More than half of UK gamers (57%) say that they incorporate gaming skills, such as leadership, communication and problem solving, into their working day.
These same skills were listed in the top 10 most in-demand skills for employers in the latest LinkedIn job listing analysis.
The data is from a new study by Currys, titled ‘playcation’, which also revealed that 44% of gamers believe their hobby makes them better workers.
LinkedIn’s 2024 analysis of job listings, recruiter messages, and the skills possessed by recent hires found that soft skills reign supreme for UK employers in 2024, comprising most of the top 10 in-demand skills.
Skills that topped the list were communication, customer service, management, leadership, and teamwork. 57% of UK gamers say they have developed some of these skills through playing video games, and regularly apply them to their work.
But it isn’t just an excuse to play more games, according to Dr Daniel Wheatley, Reader in Business and Labour Economics based in the Department of Management at the University of Birmingham. He said that skills acquired through leisure activities can actually be leveraged in a professional setting.
“Engaging in hobbies can often allow the employee to achieve a desired level of mental and physical separation from the demands of their job, and this has the potential to provide the employee with more effective recovery, enabling greater productivity during working time.”
Dr Daniel Wheatley, University of Birmingham
“We gain skills and experience every day from our leisure activities – ‘every day is a school day,’” said Dr Wheatley. “Gaming is one of those hobbies that requires several skills, including problem-solving, resource and time management, communication, hand-eye coordination, and more. This has been recognised by employers in some cases with the ‘gamification’ of training and work tasks present in some industries and organisations.”
Playing video games was also found in the study to trigger positive emotions. Nearly half of respondents (46%) stated they feel happy when gaming, 43% said that they feel relaxed, while 36% stated they feel excitement.
As a result of the positive impact on mood, 60% of gamers in the study said that taking annual leave to play games makes them more productive at work.
39% of gamers also said they have taken time off to just play video games.
Dr. Wheatley said there is a strong connection between taking breaks to indulge in hobbies and productivity: “All work and no play is unlikely to generate the most positive outcome for employees and employers. Everyone requires breaks from work, reflecting the need for recovery time to avoid negative outcomes including burnout and work-related stress, and associated drops in productivity.
“Engaging in hobbies can often allow the employee to achieve a desired level of mental and physical separation from the demands of their job, and this has the potential to provide the employee with more effective recovery, enabling greater productivity during working time.”
A separate recent study found that competitive gamers make up 13.7% of the UK population.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
