2020 Results: Marina Lopatina from Talents In Games on the Main Events of the Year

Marina Lopatkina, the head of the service Talents In Games (WN Media Group), discussed the year's results in the fields of recruiting and employee relations.

Marina Lopatkina

How did the year 2020 go for the service?

The year was very eventful for Talents In Games. Let me highlight our key milestones.

Throughout the year, around 1,000 vacancies were posted on our platform, and our candidate database grew to 20,000 people.

Before the pandemic, we held offline meetings for HR representatives of gaming companies. The format was very popular. For example, one such meeting, an HR breakfast, took place in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the year. HRs from 16 companies and 5 cities specially attended it.

The global lockdown imposed changes. We had to transition online, allowing us to meet more frequently. Ultimately, we held 11 online meetups, where gaming industry HRs discussed current issues, shared experiences, and sought advice from each other. Over 90 HR specialists participated in these meetings.

In the spring, we held the first conference for HRs in the gaming industry — HR Conference, and in the fall, we presented the award for HR achievements — the "GameDev HR Awards".

One of our focus areas is research on current topics. Some had to be conducted swiftly — it was crucial to obtain results quickly. We aimed to help companies understand what was happening in the job market. Among them were:

“The Impact of Self-Isolation on Work Processes in GameDev”;
“Reasons for Job Changes in the Gaming Industry”;
“Pros and Cons of Quarantine Living”.

We are currently conducting research on salaries in game development, which you can participate in.

This year, educational institutions have been regularly reaching out to us for partnerships. Today, we collaborate with both online and offline schools, as well as other educational institutions that train students for game development professions.

Within these partnerships, we regularly make presentations about employment, offer consultations to enhance professional skills, and strive to be a source of job opportunities for their students.

Our partners include: Skillbox, “Netology”, GeekBrains, Higher School of Business Informatics (HSBI), and many others.

Our recruiting direction is developing very actively. We are working with well-known companies for whom we are currently recruiting.

What new trends in your niche (gaming HR) do you consider noteworthy?

The main trend of this year has been shaped by COVID-19 and widespread self-isolation. Many companies have shifted to remote work formats, forcing them to restructure numerous processes.

I'll now attempt to elaborate.

How did the widespread lockdown affect employees and candidates?

In regions, a pathway emerged for hiring and employment without the challenges of relocation;
some employees started returning to regions from capitals (it's cheaper to work from home in one's own city than, for instance, in Moscow; there's significant savings on housing and expenses in a big city);
for entry-level candidates, it became harder to find a job, as more skilled candidates from other IT sectors entered the market (for example, when searching for a project manager or marketer, companies first evaluate strong professional skills; game development experience is a supplementary but not priority factor);
internships almost vanished entirely, as employers lacked the ability to allocate employees for mentorship (few companies managed to take on trainee training online).

Personal observation: At the start of the pandemic, candidates were hesitant to change jobs, preferring to "sit out" the difficult period. When it became clear that it wouldn't end within months, they seamlessly integrated into online job searches.

What did the pandemic entail for employers?

Companies, for the most part, transitioned all hiring processes online;
many began strengthening HR departments, as the number of tasks grew significantly (implementing new procedures for adaptation, training, mentorship, online recruitment; also, post-spring, gaming companies started actively expanding, recruiting heavily from other IT sectors, and even opening offices);
those employers who were previously doubtful or even categorically against remote work embraced this format and were pleased with the ability to recruit globally.

Another important trend is the growth in online education and online conferences (they are now at their peak: there is a lot of cool and useful content). There is a demand for this: in one of our studies, it was found that 70% of respondents wish to receive additional education in their field.

However, the sector's growth has also led to the emergence of much empty, unverified, or even harmful content.

What will be the focus for the service's development in 2021?

We will continue to grow our team, advance all directions, and stay attentive to industry trends.

The goal is to improve our platform results, continue hosting regular HR specialist meetings, increase partnerships and collaborations, and open new opportunities and directions.

What new trends in the gaming market as a whole would you note?

Here's what I've observed:

the growth of the gaming audience (the period of self-isolation greatly contributed to more hours played);
an increase in the revenue of gaming companies at a time when many sectors faced unexpected losses;
investments and acquisitions (the market is consolidating due to the growing interest in gaming from investors who previously considered it too risky).

Which game releases this year caught your interest? Which did you pay attention to as a gamer?

I grew up with brothers and spent hours playing on a console (Mortal Kombat, Need for Speed, Resident Evil, and hundreds of hours on Crash Bandicoot).

Now, I mostly prefer mobile games. I'm at the thousandth level in Homescapes, and after playing many levels in Seekers Notes, I find myself looking for secret signs everywhere. Seeing a mysterious spot on a car ahead, I think I've found a lion.

This year, my favorites among new releases have been Grand Hotel Mania by Deus Kraft and Manor Matters by Playrix.