Evolution Gaming’s workplace revolution
Interview by Giselle Scicluna
According to anyone in the know, Evolution Gaming is a great company to work for. Here in Malta, they are upping the ante and are doing some exciting programs for their employees, making the daily grind just that little bit more attractive. We met up with Sara Mosallaee, the company’s Employee Branding & Communications Manager, to get a better feel of how Evolution gaming is revolutionising the workplace.
With a title role as encompassing as Employer Branding and Communications Manager, how would Sara describe her job? “I have an exceptionally varied job description! In my role, I essentially oversee the entire employer branding and communication needs within the International Department which is composed of the Malta, Belgium, Spain and Romania studios. An important aspect of this is to ensure strong communication channels amongst the international group through the internal systems,” she says, before continuing, “Within these systems, I am able to facilitate data accessibility, remark interdepartmental updates and keep employees up to date with all company news. Another aspect of this role is that I am responsible for external communications and marketing. This entails working on the social media channels, internal portals, organising photoshoots, video and marketing materials to promote the company or the affiliated licensees. We also promote several internal initiatives within the company, including the organisation of Company events, focus groups and project management of global campaigns.”
With a little less than four thousand employees strewn across Europe, how would she describe the typical Evolution Gaming employee? Sara seems to know her staff well, as she says, “Malta is an international hub which is home to our growing team of Game Presenters, Shufflers, Shift Managers, broadcast and operational staff from different countries across Europe. Our average employee is multilingual, career-oriented, passionate about the iGaming industry, truly has to embody the Evolution ethos, in that they are, ‘as real as it gets’ by being knowledgeable, professional and hard-working.”
Describing the relationship between the company and its staff, Sara takes on a more serious tone, making it highly apparent that the employees’ wellbeing is high on the company’s agenda. She comments, “We take our employees happiness very seriously and are always looking for new ways to motivate our staff! We have a wide range of initiatives to cover each of our employee’s needs and interests. Similarly, many of these initiatives bring together employer and employee, bridging the gap and creating long lasting relationships. Many of our staff have relocated specifically to work at Evolution Gaming, therefore, we need to ensure that they are made to feel welcome and at ease in their new environment.”
How would such a mantra translate in real terms? She tells me with a smile, “Well, where to start? Everything we do is for our fantastic team! Some of the notable events this year have been the EVO 360 Health Campaign, free counselling sessions, self-defence classes, Poker Tournament, FIFA tournament, EVO basketball and football teams where everyone can play and socialise with colleagues from other countries and departments,” further explaining, “There is a committee to implement global campaigns across the company, so although we are based in different corners of Europe, we carry out global initiatives. The whole purpose of this is to ensure our employees’ happiness and emphasise their feelings of being valued members of the team and advocates of the company. I am a firm believer that employer branding starts from the employees, who are the true brand ambassadors, hence why we put some much thought and effort to give them the best work and life experience whilst employed at Evolution Gaming.”
These initiatives seem to focus mainly on wellbeing. Any reason in particular? “You know how the phrase goes; healthy body equals a healthy mind. The same applies to our employees. They are the face and backbone of our organisation, we want to look after them to make sure they are in top form. Since the opening of the studio in Malta three years ago, the company has grown exponentially. There is no time like the present to make sure we choose a healthier lifestyle and think about our health. And what’s more fun than doing it with those you spend all day with, your colleagues!” Sara tells me.
These are all great projects which should be lauded, but how’s the feedback from the employees? Sara happily explains, “The initiatives have been really well received and uptake has been fantastic! We try to offer the widest range of possibilities to suit all our employees’ needs and interests. As our employees are so diverse, so is the offering of initiatives, which means that we have a greater chance of engaging staff because there is something to suit everyone.”
So, these initiatives are the building blocks to great workplace relationships, but how would she say that they have impacted the rapport between employees? “Our initiatives are open to all employees. Because we employ such a large number of staff, it’s possible at many of our events that members of different teams and nationalities, who may have never met before, will get to meet each other. It’s a great way to spend time with other colleagues that you may not ordinarily cross paths or socialise with,” Sara says.
With such ongoing commitment, there must be some memorable instances which for Sara will remain unforgettable. Sara ponders for a second before recalling, “Our yearly Poker Tournament is the perfect event to show how, despite that fact that we have operations across Europe, we really are one big family! Last year our employees were given the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to the Dealer’EM Poker Tournament in Tallinn. 3 winners from Malta and 10 from our Riga office were the lucky winners, and it was the perfect opportunity to bond with people from other offices who you might never work with otherwise. We received postcards from the employees in Tallinn thanking us for the opportunity, which was truly heart-warming!”
But now in a long line of fabulous plans, dreamed up by Evolution Gaming as support for its dedicated team, self-defence classes are being offered. What is so special about self-defence classes? Enthusiastically Sara says, “Self-defence is such an important life lesson that everyone can benefit from. It helps to increase confidence and teaches techniques in a safe environment. We are running these classes globally, across all locations. So far, many employees attended the classes and really appreciated this initiative.”
What’s up next? “There are lots of events to look forward to in the coming months! As part of the EVO 360 Health Campaign we will have workshops on healthy food in the canteen and focus on different areas of healthy eating weekly. We will also be hosting the EVO Sports Day, where employees can come together, make teams and enter into competitions against their peers. To relax and rejuvenate we offer massages in the office and make-up class tutorials. Our largest internal event, the EVO Awards, is at the end of the year to celebrate our top talent and recognise them for their outstanding contributions to EVO,” Sara concludes, fully confirming my initial feeling that Evolution Gaming employees are very, very lucky people indeed.
About Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming is the world’s leading provider of video-streamed Live Casino solutions, working with more top-tier brands than any other provider in this market. Founded in 2006, Evolution revolutionised the Live Casino platform, transforming it into a ‘must have’ for gaming operators. Today, Evolution is composed of 3800+ hardworking employees based across 9 countries, committed to delivering a flawless Live Casino experience across multiple media and channels.
