Are we fired up? Oh, wait a second—this is the last session at the conference! So, are we fired up to talk about games?
Thank you! Because today, we're going to talk about games—specifically, how we can use what we've learned about agile to improve how we hire people and build great agile teams. This session isn’t just about telling you; it’s about showing you. I’ll be sharing lots of pictures of activities, and you’ll even get to participate to see how this process works in real-time.
Breaking Bias with Games
Let's start with a question: Can everyone see this picture? If you think there’s something wrong with it, raise your hand.
No? That’s interesting. A lot of people notice that Laura Powers—who is a fellow games enthusiast here at the conference—ripped up the card. Sometimes, we assume that tearing up a card is a bad thing, but in reality, there were no rules against it.
This is exactly why we use games to interview people at Worldwide Technology—to overcome our conscious and unconscious biases that impact how we assess candidates.
Strategy Mapping on Hotel Doors?
Funny story about Laura—when I arrived on Tuesday, she messaged me, saying, "Hey, I’m all ready for my talk!" She had mapped it all out on what she called a strategy map. The problem? The strategy map was drawn on the closet door of her hotel room!
Now, in the spirit of following rules, I figured I probably couldn’t just remove the door and bring it to the conference center. Instead, I suggested we make the sticky notes pretty and put them on scenic skyline views of New York City. So, we took a little tour around town and found some great spots.
The Problem with Traditional Interviews
At Worldwide Technology, I lead an innovation team. From the conversations I’ve had at this conference, I’d say about 90% of the people in this room do similar work—collaborating in teams, ideating, and problem-solving together.
Yet, when we interview people for these roles, we don’t mimic this kind of work at all. Instead, we put candidates through a process that looks more like a courtroom trial than a collaborative experience.
So, I took a step back. I was asked to build an innovation team, and I wanted to build a great team. The first thing I did was learn to speak HR’s language.
Getting the Right People on the Bus
Has anyone read the book Good to Great? One of the most impactful statements in that book is, "We want to get the right people on the bus and make sure they’re in the right seats." So why wouldn't we start doing that during the interview process?
In our development practice, developers do pair programming interviews—they sit down and write code together, refactor, and collaborate. That got me thinking: How could we apply this to people who don’t code but do collaborative work?
The Evolution of Our Interview Process
We didn’t get to where we are overnight. It started in Fall 2014 when employees asked for feedback for their annual reviews. We used the Speedboat game, an innovation game that helps identify what's holding you back and what could move you forward.
This worked well, so we expanded the idea. We wanted to make interviews safe for candidates, ensuring they felt comfortable sharing. We also wanted them to be clear, reducing miscommunication. Lastly, we wanted to be respectful, ensuring transparency in our assessments.
Games and the Power of Debriefing
Before we dive into the examples, here’s something important: The game is just the beginning. The debrief is where the magic happens.
After each activity, we ask:
- What did you learn?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What did you learn about the job?
- What could you improve?
These questions help both the candidate and the hiring team reflect on the experience.
Examples of Agile Interview Games
Now, let’s talk about some of the games we use in our interviews.
1. The Tree
We start the interview by letting the candidate decide how we will facilitate the interview. They build a "tree" of different activities, choosing what they think is the best way to present themselves.
2. Story Time
We use story cubes to help candidates tell stories related to company values. For example, if we roll "trust," "leadership," and "entrepreneurship," the candidate tells us a story about those topics.
3. Career Forecast
Candidates sort work-related activities based on preference, placing them on a board from "love doing" to "avoid at all costs." This helps assess alignment with the team.
4. Dream Job (Mob Drawing)
Candidates guide their potential colleagues in drawing their dream job. This interactive exercise highlights communication skills and self-awareness.
5. Dashboard
We ask candidates to design a dashboard of six metrics to measure success. This provides insight into how they think about performance.
6. The Blindfold Challenge
Teams build a small tower out of Jenga blocks while blindfolded. This forces participants to rely on listening and collaboration.
7. Speedboat
At the end of the interview, we identify concerns that arose and discuss them openly to ensure fairness.
8. Gifts
As a closing activity, each person creates a "gift" out of pipe cleaners or LEGO to symbolize what they bring to the team.
Final Thoughts
Simple changes can make a big difference. Instead of just asking questions, ask candidates to tell a story, draw a picture, or share feedback. Transparency and experimentation can help improve hiring for agile teams.
At the end of the day, real people work in these roles—so why not create an interview process that reflects the way we actually work?
With that, I'll put the sticky notes to sleep and watch the sunset. Thank you!