2021 is now well underway and the latest Pocket Gamer Connects Digital is set to bring together some of the finest voices in the games industry and beyond.

Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6 takes place from April 19th to 23rd, so to give you a taste of what to expect, we'll bring you interviews with some of our esteemed speakers at the show.

The conference spans five days and will feature a broad selection of tracks, talks and speakers, as well as various fringe events and the return of our meeting system. For more details on the event and to book a ticket, head to the website.

For today's spotlight, we spoke with ggLocators managing director Niccole Minka who previously spoke virtually at ‘Run for the Unicorns’, an event exploring the convergence of AR, VR, A.I., IoT, blockchain and video games, with a focus on business networking.

Minka hopes to add value to companies looking to hire as well as those seeking employment by educating both parties through speaking engagements while helping connections build intentional relationships.

PocketGamer.biz: Tell us a bit about your company?

Niccole Minka: ggLocators (Good Game Locators) is a laser-focused contract staffing and executive search firm highly specialised in sourcing and placing top tier talent in gaming, esports and extended reality industries.

What does your role entail?

We connect talented artists, programmers, designers, product managers, data analysts, finance, HR professionals and more, with incredible gaming studios (triple-A or indie), AR/VR companies, esports operations and corporate clients who need help with gamification.

My team and I are passionate about building relationships with both candidates and our clients. We want our clients to have an awesome experience partnering with us to find the right fit. We want to work with candidates to help them land their dream job.

I've always enjoyed helping make the best matches and seeing companies flourish because of the connections that I've helped make! With that, I started ggLocators and brought on a team of talented recruiters with the same passions to help us become a niche provider in the industry.

Why did you want to work in the games industry?

I didn't know I'd end up in games. I didn't know I'd end up in staffing, actually, but I'm so glad that it lead me here. I started staffing in sports, then made a dramatic shift to IT but I've always had an entrepreneurial itch.

I was given an opportunity to scratch that itch thanks to ggLocators investors who approached me with the idea. Getting to start a company where I can blend my staffing know-how of IT/sports with a passion for games/art/creativity. It was a no brainer.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?

Network, network, network!

What are your thoughts on the industry in the last 12 months?

The pandemic caused a major shift. Candidates moved closer to be with family; others had to take time off. Some companies shut their doors, while others excelled.

Some companies handled the shift to remote poorly (and lost some folks because of it) and others handled it so well that they gained serious loyalty from their staff. It's been a wild ride!

What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?

With more and more companies shifting to remote (or at least maintaining flexible work-from-home policies), we will continue to see lots of job movement. Seniors/leads will be transitioning to studios/companies who have core values that align with their own.

Some people want to be back on-site and some people don't. The companies who remain the most flexible (offering an either/or scenario) will likely grab the best talent - even if their typical compensation is less than competitors who are requiring candidates to be back on-site when possible.

How has the games industry changed since you first started?

I think ggLocators has changed more than the gaming industry (apart from pandemic). We started GG because we had a passion for games/esport however, the last two years has been total information download. We have been diving deep, really learning the needs of our clients and the candidates that we work with.

Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?

Getting to meet more amazing people in this industry.

Want more?

The full conference schedule is now live on the website. In the meantime, you can also check out our other track rundowns and coverage of previous Pocket Gamer Connects conferences ahead of the event itself.

Register for Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6 today!