Scalability: How Blind Squirrel Meets Demanding Project Needs

Scalability: How Blind Squirrel Meets Demanding Project Needs

For more than 15 years, Blind Squirrel Games has successfully delivered a wide range of game projects, from co-development engagements to full-cycle development. This blog outlines Blind Squirrel Games’ approach to forecasting future staffing needs, onboarding new team members efficiently, and managing personnel transitions as projects begin and conclude. Additionally, we cover what happens when a project’s scope changes and staffing needs fluctuate up and down. A summary of historical examples demonstrating these practices is provided at the end.

Part 1: Workforce Anticipation & Planning: Preventing Challenges Before They Arise

Effective scaling requires foresight and strategic planning; failing to prepare can lead to significant setbacks. At Blind Squirrel, prior to engaging with any client, we conduct weekly staffing and planning meetings with our senior leadership team. These discussions focus on identifying internal resources and determining where labor can be allocated to meet project demands. This proactive approach enables us to ensure that every role is adequately filled with current employees whose projects might be ending, while also assessing the need for recruitment by Human Resources to address any potential gaps in our workforce.

Once Blind Squirrel enters the bidding process, we are able to analyze the specifics of each project and identify the required roles. The initial step is an internal evaluation to determine which personnel from within the organization would be well-suited to complement the project team. We apply very simple criteria when considering individuals for reassignment, we ask: “are they a good fit for the requirements of the work?” and “when will they be finished with work on their current project?” with the assurance that no team member will be moved until their current responsibilities are fully completed.

Following the internal resource assessment, we begin evaluating external hiring options. Blind Squirrel cultivates strong relationships with people, which significantly reduces the time required to integrate them into the team when needed. Additionally, we maintain partnerships with trusted external vendors, particularly in specialized areas such as concept art, and have a broad network of skilled freelancers and outsourcing partners available for immediate engagement.

Finally, it is essential to consider cost implications throughout this process, ensuring that resource allocation remains within budgetary constraints. At Blind Squirrel, we have determined that the most effective approach to delivering high-quality service at a competitive price is through the strategic combination of experienced Western leadership and highly skilled offshore talent. Our studios in New Zealand and Colombia are overseen by industry veterans Matthew Fawcett and Mark Phoenix, respectively. Their leadership is further strengthened by the expertise of local project managers and strong talent pools. These are crucial functions in fostering open communication across all levels of the organization, while also providing valuable perspectives that enhance our operations and enrich the overall work environment.

Part 2: The New Squirrel Journey: Hiring, Onboarding, & Culture

We begin the job-posting and hiring process as soon as Blind Squirrel starts initial project discussions with potential customers. Like most companies, BSG offers referral bonuses to employees who refer to someone for a role that ends up getting hired. During this process is when BSG uses resume processing tools to sift out people who obviously do not meet the minimum job requirements. Streamlining the hiring process is part of what makes the BSG onboarding process so efficient; unlike many firms in the tech and game-industry space, where the average hiring cycle spans roughly a month to six weeks. For example, an overall “time to fill” average of 44 days is reported in one recruitment benchmark [1]. We consistently complete our interview-to-offer process in under two weeks. In an industry where almost a quarter of professionals reported layoffs and 44 % of jobseekers have submitted 100+ applications [2]. Our streamlined timeline helps ensure top talent engages quickly, avoids fatigue, and commences productive work far sooner than the average.

One of the most critical qualities we evaluate during the hiring process is a candidate’s ability to become a “Squirrel,” meaning their capacity to seamlessly integrate into the culture at Blind Squirrel. BSG distinguishes itself from other companies through an environment of exceptionally open communication across all levels of the organization. For instance, during our “All Hands” meetings, any employee may submit an anonymous question to the executive team, which is then addressed in front of the entire company.

Blind Squirrel’s onboarding process is equally distinctive. We believe that the most effective way to prepare a new employee for success in the BSG environment is to immerse them in their work environment as quickly as possible. Following completion of HR documentation, the new hire is supported by our IT department to obtain all necessary hardware and software. The employee is then introduced directly to their manager to begin work immediately. This approach has proven highly effective and has allowed us to efficiently train hundreds of employees across a wide range of roles.

Part 3: Managing Projects, People, & Progress

At this point in the new Squirrel’s journey, the employee should be able to hit the ground running. All the preparations finally come to fruition as a new employee begins producing work for their assigned project. Thanks to the diligent efforts of Human Resources, who ensure that new employees feel welcomed and integrated into our company culture, and the support from IT, which ensures they have all necessary technological resources, the new team member is equipped to deliver high-quality results. This marks the beginning of the most rewarding phase: producing exceptional outcomes for our clients.

In the gaming industry, burnout is a significant concern, particularly as project deadlines approach. Overtime can quickly escalate, and it is our responsibility to mitigate this risk. While effective planning is the best strategy for preventing burnout, unforeseen challenges can sometimes make overtime unavoidable. To manage this, we have established a system of checks and balances as well as clear guidelines regarding the maximum amount of overtime an individual can work. These guidelines are monitored closely, and if an employee exceeds these limits, we intervene to ensure they take necessary breaks.

While we make a concerted effort to prevent negative workplace symptoms like burnout, or interpersonal conflicts, they may still happen. To preemptively address these challenges, we conduct regular Project Status Report (PSR) meetings every two weeks. These meetings serve as cross-disciplinary discussions on the status of the project, capturing both qualitative and quantitative data points, which are systematically recorded and analyzed. PSR meetings provide a forum for transparent communication across the company, which we consider a core value. It is vital that employees feel "safe" to express their honest assessments of the project's progress, no matter the nature of the feedback. These meetings cover a wide range of topics, from technical issues and team health reports to individual progress updates.

Part 4: BSG Success Stories

One early milestone for BSG was the BioShock Remaster, a one-year, full-development engagement that required us to hire 40 new team members in just three to four months. As our first complete development project, BioShock became one of Blind Squirrel’s defining success stories and laid the groundwork for future full development initiatives. One of the most critical lessons from this effort was the importance of scaling overhead roles in parallel with talent acquisition, an approach that allowed us to integrate 40 new employees smoothly without interrupting workflow or productivity.

A recent success story of ours is Delta Force, where BSG was tasked with building all core systems for an AAA shooter within just one year. Projects of this scale normally require three years or more, but Blind Squirrel reduced that timeline by 66% through strategic staffing, leveraging available internal talent and rapidly onboarding additional team members to form a highly cohesive development group. The project culminated in a successful launch and a highly satisfied client, and we were able to transition most team members to new projects immediately afterward.

Our expansion into Colombia began with the acquisition of a seven-person team to support Age of Darkness, and we quickly grew the studio from there. However, by drawing on experienced western leadership and our background in building offshore studios, we were able to quickly and effectively integrate the Colombia team into Blind Squirrel’s culture, processes, and operations.

Conclusion

Through robust preparations, streamlined hiring processes, and meticulous management on projects, Blind Squirrel has been successful at scaling for over 15 years. Scalability can be a challenging problem to navigate for any company, especially if it’s done on an international level. We hope that sharing our experience will help others be able to scale as effectively as we have.