A Reflection on the Recruitment Challenge Game
We recently played a recruitment challenge game in class, where we had to position ourselves in a virtual job market, negotiate salaries, and form the most effective team possible.
At first glance, it seemed like a simple team-building game. But it revealed something much deeper: How well do we know our own abilities? How does the market define our value? How do negotiation strategies affect our career outcomes?
Why I Chose to Be an Employee
In the game, I played the Employee role.
Choosing the Employee role felt safer— I could observe how others negotiated, how they built teams, and how they convinced people to join them.
Why not Visionary or Investor?
To be honest, my first thought was: I’ m not qualified yet.
I felt I lacked negotiation experience and wasn’t ready to take the risk of managing a team or pitching a vision.
Looking back, this choice made me realize a hidden problem: How often do we limit ourselves because of fear or self-doubt?
Instead of exploring my full potential, I naturally chose the least risky option. I wonder if this is something many of us do in real-life decisions too.
My Skills and Market Feedback
In the game, I had to pick three skills and rank them. Here’s what I chose:
1st Strategic growth — I have some experience in strategic management and believe that growth strategy is key for long-term business success.
2nd Data analysis — Data is a big deal in the digital age. I’m familiar with tools like Python and SPSS, though I’m not an expert yet.
3rd Social media marketing — Coming from a media background, this skill felt like a solid backup. It’s common, but still useful in many projects.
Surprise! My most important skill wasn’t the one that got me hired!
It was actually data analysis that stood out to the employer, because it’s a rare skill. This made me rethink how we often prioritize long-term strategic abilities, while the market may care more about practical, short-term skills.
The Result: Did It Meet My Expectations?
Our team finished in third place, which didn’t surprise me much.
Why didn’t we win?
- Too many employees with second- or third-ranked skills, which reduced our overall score.
- Large team size, which spreadthe salary budget too thin.
- We had two investors who joined for a high salary, which also affected our final score.
Even though we didn’t score high, our goal was to focus on diverse skills and long-term success rather than just maximizing points.
My personal score: 45.6
This score was lower than I expected. Looking back, I made two big mistakes:
- I didn’t negotiate for a higher salary. I spent most of my time recruiting other talented employees for the team and forgot to focus on my own benefits.
- More employees = smaller share.Since we had a large team, each employee received only 7 tokens.
Lessons Learned: Game Strategy vs. Real-Life Career Strategy
This game gave me some deep insights into real job markets.
- Stick or Switch Teams?
Some players stayed loyal to their teams from the start, while others kept switching to find better offers. The loyal ones tended to get better results, while frequent switchers often missed out on high scores.
In real life, this reflects the dilemma of long-term stability vs. short-term gains. Should we stick with one team and grow with it, or explore multiple opportunities?
- Market Value Is Not Always Logical
Some rare skills didn’t get high salaries, while common skills did. This reminds me that job markets don’t always reward rarity—practical demand and negotiation power matter more than just having a unique skill.
Conclusion: Redefining My Career Strategy
This game was more than just a classroom exercise. It was a mirror that reflected my blind spots in self-awareness and career planning. Going forward, I’ll focus on improving not only my technical skills but also my negotiation and strategic decision-making abilities.
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