It made its name with traditional, card-based games such as Solitaire, but 2015 has been a year of change for the Orange County-based MobilityWare.
It got a new CEO in the form of former COO Jeff Erle, targeted wearables amidst Apple Watch launch hype, and hit 250 million downloads across its portfolio.
And, as illuminated by our recent interview, it's planning for an even bigger 2016 by betting big on social casino.
MobilityWare is also curently hiring for a number of positions, and as such we reached out to Taryn Tennant, Director of Human Resources, for application tips and to learn about the company culture at the Irvine, CA-based firm.
PocketGamer.biz: Could you give us some background on MobilityWare and what you do?
Taryn Tennant: MobilityWare is a 25-year old company that has some deep roots in being first, innovating, and delivering some awesome casual mobile games.
Our current games are primarily in the card and casino genre, as this is where we got our start in the mobile gaming space.
In the last five years, we have experienced phenomenal growth in both revenue and talent. In 2013 our co-founders started seeking the best talent they could find to come on board and help build our next generation of games.
In the last five years, we have experienced phenomenal growth in both revenue and talent.Taryn Tennant
The team that’s been built here and the opportunity afforded to all of us to build something unique and on our terms (not under VC or shareholder pressure) is truly a once in a career opportunity.
We’ve got some exciting new games in development and a few new titles coming out at the end of this year and early next year.
What specific areas/disciplines are you currently hiring in?
We are always on the lookout for exceptional talent in all areas of the company .
Our primary focus at this time is in the production and development areas. We are looking for some strong product managers, producers, artists, as well as senior level game developers with Unity experience.
As you're overseeing recruitment at MobilityWare, what do you look for in candidates?
Apart from the functional and technical requirements in the job description, there are some key characteristics we look for in candidates, including; passion for games, passion for the role they could play in the company, a desire to be part of a team, humility, honesty, and openness to change.
You’ve got to thrive in a fast-paced environment and understand that balance in all things is key to a great life and great work. We want people who recognize the opportunity to play a major role and build some big things.
Why do you think MobilityWare/Orange County is a good place to work?
We have an incredibly talented team whose experience and knowledge is unsurpassed by few other companies.
What makes us truly unique is that with all that combined talent, there is also incredible humility across every level of the organization. Team members don’t adhere to traditional hierarchies, and everyone’s ideas and feedback is given equal weight.
In fact, we were recently named “one of the 2015 Best Places to Work in Orange County” by the Orange County Business Journal. Our company is in the enviable position of being small, nimble, and also highly profitable.
How will you be trying to encourage a strong company culture?
Every day we are focused on culture. This is in what questions we ask and how we evaluate candidates, in what policies we draft or those we don’t draft at all.
It’s in what activities we do as a team, what we praise and what we coach, as well as how we communicate with one another. Our leaders walk the walk every day in demonstrating our values and living our culture.
What advice would you have for someone trying to get into the games industry?
Be willing to start in any role. Just about every role in a game company will provide insight into the game industry and how it works.
Jump start your experience through side-projects. Build something yourself, whether it be a user acquisition model, a community program, a game design, or even coding a game, just get in and start building.
Before you talk to anyone at any game company, play every game they have published and learn a bit about their business model.
For the full list of vacancies and information on how to apply, visit MobilityWare's jobs page.
