Game Over or Game Changer? The Impact of Applicants’ Gaming Skills on Their Hirability

Abstract: This study examines how applicants’ gaming skills influence their perceived hirability and resume quality during preselection. Using a 2 × 2 experimental design that contrasts extracurricular activities (gaming vs. team sports) and proficiency levels (neutral vs. high) on a resume, we assessed participants’ perceptions of a fictitious applicant. Results indicate that applicants listing gaming as an extracurricular activity alongside an individual sport are rated lower in hirability and resume quality compared to those listing an additional team sport, regardless of proficiency level, despite gaming’s potential to cultivate relevant skills such as strategic thinking and teamwork. These findings can be seen as a first step in investigating the perceptions of gaming skills in applicant preselection while discussing lines for future research.