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Employers screening WOW players? Comments by Oli Welsh

17 December, 2008

Recruiters being asked to avoid them.

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Comments: 1-50 of 77 in total | next 50 »

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Chinster
17/12/08 @ 11:00
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Silly WoW players :)
Svecke
17/12/08 @ 11:01
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Sounds a bit heavy-handed...
Collymilad
17/12/08 @ 11:08
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Can you say discrimination?
Chinster
17/12/08 @ 11:09
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Discwimnashun.

Nope :(
DyingAtheist
17/12/08 @ 11:10
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Surely that is inappropriate discrimination? You can't avoid an entire sub-population based on sterotypes. You may as well say 'Don't hire anyone in black clothes, they are all self-hating goths!'
mingster
17/12/08 @ 11:11
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Sounds true to me i wouldn't employ a WOW'er
oreillymj
17/12/08 @ 11:13
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Rings recruitment agency..

"Hello recruitment agency"

> "Yes"

"Hi, I'd like to hire someone, but I don't want any goths, nerds or WOW players"

> "All the same thing..."
Dizzy
17/12/08 @ 11:13
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"some people have written about MMOG leadership experience as a career positive or a way to learn project management skills"

ROFL.... I guess the real world will be a harsh mistress.

NEVER mention WoW on your resume, that is a death sentence.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 17/12/08 @ 11:14
Adam_T
17/12/08 @ 11:13
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Totally agree.

Though you could offer them 1000 gold Chrismtas bonus to get them to work more
Waffleaber
17/12/08 @ 11:15
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Is that really something they can check on or are people actually putting playing WoW under their interests on CV's?
Nasty
17/12/08 @ 11:19
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I've had CV's sent to me with the candidates WoW guild leadership mentioned on them.

Gave me a chuckle.
kangarootoo
17/12/08 @ 11:21
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I can understand where they are coming from.

"Can you say discrimination?"

I suppose technically it is discrimination, in the sense that an assumption is being made about someone's fitness for work. In the same way you might decide not to hire an alcoholic, even though it was unproved at that time that their addiction affected their ability to work. If you could prove that someone turned you down for employment on the basis that you played WoW, you would have a strong legal case (getting that proof would be nigh on impossible though).

Like much of life, this feels like an unfortunate mix of 1 part common sense and 2 parts stereotype and generalisation.
CapnCloudchaser
17/12/08 @ 11:23
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Crap, maybe that is why I never get interviews :O
chrisjm
17/12/08 @ 11:25
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im surprised people put that on their CV in the first place
Mike P
17/12/08 @ 11:27
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From the interview training I've had I think you'd be on pretty thin ice if you started asking questions like that in an interview, as it has nothing at all to do with the skills required to do the job. Obviously that's unless you could show that it was a requirement of the job to be familiar with WOW.

Or to look at it another way if you've just had a baby, you might be a bit tired, but there's no way you'd be able to get away with that as a reason for rejecting a candidate.




ryohazuki1983
17/12/08 @ 11:27
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Christ, people actually put WoW on their CV.

Crazy. What's next people putting football management games on CV. "management experience"
kangarootoo
17/12/08 @ 11:28
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If you were trying to get a job in the games industry it might be something to put down, but for any other job I am surprised anyone feels the need to be that specific.

What is wrong with just sticking "video games" in amongst the reading and swimming. Do people also put Terry Pratchett and the butterfly stroke in their list of hobbies?
agparrot
17/12/08 @ 11:29
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Surely this 'not hiring WoWers' could be just as easily applied to any gamer, though?

I have had Videogaming as a Hobby on my CV since... well, for a long time - approaching twenty years, all told, and although it has raised some eyebrows at some interviews, generally I've been able to make a case for it when the sceptical interviewers inevitably ask about it. It is a hobby, after all, that can be said to help with problem solving, pattern analysis, and all kinds of other finicky mental trickery.

In this more modern age of online gaming, there is certainly a case to be made for the social and teamwork skills that gaming can now help to improve. I'm trying to look beyond the generalisations of sweary, overexcitable teenagers who, naturally, still do populate places like Xbox Live and, in fairness, there is likely to be a group of sleep-deprived WoW and other MMO playing gamers who probably do put the game before their work.

To suggest that all players are like this, however, is a rank piece of discrimination, but not one that would prevent me including gaming as a hobby on my CV in every case, but possibly one that would make me think twice about mentioning it every time.
BeachGaara
17/12/08 @ 11:30
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It is discrimination, no two ways about it. Of course they will just never ever say thats why they didn't hire you. They just say you didn't meet the criteria of the job or whatever.
4thVariety
17/12/08 @ 11:31
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"Good day Sir, I am a binge drinking, wife beating smack addict who occasionally enjoys picking up blind dates at gay bars to date-rape them. I also play WoW."

Employer: "I see you don't smoke, so if you could sign this written statement to cancel your account, we'd like to welcome you on our team. Your cubicle will be next to Smith's, please try not to mention the words "8/10" around him.
gallow
17/12/08 @ 11:35
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'saying that employers think WOW players are too sleep-deprived and distracted to be effective in the workplace. ' Better filter out people with babies and young children too then.
levitate
17/12/08 @ 11:38
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This was the sadest and silliest thing I've read in a while. I play WoW and I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect my life that much.
Canyarion
17/12/08 @ 11:40
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Hah.

I guess I have the best situation: I quit WoW, but I did lead raids etc. So I have the experience, but not the addiction.
By the way, I'm not putting my WoW past on my CV. I don't think I learned that much from it, and I would be half emberrassed.
Markusdragon
17/12/08 @ 11:44
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I think potential employers would be put off more by my history of mental health problems than by my three-month WoW addiction.
PlugMonkey
17/12/08 @ 11:56
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While I wouldn't think twice about hiring someone who played MMO's, I have to say I probably wouldn't hire someone who was sufficiently addicted/deluded that they thought it made for a good CV inclusion.

Which is what we're talking about here. There is a difference between liking a drink and putting one of your hobbies down as 'drinking'...
aldo_14
17/12/08 @ 12:00
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I used to sit next to a guy at work who played WoW a lot (many lunchtimes). He was one of those people that are iinfuriatingly good at their job. So, a rather stupid recruiting policy.
bigbadbeasty
17/12/08 @ 12:01
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"There is a difference between liking a drink and putting one of your hobbies down as 'drinking'..."

Yeah, we all know the CV word for drinking is 'Socializing' ;)
kangarootoo
17/12/08 @ 12:04
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@PlugMonkey and bigbadbeasty

+1
GrumpyLlama
17/12/08 @ 12:30
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I have no problem with what people do in their spare time, but putting WOW on your CV or job application is asking for it to be chucked in the reject pile.
Madafunkola
17/12/08 @ 12:35
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Thank god I'm only addicted to City of Heroes... and Crack





down
IneptPercy
17/12/08 @ 12:41
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No geeks in the office please...
lutas
17/12/08 @ 12:53
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Did you 'borrow' all of your articles from kotaku today Eurogamer?
penhalion
17/12/08 @ 12:53
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Not even slightly suprised, given the amount of WOW muppets who thought it was more important to get and play the latest expansion than to go to work and earn the money needed to play in the first place.

You really don't want people like that working for you. they are quite simply unreliable.
Setaro
17/12/08 @ 12:57
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"While I wouldn't think twice about hiring someone who played MMO's, I have to say I probably wouldn't hire someone who was sufficiently addicted/deluded that they thought it made for a good CV inclusion. "

Efuckingxactly. Tards ain't gonna be coming out their basements for no job interviews anyway.

Yes, I play WoW.
No, I ain't putting it on my fucking CV.

Not because it's seen as 'nerdy' or whatever, just because it has no value whatsoever and including it makes you look like a dumb shit who can't write an apt C.V.
MaxiSleep
17/12/08 @ 13:00
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Does inscription give a bonus on cv's?
BuckoA51
17/12/08 @ 13:06
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That's tripe, I play WoW in moderation, sure I have had my account for a year and only got to level 46, but I'm not bothered, I've enjoyed exploring around at my own pace, not everyone gets hooked.
teabagger
17/12/08 @ 13:13
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Anyone struggling to fill their CV to the point of putting down WOW is probably not going to be a great candidate anyway.

(edit)

...as everyone has already pointed out.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 17/12/08 @ 13:14
kangarootoo
17/12/08 @ 13:28
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@BuckoA51

Did you put that on your cv? ;)
jim1975
17/12/08 @ 13:30
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thats why i never got that job then.maybe i shouldnt of put my smack and wanking addiction on my CV either
oreillymj
17/12/08 @ 13:31
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Hobbies: Got to 10th Prestige in Call Of Duty 4 using just the knife and sniper rifle.

Welcome to McDonalds.
Your hired \0/
TelexStar
17/12/08 @ 13:37
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Good. Get this trash out of our offices and onto the dole where they belong!!
Kremlik
17/12/08 @ 13:38
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It's 50/50 for me: yes it's a hobby but what they expecting the employer to say? 'OMG he's done Naxx! Lets hire him!'

Guild membership 'CV's != RL CVs
zootle
17/12/08 @ 13:59
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Yeah, I'm going to tell the recruitment agency not to send me any CVs from football fans because they're all a bunch of fucking violent racist wankers. See, it's pretty much a comparable sweeping generalisation. No one would accept that.

I've always been somewhat mystified that convention states that you should put hobbies and outside interests on your CV. As long as people turn up on time, put the hours in and do their job, what they do in the off hours isn't my business.
CaLeDee
17/12/08 @ 14:26
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Only a very specific group of employers will even know what WoW is. It's hardly a widespread problem, so.. no big deal.
T4RG4
17/12/08 @ 14:26
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I've asked recruiters if people play specific (often WoW) games before. Having said that if we were making a MMO I'd probably ask for people with relevent experience ;) Swings and roundabouts.

If someone needs to make a big deal out of WoW and their accomplishments within said game on their CV... well, I dont think the interview would go all that well. Its obvious to most people.

I've also seen a lot of stuff on CVs which is, IMO, a waste of time (like bloody first aid courses). When you have enough experience to fill out your CV, start cutting the weak stuff you used to pad it out in the first place. Not enough people update their CV.
urban
17/12/08 @ 14:40
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quite right.
orakio
17/12/08 @ 14:41
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It all depends for which job you need the Guy/Gal, and how well you can and may monitor their daily activities. Playing MMO's and leading guilds can improve your competence, but you have to focus on the job when you're there, simple as that. I find that any employee -working- 6 out of 8 hours has done a good job. If 3 of those 6 are wasted on forum browsing and planning guild activities however... well, you get the point.
kangarootoo
17/12/08 @ 14:49
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"Yeah, I'm going to tell the recruitment agency not to send me any CVs from football fans because they're all a bunch of fucking violent racist wankers. See, it's pretty much a comparable sweeping generalisation. No one would accept that."

I'd accept it.

JOKE. Joke.


"I've always been somewhat mystified that convention states that you should put hobbies and outside interests on your CV. As long as people turn up on time, put the hours in and do their job, what they do in the off hours isn't my business."

I think it is two pronged. Sometimes its just so people have stuff to fill out 2 sparse sides of A4 with :)

More importantly though, a list of hobbies can be an insight into someone's personal motivation and general intellect. If you can see that they get out of bed, get out there and actually DO shit that takes a bit of effort... well that can inform you as to whether they are the sort of person to use their initiative and go the extra mile and all sorts of cliches like that.

If of course you are happy to have a workforce filled with people who do nothing more that turn up on time, put the hours in and piss off home... its probably not so much of interest ;)
gaselite
17/12/08 @ 14:50
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That is fantastic, good on them.
kangarootoo
17/12/08 @ 14:52
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"I've also seen a lot of stuff on CVs which is, IMO, a waste of time (like bloody first aid courses)."

Haha. I can only guess, but I am thinking you have never managed a building or large team. Buildings over a certain size have to have a first aider by law (sometimes per floor).

Knowing that a potential recruit already has the qualification (meaning you don't need to pay for someone to get trained) is surely of more value than knowing what they got in their GCSEs?

Now if the first aid course was shit, or it was 15 years ago and long forgotten (first aid courses expire, so sticking one on your CV when it was 15 years ago is a bit daft) then of course it is of little value. But maybe that could be a discussion point during interview (which is also where an interesting and varied list of hobbies can come in handy for both parties).

Comments: 1-50 of 77 in total | next 50 »

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