What are the best practices for scouting new talent for an esports team?

1 Define your needs

Before you start looking for new players, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of skills, roles, and personalities you need for your team. You should analyze your current strengths and weaknesses, your game plan and style, and your long-term vision. You should also consider your budget, your timeline, and your expectations. Having a well-defined profile of your ideal candidate will help you narrow down your search and avoid wasting time and resources on incompatible or unrealistic prospects.

2 Use multiple sources

Discovering new talent for your esports team requires a combination of sources, including online platforms, tournaments and events, and your own network. Online platforms such as leaderboards, forums, and social media can help you find players with high rankings, positive feedback, or impressive statistics. You can also attend tournaments and events to scout for players with strong performance under pressure. Finally, leveraging your own network of contacts is an effective way to find new talent. Former or current players, colleagues, friends, or mentors can provide suggestions, feedback, or introductions to potential candidates.

3 Evaluate holistically

When scouting for new talent for your esports team, you should evaluate them holistically, considering their motivation and goals, communication and collaboration skills, and adaptability and resilience. Look for players who have a strong passion and drive for esports, who share your vision and values, and who are willing to learn and improve. They should be able to communicate effectively and respectfully, both verbally and non-verbally, as well as cooperate and coordinate with their teammates. Additionally, they need to be able to adapt to different situations and challenges, handle stress and pressure, and cope with failure and feedback. Avoid players who are only motivated by money, fame, or ego; rude, arrogant, or toxic; rigid, stubborn or complacent; or have low self-esteem or confidence.

4 Test and verify

Before you make a final decision on hiring a new player for your esports team, you should test and verify their skills, traits, and fit with your team. Tryouts and interviews are a great way to observe the candidate in action, test their performance and compatibility, and ask them questions about their background, experience, and expectations. Additionally, it’s important to contact the candidates' previous or current teams, managers, coaches, or mentors to gain an understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, areas of improvement, and reasons for leaving. Background checks should also be conducted to verify their identity, credentials, and reputation. Giving feedback is essential to assess how the candidate responds and improves. Gathering this information should help you make an informed decision on whether they are the right fit for your team.

5 Follow up and negotiate

After you have tested and verified the candidates, you should follow up with them and let them know your decision, whether it is positive or negative. You should also negotiate the terms and conditions of your contract, such as salary, benefits, duration, obligations, and expectations. You should be transparent, fair, and respectful, and try to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. You should also keep in touch with the candidates until they join your team, and provide them with the necessary support and guidance to help them integrate and succeed.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?