5 Common Games Company Mistakes We’re Glad Kwalee Avoided

Sometimes, there’s a real fear about joining a games company among people in the games industry. In some studios the norm is to work well beyond reasonable hours to deliver projects against a demanding schedule. Some people have even chosen to quit their dream careers 4-5 years later because of it. And it’s unfortunately one of the most common company mistakes.

Running a successful games studio means avoiding common mistakes like that and being proactive about creating a positive work culture. Kwalee is proud to have successfully and deliberately avoided the following five common mistakes and built a strong and thriving work environment.

Company Mistake #1: Work-Life Imbalance

Many companies across some of the biggest countries showcase poor work-life balance. The US and the UK ranked 13th and 14th respectively in the list of OECD member states that didn’t do well on work-life balance.

The team at Kwalee understands that our people do a lot better at work when they have some time to rest, destress, and enjoy. So we prioritise work-life balance for all team members in a few ways:

• We encourage a culture where people take their time off and avoid crunch.
• We offer ways for people to break the ice; from the fun activities in the gaming room to our quarterly team-building events.
• Feedback sessions tell us what we can do to make everyone’s worklife better.

Company Mistake #2: Neglecting Employee Well-Being

The best way to build a strong team and a productive work environment is if we look out for each other.

Yet according to a report from the World Economic Forum, people leave their jobs citing:

• little to no room to grow their career or professional interests,
• inadequate compensation for the work they do,
• and the rigid structure of the workplace itself.

At Kwalee, we take care of our well-being in various ways, and continue to build on how we can make it better.

For example, if you want to upskill yourself or grow your career, we’ll get you the learning resources you need to make that happen. The tech that our teams need – it’s on us.

And apart from a rewarding salary package, our team members benefit from our flexible work hours – from fitting their jobs around childcare to getting in a jogging session while there’s still light outside. We also conduct feedback surveys occasionally and see how our employees are faring to learn how we can make things run better.

Company Mistake #3: Poor Communication

86% of workplace failures happen when people aren’t clear enough with each other about what they want. And addressing issues of communication could boost productivity levels by at least 25%. So we keep an eye out and help our team communicate effectively. Skipping out on this is a blunderous company mistake.

For example, we have an open-door policy. Our senior team are open and available which makes a refreshing change from a lot of other places you can work. We have a thriving Slack community both for work and fun. Teams work together and we frown on silos that stop people from talking. Leadership programmes guide our managers and give them the skills they need to coach, mentor and communicate with self-awareness.

We set smart goals and objectives, and we prioritise getting things done and making moves in the market.

So far, our good practices with communication have allowed us to achieve our goals quicker and more easily.

Company Mistake #4: Failing to Foster and Prioritise Growth

It’s easy to lose sight of long-term strategies when the day-to-day bogs you down. And 9 in 10 startups fail to innovate or grow because they don’t work on those strategies.

For continuous growth, businesspeople must explore new markets, research new tech, and meet audience expectations. And fostering the habit and the time to do that is key. This is something we’ve paid close attention to as Kwalee grew over the years. It’s helped us move from start-up to established ‘Best Large Studio’ (TIGA, 2021).

We’ve expanded into casual and hybrid casual game development as well as PC and console game publishing. And with our mobile games portfolio reaching over 1 billion installs worldwide, we’re proud to celebrate our success as one of the fastest-rising game publishers in the world.

Company Mistake #5: Not Recognising Efforts

Let’s say you were toiling away on a big project for weeks on end. And the only form of appreciation you receive after delivering results is a polite comment (or, let’s be honest, nothing at all) before everyone moves on to the next big project.

Would you continue to work for that company? It’s likely you’re thinking no. And you wouldn’t be alone. In 2018, out of 1,700 respondents, 44% of them planned to switch jobs due to lack of recognition.

Finding a workplace to belong and feel recognised reflects human nature. So when you feel noticed for your work and its impact on the workplace, it gives you that sense of importance and belonging you were looking for.

This is something our folks at Kwalee understand well. That’s why every person here is made tangibly aware of the impact they make on our larger narrative at Kwalee. And we do this through regular monthly and annual awards, commitment to career growth, a culture of praise and positivity, and bonus schemes.

What was your experience?

In some cases, building a strong and thriving work culture that benefits both the team and the company only takes avoiding these mistakes. By prioritising the well-being of our people, we’re able to release entertaining games we worked so hard on, off the back of a happy workplace.

But everyone’s experiences is different! What has your experience been dealing with company mistakes, and are there any worth avoiding? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

We have many diverse job roles available for everyone, including remote opportunities! Head over to our jobs page and see what’s in store at Kwalee for passionate folks like yourself. You can also reach out to us and our recruitment team on LinkedIn to ask about roles that fit you. Follow us on social media (Twitter | Instagram | Facebook) to get the latest deets on our recruitment efforts.