SOFTSWISS has partnered with Pentasia to address critical talent retention issues plaguing the iGaming industry, launching their inaugural Live Panel session focused on overhauling outdated hiring practices that continue to cost companies their most valuable personnel.
Industry Leaders Confront Hiring Reality
The LinkedIn-hosted panel, titled "Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026", drew insights from SOFTSWISS and Pentasia's collaborative 2026 iGaming Talent Trends report. The session brought together senior executives to examine systemic failures in current recruitment approaches.
The discussion revealed a stark disconnect between employer expectations and candidate experiences. Companies face mounting pressure from three critical areas: intensifying competition for senior talent, prolonged internal decision-making processes that extend hiring cycles, and the persistent challenge of identifying candidates with both technical expertise and regulatory knowledge.
Meanwhile, candidates encounter unclear role definitions, insufficient feedback, and limited visibility into their application status – factors that weaken engagement from initial contact and ultimately affect long-term retention rates.
"The disconnect between employer expectations and candidate experience is not a single issue – it is a system-level problem. Gaps at each stage of the hiring process accumulate and shape how candidates perceive the company."
— Natalia Perkowska, Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS
Structured Approach to Talent Acquisition
The nearly two-hour session outlined a comprehensive seven-step framework designed to address hiring challenges across the complete talent acquisition cycle:
Step 1: Pre-Hiring – Define the problem, not the role Step 2: Sourcing – Think globally, not locally Step 3: Screening – Hire for context, not skills Step 4: Decision and Offer – Speed reflects maturity Step 5: Onboarding – Good Starts Drive Strong Returns Step 6: Retention – Upskilling Is What Makes People Stay Step 7: Post-Employee Experience – Reputation extends beyond employment
"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 reflects how deeply hiring now affects business outcomes in 2026."
— Alastair Cleland, Managing Director at Pentasia
SOFTSWISS-Pentasia Partnership
The collaboration between SOFTSWISS and Pentasia represents the first major industry-wide initiative to systematically address talent retention through evidence-based hiring practices. Their joint 2026 iGaming Talent Trends report forms the foundation for the seven-step framework being promoted across the industry.
Strategic Implications for Operators
This collaborative initiative signals recognition that talent acquisition has evolved beyond traditional HR functions into a strategic business imperative. The emphasis on post-employment reputation management and global sourcing strategies suggests operators must adopt more sophisticated approaches to compete effectively for skilled professionals.
The framework's focus on context-driven hiring over pure skill matching reflects the industry's growing complexity, where regulatory knowledge and adaptability increasingly complement technical capabilities. For compliance-focused roles particularly, this approach could prove essential as jurisdictions continue expanding their oversight requirements.
According to SOFTSWISS.
