Why we are building a game.
Key Takeaways:
A. Today's mainstream hiring process fails job seekers and employers, leading to frustration, inefficiency, and huge amounts of lost potential.
B. This has lead to the American Dream becoming more and more rare, especially for those who have to forge their own way.
C. Building a game helps find individuals find roles they are uniquely suited for, while fostering growth for communities and companies alike - just like the Frontiersman did for America.
Making Hiring Work: A Game for Modern Frontiersmen
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two years, you've heard of Vice President JD Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. While we know that Vance became successful in law, venture capital, and politics, his early life is a story filled with family struggles, abuse, and drug addiction that is unfortunately all too common in Appalachia and other parts of our country today.
One of the saddest aspects of the story is the fact that his escape is considered remarkable–so much so that they made a movie about it, even before he entered public life as an Ohio Senate candidate in 2021. What does it tell us that the story of a kid from the Midwest going to Yale Law School warranted a $45 million movie budget?
For those in Generation X, stories like now-Vice President Vance's were inspiring but not rare. Many grew up hearing how their grandparents came to the United States without a dollar to their names and made a great life for their children.
Stories of people of all backgrounds pulling themselves up by their bootstraps made America rightfully known as the Land of Opportunity. But at some point, we lost the ability to deliver on the promise of the American Dream – even for our people in places like Middletown, Ohio.
It's natural to wonder: is the American Dream just a relic of the past which conservatives hold on to, or can we reclaim our nation's greatness and fulfill that promise once more?
For us, the answer is yes. By drawing inspiration from the Frontiersmen who laid the foundation of our country, we can chart a path to revival and rebuild our nation's confidence–one job, one family, one community at a time.
America was built by men whose talent and drive allowed them to pursue something with unmatched ferocity and to succeed regardless of their physical circumstances. JD Vance defied the odds, but America has been defying the odds since its conception.
Alexander Hamilton was born in the Caribbean as a poor, illegitimate child, but he became George Washington's right-hand man.
Washington’s army at Valley Forge nearly froze and starved to death, but defeated the most powerful army the world had ever seen up to that point.
Frederick Douglass, born into slavery, became one of the most influential politicians of his time.
Today, if someone is born into a home of alcoholic parents or drug abuse or into a blue-collar family in a small town in rural America, we write them off and if they fall into the same addictions, blame it on their circumstances.
But the great leaders of our nation's history were not defined by their external circumstances. They were optimistic and action-oriented. The success of these great Americans is evidence that this country was once–and can be again–a springboard for those willing to work hard.
America's Builders
It's not just a few men in the history of our young country who have succeeded regardless of their surroundings – resilience is in the blood of the American People, even before they officially formed a nation and pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to one another on July 4th, 1776.
When the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in November 1620, they had no choice but to confront the wilderness head-on. If they didn't find food and build shelter, there would be no United States of America, Declaration of Independence, or 13 Colonies. The men who built America were animated with a frontiersman spirit. They ventured into the unknown, adapted to challenges, and blazed trails for others to follow.
Lewis and Clark are the most famous and storied of these Frontiersmen, but behind every town in America is a story of a forgotten few men who risked everything to pursue a better life for themselves, their family, and their community. These men took what they were given and used their God-given talents and skills to find and build something better. While their names aren't well-known, their impact was foundational, and their courage would be uncommon today.
It's easy to take a mental shortcut and think about people in terms of where they're from and who they know. "Resume culture" encourages students and professionals to rack up accomplishments that look good on paper, often at the expense of developing true character and virtues. Meanwhile, a staggering 80% of jobs are never advertised—they’re filled internally or through personal connections. But how many people, especially young professionals, have a network that allows them to find these unposted jobs?
This system clearly isn't working for all Americans.
American Frontiersmen didn't succeed because of who they knew or where they came from. They succeeded because they had unmatched determination and used their God-given skills to the best of their ability. We can live like Frontiersmen when we take what we're given, dare greatly, act decisively, think optimistically–and most importantly – do what we are best at doing.
Each individual is uniquely suited for specific roles. When people can apply their skills to the jobs they're most apt to do, they're more effective and happier—a win for individuals, families, and communities alike.
A Frontiersman's Network
Finding Frontiersmen Today
The so-called "job hunting" process today looks nothing like the frontier, and it's not nearly as interesting as actual hunting. People capable and motivated to do real work are stuck "carpet bombing" or "spamming" applications on job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed. Still, they seldom hear back or are selected to interview. Even if a candidate is lucky enough to score an interview, the traditional interview is often a poor assessment tool for future success in many jobs.
Recent graduates and young professionals are especially disheartened when they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, needing experience to land a job... so they can gain experience. Many are left without an opportunity to show what they can do.
The process is no less frustrating for HR professionals and hiring managers, who are given stacks of printed and online resumes that all look the same. How can someone possibly do a thorough review of each applicant? Hiring becomes expensive, inefficient, and often a complete shot in the dark.
Hiring is based almost entirely on who someone knows or where they come from, and it does not just limit growth for job seekers, but also for companies. Hiring managers complain of difficulties differentiating between the stacks of résumés they read (an average of 250 for each listing online) - and the employee turnover rate is higher than it has been in 20 years. In addition, 30% of hires leave the company within 90 days. Companies are having trouble finding – and retaining – talent, even when it's sitting in the stack of résumés in front of them.
It sounds dumb, but it has serious benefits for applicants, HR managers, and their companies:
1. A game relieves the frustration and boredom that hunters currently face by making applying for jobs more interesting and actually fun. The game consists of mini-cases (based on what the company does and what role that job would fill) posing real problems that the employee would face if hired.
A job hunter replies with a short solution to the problem and moves on to the next question. Think Duolingo, but instead of languages, questions are case-based interview problems. The frustration of never hearing back is relieved by useful real-time feedback given for every single response.
2. A game allows job hunters a broader reach. By playing our game, they can apply to more companies than they would be able to via the carpet-bombing method. The more they play, the more tailored our recommendations become & the more likely they can apply for the perfect fit.
3. A game is accessible to everyone, regardless of background, location, or network. It eliminates barriers like personal connections or biased resume screening. Instead of wasting countless hours on apps like TikTok — where Americans spent an estimated 2.5 trillion minutes in 2024 — we can put that time back to work. Our game will provide an engaging way to demonstrate skills, offering a productive and enjoyable alternative to aimless scrolling.
4. A game can reveal the true applicant to hiring managers. Traditional job applications often reflect how candidates want to appear rather than who they really are. A game, however, can seamlessly integrate personality and value assessments into the experience. These assessments provide deeper insights into what candidates are actually like, not just their polished profiles. Plus, users only need to complete these assessments and input their experiences once, streamlining the process for every job application after that.
This is why we built VersoJobs: we firmly believe that the best job for you isn't just the highest salary or the best benefits but what you are actually good at. Games create a dynamic, data-rich environment where candidates can demonstrate their abilities in real time. This helps job seekers find a great job at a company where they are likely to thrive. With enough players and validated skill data, companies tap into a vast talent pool, making it easier to identify hires who are an excellent at what they do and who are a good fit for the company culture.
So, we built a game.
One of the things that has made America extraordinary is the belief that every person can pursue what they are best suited to do — and that one's starting point in life should not prevent them from achieving it.
The Frontiersmen embody this spirit. They took what God gave them and made the most of it, even when it meant crossing dangerous peaks and navigating treacherous passes in pursuit of opportunity.
We want to challenge everyday Americans to become modern-day Frontiersmen. Even if you're comfortable, ask yourself: "Am I where I'm meant to be?"
The American Dream isn't dead, but it's on life support. JD Vance's story shows it's still alive—but only barely. Europeans once crossed the Atlantic in droves, believing America was a land of opportunity. Today, the journey out of a "dead-end" town is so rare that it's considered movie-worthy when it happens.
The American Dream means different things to different people. You might think JD Vance represents it because he's now Vice President-elect. But for the Irish immigrants who came here, the dream wasn't about being CEOs or high-ranking officials — it was about building a safe, stable home, raising their children with confidence in their future, putting food on the table, and supporting their church and community without fear.
JD Vance grew up in hardship but achieved the American Dream: a stable, fulfilling life – all before he became Vice President. But the essence of the American Dream isn't achieving wealth or prestige—it's realizing one's potential, regardless of where you start.
At VersoJobs, our mission is to help the rest of the JD Vance-s find a way out of the stack of résumés. We believe that everyone deserves to find a job that is a good match for them and their employers. Work is important to men, and we want to build a platform that helps people find work that actually fits them.
We're building a platform to revive the American Dream — not just for a few, but for all Americans.
America's Dream
Written by Joe Dunikoski & Luke Posegate.
