Given the sheer number of studios in Germany, Goodgame Studios' position as "the largest German employer in the gaming software industry" is impressive.
A Hamburg-based free-to-play developer on both mobile and browser, it's best known in the mobile space for Empire: Four Kingdoms.
And indeed, with more than 1,200 employees - and looking to hire more - it's quite the behemoth.
As such, we got in touch with Ina Bourmer, Head of HR and Talent Acquisition at Goodgame Studios, for insights into company culture and tips for those interested in applying for one of its many vacant positions.
PocketGamer.biz: Could you give us some background on Goodgame Studios and what you do?
Ina Bourmer: Goodgame Studios is one of Europe’s leading gaming companies, focussing on free-to-play games for browser and mobile.
We offer 12 games and have 280 million registered players worldwide.
I am Head of HR and Talent Acquisition and responsible for the company’s personnel strategy. I oversee various teams including Recruiting, Onboarding, Sourcing, Development, and Training & Feelgood, as well as the other HR departments such as Payroll, HR Admin and the newly created People Analytics.
Goodgame Studios has grown to over 1,200 employees in only 6 years and are Germany’s largest employer in the gaming industry, which makes my job very exciting.
What specific areas/disciplines are you currently hiring in?
We are mostly hiring for our game development studios, which we set up last year in line with our new product strategy.
Goodgame Studios has grown to over 1,200 employees in only 6 years.
We now have seven independent studios where the teams focus on several genres of free-to-play gameplay.
For these teams, we are always pipelining and therefore always looking for a variety of experts such as game designers, animators, developers, analysts, balancers and project managers, to name but a few.
All our open job positions are available here.
As you're overseeing recruitment at Goodgame Studios, what do you look for in candidates?
Since we are active in a fast-moving consumer market, it is very important to us to have the right mix of skills.
We are convinced that a combination of analytical, more rational thinkers and creative people creates a very productive work environment.
This symbiosis of analysis and creativity enables us to anticipate the ongoing change in our business and use it to our benefit. In terms of individual qualities, the ideal employee stands out with a high level of expertise as well as with their personality.
We also expect all our employees to live our company values in their own job as well as when interacting with colleagues.
Why do you think Goodgame/Hamburg is a good place to work? How will you be trying to encourage a strong company culture?
Hamburg, of course, is a great, beautiful city to live in, located close to the North Sea and with the special flair of a harbour city.
It’s also a hub for German gaming companies, which is one of the reasons why our headquarters are based here.
Regarding the working culture at Goodgame Studios, we are trying to create a conducive and collaborative work environment.
Over the past years, we’ve put together a great team of talented industry experts and we want them to thrive in their positions and pass on their knowledge and passion to everyone in the company.
Goodgamers get a lot of freedom of action to contribute and implement their own ideas.
That’s why Goodgamers get a lot of freedom of action to contribute and implement their own ideas.
We also put great emphasis on creating a good balance between professional and personal life for our employees and offer a lot of benefits such as a large variety of sports programs or subsidised lunches.
We also have a special Onboarding Team that supports employees moving to Germany from another country. We know that living the core values is something that needs attention every day bottom-up as well as top-down, so this is one big part of our goals this year.
Being part of this process is incredibly exciting.
What advice would you have for someone trying to get into the games industry?
My advice would be to work hard for your dreams - it’s a tough industry to get a foothold in, but if you are passionate about what you do, and continue developing your skills, it’s definitely doable, so never give up!
You can view all open positions at Goodgame Studios' jobs page.
