Scott Baxter
@B4xteria
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Operations Director @ world renowned @wardogstudios . Autistic maverick. 11 years served in employment law and mgt consultancy 🧠 🗣️ Law, HR, bizniss.
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined May 2010
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Pinned Tweet
PUT THE SALARY IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION
PUT THE SALARY IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION
PUT THE SALARY IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION
PUT THE SALARY IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION
Here’s 2 big reasons why, as well as the excuses I hear for not doing that thing:
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Looking for a new job? There are lots of people in the games industry in the same boat as you.
Throughout my career, I’ve hired in excess of 750 people. I know what it takes to land a job in an uphill industry.
Here’s 4 top CV tips to help you secure your next role:
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“But current employees will know that we’re hiring people on higher salaries” – well my friend, you have a bigger problem on your hands. Congratulations, you’ve just completed a salary benchmarking exercise, and found out that all of your team are underpaid.
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1. You’re wasting the candidate’s time.
People aren’t going to apply to your job if it’s an enigma as to whether or not said job is going to bestow upon them the general ability to pay for sustenance and shelter.
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In-fact, a couple years ago I ran a test to see which of 2 identical job advertisements (one with the salary and one without) would get more applicants. It won’t surprise you to know that the one WITH the salary got ~40% more applicants.
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2. You’re wasting your own time.
Take a candidate through a 4-week recruitment process where the salary is a mystery, and I can guarantee you that because of the mathematical laws of chance and probability, you won’t be thinking of the same number as the candidate.
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Then, when you do finally find the balls to tell them the salary, you’ll have wasted 4-weeks of your company’s time and hiring manager’s time chasing a candidate whose salary requirements were not aligned with yours from day 1.
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“But Scott, we won’t get any applicants if candidates disqualify themselves from the process” – yes you will, but they’ll be candidates you can actually afford. You won’t then be wasting your time interviewing expensive candidates that you were never going to be able to hire.
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Save yourself and the candidate the time. Do what they do in sales – learn “objection handling”. Advertise the salary and let the candidate disqualify themselves from the process.
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Stop making excuses. It’s not just the moral thing to do, it’s the business-sensible thing to do. Safeguard your time, the candidate’s time, your hiring manager’s time, and just publish the goddamn salary in the job description.
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“We don’t know what to pay: we’ve never hired anyone into this role before so we’re just testing the waters to see what salary requirements come in” – utter pish. You benchmark before you publish the job. It’s easy to do, and there are literally BILLIONS of data points out there.
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You’re going to have to do something about that if you don’t want them applying for jobs at your competitor’s companies, and haemorrhaging skills, which’ll set you back years.
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Here’s the vapid excuses I hear from companies who don’t publish the salary:
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1. The “2-page rule” is bullshit.
This is the rule that your CV cannot, even under pain of death, be longer than 2-pages. This isn’t true. Your CV should be as long as it needs to be to demonstrate that you meet the requirements of the role.
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That means, you should put EVERYTHING into your CV, so long as it’s:
A) Relevant to the job you’re applying for.
B) Not more than 5-years old.
And that’s it. That’s the rule for determining what should go into your CV.
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4. Don’t use fancy graphs / diagrams to demonstrate your skill level.
They’re mostly meaningless, and are on a self-assessed scale which is personal to you. Instead, talk about your experience, and the complexity of the problems you solved using those skills.
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2. Keep “hobbies / interests” out.
Unless you’re a graduate, applying for your first job, you shouldn’t be including this. No one has been hired for the love of making model dragons, or collecting stamps.
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If you ARE a graduate, put relevant hobbies in. And by “relevant”, I mean “add value” to your application; IE, maybe a mini-game you’ve developed – talk a little bit about how you enjoyed it, and what motivated you to do so, from a personal perspective.
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3. Keep redundant personal information out.
This includes things like school grades (if you went to college / university) – basically, anything which is ‘overpowered’ by anything you’ve done more recently, is taking up valuable space. Eliminate it.
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There are a lot more tips to come which I’ll follow-up on in future. RT and follow for more!
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@BenPielstick
There's definitely an element of that to it. Creates a race to the bottom, and a bidding war between candidates. Pretty foul stuff.
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I hired someone that had absolutely no industry experience, no relevant career history, and no relevant training, skills, or qualifications for the job.
I remember the interview so well... They were so polite, and had such a good attitude that we decided to give them a chance 🌈
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@NotNorthstrider
I've worked in a company before where 2 competitors had a collective agreement not to hire one another's staff so as to not push up wages. It's something called a "wage cartel" and it's actually illegal under Competition and Market Authority guidelines.
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HR is broken. It's going through an identity crisis, desperately trying to find its place in organisations in order to justify its existence.
In it's "traditional" form anyway...
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A telltale sign of weak / inexperienced leadership, is a leader / manager / senior who adopts the position of the last person they spoke to.
People who are "over influenced" by others. I've seen it lots of times across lots of different companies. These people add nothing to
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@WardogStudios
has the single most diverse team I've ever worked with, and it's not because we "try" to be; it's because, fundamentally, it's built into the fabric of who we are 🌈
I think around half of the team, if not more are "diverse" in some way, and I myself am quite
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I'm so glad yesterday's post has helped so many people. Just getting started!
I fully intend on revealing the secrets of HR, salaries, recruitment - all things employment.
Follow to hear more about the conversations that take place behind closed doors & how decisions are made.
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On the train yesterday, I overheard people talking about online "trolling" (which they pronounced "traulling" 🙄).
They talked about how they only accept follow requests from people who have a history of posts that agree with their own views.
They're doing it wrong.
That's how
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I'm seeing lot of heat but not much light about this Rockstar return to office mandate 💡
So, practically (specifically, 'legally'), can companies force you to return the office? 👩⚖️
My favourite kind of answer to my favourite kind of question: It depends...
We'll tackle this
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One of my biggest hates about recruitment processes in 2024 is cover letters - they're a complete waste of time.
Writing a cover letter is about as fun as using your face to extract a turd from a beehive 💩🐝
1. They take too long to write ⏰
20 minutes to write. 10 seconds
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I'd like to understand more about how the current uncertain environment in the games industry might be destructive to creativity.
So, are you willing to sacrifice Creative Freedom, for stability and salary at this time? 🎨
Would really appreciate RTs and QRTs for greater reach
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No
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Somewhat (Pls Comment)
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"I lost my entire family in a tragic road traffic accident last night 🚗🔥
Here's 10 things it taught me about high volatility investing".
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The same could be said for any company with a physical location, which provides a service.
The point also implies that it would be hypocritical to be a remote-working company, when our clients require some kind of in-person presence; which in-turn implies the superiority of
A spicy one.
We don’t get hired for one or two assets. We get hired for literally hundreds of assets on some games.
Our clients trust us to work autonomously because we have the skill, knowledge and production standards to do so. Wardog isn’t like other outsource studios. In
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"Scott, you're really difficult to get a hold of"
Nonsense! There are plenty of ways to get in touch with me. Here's a ranked list:
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Interview horror stories...
One time, I invited a guy for a job interview for a business development role - so, "salesy" in nature. Guy shows up; well presented, well spoken - visibly quite nervous.
I offered him a cup of coffee, and he responded "yes".
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Earlier this week, I heard someone describe the UK games industry as being one of the most "neurospicy" industries in the tech / creative ecosystem. I thought that was a great term, and I've been using it regularly since 🎮
It is true to say that those who have a decent amount
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@MichaelG_3D
It really do be like that sometimes.
Companies as a can and should hire for whichever skills they require, but the industry as a whole has a responsibility to ensure we're giving juniors a chance. They're the mids and seniors of tomorrow.
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Reading about people's games industry workplace horror stories makes me really proud of what we've built at
@WardogStudios
.
Performance review after survey after 121: the results prove time and again; people are happy, empowered, autonomous, and well rewarded ❤️
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I'm so sorry, Bella - I can empathise with you here. At
@WardogStudios
, I'm the person responsible for managing our Visa compliance, and onboarding Visa sponsor team members.
I've seen so many times how stressful it is to obtain a Visa. I don't think companies really understand
i can't stress enough that depending on a visa at this time feels impossible. wtf am i supposed to do? thousands of people already have an advantage over the fact that there's an extra step needed for a candidate like me. people esp with visas should be taken care of at studios.
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What's the point of LinkedIn?
I'd hazard a guess that around 95% of the content on LinkedIn is AI generated.
At this point you're not even engaging with people. You're just engaging with whatever ChatGPT has shat out.
A post "written" by someone who can't be arsed, and has
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🔮 Let's talk about candidate ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)...
They're the dark arts of recruitment, and much of how they work is shrouded in mystery. They're seen as this unassailable, unknowable force that decides the fate of your career, without anyone looking at your CV
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@jadel4w
@BoxEmpress
Yeah this is pretty straightforward discrimination if it's as described, which of course, I'm sure it is.
When this next happens, seek feedback on the reason they did not go ahead with your application.
If you're not satisfied with a response, submit an SAR (Subject Access
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It's disappointing to see things like this still going on. Why weren't line management joined up with HR, and what was the nature of wires getting so badly crossed?
From a risk perspective, there are, from my perspectove questions about legals.
so, enough time has passed now for me to talk about why i decided to leave Blizzard. a mixed year with great teammates, but a management that mistreated, lied to me, gaslit me, gave me a fake promotion, and HR that refused to help.
buckle up friendos. 💪
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Hans Zimmer live was one of those moments you don't forget. Hearing music from Interstellar, Dune and Inception live was just *insert superlative*.
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So he got the job, and as far as I know 6 years later, he's still there.
Much less a horror story - more a hopeful story.
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@GavinEdgington
Disagree. I've never seen anyone get an interview *because of* what's in their hobbies and interests section, genuinely.
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Denis Villeneuve missed a trick by not ending Dune like this 🙃
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I'm not a huge fan of 'banning' things I don't like but there sure is one recruitment / hiring / interview practice, which, when I'm President, I'll ban into oblivion...
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@WardogStudios
Know your place. Nobody knows technical jobs better that technical people. Learn what a barrier is for them. Troubleshoot with them. Come up with bespoke solutions by department. Create a flawless UX internally, which is a delight to use.
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DeFaMaTiOn😡
An accusation that gets banded about way more than it should.
By far the funniest thing I've seen in the last 6 months, is person A trying to accuse person B of "defamation" because person B expressed a negative, yet fact-based opinion about person A, to none other
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"Hi Scott, see the attached PDF.
Can you please print, sign and scan this back to me?
Thanks."
PRINT. SIGN. SCAN. IN 2024.
I've not used a printer in over a decade.
Haven't people heard of DocuSign?!
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"Without Prejudice"
Legal language can often be intimidating, and without prejudice (WP) is one of the most common doctrines in law - but what does it mean?
Communications which are labelled WP are generally* inadmissible in a court setting as evidence (*so long as the
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Such information is “sensitive data” under the GDPR, and requesting it is actually a breach of those regulations; deserving of a report to the ICO. It keeps anyone who is *already* underpaid, persistently underpaid. It’s un-meritocratic, and its discriminatory.
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I really don't like this attitude, because it plays into the idea that your manager should be "better" than you at everything.
It's not like you get to a "managerial level" by min-maxxing on certain skill stats, because the skills required to do "the job" and the skills required
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Fake company benefits 💀
So many companies out there trying to sell what they call a "benefits pack" in a job ad; but it's literally just the legal minimum they need to offer to be compliant with UK employment law lol.
"We oFFeR 28 dAyS pAiD aNNuaL LeAvE!"
Yeah that's been the
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I cannot imagine him on the train home. Be must've been buzzed out of his mind lol.
I'll never forget that interview; it reminded me of the daft things people will do - how their fight or flight response will manifest in a stress situation.
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@WardogStudios
Employer Branding:
Again, marketing. Your brand is your employer brand - there's no distinction between the two.
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@jadel4w
You crystallised it way better than I could.
There's quite a big protest against the new law outside the parliament right now. They're carrying some quite controversial flags and symbols. Bad people on both sides as always.
Can't see how this law stops the source of the crime
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Sounds as though your potential employer is running the risk of a heafty disability discrimination claim... 👨🦽
Certain neurological / neurodiverse and mental health conditions manifest different personality traits. If they screen out people on the basis of traits which coincide
I removed my self from an interview process cos I was asked to do a personality test for a uk game studio some years back. The idea of this is just abhorrent and probably expensive and who knows where that data goes afterwords.
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I was expecting him to say something like "ah yes I forgot it was there; we got into such a good back and forth" or something of that nature.
But no - he picked up the freezing cold coffee and downed it.
Dribbling down his shirt and everything...
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This is where I really struggle with the
@scotgov
push towards public transport.
Example:
I live 28 miles away from our office in Edinburgh.
A return train ticket costs £16 per day.
That's £320 per month.
For a service which is:
- Always late *
- Sometimes just doesn't show
In search of the worst-value rail ticket in Britain.
I'll start: £7.40 for the 3.5 miles between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow Central.
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@WardogStudios
Stop the focus on paperwork and process and focus on outcome. Consistency is important - but become aware of when enforcing that consistency becomes a barrier to meaningful conversations. Scale your systems WITH the business, not against it.
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@WardogStudios
Understand that you are not assuming the role of "parent" or "guardian" of staff. Your job is to make sure both company and employees 'meet in the middle' - that the partnership is mutually beneficial.
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@WardogStudios
I have a lot more to say on this topic, and I'll be going into more detail about the future of HR in coming weeks.
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@WardogStudios
Wellbeing:
Another pseudo-technical word. Unless you are a registered psychologist, you have no business telling people how to live their life. This is why so many HR surveys ASK you how you feel, yet nothing gets done about it - because they don't know what to do about it.
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Me when I see another patronising corporate training session on "time keeping" or "organisational skills".
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@WardogStudios
Leave the wellbeing chakra healing crystals at home, and focus more on the needs of the business - let people live their lives. Forget about the apps that teach you how to breathe (literally). When the business needs are fulfilled, that creates more opportunity for more people.
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Please note: If you're going to write a faux-inspirational LinkedIn post about how you put your employer in their place after you didn't get what you wanted, make sure the timeline of your story makes some kind of sense.
Because if you handed in your notice, and then a month
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@WardogStudios
So what does that leave for HR?
To be honest, not very much. Great HR people are able to broaden their skillsets out to beyond just what has traditionally been HR. If HR is to have a future, it needs to do more of the following:
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As a job applicant, what determines the likelihood that you'll be hired? ❓🤔
It's a complex question with lots of different moving parts, but we can boil this question down into 1 simple rule which will persist, no matter the circumstances of your job search:
"If, in the jobs
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@BenPielstick
Yup, I didn't say that was the "only" reason you'll ever get an interview decline. Just "a" reason 👍
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@WardogStudios
Become numerate: becoming financially adept will position you to sit at the same table as others in the C/Director suite, and guide decision-making as a trusted business partner, who "gets" the company, it's industry and it's place in the world.
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@WardogStudios
L&D:
HR knows nothing about how technical depts operate so what is it doing telling them how to develop their teams? I never once stepped into this realm and at
@WardogStudios
I'll be sure to avoid even attempting to do what the 3D guys do. It's of no use to me or them.
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The story ends well; he was memorable - put it that way! But his interview was great. Quite introverted, but those types are often "straight to the point" with sales, which is great for going toe to toe with business executives who just want bullet pointed solutions.
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@WardogStudios
Organisational Development:
This is basically "restructuring", and sure having experts in this area is useful; but it's HR adjacent, and rarely forms part of a HR employee's job, unless they're quite experienced, and work in a corpo or public sector organisation.
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100% agree with this. Sometimes those "leading" interview questions which assess what you really enjoy about work, are designed to let the recruiter know the differences between your expectations, and what the role actually involves.
And let's be honest; who would want to be
As someone who interviewed people I can add small detail. A lot of times it’s not about skill. Sometimes it can be not a match for a company based on variety of other reasons. Like tasks that won’t bring certain candidate fulfillment and they won’t be happy end eventually leave.
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Let's break down HR into it's constituent parts. These parts will comprise roughly 90% of a HR Manager's job:
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@WardogStudios
Recruitment:
Pretty specialised skillset. Your average HR bod won't have a clue about LinkedIn X-Ray / SQL searches, and they definitely won't have a 'network' or talent pool they can dip into (other than of other HR people). Did someone say "echo chamber"?
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@WardogStudios
Internal Communications:
Marketing is probably the best bet here - they understand brand and comms guidelines better than anyone.
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@WardogStudios
Engagement:
What even is engagement? I worked in HR for 10 years and can tell you right now that performance is driven by a performance culture. Engagement, to me, seems like one of these pseudo-professional words that get thrown around to make HR seem technical where it's not.
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Payroll/Admin:
This part of the job is going to be almost completely done by AI in the not too distant future. At
@WardogStudios
we've managed to do this already. Our offer letters are automatically generated by our ERP system. All the manager does is click in the offer details.
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I left the room to make it and returned 5 minutes later for the coffee. We cracked on with the interview, and it lasted around 45m to an hour.
At the end, I noticed he hadn't drank his coffee, so to lighten the air I pointed out "your coffee is bound to be cold!"
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@J_Lee_Design
The best career opportunities come about when you just say "yeah ok fuckit".
Foot in the door first. Learn it after 💪
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This is too common.
Most ATS will group each application with the same e-mail address into a 'candidate profile' - so if you applied 2+ times using the same e-mail address, it's likely all of your CVs will gather on that 1 profile!
Make a new e-mail for job applications 👍
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Basing the salary offer of a candidate on their current salary, rather than what they are actually works, keeps those who are over-skilled and under-compensated as such. It pins them down into a cycle of being taken advantage of by employers who do not want to pay the going rate.
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@chhopsky
@Knonomore
I had originally made the post in the context of running
@WardogStudios
alongside
@jadel4w
. In that sense, it's really important to know what competitors, the industry at large, and the industry is doing - as well as being able to self improve.
I really wasn't expecting anyone
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Legal:
Easy; a lawyer. A lawyer can do the legal bit of a HR person's job way more effectively. They know the case law, the actual law laws and can mitigate risk way more effectively than someone whose job is only ~20% that.
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Special shout out to the junior recruitment consultant I met socially a while ago, who, not knowing who I am or what I do for a living, tried to convince me that their job as an "Executive Talent Sourcing Specialist", was to "hire and fire business executives" 🥴
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I used to work for a UK company, where the CEO made it a requirement that the candidate submit 3 months of payslips from their current employer to prove their current salary, before making them a job offer.
Their *current* salary.
That shit is FOUL.
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If HR is to have a future, it needs a complete rethink as to how it contributes and delivers value. HR's main problem is that most of the "bits" of the profession are better done by other people, who understand those "bits" a heck of a lot more.
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@HarleenBently
Don't bend on this. If they treat salary as an after-thought; far down on the list of things to talk about AT RECRUITMENT STAGE - imagine how deprioritised your salary when you actually work there.
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@WardogStudios
Culture:
Decided by management and defined by the employees. You can't make a company culture what it isn't. You can't force a culture on a workforce. It is what it is, in the most banal way possible.
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@WardogStudios
Career Planning:
I learned early on that creatives view career development differently to many others. I'd rather ask questions about how staff would like to progress and if
@WardogStudios
can facilitate that then great. If not time to move on. Glad we were part of your journey.
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