SOFTSWISS and Pentasia Fix Hiring Mistakes Costing iGaming Its Top Talent in 2026

SOFTSWISS hosted its first Live Panel, titled Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026, in partnership with Pentasia. The session exposed how outdated hiring practices cost companies top talent and introduced a practical seven-step framework to address this problem.

Open Dialogue On Hiring Challenges

SOFTSWISS launched its Live Panel on LinkedIn as a space for open and honest industry conversation, with the first session focused on insights from its 2026 iGaming Talent Trends report, developed in partnership with Pentasia, a leading iGaming recruitment consultancy.

The discussion brought together insights from across the industry, with the speaker panel including senior executives:

Hiring Pain Points in 2026: Employer Vs Candidate Reality

During the session, experts broke down where the hiring process is failing on both sides. On the employer side, the pressure is coming from three directions:

• Competition for senior talent is intensifying across the market
• Slow internal decision-making is stretching hiring cycles
• Finding candidates with both technical and regulatory expertise remains a persistent challenge

At the same time, candidates encounter unclear roles, limited feedback, and little visibility into where they stand, which weakens engagement from the outset and affects long-term retention.

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. 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.

Natalia Perkowska

Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS

Ideal Seven-Step Framework

The session walked through the full hiring journey and pinpointed where companies are losing talent, building out a practical seven-step framework for 2026.

• Step 1. Pre-Hiring: Define the problem, not the role
• Step 2. Sourcing: Think globally, not locally 
• Step 3. Screening: Hire for context, not just 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, including a nearly two-hour session, reflects how deeply hiring now affects business outcomes in 2026.

Alastair Cleland

Managing Director at Pentasia

The full session is available via this link, featuring a detailed walkthrough of the seven-step framework, with Dos and Don'ts at each stage discussed by industry experts.