Virtual reality games can be used as a tool in personnel evaluation

Virtual reality gamers who complete a given game faster than their fellow gamers also have higher levels of general intelligence and processing power. This is the finding of a study conducted by the University of Cologne, the University of Liechtenstein and the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences.

The results also indicate that virtual reality games can be useful additions Human resources management tool in companies to predict a candidate’s job performance. Study “Intelligence at play: a game-based assessment using virtual reality application” by Markus Weinmann of the University of Cologne and his fellow scientists has been published in the journal virtual reality.

Several studies have shown that video games can indicate or even help develop intellectual and cognitive abilities. Since intelligence is one of the most commonly used job performance predictors, video games can be very interesting for human resource management.

Although many companies are increasingly using VR technology to recruit candidates, only a few studies have specifically investigated whether VR games can be used and how to deliver results. intelligence in this area. The work of Markus Weinmann and colleagues contributes to bridging the gap between research and practice.

Weinmann and his fellow scientists invited 103 people to join their lab. Under controlled laboratory conditions, they played the commercial VR game “Job Simulator” and completed a short version of the BIS-4 intelligence test.

The researchers’ analysis showed that participants who completed the game faster than others also had higher overall intelligence and processing power. Processing power increased 17% corresponding to less game play time (average 3.7 minutes). The results suggest that VR games can be a useful additional tool in companies for predicting job performance.

These results are a scientific novelty, as it is virtually impossible to conduct VR studies with the most modern VR hardware. Therefore, there are few studies that have investigated the correlation between behavior in VR and Intelligence. “There are already some companies using games, so-called ‘serious games,’ to recruit,” Weinmann said. The new results are consistent with this particular application of VR gaming and show that they can be used for recruitment”.

The scientists plan to continue studying the potential practical applications of video games. Among other things, they are investigating how people behave with virtual avatars in metadata.