Elevating the state of play for Microsoft’s The Initiative.

Challenge

Microsoft gaming studio, The Initiative, needed to build up its growing studio for the highly anticipated reboot of Perfect Dark. The problem? Perfect Dark was being developed under strict secrecy during its first two years. This limited the information available to potential hires, making it difficult to attract top talent and restricting the number of suppliers they could involve.

Due to a hiring cap, Microsoft would need to rely solely on contingent talent to staff the project. However, recruiting niche talent like Principal Cinematics Artists and Game Design Specialists was particularly challenging due to the temporary nature of the roles. The studio not only needed to fill these roles but also to create an environment where contingent workers felt incentivized to stay and contribute throughout the game development lifecycle.

Finally, The Initiative's location in Los Angeles, far from Microsoft's Redmond headquarters, required tapping into a different and highly competitive talent pool for the gaming industry.

Solution

Aquent Talent solved the challenges faced by The Initiative in developing Perfect Dark with a comprehensive approach that focused on both talent acquisition and retention in a competitive environment.

• Flexible Staffing for Game Development Phases: We leveraged our expertise in sourcing niche, high-level talent required for these specialized game development roles. Our solution was also highly scalable and flexible, tailored to the varying needs of the game development cycle. Different skill sets were needed at different times—Character Artists early on, followed by Lighting Artists, and later Technical and Content Creation roles. We adapted to these changing needs by providing talent on a just-in-time basis, ensuring that The Initiative had the right people when they were most needed, without overcommitting to long-term hires for short-term roles.

• Retention Strategies for Contingent Workers: Recognizing the cyclical nature of game development, we positioned ourselves as a “true partner” by offering competitive compensation, premium employee benefits, and a solid working environment for contingent talent. This helped retain top-tier talent throughout the game's multiyear development process, ensuring that workers felt valued and incentivized to stay even though they were not full-time employees.
• Geographic Expertise: We also helped The Initiative overcome the challenges that come with recruiting creative talent in the highly competitive Los Angeles market. Our knowledge of the talent landscape and contacts there enabled The Initiative to tap into the local talent pool while maintaining the standards and confidentiality required.

Results

Despite the hurdles of recruiting creative and technical talent in the fiercely competitive Los Angeles market, we successfully placed over 30 specialized roles with The Initiative, including Principal Cinematics Artists, Storyboard Artists, Video Editors, Character Artists, Technical Artists, and Lighting Specialists. By providing a talent experience that included competitive compensation, premium employee benefits, and a supportive working environment, we enabled The Initiative to attract and retain top-tier talent, ensuring the Perfect Dark project stayed on course despite the challenges of the project. Our high level of talent retention, coupled with our sustained support, fostered a stable, high-performing workforce that played a crucial role in the quality and success of Perfect Dark's development.