A Serious Game for Soft Skills Assessment in Human Ressources: A Convergent Validity Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Soft skills are increasingly valued in the labor market, yet their assessment remains challenging. Traditional approaches (eg, interviews, questionnaires, cognitive tests) often face limitations related to subjectivity, ecological validity, and bias. Serious games have emerged as promising alternatives by offering immersive environments and behavioral data collection. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the convergent validity of a serious game (Yuzu) designed for soft skills assessment in human ressources, by comparing three modules assessing active-empathic listening, decision-making under uncertainty, and teamwork dialogue with their respective reference psychometric tools. METHODS A sample of 39 participants completed both the Yuzu modules and their psychometric reference versions: the Active-Empathic Listening Scale (AELS), the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and a simplified SYMLOG questionnaire. Statistical analyses included correlation, concordance, equivalence testing, and descriptive comparisons. RESULTS Strong correlations were found between the Yuzu listening module and the AELS, with high agreement demonstrated through Bland-Altman and concordance analyses. The decision-making module showed statistical equivalence with the IGT, replicating exploration–exploitation dynamics. In contrast, the dialogue-based teamwork module failed to demonstrate convergent validity with the SYMLOG questionnaire due to ceiling effects and social desirability bias. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the potential of gamified assessments to provide ecologically valid and engaging measures of soft skills. Adaptations of standardized tools (AELS, IGT) preserved validity while enhancing participant experience. However, dialogue-based assessments require further refinement through richer branching scenarios and adaptive responses. This study contributes to bridging psychology, ergonomics, and game design and supports continued validation of serious games in professional selection contexts.