of the hiring process, particularly in the dynamic and competitive gaming industry. With the constant advancements and changes within the sector, it is essential for both candidates and employers to approach salary negotiations with transparency, flexibility, and an understanding that compensation packages may differ significantly from previous years. In this blog, we will explore different tactics for both the employer and potential candidate on how to handle one of the most common interview discussions.

1. Embracing Salary Transparency

In recent years, there has been a growing push for salary transparency, advocating for open discussions about compensation during the interview process. While some companies are still hesitant to disclose salary ranges upfront, more and more organizations are realizing the benefits of transparency. For candidates, knowing the salary range for a position allows them to assess their qualifications within the organization and make informed decisions. Transparency also helps combat pay disparities, ensuring that employees are compensated fairly based on their skills, experience, and contributions.

2. Being Flexible with Market Shifts

The gaming industry is renowned for its rapid pace of change and innovation. As such, job seekers and employers must be adaptable and be flexible when it comes to compensation. The job market can shift dramatically in a short period, with demand for certain skills skyrocketing while others may become less valuable. Candidates should research industry trends and adjust their salary expectations accordingly. Similarly, employers must stay up to date with market conditions and align their compensation packages accordingly to attract and retain top talent.

3. Evolving Nature of Compensation

It is crucial to recognize that compensation in the gaming industry is not stagnant and can vary significantly from year to year. Factors such as economic conditions, emerging technologies, and industry developments all influence salary trends. Candidates should keep in mind that comparing compensation packages from previous years may not be a reliable benchmark. Likewise, employers need to reassess their compensation structures regularly to ensure they remain competitive in attracting and retaining skilled professionals.

4. Strategies for Discussing Compensation

When discussing compensation during an interview, it is essential to approach the conversation strategically. Here are a few tips for both candidates and employers:

a. Candidates:

– Research industry standards and salary ranges for similar positions.

– Focus on the value you bring to the organization and highlight your accomplishments.

– Be open to negotiation and consider the total compensation package beyond just salary, including benefits, bonuses, work/ life balance and growth opportunities.

– Avoid disclosing your current or previous salary, as it may not be relevant to the position you’re applying for.

b. Employers:

– Clearly define salary ranges for the position and communicate them early in the hiring process.

– Emphasize the company’s commitment to fair and equitable compensation practices.

– Consider the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and current market conditions when making an offer.

– Be open to negotiation while maintaining budgetary constraints and internal equity.

Effective communication about compensation is vital during the interview process. By adopting a strategic approach and considering the bigger picture beyond salary, individuals can ensure a fair and mutually beneficial outcome. Remember, compensation is just one aspect of the overall employment package, and it’s crucial to assess the entire opportunity to make an informed decision.

Need more guidance finding your next role? Connect with BetFiery

We understand that having this conversation can seem daunting even with tips and research. GGLocators can help you find the right role or connect you with top talent. Join the BetFiery network of gaming professionals to tap into countless job opportunities and helpful guidance. We also help gaming studios find top candidates. Contact us for how we can help.

Have an open role for a mid-to-senior-level gaming professional? Learn what to include in the job description to make your studio stand out.

Get Help Writing Effective Job Descriptions

At BetFiery, we specialize in sourcing and recruiting top gaming talent for studios throughout the U.S. We can help create effective job descriptions that attract the best talent, so your studio stays ahead of the competition.

VR professionals are increasingly in demand today. Fortune Business Insights reports the global VR market was valued at $19.44 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow to $165.91 billion by 2030. That’s a compound annual growth rate of 31%.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the market for software developers in general is rapidly growing. Between 2021 and 2031, the job market for software developers is projected to grow 25%. That’s much faster than average, compared to all jobs.

If you’re interested in working in virtual reality, here are essential skills gaming studios are looking for today.

1. Game Engines

Game engines, also known as game frameworks or game architecture, provide the software framework to design and develop VR-enabled games. Experience with game engines makes it easier to develop video games across different types of programming languages. 

A game engine might include:

• Artificial intelligence that automatically responds to player actions
• A sound engine to control sound effects
• An animation engine
• 3D graphics rendering
• A physics engine that simulates real-world activities

When game developers use game engines, the game development process becomes more efficient and effective. Some of the most popular game engines that are in-demand for open VR gaming roles include Unity and Unreal Engine.

2. Digital Asset Creation & Management

VR pros may be tasked with creating and/or managing VR objects and experiences in VR environments. This requires knowledge of skills and tools that assist in this process, which may include:

• VR video creation: Immersive video experiences in VR worlds require: filming scenes with omnidirectional/360 cameras, stitching and processing videos with 360 stitching software, and editing videos with 360 video editing software.
• VR asset creation: To create VR assets, the process may require skills that include concepting, sculpting, UV mapping, baking/texturing and lighting/editing, using tools like art programs (Adobe Photoshop) and 3D modeling programs (Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, Blender). VR assets can also be created using 3D scans of real spaces and objects, by using tools like Matterport and Canvas.
• VR digital asset management: To organize and manage VR assets, pros use project management software and tools like Shotgrid, Perforce Helix Core, AWS Version Control and Helix DAM.

In addition to knowledge of technology and tools like the ones listed, soft skills like organization and time management help make digital asset creation and management more effective. VR pros need to be familiar with project management workflows to ensure the correct assets are used, and projects stay on track.

3. Computer Science/Computer Programming

Specific skills related to game development, web development (HTML, CSS) and/or mobile app development may also be required, depending on the studio product.

Online courses can help those who don’t have formal computer science training learn in-demand skills. VR pros should be familiar with a variety of computer programming languages, including:

• JavaScript
• Python
• C#
• Swift
• Java

VR pros may also be required to have expertise in software engineering concepts, which may include loops, control-logic, object-oriented programming principles (inheritance, encapsulation, abstraction) and Big O notation.

4. Problem-Solving & User Experience

Throughout the VR design and development process, VR pros must focus on the problem they’re trying to solve for users, the solution that will work best and how to deliver that product through an exceptional user experience (UX).

UX skills include storytelling, design thinking process, usability, interaction design principles, accessibility and other UX concepts. UX knowledge facilitates better design and collaboration among VR and gaming studio teams, and helps result in a better product for customers.  

VR pros can use platforms like GitHub to collaborate on projects and build a portfolio of projects that demonstrate problem-solving, solution-building and UX skills.

Want a Job in VR? Connect With BetFiery

If you want to work in VR, there’s a lot of potential for professionals with in-demand skills. The recruiting experts at BetFiery  help VR professionals and other gamie pros find jobs where they want to work. Register with our platform today to get relevant job alerts and assistance in finding a VR job. 

Hiring in all departments is a top concern for video game companies and gaming studios. According to a 2022 report by Bain & Company, “supplying talent” is now the top priority for gaming executives.

When you need to streamline hiring for VR experts, as well as other gaming professionals like augmented reality (AR) pros, hire a gaming recruiter with VR experience to find the best talent. Use the following tips to attract relevant professionals for your open VR roles.

1. Determine the Scope of Work

First, evaluate what kind of position you want to hire for. Is it full-time, or would a gaming contractor be a better fit for a project? Could a short-term role transform into contract-to-hire if you find the right professional?

Create a project or role description that includes the scope of work and the required skills needed to complete the job. For VR professionals, in addition to virtual reality experience, core skills typically include:

• Expertise in programming languages, such as C#, JavaScript and C++
• 3D animation, design and modeling skills, including software knowledge with platforms like Maya and Blender
• Knowledge of 3D-rendering engines, such as Unreal and Unity
• Expertise in software development life cycle (SDLS) models, including waterfall and agile
• Experience working with cloud services platforms, such as Amazon EC2 and AWS Elastic Beanstalk
• Knowledge of VR SDKs and APIs, including Oculus, Google VR SDK and Amazon Sumerian
• Scalable web app development skills, using tools like Node.js

You may also include essential soft skills, like communication and collaboration. Talk with the role’s future team members about what required skills they recommend to include in the job description.

If the role is a gaming contract position, decide how long the project will last. Also, include details on if the position will be supervising anyone else, and include who the position reports to.

Make sure to write a gaming job description that features relevant keywords for the role, so job seekers can easily find your open positions. Talk with a gaming recruiter if you need content writing and/or editing help for your gaming position job descriptions.

2. Be Transparent

In a competitive talent landscape, job seekers and passive candidates will want to know details on why they should consider the job. We recommend increasing transparency in the hiring process, so your gaming studio attracts VR professionals who are well-suited for the role. We advise to include:

• Salary range: In some geographic areas, businesses are legally required to include salary information. Even if you’re not legally required to do so, a salary range helps you attract candidates you can afford.
• Benefits: Today’s candidates continue to value benefits like health insurance coverage, paid leave and retirement matching, with healthcare ranking as the top employee benefit an organization can offer, according to the 2022 SHRM Employee Benefits Survey. If the role is a contract job without benefits, add in perks available to contractors, such as free food at work or time off.
• Hiring expectations: You can also improve the hiring process by providing transparency into what candidates can expect from the hiring process. On the job description, include hiring timelines, how many interviews a candidate can expect to go through, any projects they’ll be required to present and/or complete, etc.

Information like this can help candidates decide if your company is worth their time to apply to. You’ll increase the likelihood of getting qualified candidates who actually want to do the job you’ve posted.

3. Add Company Details

Today’s candidates are also interested in what makes a company stand out to competitors. As you create job descriptions, include information about what differentiates your company and what makes it an attractive place to work. Include info on:

• Company mission and vision, as 56% of workers wouldn’t consider a job at a gaming studio that has values they don’t agree with
• Company culture, such as values that exemplify your team
• Philanthropic efforts, including charitable giving and volunteer opportunities
• Work environment and scheduling, including remote/hybrid work options and asynchronous schedules

In tight labor markets, your studio may be sourcing passive candidates who are already working somewhere else. Company details can show off why your studio may be a better place to work.

Work with an Experienced VR Gaming Recruiter

At BetFiery, we specialize in hiring gaming studio roles, including VR and AR professionals. We can tap into our extensive network of top VR gaming talent to provide you with the best options for your open full-time, contract-to-hire and contract gaming roles.

Contact BetFiery to learn how we can help you create effective job descriptions and hire talented VR professionals quickly.

There are also more female game players than ever before. According to Statista, while 38% of gamers identified as female in 2006, in 2022, the number reached an all-time high since tracking of 48%.

Despite their prevalence as gaming consumers, women have, unfortunately, been underrepresented in the gaming industry. According to nonprofit organization Women in Games, women represented 6% of the games industry workforce in 2009. While that number grew to 22% in 2020, there’s still a long way to go, as women represent only 16% of executive teams in gaming.

The good news is, professionals with non-male gender identities are continuously playing a bigger role in gaming development. The following are three ways women are transforming the gaming industry.

1. High-Profile Advocacy

Established in 2005, Women in Games International (WIGI) is a nonprofit organization that provides women, nonbinary and femme-identifying gaming professionals with resources and educational opportunities to grow their careers in gaming. WIGI offers a mentorship program for everyone from aspiring gaming professionals to managers who want to become gaming executives. WIGI members can access conferences, workshops, panels, workbooks and other assets that help women in gaming grow their careers, wherever they are on their journeys.

Another organization celebrating diversity in gaming is the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). With roots dating back to 1994, the IGDA facilitates more than 160 chapters and special interest groups related to game developers. Anyone from students to executives can join and access resources, news and events related to game development.

And, as mentioned, the nonprofit Women in Games is a network of activists working to advance the role of females in the gaming industry. The site features news, resources and events related to women in gaming. The American Gaming Association also publishes research on diversity in gaming, including gender diversity.

2. More Seats at Developer Tables

In terms of game development, this is one area where women are finding a bigger share of influence. According to Statista, in 2014, 76% of game developers identified as male. In 2021, 61% of developers identified as male, while 30% identified as female, and 8% identified as nonbinary, genderfluid/genderqueer, two-spirited and/or transgender.

That female/nonbinary representation has been steadily increasing over the years, which is encouraging news for job seekers and current gaming professionals. Many gaming studios have created diversity initiatives with aims to increase representation in their workforces. Electronic Arts launched a “broader impact” report in November 2020, a comprehensive look into gaming workplace culture. Since then, gaming studios including Activision Blizzard, Riot Games and Unity have followed suit.

Electronic Arts also has a commitment to pay equity and promote fairness in the workplace. Other companies, such as Take-Two, have launched diversity statements that outline goals and commitments to fostering equitable workplaces.

While most gaming studio diversity reports illuminate the disparity between the presence of male leadership and female leadership, they’re a step in the right direction toward offering transparency and accountability to improve gender representation.

3. Gaming Professionals Unionize for Better Conditions

Until May 2022, no American gaming studio had a unionized workforce. After Activision Blizzard was sued in 2021 for issues including sexual harassment and psychological trauma inflicted on multiple women working at the studio, news of inequality in the gaming industry united workers and led to the creation of the Game Workers Alliance, part of the Communications Workers of America. The union was created by workers at Raven Software, a video game studio under Activision Blizzard that’s responsible for the Call of Duty series.

Since its creation, the Game Workers Alliance has played a role in representing diverse workers in the gaming industry. It also has a mission to set a fair and equitable standard for all industry workers, including just working conditions and wages for women and nonbinary gaming professionals.

Throughout the industry, attitudes about women in gaming are positive. In 2022, the International Game Developers Association found 87% of gaming professionals said diversity was somewhat or very important to the workplace, while 90% said it was somewhat or very important to the game industry. As attitudes continue to embrace diverse perspectives, expect women to play bigger roles in advancing the industry.

There’s So Much Potential for Women in Gaming

The Chris Hood Digital Show, “The game industry is constantly evolving, and it’s constantly changing. There’s new roles that are popping up all the time in response to different technologies that are being developed or different narrative approaches.”

The high-profile lawsuits and creation of advocacy groups and gaming unions in recent years have spotlighted the need for diversity in the industry and opened up more doors for women in gaming.

Whether you’re a gaming studio that wants to diversify its workforce with high-quality talent, or you’re a professional looking for a gaming job, BetFiery can help. Contact us to join our gaming studio network and find talent or job opportunities in your industry.

According to Grand View Research, the global AI market size was valued at $136.55 billion in 2022. It’s expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030.

For gaming professionals, AI can unlock amazing potential in game development and gameplay for consumers. The following are 10 ways AI is currently disrupting and has the potential to further disrupt, gaming and VR industries.

1. Immersive Virtual Worlds

One of the most exciting ways AI can impact gameplay is through the creation of virtual environments that are realistic, natural and responsive to gameplay. Instead of restricting players to certain settings, machine learning algorithms can create landscapes based on unique gameplay, evolving virtual settings with every choice a gamer makes.

2. Richer Characters

Similar to game environments, AI can make characters in games more dynamic and interesting to interact with. While non-player characters of the past were restricted to predetermined scripts, AI enables gamers to interact with characters in more realistic and unpredictable ways. Character responses are limitless, which enables endlessly unique interactions to take place.

One gaming company leading the way with AI-enabled characters is SEED (EA). The firm is using top players to train AI-powered simulated characters.

3. Limitless Storylines

Related to more complex characters, AI enhances content generation in general. Machine learning can automatically generate content including objects, characters, fashions, abilities and levels, so that intricate gameplay scenarios can appear with less manual design required. This feature makes game development easier, so professionals can create more complex games with less manpower required, such as in the AI-driven fantasy simulation AI Dungeon 2.

4. Enhanced Personalization

AI can help improve the gaming experience by delivering more personalized gameplay. As AI learns gamer preferences, it can use gamer actions and choices to influence everything from difficulty levels to how a game unfolds. AI has the potential to create truly personalized gaming experiences for each gamer in the same game.

5. Biometric Capabilities

One of the more futuristic capabilities of AI in gaming is using biometric data captured through virtual reality to influence gameplay. For example, facial expressions or body language could influence how a game unfolds. It’s possible that a gamer’s emotional states while playing a game could impact the way a gaming narrative plays out, which again, improves gaming personalization.

6. Never-Ending Gameplay

Forget beating a game and putting it on the shelf to collect dust. With AI, game developers can build games that players can play forever. That’s because AI has the potential to constantly adapt to a gamer’s gameplay. Instead of pitting a gamer against a machine that’s virtually impossible to beat, AI gameplay can adapt to the human gamer’s and provide an engaging challenge at every level. This opens up the possibility for forever gameplay, where as a gamer gets better, the AI tool provides incrementally more challenging gameplay, as well.

7. Real-Life Virtual Worlds

Like AI, virtual reality capabilities are growing at a rapid rate. Grand View Research reports the global virtual reality market was valued at $28.41 billion in 2022, with expectations to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 13.8% from 2023 to 2030. Gamers who play with virtual reality headsets are seeing increasingly realistic depictions in virtual worlds. Gamers can interact with these worlds wherever they’re connected, which opens up the potential for increasingly realistic game design and gameplay experiences.

8. Banishing Cheaters

For gamers who have played multiplayer games infected by cheaters, AI provides a way to foster fairer gaming. As “Forbes” reports, AI can help detect player movement patterns that indicate cheating and help games restrict those players. This is a valuable capability for gaming studios that risk losing players due to cheater-filled game environments.

9. Automated Game Testing

Releasing a game with bugs is the stuff of nightmares for game developers. AI helps streamline game testing, as it can automate playtesting to find problems and shortcuts. It also can help developers identify all potential player actions, which leads to better game development through enhanced gameplay understanding. This can help gaming studios produce games more effectively, faster, helping studios grow their businesses and better serve their target audiences.

10. Better Analytics

Another way AI can help gaming studios is through data-gathering and analytics capabilities. Studios that want to learn more about their customers and target audiences can tap into AI-generated analytics that provide insights into gamer behavior. Studios can also use machine learning to make predictions for gameplay and design accordingly. With AI-powered games, studios can improve gameplay in real time based on gamer behavior.

AI & VR Make Gamers Part of the Game

AI and VR capabilities continue to evolve at a rapid pace, which is great news for gaming studios and gamers. From putting people right in their favorite games, to creating hyper-realistic and personalized gaming worlds, there’s endless potential for how AI and VR technologies can enhance the gaming experience.

Are you a gaming professional? Join the BetFiery network of gaming professionals to tap into job opportunities. We also help gaming studios find top talent. Contact us for how we can help.

With a contract position, a worker is hired to complete a specific job in a specific timeframe. Contractors offer flexibility because you don’t have to commit to them full-time or provide full-time benefits like health insurance or retirement matching. If the contractor does great work, you could hire them for another contract later, or look into offering them a full-time role.

When you have an open position, here are five reasons to hire a contractor rather than a full-time employee.

1. Contractors Are More Cost-Effective

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the true cost of hiring a new full-time employee adds up to 1.25 to 1.4 times the salary. That’s because you’ll have to account for payroll tax costs, workers’ compensation and other work insurance coverage, recruitment costs including background checks and drug testing, employee benefits like retirement savings plans, initial and ongoing training, and miscellaneous items.

With a contractor, most of those extra costs are eliminated. You can hire a contractor more quickly and pay less money overall for the same work that’s completed.

Plus, you can do all this while potentially paying the contractor a higher hourly wage. More gaming professionals are increasingly open to contract work, as a 2023 report by Vox found 67% of contractors say they feel more secure as a contractor, up from 32% around a decade ago. You can both gain access to a wider talent pool, as well as cut costs on recruitment, hiring, and training, with contractors.

2. Contractors Add Value to Your Organization

Innovation and great ideas are priceless. With contractors, you infuse your team with new creativity and points of view. They can help inspire your full-time workers to be more productive, contribute business-producing ideas, and increase efficiency.

Innovation can help companies become more profitable. According to a 2022 IBM study, organizations that embrace open innovation have a 59% higher revenue growth rate compared to companies that don’t.

With contractors, you create a continual pipeline of innovation as you bring new minds to work for your studio. That innovation could lead to increased revenue that helps you hire more contractors or create full-time positions for the ones you want to retain.

Another way contractors add value? Happy contractors can become effective recruiters for your studio. You can expand your talent pool even more when the contractors you’ve worked with refer others to work for you.

3. Contractors Help You Maintain Momentum

Meeting deadlines can have a multimillion-dollar impact in the gaming world. As Statista reports, video game revenue alone is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% between 2023 to 2027, reaching $502.4 billion by 2027.

Gaming moves fast, and studios need to meet the commitments to their customers and stakeholders to succeed. Contractors can be plugged into the exact tasks and projects you need them to work on so you can complete projects on time.

As talent is the number one priority for video game company executives, according to an October 2022 report by Bain & Company, contractors help you keep pace with or stay ahead of the competition. The current full-time talent supply doesn’t meet the demand of gaming studios, but contractors can help you fill in the gaps in the meantime.

4. Contractors Help Your Studio Stay Agile

In the fast-moving gaming industry, contractors provide studios with the ability to stay lean and grow at a rate that’s sustainable. Hiring too many full-time employees at once could lead to future problems, like having to let go of said employees when profits don’t match company growth. With contractors, you can cut ties when needed and protect your long-term finances, without committing to too many full-time employees at once.

Layoffs can be really detrimental to a gaming studio. According to a 2022 report by “Harvard Business Review”, layoffs can erode motivation and lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression for workers who are left behind. That can hurt your retention, decrease productivity, lead to more mistakes at work and decrease sentiment for your company.

Contractors help you avoid having to do layoffs. They provide predictability for budgeting, which can help protect your business.

5. Contractors Enable You to Try Before You Buy

In the work world, contractors provide a “try before you buy” option for employees. The wrong culture hire could lead to negative ripple effects throughout an organization, which again impact productivity and success for your existing employees.

There’s less liability with hiring contractors, as they become a plug-and-play solution for whatever projects you’re working on. You can evaluate their performance risk-free, and retain or let go of them based on their results.

Hire Contractors for Your Business with BetFiery

If you’d like to explore hiring contractors for your business, the gaming recruiting firm BetFiery can help. We specialize in hiring gaming contractors and gaming contract-to-hire workers, as well as direct-hire gaming employees. Whatever your hiring needs are, we can help you find the talent you’re looking for.

Contact us for a free consultation on how our gaming recruitment team can help your studio.

If you’re new to contract work in gaming, consider these five reasons that it might be the right fit for your career right now.

1. Test Drive a Studio Before Committing

Fair or not, researchers have found many employers still consider job-hopping a red flag, even in a work era known as “The Great Resignation”. Contract work provides a way to test drive a company, so you can move on if it’s not a fit, without the stain of leaving a role “too quickly” that puts off future employers.

Searching for and applying for full-time jobs can be a time-intensive process. According to a December 2022 report by LinkedIn, it can take a month to six weeks, on average, to hire a full-time employee.

Your time is valuable. Since contract positions can be filled much more quickly, you can save time while vetting companies. If you really enjoy working for the contract employer, it’s easier to explore full-time options once you’re integrated into the gaming firm.

2. Receive Potentially Higher Pay

According to a 2023 report by Indeed, contract workers generally receive a higher hourly wage compared to full-time workers. Since you’re being hired for a very specialized set of skills to apply to a specific project or projects, it’s easier for an employer to determine your value for the project and pay accordingly.

A higher hourly wage in contract work can help you accumulate savings that can help you post-contract. Once you finish the gaming studio contract, you can use savings from a higher rate to support you while you search for your next role.

3. Optimize Your Career Journey

With contract work, you can learn about new companies, different job duties, and various technologies in a variety of roles. If you don’t like a project, you know what the end date will be so you can move on to a new opportunity. You’ll have gained the knowledge of what you like and don’t like about a role, which can help you when you apply for future gaming positions.

Contract work can also help you quickly grow your professional network. You will meet more people in the gaming industry who could help you in your career journey in the future.

With each contract position, you accumulate more knowledge that can help you optimize your career and the time you spend at work. You’ll be able to hone in on what your perfect gaming position looks like, rather than risk working years at a company in a role that never really fulfilled you.

4. Develop Diverse Skills

As a contractor, you’ll also be able to gain diverse skills across different types of companies. You may be able to diversify your portfolio with different types of work, which could impress future employers and expand your qualifications.

In a full-time role, you may be limited to working with certain tools on certain types of projects. In contract work, you can gain exposure to more types of technology, platforms, and tools than you might when limited in a full-time position.

5. Gain Flexibility

According to a 2021 Jabra survey of more than 5,000 knowledge workers, 59% of respondents said “flexibility” is more important to them than salary or other benefits. With contract work, there may be more options for remote and hybrid work. Companies that need to hire contractors may structure roles so they’re able to be filled quickly, which may mean sourcing remote candidates from a wider geographic pool.

Another way contractors achieve flexibility? You’re in total control of the projects you work on. As a full-time employee, you may be asked to do work that doesn’t fulfill you. With contract work, you gain the power to say yes or no to any project before taking it on.

Contract Work Is Becoming More Common in the Gaming Industry

The gaming industry is one of the most prevalent industries that use contractors for projects. Often, contract work is an entry point for full-time work. If you want to work for a specific company but there aren’t full-time positions available, you could take on a contract job and impress the studio with your work, which motivates them to create or offer a full-time position for you.

Contract work can help new gaming professionals diversify their expertise and strengthen their portfolios. It’s also an ideal solution when you want to try something new in gaming, but you’re hesitant to commit to something full-time.

If you’re interested in gaming studio contract jobs, contact BetFiery to connect with our gaming recruiting team. We can help you find roles that interest you and that help you grow your gaming career.