10 Recruitment Team Building Activities (With Debrief)
Are you in search of some recruitment team building activities?
Nowadays, assembling a top-tier talent acquisition team is more than just filling desks. It is about cultivating a coalition of savvy talent-spotters who can peer into the future of the company’s workforce.
In this article, let’s see 10 engaging exercises designed specifically for your talent acquisition teams. These activities can help your recruitment professionals work together, learn from each other, and develop their skills while having fun.
10 Recruitment Team Building Activities
Here are some team building exercises that can help your talent acquisition professionals thrive:
#1. Sit Back and Judge
This is a dynamic and interactive activity that invigorates your recruitment team’s interviewing skills through role-play.
Time: You decide
Materials: List of diverse candidate profiles
Participants: 3-6 people in a group
Instructions
- Before the session, generate a list of fictional candidate profiles covering a wide range of industries, experience levels, and challenges.
- Each group member takes a turn role-playing as a candidate based on the profiles. The remaining members form the hiring panel, conducting the interview and scoring performance.
- After each round, the group discusses and shares feedback on what worked well and areas for improvement.
Debrief
During the debrief, determine what interviewing techniques resonated the most and why. Discuss how to adapt them for real-life interviews and improve future hiring decisions.
#2. Race to the Top Candidate
This activity sharpens decision-making and awareness of biases in a fast-paced, resume-evaluation challenge. It is one of the amazing recruitment team building activities.
Time: You decide
Materials: Resume stack
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Set a timer and challenge your team to sift through a pile of resumes to find the ideal candidate.
- Each team member picks their top choice and justifies their decision to the group, using specific examples from the resumes.
- As a group, discuss each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, and determine the top three candidates for the role.
Debrief
Discuss how biases may have influenced individual choices and decision-making as a group. Consider ways to mitigate these biases in future hiring processes.
#3. Spot the Keeper
This activity is designed to fine-tune the ability to spot crucial details that differentiate a standout applicant from the rest. By practicing with nuanced applications, employees develop a keen eye for both potential red flags and exceptional attributes.
Time: You decide
Materials: Sample job application packets
Participants: 3-8 individuals in a group
Instructions
- Distribute a set of sample application packets to each group. Ensure these packets contain both subtle issues and strong points that mimic real-life applications.
- Allow sufficient time for a thorough review, encouraging groups to note their observations and rationale for either advancing or rejecting each candidate.
- Reconvene as a larger group to share findings and discuss the reasoning behind each decision.
Debrief
Reflect on the effectiveness of the decision-making process and the diversity of viewpoints within the team. Identify any common patterns or discrepancies in judgments and consider how these might affect the ability to select the ideal candidate.
#4. Recruitment Route
This engaging activity aims to optimize your recruitment process by visually mapping it out, encouraging collaboration, and identifying improvement opportunities.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Whiteboard and markers
Participants: 2-5 people in a group
Instructions
- Gather your team and provide them with markers and ample space on a whiteboard.
- Ask each member to contribute by drawing their understanding of the current recruitment steps.
- Encourage discussion on each step, focusing on areas that can be simplified or enhanced.
- Take a photo of your final mapped process for reference and future adjustments.
Debrief
This session will reveal how each employee views the recruitment process and identify misalignments or redundant steps. It is a valuable opportunity to unify the team’s approach and streamline recruitment efforts.
#5. Pitch Your Method
In this dynamic and interactive exercise, participants will have the opportunity to advocate for their preferred methods of recruitment.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: None required, though participants may use visual aids if they wish
Participants: 3-6 people per group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into small groups. Assign each group a different recruitment technique or approach that is currently under consideration or has been used in the past.
- Give each group 5 minutes to come up with an elevator pitch for their assigned method.
- After the allotted time, have each group present their pitches to other groups.
- Encourage open discussion and debate about the pros and cons of each approach.
Debrief
Discuss the different perspectives and insights presented by each group. Keep an open mind and consider incorporating elements from each pitch into a comprehensive recruitment strategy.
#6. Go Fish for Talent
This activity transforms hiring into an adventurous expedition focused on finding the best talent in the market. It is one of the interesting recruitment team building activities.
Time: You decide
Materials: Job postings
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Create a list of job postings that you are currently recruiting for or plan to open in the future.
- Assign each member of the recruitment team a specific job posting.
- Challenge them to “Go Fish for Talent” by reaching out to potential candidates and convincing them to apply.
- After a set amount of time, see how many qualified candidates each team can reel in.
Debrief
Celebrate any new applications received as a result of this activity. Reveal that the best talent may not always come knocking at your door – sometimes you have to go out and find them!
#7. A Friend of Yours
This is a highly interactive session designed to tap into the most valuable resource any organization has – its people. By leveraging personal networks, teams can uncover hidden gems in the talent pool.
Time: You decide
Materials: Digital tools (For example, a shared spreadsheet or an online collaboration platform)
Participants: 3-8 individuals in a group
Instructions
- Start with a brief presentation on the importance of referrals and how they benefit the company.
- Guide the group members through the process of mapping their personal and professional networks using digital tools.
- Let each group identify potential referral opportunities and share strategies for outreach.
- Set a deadline for reaching out to potential candidates and following up. Encourage group members to hold each other accountable.
Debrief
Explore the successes or challenges faced while reaching out to potential candidates. Highlight the importance of maintaining relationships within networks, not just for recruitment purposes but for overall professional growth and connectivity.
#8. Puzzle It Out
This is a dynamic activity aimed at emphasizing the importance of clarity in job listings through a creative and competitive puzzle-solving exercise.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Printed jumbled job descriptions
Participants: 3-6 people in a group
Instructions
- Randomly distribute jumbled pieces of job descriptions to each group, challenging them to reconstruct the listings as quickly as possible.
- Include a variety of roles for complexity and learning opportunities, ensuring a fun mix of puzzles.
- Set a time limit for the activity and encourage healthy competition by offering a small reward for the group that finishes first.
Debrief
Discuss how clarity and coherence in job descriptions not only help applicants understand roles better but also streamline the hiring process. Identify takeaways on how to improve your organization’s job listings for better recruitment outcomes.
#9. Portfolio Power Play
This activity engages teams in evaluating creative portfolios to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, honing their ability to identify top talent.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: A diverse collection of creative portfolios
Participants: Groups of any size (including recruiters and hiring managers)
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups and distribute a variety of creative portfolios to each.
- Task each group with identifying and discussing the key strengths and weaknesses found within their assigned portfolios.
- Encourage groups to consider factors like creativity, technical skill, and presentation in their evaluations.
- Finally, each group should share their understanding of what constitutes a standout portfolio.
Debrief
Identify what makes a portfolio stand out. Highlight the importance of not just the creative content but also how it is presented to truly capture attention.
#10. The Resume Hunt
This game challenges teams to identify crucial skills and qualifications hidden within resumes, sharpening their talent-spotting abilities.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Resumes and a list of clues
Participants: Groups of 3-6 people
Instructions
- Create a scavenger hunt list with various skills, experiences, and qualifications relevant to your hiring needs.
- Distribute the resumes and list of clues to your teams. Set a time limit for the hunt.
- Teams will search through resumes to find matches for each item on the list, such as “Find a candidate with multilingual capabilities” or “Identify someone with over 5 years in digital marketing.”
- The first team to complete the list or the team with the most correct matches within the time limit wins.
Debrief
Discuss how different teams approached the hunt and what factors they considered when selecting resumes. Emphasize the importance of thoroughly reviewing a candidate’s resume to identify key qualifications and skills beyond just their job titles.
Want Some Unique Team Building Activities?
If you want some unique activities for your employees (both in-person and virtual), you can get my new e-book:
Or Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?
If you want some unique activities to equip your employees with leadership skills, qualities, and mindset, you can get my new e-book:
Final Words
Investing time in team building exercises can strengthen the bonds between recruiters and instill critical thinking skills that are necessary for spotting top talents. The real success comes when these activities help to create a united team that is geared up to hire employees who will not only fit the job today but will also drive the business forward in the future. Remember, the best recruitment happens when teams work together seamlessly and enjoy the hunt.
