Fortnite used by company for job interviews

A French marketing agency is inviting applicants for an internship to discuss the opportunity over a game of Fortnite.

Candidates are asked to add Dare.Win on the Playstation Network, which is one of its clients, and then be interviewed while playing the video game.

Dare.Win says the game-play fits with its entertainment-focused brand.

However, one expert said it could be a difficult way to assess candidates fairly.

Fortnite is a hugely popular game that can be played on most devices, including mobile phones, tablets and consoles.

Successful candidates would work on content for brands including Spotify, PlayStation, Bacardi and YouTube, the agency said.

Those who don't want to play can email to request a more traditional recruitment process.

The agency said it had received dozens of applications from several countries, including Sweden, Turkey and the Netherlands, despite the six-month full-time position being based in its Paris office.

Communications manager Manon Fargelat admitted that playing Fortnite wasn't the easiest way to conduct an interview - although candidates are not expected to play against their potential new employer.

"It's hard even for us, to ask and answer questions and focus on the answers," she said.

"It's in collaboration - we are here to meet people and have fun."

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said it while it was important to assess how well a person would fit in with the working environment during the recruitment process, the game-play performance might not provide the employer with enough information about their potential new member of staff.

"For organisations wanting to opt for 'quirky interview or assessment techniques', there needs to be a really clear rationale as to what they are testing, what they hope to achieve from this and how they are going to compare candidates in a fair and consistent way," said diversity and inclusion adviser Claire McCartney.

"Without this clarity and obvious objectives, organisations risk limiting their candidate choices, experiencing high turnover rates and seeing an impact on their brand."