Recruiting in the gaming industry goes far beyond reviewing resumes or conducting interviews. It is a job that combines human sensitivity, technical knowledge, and constant reading of the business. At Kokku, recruitment is a strategic part of building our high-performance teams, as well as being very effective when it comes to cultural fit.
The gaming market is highly specialized, competitive, and global. Studios compete for professionals with very specific technical profiles—such as developers, artists (2D, 3D, technical artists), and those in the areas of design and production—while we need to ensure cultural alignment and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
Recent market data indicates that there are more than 14,000 open positions globally in the gaming industry, reinforcing the high demand for talent and the importance of well-structured and increasingly assertive selection processes.
Recruiting in this context requires alignment and proximity with technical teams so that there is more planning, clarity, and an active search for candidates aligned with the company’s current and future needs.
How we identify potential at Kokku
Here at Kokku, looking at a person’s potential goes beyond their resume. We assess how each professional can fit into our daily routine (evaluating their soft skills), the way we work, and the values we share.
We look for people who:
- Are curious and eager to learn continuously
- Communicate well and know how to work in a team
- Demonstrate responsibility
- Enjoy being in collaborative and diverse environments
Technical skills are essential, but soft skills, adaptability, and cultural alignment are decisive for the success of this long-term partnership.
Where and how we find game development talent
To ensure an effective selection process, we use professional platforms specific to each area, such as LinkedIn, Artstation, Behance, GitHub, etc. We also pay attention to specialized communities, internal referrals, and active networking.
The gaming industry is still strongly connected by communities, and many talents are found outside traditional recruitment channels, such as employee referrals and even candidates who refer other candidates.
To have a structured process and ensure good hires, we follow some standard steps, but we are also flexible and innovate when there are specific needs in certain areas.
Steps:
Recruitment stages
Job alignment
We work closely with hiring managers to understand the actual technical requirements, expectations, and challenges of the team, the project, and the individual.
Screening and profile analysis
We evaluate technical experience, previous projects, and professional background, always considering the context of each candidate.
Interviews
The interview stage has three possible scenarios:
The Cultural Fit Interview is usually the first, where Talent Partners get to know the candidate’s behavioral profile through a semi-structured interview focused on skills to understand the person’s career path and how they deal with adverse situations. At this stage, it is possible to understand whether there will be a cultural fit.
Technical interviews to gain a deep understanding of whether the candidate has the technical experience and knowledge of the tools and will be able to adapt to the first project they will be assigned to—this is also the second cultural fit check.
Combined Interviews
Finally, we also have mixed interviews, where cultural fit and soft skills interviews and technical interviews take place in a single session.
Technical Challenge
There are situations that require technical tests or challenges. When necessary, we combine this stage with the candidates to ensure a smooth process for all parties involved.
Deciding on the ideal profile for the initial project
Decisions are made collaboratively between the parties involved, technically and always prioritizing clarity, transparency, and respect for the candidates.
Candidates who are not selected but who are aligned with the company’s culture and technical knowledge remain in our Talent Pool, which is an active process that significantly reduces our SLA. From 2024 to 2025, the recruitment process was reduced by 21.3%, and this reduction was possible because we have active Talent Pools, because we look at people and make sure they are a good match.
Recruitment is a given, but it is also human
Indicators such as hiring time and hiring quality help us evolve our processes, understand bottlenecks, and think about improvements, as well as maintain what we do well in Recruitment. But recruitment is not just about metrics.
It’s about creating real connections, representing the company’s culture, and ensuring that everyone who joins the team feels like they are part of an incredible universe, with people who are aligned with their values and with a culture of collaboration and respect, ensuring everyone’s growth during their journey at Kokku.
When we understand and absorb the culture, have well-established, aligned processes, and work in partnership, we achieve excellent results. In 2025, the accuracy of our selection processes was 97%.
Recruiting and selecting in the gaming industry is about balancing technical skills and sensitivity. It means understanding the market, listening to people, supporting leaders, and, above all, connecting talent to meaningful projects.
At Kokku, we believe that good games start with good teams, and building those teams is a daily, strategic, and human endeavor.