The American interactive software company Electronics Arts has developed a new recruitment system where they actively pursue candidates globally and build a long term relationship with them. In that way, Electronic Arts fills their pipeline with talent that can be offered a job as it appears.

Electronic Arts decided to look at the recruitment challenge from a new angle. To fill the positions within the company, they decided to actively pursue talent and build long-standing relationships with targeted individuals. Potential employees were found through their network, at conferences and so on. Electronic Arts realised that the relevant candidates they were in touch with often belonged to other industries than the computer gaming industry. Having contacts to relevant talent in areas where other computer gaming companies might not look increased Electronic Arts’ innovative capacity.

Electronics Arts used a customer relationship management software (CRM) to build and maintain long-term online relationships with a pool of talent. The software allows Electronic Arts to make detailed analyses of candidates’ skills and preferences, thus being able to offer a candidate a job that is suited to his competencies and interests. If a candidate is not interested in a job at a given time, Electronics Arts will pursue the relationship and keep them interested by offering various forms of incentives.

Electronic Arts has reduced the time it takes to fill a position and has dramatically increased the number of people in its pipeline.

Source: Associate Professor, Lars Bo Jeppesen (2009)

For more details on this case, contact FORA at FORA@newnatureofinnovation.org.