The “Lean-Forward” Advantage of Mobile Games in Workforce Development

One of the most influential psychologists of the twentieth century, Abraham Maslow, established “the hierarchy of motivation”, theorizing that in any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth, or to step back into safety. Both are immersive actions but inspired by disparate levels of ambition. The same dichotomy arguably holds true with how we choose to experience our downtime, too. Even before the pandemic, Netflix unleashed a franchise phenomenon of cozy socks and loungewear, designed to support a feet-up, laid-back escape from the everyday. Mobile gaming, by contrast – while also a pastime catapulted into the billions by the at-home dynamic of COVID-19 – commands an entirely different posture. Phone in hand, elbows on knees, with eyes on the screen the player is alert and at the ready. The late film and music editor Norman Hollyn calls this the “Lean Forward Moment”, where the audience has an emotional reaction that causes him or her to lean forward and pay more attention.

“The gamer lean has become a universal meme, but until now, the science behind its benefits were completely unknown,” says Tom Fairey, CEO, and founder of Stakester, an online gaming platform. One of their most popular games is soccer-inspired FIFA, which researchers from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Leeds reported a leaning forward advantage of  4 minutes and 41 seconds per game to ensure a victory. Moving your main sensory system – your eyes – closer helps you focus and concentrate, they proved, and that leaning forward has a positive impact on sharpening players’ instincts.

Imagine swapping soccer out for gaming content that supports skills for the everyday. Rewards and incentives to reach different kinds of goals that are fun still command the same focus and attention, just with a different outcome. Here lies the ‘aha’ moment for parents, educators, and industry looking to prepare our next generation with the tools to succeed as the next workforce. By transforming skills development, career awareness, and job opportunities into mobile gaming technology, we can revolutionize how the next generation actively “leans in” to career pathways at an earlier age. 

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comprises a five-tier model of human needs: physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The desire to level up, according to science, is simply in our DNA. This is what makes mobile gaming a profoundly powerful medium to perpetuate a step – or lean – forward to growth, instead of a step back to the safety of the same old tools and tactics for workforce development.

Top Three Soft Skills in Cyber/IT

The latest from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs in information security are projected to grow by 31 percent by 2029. Not a surprise after a record-breaking year of cyberattacks.

“Anything with a power switch that uses an electrical current, anything that connects online, anything that touches most of our individual daily lives,” says Dr. Keith Clement, a Criminology professor at Cal State Fresno and Chair of California Cybersecurity Task Force: Workforce Development and Education. “If it turns on and off, there’s some chance that there could be some vulnerability attached to the device.”

So as the country gets creative in its allocation of resources in response, from stackable cybersecurity certification programs, K-12 cyber curriculum, and boot camps to meet the growing need for skilled cyber/IT professionals in both the public and private sector, the dire need for non-technical skills in technical careers is growing at the same rate. Soft skills, or lack thereof, are quickly becoming another, very real vulnerability for the U.S.

Three Soft C’s in Cyber:

1. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking was selected as the top required soft skill in a Tripwire survey –  the ability to solve complex problems by breaking them down into smaller components. This is an innate ability for some people, but you can also develop this skill by being observant, learning how things work, asking questions, and analyzing decisions. 

2. Communication

Gone are the days – and movies – of sitting in a dark room, staving off breaches to save the world. Because, according to Careers in Cyber Security, not only is the ability to see relationships between data and people key in finding ways to respond proactively against cyber risks and threats but the written and verbal ability to share such findings with stakeholders and team members is imperative in both “selling” a solution, as well as eliciting the support and resources to implement one.

3. Collaboration

According to think CSC, collaboration is the best defense against cyber attacks. Hackers attempt to breach secure networks from multiple angles, so our defenses must also leverage diverse areas of expertise. From sharing information and active listening to asking for help, the quantifiable value of collaboration is easy math: Two heads are better than one.

Adaptability, creativity, and attention to detail also rank high in the non-technical must-haves in Cyber careers, arguably catapulting soft skills into equal-billing status as the unsung heroes in keeping us all safe.

  • Discover ways to engage with your workforce pipeline earlier
  • Scale career awareness and pathway access, especially for the underserved
  • Gain a competitive advantage for recruitment supported by meaningful data