Session Name: | Lost XP: Why Junior Game Developers Quit and How to Help |
Speaker(s): | Pierre-Luc Labbe, Sarah Spiers, Jakin Vela, Johanna Weststar |
Company Name(s): | rhum.hr, Electronic Arts, International Game Developers Association, Western University |
Track / Format: | Production & Team Leadership |
Did you know free users get access to 30% of content from the last 2 years?
Overview: | The game industry frequently laments the "lack of experienced talent," despite a significant and sustained decade-long increase in the number of people graduating from postsecondary games programs. The problem is not flooding the pipeline with new talent, the problem is keeping highly skilled workers in the industry after they have found work. According to the 2021 Developers Satisfaction Survey, 38% of employed developers anticipated leaving their current employer within three years, almost 60% figured they would leave within six years, and 21% had no idea how long they would stay. This transiency is even more pronounced for members of marginalized communities. Clearly, there are ways educational institutions and the industry as a whole can do better in terms of recruitment, training, and retention. This panel examines recent empirical data, existing industry interventions, and explores new solutions to keep talented and diverse game developers in the industry. |