Recruitment guide for your Malta gaming company

Hiring staff for your Malta gaming company is an exciting moment – and shows your business is going in the right direction. Malta’s gaming sector has grown rapidly since it became one of the first nations to provide online gaming regulations in 2004. But the country’s relatively small population can sometimes make recruitment a challenge for Malta’s gaming companies.

Research shows there are often close to 800 jobs in Malta’s gaming industry being advertised at any one time. And almost a third of those vacancies remain unfilled for more than three months.

Here is everything you need to know about successfully recruiting people to your Malta iGaming company.

Where to advertise your iGaming companies openings

 If you are thinking of recruiting staff to your Maltese iGaming business, there are several places you should consider advertising the job:

·       On your own website and social media pages

·       Generalist international job boards such as Indeed and Reed

·       Specialist local and international gaming recruitment websites like TalentBet or Pentasia

·       Local generalist recruitment websites like Jobs In Malta

·       Recruitment agencies

You’ll want to consider different sources for different kinds of roles. For example, if you are looking for a gaming software developer with certain skills, using specialist international gaming job boards is the way to go. On the other hand, if you need customer support staff it might be more effective to choose local recruitment websites.

Work permits when hiring in Malta

As a European Union member state, citizens from anywhere in the bloc have the right to work for Maltese companies and they do not need any special licenses. If you are hiring someone from the European Union they will need to apply for a residence permit after being on the territory for three months.

If you are employing non-EU citizens, it’s normally fairly straight forward for them to apply for the various permits and licenses required. The government's Jobsplus service manages the application process.

What are your legal responsibilities when hiring in Malta?

 Anyone looking to employ staff in Malta needs to comply with the country’s labour laws and regulations. We break down the most important considerations below:

Anti-discrimination laws

Malta has strict regulations around discrimination in the hiring process. Various characteristics are protected by Malta’s discrimination laws, including:

·       Country of origin

·       Sex

·       Creed

·       Political opinions

·       Sexual orientation

·       Race

·       Disability

·       Gender identity

During the hiring process, avoid asking questions about these characteristics.

Malta employment contract

Once you have found the right candidate, you need to produce a contract written in either English or Maltese. The government provides a number of typical employment contract templates although these will need to be modified for your company and the role at hand. It's always worth getting a lawyer to look over any legal documents.

The contract needs to include information such as:

·       Whether the job is fixed term or indefinite term

·       Salary (in Euros)

·       Benefits

·       Working hours

·       Paid holiday

·       Sick leave policy

·       Termination rules

·       Job description

·       Bonuses and incentives

Make sure you comply with employment law

There are various employment laws that all employers must follow in Malta, including:

·       Statement of commencement of employment: You’ll need to fill in a number of forms which should be sent to agencies like Jobsplus and the Inland Revenue Department when you hire a new starter.

·       Working hours regulations: Full time jobs are normally 40 hours per week and overtime must be compensated at a higher rate.

·       Paid time off: After 12 months of full-time employment, all staff are entitled to a minimum of 24 days paid leave (not including national holidays).

·       Termination: You can only terminate someone’s contract for ‘just cause’, redundancy or for reaching the age of retirement. Depending on how long they’ve worked for you, you must provide a certain number of weeks’ notice when ending their employment.

Salaries for Malta iGaming employees

According to a survey by industry magazine iGaming Business, Malta has some of the lowest salaries in Europe for gaming professionals - they are around 10% to 20% lower than the rest of the continent. But how much should you pay your staff?

A good place to start is to simply look at salaries for similar positions advertised by other Malta-based companies. For more specific salary listings, the Maltese advisory company Web International Services Ltd., compiled a list of average salaries by role in 2019 which is available here. According to their analysis, salaries for some of the most common iGaming sector jobs in Malta include:

·       Software developers: Junior jobs start at €25,000 up to €45,000 for more senior positions

·       Mobile developers: €43,000 to €66,000

·       iGaming marketing managers: €60,000

·       Customer support: €20,000 to €40,000

·       Accountant: €40,000

·       Weekly national minimum wage: €​181.08

Besides the salary, you should also think about other benefits for your future employees. This includes things like as training, bonuses, pension contributions, health insurance schemes, membership of clubs and employee perks. Because of high demand for talent, Malta’s gaming businesses often compete for staff by offering attractive benefits.

Advantages of working in Malta

While Malta does have a lower average salary for iGaming industry professionals when compared to other European countries, this is offset by other benefits:

·       Lower cost of living than much of Europe

·       Appealing lifestyle with year-round sunshine

·       Maximum 15% tax on salaries for people with in-demand iGaming skills

How to pay your staff in Malta

Once you begin employing staff, you will need to run monthly payroll to compensate them for that work. It is worth choosing a specialised account which has features tailored to the iGaming sector:

·       Make payments in multiple currencies (especially if you have staff overseas)

·       Accountant-friendly systems with spending and payment data that can be digitally exported

·       Fast payments in Europe to ensure employees receive their salary instantly

·       Department debit cards so team scan independently make purchases

·       Connects easily with your gaming payments processor

Learn about Xace accounts for iGaming companies in Malta.

Get the process of hiring Malta iGaming staff underway

While there are many steps to complete when you begin recruiting for your iGaming business in Malta, the actual process is relatively straightforward. By taking the time to familiarise yourself with the rules and requirements, you’ll soon be welcoming new staff to your team.