iGaming software provider SOFTSWISS, in partnership with Pentasia, hosted its first live panel, “Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026,” focusing on hiring inefficiencies in the iGaming industry.
The live panel, streamed on LinkedIn, marks the beginning of an open discussion series aimed at addressing key industry issues. The inaugural session drew insights from the 2026 iGaming Talent Trends report, jointly developed by SOFTSWISS and Pentasia.
The panel featured senior executives from across the iGaming and recruitment sectors, including Natalia Perkowska, SOFTSWISS Deputy Chief HR Officer; Sergey Kastukevich, SOFTSWISS Deputy Chief Technology Officer; Andrew Cook, Head of Conexus Leadership at The Conexus Group; and Alastair Cleland, Pentasia Managing Director.
According to the panel, employers in 2026 are facing growing pressure from several fronts, including intensifying competition for senior-level talent, prolonged hiring cycles caused by slow internal decision-making, and ongoing difficulty in finding candidates who possess both technical and regulatory expertise.
Candidates are also experiencing frustrations such as unclear job roles, limited feedback, and a lack of transparency throughout the hiring process—issues that weaken engagement and negatively affect retention.
“The disconnect between employer expectations and candidate experience is not a single issue – it is a system-level problem,” said Perkowska. “Gaps at each stage of the hiring process accumulate and shape how candidates perceive the company. When these gaps are not addressed, they directly impact both hiring outcomes and long-term retention, making it harder for businesses to compete for high-quality talent.”
To address these issues, the panel introduced a seven-step hiring framework tailored to modern workforce demands. The approach emphasizes defining the problem rather than just the role, expanding sourcing strategies globally, prioritizing contextual hiring beyond technical skills, accelerating decision-making and offer processes, strengthening onboarding practices, investing in upskilling to improve retention, and managing post-employment reputation.
Cleland added: “Talent loss does not happen at a single point – it occurs across the entire hiring system. From role definition to onboarding and retention, gaps accumulate and directly impact outcomes. The level of discussion we saw, including a nearly two-hour session, reflects how deeply hiring now affects business outcomes in 2026.”
The full panel discussion, including detailed insights and best practices for each stage of hiring, is available here.
