Fair Play: Roblox’s Game-Based Talent Assessment

As a People leader, I often get asked about our unique approach to talent acquisition, particularly our use of assessments. In a world driven by innovation and rapid evolution, our hiring practices must be as dynamic and forward-thinking as the experiences we create on our platform. We believe that talent can be found everywhere, and that's precisely why we've invested significantly in game-based assessments. They're a cornerstone of our strategy to identify and nurture the best talent for Roblox as our assessments level the playing field.

Our Philosophy

Our assessment-driven approach stems from our core Company Values:

• We are Responsible: We are committed to providing equitable opportunities for all candidates. Standardized, scientifically validated assessments help us eliminate human bias and ensure that every applicant is evaluated on skills in a consistent, reliable, and fair manner. Our assessments replace the traditional resume review, providing an opportunity for everyone who passes the evaluation to interview with the team. The assessment is your first interview.

• Take the Long View: At Roblox, we recognize that true innovation is not just about technical skills, but a well-rounded blend of abilities. Our assessments delve into higher-order thinking, problem-solving, analytical communication, and decision-making, valuing the diverse skills that enable individuals to make a long-term positive impact at Roblox.

Candidates engage with immersive, interactive challenges, like designing a factory workflow or building robots. These experiences aren’t just engaging; they’re carefully crafted to evaluate systems thinking, creative problem-solving, and the ability to apply skills in dynamic environments. We know there isn't always one "right" way to solve a problem, and we're interested in the journey, approach, and ingenuity brought to each task.

The benefits of our assessment strategy are clear. By focusing on higher-order cognitive skills, we've successfully broadened our talent pool, attracting a wider range of applicants versus one specific “profile.” Ultimately, our assessments foster a workforce that is as highly skilled as it is adaptable, prepared to drive the next wave of innovation on Roblox. To gain a better understanding of a candidate's perspective, I sat down with Ben Thomas, a Software Engineer who joined us to launch his career.

Insight from an Early Career Software Engineer, Ben Thomas

For Ben Thomas, a Software Engineer who recently joined Roblox to start his career, the assessment experience was notably different from what he'd encountered before. “Well, this is a little different!” he shared. “The majority of online assessments I had taken had been practically indistinguishable from each other, but it was immediately obvious that Roblox had put a lot of consideration into their hiring process. I enjoy playing games, and at their core, the problem-solving assessments are just games.”

As Ben engaged with the assessments, he reflected on what was truly being measured. “While I was mostly occupied with completing the tasks on time, the one question I kept asking myself was: ‘What exactly am I being evaluated on?’” he recalled. “Are they solely grading based on who has the fastest code, or who gets the highest score? Maybe successful applicants are those who take a novel approach and demonstrate divergent thinking. Should I focus on iterating as fast as possible, or reaching an optimal solution in the most efficient way?”

This questioning highlights exactly what we value: there isn't one single dimension upon which we measure performance. Instead, we designed our game-based challenges to facilitate multiple paths for demonstrating capability. Our thoughtful design aims to provide an equitable opportunity for all candidates, regardless of background.

Ben felt this too. "With that holistic approach in mind, I was able to take on the problems and tasks with the confidence that I would be able to showcase my abilities.” This blend of assessment and engagement is central to our philosophy, enhancing candidate satisfaction and enabling us to utilize our product directly in the hiring process.

Advice for Aspiring Early Career Builders

Reflecting on his journey, Ben offers valuable advice for future Early Career applicants: "I’d encourage applicants not to fixate on their performance on any individual section. Roblox looks at your performance as a whole, so take short breaks between sections to breathe and reset. For the problem-solving section, focus on being deliberate in your approach. This thoughtfulness will serve you well when asked to articulate your strategy. After discussing with other applicants, I came to understand how many different approaches people were able to find success with, so don’t stress about finding a single optimal solution.”

To build on Ben’s point, make sure you take a minute to play through the practice test, Kaiju Cats. This experience is designed to help familiarize you with both game-based assessment in general and our user interface on Roblox. And, like any other testing experience, get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and relax!