Pymetrics Games is a new and innovative way for companies to assess job candidates. As an experienced consultant who helps people navigate the job market, I want to explain what Pymetrics Games are, why companies use them, and most importantly – how you can prepare yourself to excel at them.

Let’s start with the basics.

What are Pymetrics Games and What’s Their Importance

What exactly are Pymetrics Games?

Pymetrics Games is a fun, gamified assessment tool. Instead of boring personality tests or complex case studies, candidates play through a series of short, game-like challenges on their phone or computer.

Each game is carefully designed by scientists to test specific cognitive and emotional traits that are relevant for different jobs. For example, a memory game might assess your ability to recall information quickly. An emotional intelligence game could measure how well you interpret facial expressions.

So why play games instead of traditional assessments? Well, let’s discuss…

Why companies use Pymetrics in recruitment

There are a few key reasons why major companies have hopped on the Pymetrics bandwagon:

• Reduced bias: Pymetrics Games measure your natural abilities in a more objective way, minimizing biases that come with traditional resume screening.
• Better prediction: The games can forecast job performance and culture fit more accurately than interviews alone.
• Efficiency: Companies can assess thousands of applicants easily with the games, saving a ton of time and money.
• Engaging for candidates: Games are just plain more fun than filling out long application forms or taking stuffy aptitude tests.

So in a nutshell, Pymetrics Games help companies find great fits without the typical hiring headaches. No wonder organizations like BCG, Accenture, and JP Morgan, have implemented them.

Next, let’s unpack what’s going on under the hood.

The science behind Pymetrics assessments

These games may seem basic on the surface, but there’s some serious science built into them. Pymetrics Games tap into findings from neuroscience and psychology to pinpoint specific cognitive traits.

Each game targets a specific part of the brain. For example, games that involve risk and reward test your decision-making under pressure. Memory games measure how quickly your brain can encode new information.

Here’s an amazing fact: Pymetrics Games can identify these traits with over 90% accuracy. That’s even better than traditional personality tests or interviews!

The final piece of the puzzle is AI. Pymetrics uses machine learning algorithms to match your cognitive profile from the games to the profiles of a company’s top performers.

So you’re not judged on some arbitrary scale – you’re matched to real-world examples of success in each role. Pretty cool, right?

Okay, now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the games themselves.

What to Expect from 12 Core Pymetrics Games

The Pymetrics assessment typically consists of 12 short games, each targeting different cognitive and emotional traits.

Let’s briefly review what skills are tested in each game so you know what to expect:

• Focus games – These assess your capacity to concentrate amid distractions. Can you avoid impulsive decisions?
• Memory games – How quickly can you memorize new information and recall it later? This measures your working memory.
• Risk and reward games – Do you play it safe or take calculated risks? How do you respond to uncertain scenarios?
• Planning games – Can you look ahead, set goals, and chart an efficient course to reach them? Tests your foresight.
• Emotion recognition games – Assesses your ability to perceive how others are feeling through facial cues, body language, and tone of voice.
• Teamwork games – Presents scenarios where you must collaborate and compromise with others. Measures your empathy and cooperation.
• Verbal reasoning games – Presents written information and asks you to deduce meanings or draw logical conclusions. Tests analytical skills.
• Perceptual reasoning games – Shows shapes and patterns and asks you to identify similarities, transformations, and missing elements. Assesses your intuitive pattern recognition.
• Multitasking games – Requires you to remember instructions, respond to stimuli and shift between different tasks quickly. Measures mental flexibility.
• Learning games – Presents new information like vocabulary words and assesses how quickly you acquire the knowledge. Tests speed of learning.
• Critical thinking games – Challenges you to identify assumptions, evaluate evidence, and make sound judgments based on logical reasoning.
• Creativity games – Assesses your ability to come up with novel ideas and make connections between unusual concepts. Tests your imagination.

To give you a clearer picture of what each game measures, here’s a breakdown of the cognitive traits assessed and their relevance to workplace performance:

Now let’s zoom in on a few games in more detail.

Detailed breakdown of key games

To really give you an edge, I want to provide deeper insight into some of the most common and crucial Pymetrics games.

Balloon Game

This game is all about risk-taking and decision-making. Here’s how it works:

• You’re given a balloon and a pump.
• Each click inflates the balloon slightly and adds money to your balance.
• But watch out – the balloon can randomly pop at any point, losing all your earnings!
• You decide when to stop pumping and “bank” your winnings.

This test reveals whether you tend to make bold risky moves or more cautious conservative choices. There are no right or wrong answers – it’s about understanding your natural risk tolerance.

Memory Game

These games assess your working memory capacity – how much new information you can hold in mind and recall.

You might see a series of numbers, patterns, or words flash briefly on the screen. Your task is to memorize them and enter them correctly.

The sequences start small but rapidly increase in length. This challenges the limits of your memory and attention span.

High scores require both quick encoding and accurate retrieval – qualities crucial for learning and using new information in many jobs.

Emotion Recognition Game

Here you’ll be shown photos of facial expressions and scenarios. Your task is to correctly identify the emotions being conveyed, often from subtle cues.

For example, is that slight smirk happiness, smugness, or contempt? Tests like this measure your emotional intelligence – your ability to perceive and understand the emotions of others.

This trait is enormously valuable in roles that involve reading social cues and interacting smoothly with people.

Tips for approaching each game type

Now that you understand the different Pymetrics games, I want to share some pro strategies to really maximize your performance.

For focus games:

• Take a slow, deep breath before starting to clear your mind and increase alertness.
• Minimize all potential distractions – mute phone, and close extra tabs. Avoid getting sidetracked.
• If you feel your attention drifting, pause briefly and consciously refocus yourself.

For memory games:

• Repeat each item aloud or in your head as it appears to strengthen encoding.
• Use mnemonic devices or mental imagery to associate new info with concepts you already know.
• Between rounds, close your eyes and run through the sequence once more to reinforce it.

For risk/reward games:

• Listen to your gut instinct but don’t make totally impulsive choices. Find the balance.
• Weigh the potential payoff vs the downside risk with each decision. Think in expected value.
• Remember there are no right or wrong approaches. The goal is assessing your comfort with uncertainty.

For emotion recognition games:

• Look for subtleties like micro-expressions, the eyes, and body language – not just obvious facial features.
• Imagine yourself in the target’s situation. What would you be feeling? Use empathy.
• If uncertain about an emotion, go with your first gut reaction over analyzation.

Mastering these games requires being focused, engaged, and authentic. Now let’s talk about how to train your skills.

How to Prepare Your Cognitive Skills for Pymetrics Games

You can’t necessarily “study” for Pymetrics Games, since they measure inherent traits. But you can practice enhancing the cognitive skills they assess.

Here are some exercises I recommend to sharpen your abilities:

• Improve concentration through mindfulness meditation, brain training apps, or simple activities like reading without distraction.
• Bolster working memory by learning new skills like a language or musical instrument, which forces your brain to juggle more information.
• Make quicker decisions by imposing shot clocks during games like chess or Scrabble. This trains rapid risk assessment.
• Build emotional intelligence by observing strangers’ body language and making guesses about their mood and personality. Watch people!
• Enhance creative thinking by forcing yourself to come up with unconventional uses for everyday objects. Noodle new ideas.
• Increase mental flexibility by rapidly switching between different activities like math problems and reading comprehension.

Even 10-15 minutes per day of focused practice like this can sharpen your cognitive abilities noticeably over time.

To supplement your cognitive training, consider using these popular brain training apps that target skills assessed in Pymetrics Games:

How to Balance Authenticity and Strategy for Peak Performance

One key question I often get is how to balance “gaming” the Pymetrics tests versus being authentic. Here’s my take:

You want to showcase your natural cognitive talents, not try to fake abilities you don’t have. Be yourself.

But you should also use your self-awareness to make informed choices that reflect your strengths. Understand your tendencies and work with them.

For example, if you know you’re generally cautious, acknowledging that fact will get better results than making wildly risky balloon-popping decisions. Stick to your true nature.

Simply focus on doing your best by being relaxed, engaged, consistent, and self-aware. That’s the formula for success.

Okay, you have the knowledge. Now let’s prep your test-day environment.

How to Maximize Your Performance on Test Day

Your surroundings and mental state can have a big impact on your Pymetrics outcomes. Here are some tips for success:

• Find a quiet space without distractions to focus fully. Turn off phones, notifications, and music.
• Get comfortable – adjust lighting, chair height, and temperature if needed. Physical discomfort divides attention.
• Hydrate and energize with water, a healthy snack, or a short walk to boost mental stamina.
• Warm up your brain with word puzzles or mindfulness before starting the games. Get those neurons firing!
• Clear your mind by closing your eyes, taking deep breaths, and setting an intention to do your best.
• Believe in yourself! Give yourself an encouraging pep talk and remind yourself that you’ve got this. Confidence matters.

Taking 20 minutes to intentionally create a peak performance environment can work wonders.

Managing time and focus during the assessment

Once the games begin, time management is critical. Here are some tips:

• First, carefully read the directions for each new game to understand your objectives.
• Glance at the timer to gauge how long you have and the pacing needed. Don’t rush or lag behind.
• Avoid fixating on any single game after it ends or you’ll risk losing momentum. Stay present.
• Shake it off if you struggle with a particular game. Just refocus and keep moving forward confidently.
• Take quick breathers to recharge between games if needed, but don’t let the clock run out!
• Finish strong. Your performance can sometimes increase as your brain gets into a flow. Push until the end.

With practice, you’ll get into a smooth rhythm and achieve peak cognitive performance.

Dealing with unexpected challenges

Despite the best preparations, you might still encounter some surprises, like:

• Technical glitches – Don’t panic. Notify someone for help or try basic troubleshooting.
• Brain freeze – If your mind suddenly goes blank during a game, just take a second to breathe, relax, and regain composure.
• Fatigue sets in – Shake out the tiredness, do some stretches, and splash water on your face. Re-energize yourself quickly.
• Distractions occur – If interrupted by an external distraction, gently refocus yourself before continuing.
• Self-doubt creeps in – Shut down any negative self-talk immediately. Affirm your abilities and stay confident.

With flexibility and quick thinking, you can overcome most obstacles that arise. Now let’s dive into interpreting your results.

How to Interpret Your Pymetrics Results

After finishing the games, you’ll receive a personalized Trait Report summarizing your cognitive profile. Here are some tips for understanding it:

• Carefully read the trait definitions. Look up any unfamiliar terms to fully grasp the meanings.
• Identify strengths – note which traits you scored highly in. Think about how these align with your self-image.
• Review lower scores – consider whether these are truly weak spots or just not your strongest attributes.
• Check the benchmarks – your results may be compared to averages. But remember, it’s about your personal fit, not “beating” others.
• Consider job implications – reflect on how your traits may aid or hinder performance in target roles.
• Ask clarifying questions – follow up with the recruiter if any parts of the report seem unclear.

The more time you spend understanding your results, the better you can translate them into career success.

Leveraging your results for career development

The insights from your Pymetrics performance can benefit you well beyond a single job application. Here are some ways to maximize their long-term value:

• Shape your career planning – use your trait strengths and weaknesses to guide your career path toward optimal roles.
• Craft your brand – incorporate your cognitive profile into your resume, LinkedIn, and personal statement to showcase your unique value.
• Ace interviews – study your traits to identify which ones you can emphasize as differentiators during job interviews.
• Continue self-improvement – use lower trait scores as inspiration to work on those skills through training and practice.
• Build self-awareness – reflect often on your attributes to make decisions that leverage your innate tendencies.

Think of your Pymetrics results as an asset for continuous career development, not just a one-time assessment.

What If Your Results Don’t Align with Your Target Job?

Don’t panic if your results don’t perfectly match the ideal profile for your dream job. Instead, adopt a growth mindset.

• Consider if the results reveal blindspots – we all have them! Feedback helps us improve.
• Identify adjacent roles that better fit your strengths, or jobs where you can develop weak areas.
• Be open to new paths – your results might point to careers you’d never considered before but would thrive in.
• Show your motivation to learn. Express your passion for the target role and your commitment to rapidly acquire any skills needed.
• Reflect on how you can develop key attributes through classes, books, brain training, or practice. Nothing is fixed forever.

So embrace the opportunity for self-discovery. With the right attitude, “inconvenient” results can lead to exciting career breakthroughs.

Now, let’s look forward to the future of cognitive assessments.

How to Stay Ahead in an Evolving Recruitment Landscape

To stay competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape, you must become a lifelong learner and stay ahead of the curve. Here are my top tips:

• Proactively learn about emerging assessments – understand how new tools work and what traits they measure.
• Continuously build in-demand cognitive skills – just like going to the gym, keep your brain muscles strong!
• Diversify your abilities – don’t just excel in one niche, develop a varied skillset flexible to changing needs.
• Adopt a growth mindset – be open to criticism and see every assessment as a chance to improve.
• Stay updated on industry trends – join communities and listen to podcasts to monitor what skills are rising in value.
• Build a remarkable online personal brand – align your digital profiles and portfolios with your strengths.

With focus and perseverance, you can build future-proof talents ready to conquer whatever assessments arise.

Key Takeaways

So in summary:

• Understand what Pymetrics Games measure and why they matter.
• Learn how to showcase your authentic abilities in each game type.
• Hone your cognitive skills through regular practice and training.
• Create the optimal mindset and testing environment.
• Interpret your trait reports strategically. Seek growth, not just validation.
• Continuously build in-demand skills and research emerging assessment trends.

If you follow these tips, you’ll be primed for success as cognitive assessments like Pymetrics redefine 21st-century recruiting.

Now go ace those games – you got this! Wishing you the very best in your career journey.