Introduction
In the first half of 2025, Equalture processed thousands of job applicants to explore their talent through a series of neuroscience-based games—and the results speak volumes. Our latest report unpacks the results for H1 2025: Did they find them fair, engaging, and reflective of their strengths? Using both quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback, this research sheds light on candidate satisfaction across age groups, industries, and roles. All demographic information provided by candidates is collected entirely anonymously and voluntarily, and is used solely for research purposes.
Candidate Experience Rating (H1 2025): 4.41 Out of 5
In the first half of 2025, a total of 35,642 candidates shared feedback on their experience with Equalture’s Game-Based Assessments. After completing the assessments, each candidate was asked to rate their overall application experience on a scale from 1 to 5.
The results were overwhelmingly positive:
- The average rating came in at 4.41 out of 5.
- 87% of candidates rated their experience a 4 or 5, reflecting a high level of satisfaction and engagement.
- Only 4% rated the experience a 1 or 2.
These results reaffirm the value of game-based assessments – not only as a predictive hiring tool, but as a candidate experience that people genuinely enjoy. In the sections that follow, you’ll find a deeper dive into the data, with insights broken down by:
- Age Group
- Job Group
- Neurodivergent Diagnoses
We’ll also highlight a few standout comments shared by candidates.
Candidate Experience across different Age Groups
In the first half of 2025, nearly 15,000 candidates voluntarily and anonymously shared their age as part of their experience with Equalture’s game-based assessments. The results reveal a clear and consistent pattern in candidate experience across all age groups:
- Candidates aged 21–36 reported the highest average experience ratings.
- Even among candidates aged 61 and above, the average rating remained high at 4.08 out of 5.
- All age groups reported an average experience rating above 4.0, reflecting strong and consistent satisfaction across the board.
While some organisations are concerned that older or more experienced candidates may be less receptive to game-based assessments, the data challenges that assumption. Average ratings across all age groups ranged narrowly between 4.08 and 4.54, showing minimal variation.
The conclusion is clear: age has no significant influence on how candidates perceive the game-based assessment experience. Engagement and satisfaction remain consistently high, regardless of age or career stage.
Candidate Experience across different Job Groups
For this analysis, we explored how candidates across different job groups experienced Equalture’s Game-Based Assessments. A Job Group refers to a category of roles that require similar skills or responsibilities—for example, retail employees, technicians, consultants, or sales executives.
We chose to dive into this dimension because there’s a common perception in recruitment that Game-Based Assessments aren’t universally applicable. Some believe they’re better suited for white-collar roles, such as consultants, marketers, or analysts, while others argue they are more engaging for blue-collar roles, like warehouse staff, machine operators, or field technicians.
At Equalture, we’ve always believed that gamification can enhance the hiring experience across all job groups – but we also believe in letting the data speak. This analysis puts that belief to the test.
Candidate Experience Ratings were consistently high across all job groups, highlighting the broad appeal of Equalture’s Game-Based Assessments. Candidates applying for roles in Marketing, Retail, and Finance reported the highest satisfaction, closely followed by those in Technical roles. Even candidates applying for Leadership positions—the group with the ‘ lowest’ average score—gave a strong rating of 4.11 out of 5. These results clearly show that game-based assessments resonate with candidates across multiple types of roles, from white-collar to blue-collar.
“It’s interesting to see that both Strategy Consultants and Warehouse Staff leave equally enthusiastic comments about how much they enjoyed the experience – even though their jobs are worlds apart,” says Charlotte Melkert, Co-Founder and CEO of Equalture. “I think that perfectly captures the power of gamification.”
Comparing Candidate Experience across neurodivergent individuals
We continuously monitor Candidate Experience for both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals. Within the neurodivergent group, we specifically focus on candidates with diagnoses such as AD(H)D, Autism, OCD, Colour Blindness, and Dyslexia. Across all these groups, the average experience rating exceeded 4.2 out of 5—an encouraging result that reflects the inclusivity and accessibility of our Game-Based Assessments.
Some comments that stood out
Lastly, we’ d love to share some comments candidates left about their game-based experience that stood out:
- Comment 1. I enjoyed this specific test a lot. It was interesting and didn’t make me feel stressed!
- Comment 2. Overall, I found the game-based assessment to be an engaging and innovative way to evaluate skills for the sales role. The interactive format made the experience more enjoyable compared to traditional assessments, and it seemed to measure important traits like problem-solving, adaptability, and quick decision-making.
- Comment 3. Its very unique, most character and mind assessments in job applications are quite overwhelming and boring, but a mini-game where you have to find the common theme to progress as fast as possible is a very good way to test people’s awareness and attention to detail.
- Comment 4. Probably the most fun application process. Felt like a breath of fresh air in the sea of Workday application pages. Also really interesting to read about the results after the test.
- Comment 5. It was a pleasant surprise to be evaluated beyond just my CV. The games added a thoughtful layer to the process, allowing for insight into problem-solving, adaptability and collaboration—all while keeping it engaging and fun. It felt like a well-rounded and fair way to get a sense of how someone works under pressure and makes decisions. A refreshing change from the usual application process.
The quantitative results, combined with the qualitative comments candidates left, confirm that Game-based assessments aren’t just predictive—they’re also empowering. And the consistently high satisfaction scores show that candidates feel the difference. Because a great candidate experience isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of better hiring.
We’ ll be back in January with the results of H2 2025!
