iGB-Pentasia Salary Survey 2019: Part 3

Andrew Cook introduces our breakdown of salary trends by department and role with some advice for both clients and candidates on how to use the data and findings from this year’s salary survey to their advantage. Today we cover analytics & data, customer services and compliance, legal & fraud

Tactics are critical when it comes to talent. Whether you’re buying it (as an employer) or selling it (as a candidate), knowing the value of what’s on sale is critical. The data offered here can inform your tactics, allowing you to achieve the best result whether you’re applying for a position, or looking to fill one.

Salary bands are compiled using data from the placements made by Pentasia in the last 12 months, as well as its consultants’ knowledge of the market.

The survey covers a wide range of roles and territories to ensure it takes into account variations in factors such as specialisms, seniority and experience. 

Data from senior management roles are included, but not C-suite or Board because salaries at this level vary so greatly on an individual basis.
So once you have worked out what the average salary is for a particular set of roles in your location, let’s talk tactics for both sides…

Employers
What should we be paying?

That depends on three factors:
1. What your competitors are paying? This is your baseline
2. How much will stop the candidate looking elsewhere? This should be the baseline plus 5-10%
3. How much will persuade the candidate to jump ship? This is the price you’ll need to pay to make the hire, and should be the baseline plus around 10-20%

How much does money matter?
Candidates take a job for four reasons: the company, the job, the people and the compensation. The more you can offer in the first three, the lower the compensation package you put on the table will need to be. 

How do you value a skill?
i) Weigh the scarcity of resources available against the demand for the skill in question
ii) Assess the role’s importance to your business
iii) Decide what the cost would be of losing existing staff from your organisation

Candidates
Should I be paid more?

• Industry experience is valuable: please bear in mind that our salary survey is igaming-specific and niche experience is highly prized
• Bear in mind that the employment market as a whole is more accustomed to regular job changes than 10 years ago, when long-term loyalty was seen as key

How do I get a promotion?
Most employers understand that your worth increases with each year – or even month – of experience you hold. Been with an organisation for some time? It’s certainly well worth asking about advancement.

What else should I expect from my employer?
• A large number of employers now offer a broad range of flexible work options, including flexi-time and remote working
• Additional benefits on offer in the modern workplace include bonuses, training allowances and travel allowances
• There is generally some value in working with an organisation with a great culture where you are among like-minded people

Analytics & data
Analytics has become an absolutely critical part of the igaming industry, ever more vital as competition for customers grows ever fiercer and as strict regulation limits acquisition opportunities.

Data departments are growing rapidly. The increase in lower-level roles has skewed the data to show a downward trend, but this disguises the overall increases in investment and senior salaries.

A premium is put on data scientists – those who can develop algorithms and statistical models – as well as BI analysts whose insights drive strategy.

Gambling industry expertise is obviously desirable, but even junior professionals and graduates find their skills in high demand. (Ashley Gooders)

Compliance, legal & fraud
Changes to the regulation across the igaming world have made compliance and legal recruitment a high priority for many employers. 

Staying ahead of the curve is essential, given the risk of severe fines and reputational damage that can be caused by a failure to comply with new or changing rules.

Employers face competition for the right people, especially when they are in short supply in recently regulated territories such as Scandinavia, Portugal and, of course, the US. (Kerry Gillitt)

Customer services
Offering great customer service is a true differentiator for an igaming operator, which means those who interact directly with clients should be –
and often are – highly valued.

Customer support agents with language skills are particularly valuable to operators, and these individuals can expect to sit high on the relevant salary bands.

However, the highest wages go to those whose roles spill over into ‘customer experience’ – in other words people who deliver customer service excellence through all customer touchpoints. (Christine Hili)

Tomorrow in Part 4, we focus on design & tech, finance & operations, marketing, product & project and sales & account management

Related articles: iGB-Pentasia Salary Survey 2019: Part 2
iGB-Pentasia Salary Survey 2019: Part 1