Sounds strange, but it’s true! A link has been established between online casino games and skill building for job interviews. New Jackpot.co.uk research highlights how online gambling can help you land the job or improve your interviewing skills during the hiring process!
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Jackpot.co.uk’s research looks at how the skills and knowledge required to play specific online casino games can be transferred to the hiring process. Jackpot looked at three specific casino games— blackjack, poker, and slots, and then conferred with interview coach, Claire Jenkins, from 121interviewcoaching.co.uk, to see if there were any merits to its findings.
So, how does blackjack help you land a job? Blackjack is a numbers game and requires great math skills. Tom Moyse—an author for Jackpot.co.uk—says, “The logic, therefore, is that the more often you play, the faster and more accurate you become at basic math and numbers skills. For those facing numerical testing as part of the interview process, blackjack could therefore provide the perfect training ground.”
Jenkins adds, “Numerical reasoning is often tested as part of the recruitment selection process, so practising quick mental arithmetic and remembering number sequences are useful skills to keep as sharp as possible. This is also the case in jobs where numeracy is a vital part of the role. Blackjack is a good way of perfecting and maintaining these skills.”
Moyse also suggests that card counting can help you even more when it comes to practicing and improving numerical skills. Card counting will not only improve your chances of beating the house, but it will also improve your memory capabilities.
When it comes to poker, Moyse says it’s all about the face! When facing a job interview, or a potential interview with a job candidate, it’s best to keep cool and calm, and you can do this by practicing your poker face.
Jenkins says, “Appearing calm and composed at a job interview is a real asset, even if underneath that exterior the nerves are jangling. Being able to put yourself into a frame of mind where you can convey a relaxed confidence and positive attitude, while listening carefully [for] what is required of you, can help so long as it is kept at a believable level.” However, Jenkins cautions that you don’t want to appear overconfident as it can be misconstrued as “blasé and unfocused, or worse still, that the candidate is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
When it comes to slot machines, one might think there is no skill required as you just pull a lever and hope for the best. However, Moyse says, “[Slot machines] require different characteristics which can help interviewees and employees up their game. Risk and budget management are key to extracting maximum enjoyment from playing slots.” Moyse also says that knowing when to stop, even if you’re in a winning streak, is equally as important.
Slot machines help build risk assessment and management skills, and according to Jenkins, “Being able to judge probability and likely impact are the cornerstones of risk management. They also help in minimising likely negative outcomes and in scoping the extent of the need for mitigating action to prevent these.”
Moyse also adds that, “casino and table games can help players develop the necessary skills to nail intense interviews and smash performance targets while at the same time providing the entertainment and fun most players seek when accessing these games.”
If gambling isn’t your thing, it’s totally understandable. There are plenty of games out there that can help build your skills without breaking your bank account. If you use specific games to help train your employees, share them in our comments section below, or e-mail us, and it could be featured in the next HRSBT!
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 Melissa Blazejak is a Senior Web Content Editor at BLR. She has written articles for HR.BLR.com and the HR Daily Advisor websites and is responsible for the day-to-day management of HR.BLR.com and HRLaws.com. She has been at BLR since 2014. She graduated with a BA of Science, specializing in Communication, from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2008. Most recently, she graduated in 2014 with a MS of Educational Technology. |