A strong team is the backbone of a successful company. This is particularly crucial in the iGaming industry, where competition for top talent is intense – about 75% of companies cite attracting and retaining skilled professionals as their primary challenge.
Below, I’ll share the strategies we at Evoplay use to attract and retain top talent, especially as we expand our presence on the international stage.
Evolution of Evoplay’s talent acquisition strategy during international expansion
Adapting our talent acquisition strategy during international expansion is a necessity, fueled by both external and internal factors. Externally, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and global volatility generally necessitated a significant shift in our approach, requiring us to adapt to new circumstances. Internally, the need to scale our business has been a major factor. Since our founding in 2017, Evoplay has consistently expanded in game volume, partnerships, and overall business metrics. Strengthening our team to support this growth has been paramount.
Our evolving recruitment and retention strategies reflect our experiences and specific needs. While international expansion requires new approaches, the core principle remains: matching company and employee values. This strategy has shown its effectiveness in practice. For example, we’ve sometimes had to wait from 3 to 11 months for highly qualified candidates to start once we found the right match. This challenging process of attracting top talent with significant experience was intense, but our patience and effort have proven to be well worth it.
At Evoplay, we prioritise a collaborative partnership where mutual dedication, creativity, and innovation are celebrated. This ensures both parties are committed to each other’s success.
Talent acquisition strategy: key elements
- Data analytics
You can’t manage what you can’t measure. When we implemented Applicant Tracking System (ATS), we saw significant benefits, especially as we scaled. This system has allowed us to analyse recruiting data and calculate key parameters more efficiently and insightfully.
- LinkedIn as a powerful recruitment tool
We’ve focused on LinkedIn for connecting with both active and passive candidates. After I’ve implemented changes to our hiring strategy, we completely abandoned job boards and payment for recommendations, and we lobby LinkedIn as the main tool for expanding the TA team’s networking. Due to this, we optimised the TA budget by 3 times and thus reduced the cost per hire.
- Addressing turnover causes
It’s commonly thought that employee turnover is negative, but from my experience, it’s not always the case. When turnover is linked to business demands, it becomes a necessary part of growth. To manage turnover effectively, we focus on optimising work processes, communication, and feedback.
Specifically, our staff turnover rate has dropped by 5.1 times, which I see as a great result. This shows how crucial it is for the Talent Acquisition (TA) and People & Performance (PP) departments to work well together. Having the right people helps us reduce risks and turnover. Going forward, the PP department should focus on developing and strengthening our team to maintain this success.
- Supporting professional development
Offering opportunities for professional growth tailored to individual interests has a positive influence on employee satisfaction and retention. It’s not about offering every course available but providing personalised development paths, which employees value most. For example, the TA and PP teams, thanks to my networking and participation in certain organisations such as Women in Tech, Cartier Awards, SHRM, have access to various training and certifications to improve their development.
- Developing a supportive work environment
Building a supportive and respectful culture is crucial for maintaining a positive work environment. At Evoplay, employees highly value their supportive teammates, fostering a collaborative and positive atmosphere. By centring our talent acquisition strategy on key pillars – analytics, clarity, consistency, and personalised communication – we minimise our reliance on large hiring budgets. Instead, we harness the power of positive word-of-mouth and LinkedIn as effective recruitment tools. As the saying goes, “A good reputation is worth more than gold.”
Key recruitment metrics as performance indicators: Evoplay’s experience
Competition for talent in the iGaming sector is fierce. Our strategy has allowed us to reduce cost-per-hire by threefold and achieve a 96% vacancy fill rate last year. We predict a similar result by the end of 2024. Achieving these results requires more than simply following a strategy; it involves continuous testing and learning from mistakes.
Here are the key metrics we monitor to ensure efficiency in our talent acquisition (TA) team:
Time:
- Time to hire
- Тime to fill
- Job position age
- Time for pre-onboarding* (TPO)
TPO metric was developed by me to accurately reflect the complete hiring process. Our recruiters manage contract and NDA signings before the start date and handle other pre-start procedures. The metric also accounts for varying notice periods, which can be lengthy, particularly in Europe and for C-level positions. This ensures a fairer assessment of our team’s efforts beyond just the time to fill.
Effectiveness:
- Recruitment funnel effectiveness
- Sourcing channel effectiveness
- Yield ratio
Offer:
- Offer acceptance rate
Cost:
- Cost per hire
TA experience:
- Candidate experience
- Hiring manager experience
Quality:
- Quality of hire
- First-year attrition
- Selection ratio (for top-level vacancies)
By calculating and analysing retention rates, we identify and address weak areas, helping us build a truly engaged and motivated workforce.
Key results of our recruitment strategy implementation:
- Systematised and configured analytics for the talent acquisition process.
- Increased vacancy closing rate by 96% in 2023.
- Eliminated ineffective hiring channels to focus on productive ones.
- Developed targeted hiring.
- Implemented ATS, significantly enhancing the hiring process.
- Actively expanded hiring in the EU market and beyond.
Concentrating on data-driven insights, clear processes, and personalised communication ensures our recruitment strategy remains effective and agile. This approach not only optimises our hiring practices but also enhances our ability to attract and retain top talent, which is crucial for our international expansion.
Sustaining team motivation: cultivating an engaging workplace culture
Mutual support, both professionally and personally, along with opportunities for growth, are crucial to our team’s and company’s success. Keeping this in mind, we focus on creating an engaging work environment. Our internal research shows that when employees are engaged, absenteeism drops, and turnover decreases. For example, in 2024, we observed a reduction in employee turnover of up to 10.2% and a decrease in the absenteeism rate to 29.63%.
Offering ample professional growth opportunities, providing strong team support, and fostering a shared drive for success – these are the pillars that uphold our work culture. Our core values play a key role in this effort. They guide us in shaping the culture and practices that make Evoplay a great place to work.
Core values that unite Evoplay team members
- Industry innovations: At Evoplay, we lead with cutting-edge technology and exciting incentives. When team members share our passion for innovation, it’s a sign of alignment and readiness for effective collaboration.
- Continuous development: We focus on ongoing improvements to boost efficiency and performance. Our team thrives in a fast-paced environment and values both professional and personal development.
- Collaboration: We foster a culture of trust and teamwork while valuing individual contributions and new ideas from every team member.
- Informal approach: We encourage transparent communication. Employees appreciate direct access to C-level executives, which enhances feedback and creates a respectful work atmosphere. This approach has led to the successful implementation of many great ideas.
Candidates can explore our general career benefits on the Evoplay.careers website, which serves as our business card. For more detailed information, we encourage a private discussion, as we find a personal approach to be most effective.
We emphasise professional development over perks and seek individuals who share our vision for innovation and leadership. We believe that self-motivation combined with a supportive environment is key to long-term success.
In my view, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs aptly illustrates that while basic needs like salary are important, they aren’t the sole drivers of motivation. At Evoplay, we offer a platform for both personal and professional fulfilment, allowing our employees to advance rapidly and benefit both themselves and the company.
In summary, our success is built on a strong company culture and a dedicated team where everyone feels valued. This focus on professional growth and positive relationships creates a workplace that people truly enjoy being a part of.
Staying ahead in the competitive iGaming talent market: the Evoplay vision
Looking ahead, it’s clear that AI could transform our operations. While AI is great for automating routine tasks, it’s unlikely to significantly impact how we personalise our candidate outreach, which remains crucial for us.
In my view, maintaining a personal touch in recruitment is what truly sets us apart. So, no matter how technology evolves, our primary focus will always be on developing our internal talent. Despite tough external competition, we prioritise skill growth and building a strong team community. This approach keeps our team motivated to stay and contribute.
To stay ahead, we view our team as our greatest asset, so we’re committed to their growth and dedicated to smart innovation.
