Hire or Pass

How to play Hire or Pass

You see ten short notes from interviews, each for a named role. Decide whether to move the candidate forward or pass. The game then tells you which signal mattered and why. Candidates are drawn at random from a larger set.

A correct call scores 10 XP, a perfect run adds 20, and each wrong call costs a heart.

What to look for in a candidate

• Evidence of the work. A demo, a portfolio or a specific story about a real problem tells you more than a job title.
• Ownership. Strong candidates describe their own mistakes and what they changed. Weak ones describe other people’s.
• Honesty. A stated gap with a plan is a good sign. A credential or reference that does not check out ends the process.
• Preparation. How someone prepares for the interview is a preview of how they will prepare for the job.

Signals that mislead

Polished answers, a famous former employer and a confident manner feel persuasive and predict little. Job changes, a pay negotiation or a missing degree feel risky and often are not. Structured interviews, where every candidate gets the same questions and is scored against the same criteria, reduce both errors.

This game is a learning aid. Real hiring decisions must follow local employment and anti-discrimination law. The HR guides cover interviewing, onboarding and compliance in more depth.