A gamified assessment can make a recruitment stage more participatory and closer to real work situations. For the candidate, however, it remains an evaluation that may affect whether they continue in the process.
Transparency from the first contact
You do not need to reveal the answers. You do need to explain the purpose, format, collected data, role of automation and what happens next.
What candidates need to know
Why the assessment is used and which competencies or knowledge will be observed.
Duration, stages, time limit, device and whether pausing is possible.
What is recorded, who can see it and how long it is kept.
Human review, adjustments, technical support and next steps.
Ten communication decisions
1. Explain the real objective
State that the activity is part of a professional assessment. Clarify whether it observes knowledge, prioritisation, decision-making, collaboration or other criteria.
2. Describe the format without revealing solutions
Give an approximate number of challenges, duration, pauses, whether answers can be changed and technical requirements. A practice question can reduce anxiety.
3. Separate assessment from game elements
Explain whether points, time, badges or rankings affect the result or only structure the experience. Avatar choices should not be interpreted as personality.
4. Explain what information is recorded
Describe responses, time, changes, written content, scores and automated reports. The information must match the assessment’s actual operation.
5. Clarify the role of human review
Explain how the assessment is combined with the CV, interviews and other evidence. Reviewers must be able to identify anomalies and change a conclusion.
6. Make adjustments available
Provide a channel to request additional time, subtitles, assistive-technology compatibility, reduced visual load or an equivalent alternative.
7. Define what happens after a technical issue
Provide a support contact, reporting deadline, instructions for documenting the issue and criteria for restarting or repeating the assessment.
8. Do not confuse narrative with concealment
There may be surprise inside the case, but not around basic assessment conditions. Narrative consequences must not be mistaken for real recruitment decisions.
9. Communicate the next steps
Confirm submission, explain whether another action is required, when the result will be reviewed and the approximate timeframe for an update.
10. Decide what feedback will be provided
Define a consistent policy: competencies observed, strengths, development areas, next stage and review channel. Avoid definitive conclusions from a short assessment.
The information journey
Purpose, duration, requirements and contact.
Rules, data, practice and adjustments.
Accessible help and clear handling of incidents.
Confirmation, timeframe, channel and next steps.
Sample message before the assessment
As part of the recruitment process, we invite you to complete a digital activity based on situations related to the role. It takes approximately 35 minutes and can be completed on a computer with an internet connection.
During the activity, you will analyse cases and choose between different alternatives. We will mainly observe how you prioritise information and apply professional criteria. The result will be an additional source of information and will be reviewed by the recruitment team.
Before starting, you will find instructions and a practice question. If you need an adjustment or experience a technical issue, use the contact channel in the invitation. After completion, you will receive confirmation and information about the next steps.
Recruitment team checklist
- The objective is explained in understandable language.
- Duration and requirements are realistic.
- Narrative elements and assessment criteria are distinguished.
- Data information matches the real assessment.
- Automation and human review roles are defined.
- Adjustment and incident procedures exist.
- Candidates know when they will receive an update.
- Invitation, opening and closing messages are consistent.
Trust and assessment quality
Clear communication does not make the assessment artificially easier. It reduces noise, improves the experience and helps the result reflect what the organisation intended to observe.