(AsiaGameHub) –   The organization conducted its inaugural live panel discussion named Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026.

Press release.- SOFTSWISS held its debut Live Panel event, called Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026, together with Pentasia. The discussion revealed how obsolete recruitment methods cause organizations to lose premier talent and presented a actionable seven-step approach to tackle this issue.

Open conversation about recruitment difficulties

SOFTSWISS introduced its Live Panel series on LinkedIn to create a forum for transparent industry dialogue. The inaugural session centered on findings from its 2026 iGaming Talent Trends study, created in collaboration with Pentasia, a prominent igaming recruitment advisory firm.

The conversation gathered perspectives from throughout the sector, with the speaker lineup featuring top-level executives:

• Natalia Perkowska, deputy chief HR officer at SOFTSWISS.

• Sergey Kastukevich, deputy chief technology officer at SOFTSWISS.

• Andrew Cook, head of Conexus leadership at The Conexus Group.

• Alastair Cleland, managing director at Pentasia.

Recruitment challenges in 2026: the gap between employer and candidate perspectives

Throughout the session, specialists analyzed where the recruitment process is breaking down for both parties. From the employer perspective, pressures are mounting from three areas:

• Rivalry for experienced professionals is heating up throughout the industry.

• Prolonged internal approval processes are extending recruitment timelines.

• Locating applicants who possess both technical skills and regulatory knowledge continues to be an ongoing difficulty.

Meanwhile, job seekers face ambiguous position descriptions, minimal communication, and scarce information about their application status, which diminishes their interest from the beginning and influences future loyalty.

Natalia Perkowska, deputy chief HR officer at SOFTSWISS, stated: “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.”

The perfect seven-stage framework

The discussion traced the complete recruitment path and identified where organizations are forfeiting talent, developing a functional seven-step methodology for 2026.

• Step 1. Pre-Hiring: Identify the challenge, not just the position

• Step 2. Sourcing: Consider worldwide options, not just nearby

• Step 3. Screening: Evaluate for situational fit, not merely abilities

• Step 4. Decision and Offer: Quickness demonstrates sophistication

• Step 5. Onboarding: Positive beginnings yield powerful results

• Step 6. Retention: Continuous learning keeps employees engaged

• Step 7. Post-Employee Experience: Brand perception continues after departure

Alastair Cleland, managing director at Pentasia, noted: “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 complete discussion can be accessed on LinkedIn, offering an in-depth review of the seven-step methodology, including recommended practices and pitfalls at each phase as examined by sector specialists.