Recruiter Hot Seat: NaturalMotion Games

BIO

Name: Emma McGonigle
Title: Talent Manager
Developer: NaturalMotion Games
www.naturalmotion.com

What differentiates NaturalMotion from other development studios?
We have four studios within NaturalMotion: Oxford (our headquarters), London, San Francisco, and Brighton (Boss Alien, makers of CSR Racing). All of our studios have actually moved recently, due to expansions in all our various departments, but despite being in new locations, each of them still has their own unique brand of personality, people and culture.

A lot of that is due to where they are located. Our San Francisco office, for instance, is just off Market Street in SoMa, south of Market, and has a classic brick loft feeling. Boss Alien is in Brighton and is a stone’s throw from the beach and piers. The London Studio is in the creative hub on the west side of the city, and finally our headquarters in Oxford is in the very centre of the famous university town, close to lots of shops, pubs and the university buildings.

It’s really fantastic to be able to place new team members into one of the studios and help them get settled in working on our great games or innovative technology.

How many staff are you currently looking to take on?
We are always looking for exceptional people to join the teams. We have openings across our studio locations from producers to artists, programmers to engineers. In fact, there are very few areas of development that we’re not recruiting for right now.

If you join our technology team, you’ll be working on some of the most cutting-edge and widely-used products on the market, such as Euphoria and Morpheme, helping shape how the next generation of games evolves.

Our games teams are dedicated to creating the most exciting free-to-play titles in the world. That means we want creative people from all fields to contribute and get involved with how our games are made. There are a lot of exciting projects that successful applicants will be working on, and a lot of them are unannounced for now. Check out our website www.naturalmotion.com for all the roles and detailed information.

We also attend many of the UK and US games industry events throughout the year, including this year’s Develop Conference in Brighton. If you want to find out more about the company, or just want a chat about what NaturalMotion can offer, we’d love to talk to you.

What perks are available to those working at the studio?
The key benefit that comes with working for NaturalMotion is our approach to development and the amazing things we make. You will be working alongside industry talent and a leadership team who really strive for a specific level of quality, for both games and technology. The experience makes for excellent career growth and there’s a real opportunity to really make a strong creative difference, whatever your role.

Because we’re focused on the cutting-edge of both mobile gaming and technology tools, no two days are ever the same. Mobile, especially, is an incredibly fast-moving industry, so if you enjoy discovering new things and creating highly original titles, you should definitely get in touch.

Alongside all of these working benefits we also have a range of employment perks for our staff, including stock options, bonus opportunities, team entertainment budget and a comprehensive pension scheme.

Our HR team is always looking for great new local benefits for the studios as well – cut-price gym memberships, cycle to work schemes and special discount offers from local businesses are just some of the recent perks.

The office locations also have geographical benefits. All of our studios are not just central locations in their respective cities, but also close to some of the largest development hubs in the UK and US. They’re extremely vibrant places, too, so adding your social life to your work life is never going to be a problem no matter which office you work in.

Who is the best interviewee you have ever had?
Interestingly, some of the best candidates are not always highly experienced and specialist, but really confident, passionate, intelligent and enthusiastic about what NaturalMotion is focused on creating. They did their homework, they knew the landscape, and were clearly enthusiastic – that’s the sort of attitude that really gets you noticed, and never fails to impress.

What advice would you give for a successful interview?
Be prepared. Think how you’re going to tell us about your passions and skills. Show us what you have achieved to date and where your potential is. Plan what you want to say and help us to get to know you. We want people who are going to be passionate and contribute in a positive way.

If your studio has recruited talent internationally, what was the process like?
It’s never easy to move jobs or locations, but it is great experience to try new things, work and live in different surroundings and get to know new people. Depending on where you are relocating from, we will provide you with support in completing the necessary formalities and do our best to help you quickly focus on performing in your new role.