Global recruiter Interactive Selection has launched a website-centred initiative to attract more women into the male-dominated games industry.

An informal diversity audit undertaken by the games and interactive entertainment specialist revealed that about one in 10 candidates for games industry jobs is a woman. In the games development specialism, the figure dropped to one in 15 but about a quarter of applicants for games marketing were women.

The industry welcomes - and would like to see more - women recruits to both help develop games and take on business-focused roles, Interactive managing director David Smith told Recruiter. “While it’s not possible to overtly advertise for guys or girls, the message I get is, if they have two candidates of equal ability, they’d probably hire the women.

“We know that the numbers of women in the games industry are frustratingly low,” Smith continued. “It’s a failing of the games industry as a whole -; not just on a social level but on a business level.” But whatever the cause, he said, “I want to do more to help women work and progress their careers in the games sector.”

The website, www.womeningamesjobs.com, showcases professional women who enjoy successful careers across a spectrum of specialisms in games companies. Interactive Selection consultant Antonia Cullum conducts the interviews and addresses the issues with an understanding gained from first-hand experience; Cullum previously worked as a producer in the games industry.

“Women just don’t think of it as an option” in part because of the prevailing stereotype of the industry as “geeky boys sitting around in rooms coming up with all of these games”, Cullum told Recruiter. “That’s massively out of date.”

Instead, Cullum said, the reality is a sophisticated, multi-billion pound global industry. “There is this really exciting industry out there!” she exclaimed.

To date the site gets about 2,000 hits a month. Smith believes that will increase within six to 12 months to 20,000 hits per month.