Why Soft Skills Matter in iGaming Career and How to Improve Them

In recent years, the importance of soft skills in the realm of HR and talent management has been steadily increasing. Today, these skills play a decisive role in the success of employees and the overall growth of businesses. This is particularly relevant in dynamic and competitive industries like iGaming, where not only technical expertise but also the ability to adapt quickly, and work in teams.

In this article, Daria Fot, HR Director, will discuss soft skills in the context of hiring for specific positions, team development, and the approach used at EvenBet Gaming. This information will be useful both for professionals planning their career path and for employers looking to build an effective team.

What Are Soft Skills and How to Assess Their Level?

Hard skills are directly linked to a person’s education and professional experience in solving specific business tasks. In contrast, soft skills represent a deeper layer of personal qualities. While not directly engaged in task execution, they significantly influence how effectively a specialist operates.

For example:

• Hard skill: Proficiency in working with CRM systems.
• Soft skill: The ability to make quick decisions in stressful situations.

Soft skills are often more difficult to measure but can be more critical than hard skills in many roles. Unlike hard skills, which can be assessed with tests or practical assignments, soft skills require a different approach during the hiring process. Their development is complex, and their evaluation is subjective, which makes them both essential and elusive.

Employers frequently develop competency maps, which include a blend of both hard and soft skills required for a role. These maps guide the interview process and help in assessing a candidate’s suitability. To evaluate soft skills, interviewers commonly rely on behavioural questions. Examples include asking candidates to describe how they handle conflicts and requesting specific examples or case studies from the candidate’s experience.

Although candidates may exaggerate or misrepresent their personal traits, experienced recruiters are adept at recognising inconsistencies. Only exceptionally skilled individuals with extensive interview experience can convincingly align all the subtle details of their narrative. Average professionals, who change jobs occasionally, typically lack this ability, making it easier for recruiters to identify lies.

By focusing on structured competency-based interviews, recruiters can gain valuable insights into a candidate’s genuine soft skills, ultimately ensuring a better fit for the role and the team.

Why Are Soft Skills More Important Now?

Extensive discussion of soft skills in HR began relatively recently, although the topic itself is not new. As early as 1918 (!), the Carnegie Foundation published a study among engineering communities, revealing that 94% of respondents considered character to be the most important quality for career success.

Soft skills are significantly more difficult to cultivate than hard skills. While hard skills can often be acquired through training or experience, soft skills are deeply rooted in personality and behaviour. For this reason, employers prioritise candidates who already possess strong soft skills, valuing them higher in the hiring process.

At the same time, businesses are also interested in developing the soft skills of their existing employees. A study by MIT Sloan on one of the manufacturers soft skills development programmes showed a 250% return on investment.

The modern labour market has shifted towards a human-centred approach, embracing the concept of human-to-human interactions. In this new paradigm, being a well-rounded individual is more important than just functioning. Research shows that employees with advanced soft skills are more likely to achieve career success compared to those who excel only in hard skills.

To succeed and thrive in today’s competitive work environment, employees are expected to adapt their mindset and demonstrate commitment to their work, develop essential abilities such as communication, teamwork, leadership, stress management, and emotional intelligence. These qualities not only help individuals navigate workplace challenges but also contribute to the overall success of the organisation.

Given the choice between two candidates — one with strong soft skills but weaker hard skills, and another with perfect hard skills but lacking soft skills — employers are likely to favour the first candidate. Why?

• Soft skills indicate a higher potential for quick learning and adaptability in acquiring hard skills.
• In contrast, developing soft skills is a longer and more complex process, making it harder to bridge gaps in this area.

Soft skills enable employees to stay resilient, flexible, and proactive, which are crucial qualities in an evolving and competitive job market. As workplaces continue to emphasise collaboration and innovation, the importance of soft skills will only grow.

What Soft Skills are Employers Looking For in iGaming?

While the iGaming sector doesn’t require fundamentally unique soft skills compared to other industries, its specific dynamics and challenges place emphasis on several key traits.

1. Empathy and Emotional Stability

For example, customer support roles in iGaming, particularly for operators, demand high emotional intelligence and resilience. Support agents in a poker room frequently engage with frustrated players, particularly those facing financial losses. Essential skills include:

• Empathy: Understanding the player’s frustration and responding with compassion.
• Emotional control: Maintaining professionalism under emotional pressure.
• Conflict resolution: De-escalating tense situations and providing constructive solutions.

2. Adaptability to a High-Pressure, Competitive Market

The fast-paced and competitive nature of the iGaming industry highlights the need for employees with:

• Broad perspective: A wide knowledge base and the ability to think strategically.
• Curiosity: An eagerness to explore and implement new technologies.
• Creative thinking: Innovating solutions to enhance the user experience or streamline operations.
• Quick problem-solving skills: The ability to identify and address challenges efficiently.
• Work optimisation: A focus on continuous improvement to outperform competitors.

Teams equipped with these qualities are better positioned to anticipate market trends or even create new ones, giving their companies a competitive edge.

3. Understanding the Workforce Shift

The labour market is evolving, particularly with the growing presence of Generation Z. This generation brings unique traits, including a tendency to avoid long-term commitments. They prefer rapid career progression and higher income opportunities. Additionally, they have a strong desire to grow both in position and responsibility, which can be harder to achieve when staying with one company for an extended period.

Employers will increasingly focus on soft skills suited for short-term, project-based work, such as:

• The ability to quickly adapt and deeply understand a project’s requirements.
• Ethical sensitivity, particularly when working on projects for competitors of the previous employers, ensuring compliance with NDAs and maintaining professional integrity.
• Ensuring ethical standards are upheld when discussing past projects or employers.

By prioritising these soft skills, iGaming companies can cultivate teams capable of adapting to industry trends, managing challenges, and maintaining their competitive edge in this dynamic market.

Essential Soft Skills for Remote Work

Since 2020, despite resistance from some companies, the trend towards remote and hybrid work has become a lasting reality. With this shift, candidates are now expected to possess specific soft skills that enable them to thrive in these environments.

One of the most critical skill sets for remote work includes:

• Time management: The ability to plan and prioritise tasks effectively to meet deadlines.
• Self-discipline: Staying focused and productive without external supervision.
• Self-organisation: Structuring the workday and maintaining a dedicated workspace for maximum efficiency.

These skills ensure that employees can remain consistent and reliable, even when working independently.

It’s essential to distinguish between wanting to work remotely and being capable of doing so. For some, distractions at home — such as the temptation to relax, watch a series, or play games — are manageable. For others, external factors like the physical presence of colleagues or managerial oversight are necessary to stay productive.

Given this, hiring managers place significant importance on prior experience with remote work. Candidates without such experience are less likely to be considered, as the ability to self-manage in a remote setting is difficult to predict without a proven track record.

Even when candidates have verified remote work experience, employers often assess their organisational habits during interviews. Typical questions include:

• How do you organise your workspace for optimal productivity?
• What strategies do you use to structure your workday?
• How do you minimise distractions when working from home?

Such questions help determine whether a candidate has the mindset and habits necessary to succeed in a remote or hybrid role.

By prioritising these soft skills, companies can ensure their remote workforce remains effective, self-reliant, and aligned with organisational goals.

Are Soft Skills Important for All Roles?

In short, yes — soft skills are important for every position. However, their significance varies depending on the nature of the role. Below is a breakdown of professions ranked by how critical soft skills are, from least to most essential.

1. Roles Without Human Interaction

For positions that do not involve working with people, soft skills may seem less critical. Examples include janitors whose role doesn’t require higher education or extensive experience. Still, employers will favour candidates who are polite, approachable, and courteous. Another example is factory workers. While these employees primarily interact with machinery, they still need soft skills such as responsibility, focus, and attention to detail.

2. Roles Requiring Teamwork or Decision-Making

These roles include employees who primarily work independently but must collaborate with others or make decisions as part of a team. For example, software developers. Though they mainly interact with computers, they often need to discuss and coordinate tasks with team members. Key soft skills for software engineering include communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

3. Customer-Facing Roles

For jobs requiring constant interaction with people, soft skills become more important. This category includes sales managers, account managers, and support specialists. Employees in these roles must demonstrate empathy, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills. The ability to understand client needs, navigate challenging conversations, and build relationships is critical.

4. Leadership Positions

Soft skills are paramount for leaders, as their responsibilities focus heavily on managing teams and influencing others. While hard skills are helpful, they take a backseat to qualities like:

• Communication and motivation.
• Strategic thinking.
• Emotional intelligence and conflict management.

At the C-level, soft skills are of paramount importance. For example, as an HR specialist, I used to be deeply involved in recruitment and was highly skilled in this area. Now, in my leadership role, I focus on broader strategic goals, relying on the recruitment expertise of my team. My ability to collaborate, inspire, and lead has become far more valuable than my hard skills in recruitment.

Key Soft Skills for Leadership Roles

There’s often a misconception about what makes an effective manager. Many believe the primary job of a leader is to issue directives. In reality, a manager’s core responsibility is to create an environment where their team can efficiently solve business challenges. This coaching-style leadership is well-established in countries like the United States but still underutilised globally.

The essence of leadership lies in building a team culture that fosters:

• Autonomy in decision-making.
• Collaboration and trust.
• A focus on both personal and team development.

Without these, leaders tend to resort to micromanagement, which hinders productivity and demotivates the team.

This misunderstanding is particularly common in IT companies. For instance, among software developers, many assume that the team lead role should go to the most technically experienced programmer. However, this often leads to challenges:

• Natural introversion: Many developers prefer coding over managerial responsibilities.
• Managerial responsibilities: Tasks like conducting one-on-one meetings, providing feedback, and mentoring are integral to leadership. Those who lack an affinity for these can struggle to inspire their team.

Promoting a highly skilled developer to a leadership role often results in a loss of an excellent technical specialist and the gain of an unmotivated and ineffective manager.

From my experience, high-performing developers elevated to managerial positions tend to continue focusing on technical tasks while neglecting leadership duties. This dual burden often leads to burnout, dissatisfaction, and, ultimately, the decision to leave the company. In contrast, successful leaders are often individuals who were average in technical performance but excelled at building relationships, mentoring peers, and inspiring their teammates.

For those aspiring to leadership roles, demonstrating strong soft skills is essential. They are:

• Problem-solving: Approach your manager with not just the issue but potential solutions.
• Communication: Clearly and effectively present ideas and solutions to colleagues and management.
• Mentorship: Take on tasks such as onboarding and mentoring new employees. This demonstrates your leadership potential while allowing you to evaluate whether leadership suits you.
• Optimisation: Proactively identify ways to improve workflows for yourself and your team.

Your efforts in these areas will not only showcase your leadership potential to management but also help you determine whether you enjoy being a leader.

How to Improve Soft Skills

Soft skills are not something you can instantly acquire — they are deeply tied to your personality and often shaped by early life experiences. While it’s difficult to force a fundamental change in who you are, you can take steps to develop them over time.

Here are some approaches to consider:

• Training and Courses: There are many programs designed to help develop specific soft skills, such as communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence.
• Books and Self-Reflection: Reading books on personal growth and soft skill development can provide useful strategies. Implementing these strategies in your daily life can gradually improve your skills.
• Therapy and Coaching: Working with a therapist or personal coach can help you uncover areas for improvement and develop healthier interpersonal dynamics.
• Acting Classes: Many individuals find acting classes beneficial for building confidence and learning to express emotions more openly.

That being said, it’s essential to recognise that personal preferences and traits formed early in life cannot always be completely altered. For example, if you naturally prefer minimal social interaction, forcing yourself to suddenly enjoy constant communication is likely unrealistic.

If leadership and high-level managerial responsibilities don’t align with your personal strengths or interests, don’t force yourself into a role you’re not passionate about. Instead, focus on excelling in areas where you feel comfortable and motivated. Become the best at what you love! If coding or technical work excites you, aim to be a senior specialist in that field. Narrowly focused expertise is highly valued in the job market and offers a clear path for career progression and competitive compensation.

Ultimately, the key is to remain true to yourself while working on the skills that resonate with you the most. By doing so, you can build a successful career that aligns with your strengths and passions.

Soft Skills Training at EvenBet Gaming

At EvenBet Gaming, we place a strong emphasis on soft skills development, integrating them into every employee’s professional journey through structured frameworks, training, and ongoing initiatives. Here’s how we approach it:

1. Competency Maps and Company Values

We have established competency maps for every role within the company, which outline the essential soft skills required. These maps are designed to ensure alignment with our organisational values, helping both employees and managers focus on the skills that matter most for each role.

2. Team-Building and Business Games

To foster soft skills in a hands-on and engaging way, we organise corporate training sessions and business games. A recent example was a large corporate event in Turkey celebrating the company’s anniversary, where employees from all over the world gathered to participate in various activities.

• Team Coordination Games: In this game, participants were randomly grouped into teams and tasked with completing an assignment in the shortest possible time. The goal was to enhance team coordination and collaboration under pressure.
• Information-Sharing Games: Another game required teams to solve a problem with limited information. Not everyone was aware that their information was incomplete, so the challenge was to identify the missing pieces and delegate tasks effectively to accomplish the goal.

These games are designed not only to develop teamwork and communication but also to motivate employees and provide opportunities for instant feedback.

3. Broadening Perspectives through Cultural Interaction

Corporate events like these also serve a secondary but crucial purpose: promoting cross-cultural interaction. When employees from different countries, with different cultural backgrounds, connect in an informal setting, it broadens their perspectives and encourages more global thinking. This kind of exposure fosters a more open-minded approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

4. Individual Development Plans

In addition to training and games, we have implemented Individual Development Plans (IDPs). These plans are tailored to each employee’s growth trajectory and include a significant focus on soft skills development.

• Top Management: For top executives, the IDP often includes a roadmap for development all the way up to the CEO level. This ensures that leadership skills evolve alongside the company’s growth.
• Team Leads and Employees: For team leaders, an IDP might focus on improving soft skills like time management, feedback delivery, and interpersonal communication. For example, if a team leader excels at hard skills but needs to improve their ability to provide constructive feedback, their development plan will include specific resources — such as training videos, books, or courses — focused on those areas.
• Courses and Resources: We also offer management courses to further develop leadership and coaching abilities. These opportunities are made available to employees at all levels and are fully funded by the company.

Each employee’s IDP is discussed with them directly, ensuring alignment and commitment to their personal growth path. By setting clear goals and offering tailored resources, we empower employees to take ownership of their professional development.

5. Ongoing Support and Feedback

Throughout all these initiatives, we ensure regular check-ins and constructive feedback. This helps reinforce the development process and keeps employees motivated to grow both professionally and personally. By fostering a supportive environment where learning is valued and encouraged, EvenBet Gaming continues to prioritise the development of both hard and soft skills across the organisation.

Conclusion

Soft skills are a vital aspect of modern workplaces, including the dynamic and fast-evolving iGaming industry. Unlike hard skills, which are easier to measure and develop, soft skills require a more profound transformation of one’s behaviour and mindset. From effective communication and time management to emotional intelligence and adaptability, these qualities enable employees to navigate challenges, collaborate effectively, and contribute to business success in a human-centred work environment.

In iGaming, where competition is fierce and innovation is key, soft skills often outweigh hard skills in importance. Employees with developed interpersonal, organisational, and problem-solving abilities can better adapt to market changes, work effectively in diverse teams, and foster long-term relationships with clients and colleagues. For leadership positions, soft skills become indispensable as managers are expected to coach, inspire, and create an environment where their teams can thrive.

Ultimately, while hard skills remain essential, soft skills are the driving force behind meaningful, sustainable success. Investing in their development is not only beneficial for employees’ career growth but also for the overall competitiveness and innovation of companies like ours in the ever-changing iGaming market.

If you are interested in becoming part of the EvenBet team, check out our open positions.