CC COVER STORY
“Networking is key in the recruitment industry so we feel it is very important to get out there and meet the best talent in person.” Anthony Hennessy, Managing Consultant, Pentasia Malta to develop throughout their journey with us as we encourage them to take on further responsibilities over time,” he says. The growth of the industry has also led to a number of recruitment companies specialising in the area to set up shop on the island. Established in Malta over ten years ago, Pentasia Malta was an integral part of facilitating the move of some of the biggest gaming companies over to the island, and were one of the first international recruitment companies in Malta. Anthony Hennessy, Managing Consultant at Pentasia Malta affirms that what drives the company’s success is understanding the needs of both local and international clients. “The majority of the team in the Malta office are originally from different areas of the world, so we will always have a member of staff who can relate to each candidate and client personally regarding relocation and adjusting to life in Malta, making it easier to recruit the best global talent to the island,” he explains. And as Pentasia grows in staff numbers in Malta and prepares to open new offices in Sweden, Germany and Spain, Mr Hennessy points to one particular area that can be improved in relation to making Malta a better jurisdiction. “There is a recurring issue with potential companies looking to relocate to Malta who find they have problems securing
suitable office space on the island. As Malta is so popular as a location for the industry, this will continue to be a stumbling block unless addressed,” he advises. Asked what Pentasia is doing to strengthen its recruitment drive, Mr Hennessy explains that it is currently a very candidate-driven market, so Pentasia has to work on attracting the best candidates from all over the world. “Networking is key in the recruitment industry so we feel it is very important to get out there and meet the best talent in person. Pentasia staff will attend a number of gaming conferences, meet new talent on a daily basis and educate candidates on what the best move is for them going forward in their career. We are not just recruiters but market specialists, and candidates ask us for advice whether they are actively looking or not,” he says. Lastly, boutique search and selection consultancy iGaming Elite specialises in headhunting within the online gaming/ gambling space, and has been in operation for almost six years. Founder and CEO Dean Nicholls has spent the last 16 years working within recruitment and executive search, and was in Malta working on a recruitment project when he decided to launch the bespoke business “that would be synonymous with quality and transparency.”
“Now that we have firmly established ourselves as one of the leading iGaming recruiters in Malta, we are looking to establish a multiple office network that will start in 2017. We are due to open offices in the UK, Sweden, Eastern Europe and Asia,” he maintains. Asked whether there are any areas that can be improved to make Malta a better jurisdiction, Mr Nicholls identifies a need to professionalise the industry for local students. “This would allow a better talent pool at entry level across the board, which would increase the quality on the island,” he maintains, adding that issuing visas has also become more difficult. “When we look at a candidate-driven and talent-driven market, a lot of quality can be acquired from non EU jurisdictions, so making this process smoother could be beneficial,” he continues. As for iGaming Elite itself, what is the company doing to strengthen its recruitment drive? “We continue to work hard and provide our growing client base with the service and quality that we have become renowned for,” says Mr Nicholls, adding, “our network has always been strong, however, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve. We acknowledge and understand the needs of our clients and candidates – we are cultivators of talent and are therefore judged on what we deliver.” cc
“Now that we have firmly established ourselves as one of the leading iGaming recruiters in Malta, we are looking to establish a multiple office network that will start in 2017. We are due to open offices in the UK, Sweden, Eastern Europe and Asia.” Dean Nicholls, Founder and CEO, iGaming Elite 20
SEPTEMBER 2016