Oksana Izmaylova: How PIN-UP Global develops iGaming talents around the world

Oksana Izmaylova, Chief Human Resources Director of PIN-UP Global talks about what makes them the best employer in the iGaming industry, how they build a highly professional team and cope with the challenges of international recruitment.

Tell us about PIN-UP Global - what is important for a candidate to know about you?

PIN-UP Global is an international holding covering the full cycle of products and services for the gaming industry, including software development, customer support, management, marketing, legal and financial support and much more. Today we are present in seven countries - Cyprus, Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Peru and India. Our team consists of more than 3000 professionals who have in-depth knowledge of the market and use the latest technologies in their work. We unite the efforts of all our companies to achieve the highest level of service and product quality, guided by mutual trust and respect.

You mentioned that PIN-UP Global has offices in seven countries. What challenges do you face in hiring given your internationality and multiculturalism?

The challenges are due to the specific requirements for our specialists and the nature of our business.

First, it is the need for experience. In our field, knowledge cannot be gained theoretically - it is practical experience, which is gained only in the course of work. That's why we always need two-in-one employees, for example, content specialists with in-depth knowledge of betting. It is not difficult to find just a content specialist, but it is more difficult to find a candidate who also has knowledge and experience in betting.

Second, the requirements for analytical skills and results orientation. Our specialists must be able to think in numbers and have the ability to learn quickly. Such people are always worth their weight in gold on the labor market.

Third, high pace of development and adaptability. PIN-UP is developing very quickly, and our specialists must be flexible and ready to adapt in a constantly changing environment. This means that we are looking for people who can quickly learn new skills and apply them in practice, react quickly to changes and offer innovative solutions.

And if we talk about internationality and multiculturalism, working in such an environment requires a high degree of intercultural competence - the ability to communicate and interact effectively with colleagues from different countries and cultures and find a common language with them.

PIN-UP is one of the leaders on the iGaming market. How do you manage to keep the bar and how do you stimulate and motivate the team to achieve high results?

Understanding the role model. This starts with our CEO setting it on the principle that if you want to implement something, start with yourself. Our leaders actively demonstrate the standards and expectations we want to see on our team.

In addition, we ensure transparency and openness in all aspects of our business. Regular meetings and discussions allow each employee to understand the strategic goals of the business and their role in achieving them. Openness of information is important to us - we always provide answers to all employee questions. Any PIN-UP professional can speak directly to the CEO or C-Level team with any question. We also actively invest in the training and development of our employees, providing them with opportunities for career growth and professional development.

In summary, PIN-UP's success in the iGaming market is the result of our courage in making non-standard decisions, focus on long-term cooperation with clients and our specialists, understanding the employee portrait, and forming a homogeneous team. We are never satisfied with our result, we always do more.

What strategies does PIN-UP employ to retain talent and prevent key employees from leaving?

The sphere allows you to experiment and apply your experience and knowledge - and this is attractive for professionals. We are constantly growing, which means that there are stable opportunities to try themselves in new roles, openness and directness of communication allow employees to understand their development zones and receive positive feedback in time. We have very competitive salaries, extended social package, possibility of relocation - all this contributes to attracting and retaining the best specialists.

PIN-UP actively develops the direction of training and development of specialists - Learning&Development Department. The goal of L&D is to create a corporate academy that will maximally cover the needs of specialists in hard and softskills training, as well as provide managers with the necessary management knowledge and skills.

For this purpose we create customized training courses for the needs of different business areas and functions with their examples and cases, develop our own LMS (Learning Management System), and additionally - for highly specialized needs of specialists - purchase external training courses. For specialists whose work involves the active use of English, we offer specialized English courses, which we develop ourselves taking into account the specifics of their work.

Opportunity to work with different geos, go on business trips, receive additional training. Working with very strong and professional colleagues, the best on the market - this is what makes up our magnetism.

Are you responsive to changes in the labor market?

We actively respond to changes in the labor market and constantly integrate modern trends into the work of our holding company. For example, we introduce new positions, such as relocation managers, to support employees in the process of adaptation to a new country of residence. These managers help with official employment, obtaining a work status, solving various everyday issues in the new country, both for the employee and his/her family.

How often do you hire and tell us about the key hot vacancies today?

We are constantly hiring new employees. We currently have over 400 open positions in various fields. In the last year, our staff has grown from 2,000 to 3,300, which means we have grown by 1,300 employees. PIN-UP is expanding in a measured and considered way, aiming to find the best candidates for each role. So if you'd like to join us, check out the website and apply for the right vacancy.