SOFTSWISS, in partnership with Pentasia, hosted its first Live Panel titled Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026. The session highlighted how outdated hiring practices are costing companies top talent and introduced a practical seven‑step framework to address these challenges.
Key Takeaways
Open Conversation 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.
Natalia Perkowska, Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS, highlighted that the disconnection 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, and 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.
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
Alastair Cleland, Managing Director at Pentasia, underscored that talent loss does not occur at a single point but across the entire hiring system. From role definition to onboarding and retention, gaps accumulate and directly affect outcomes. He noted that the depth of discussion during the nearly two‑hour session reflects how significantly hiring now influences business performance in 2026.
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.
