The UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series wraps up its second year this Wednesday, October 30, with a look at the importance of employees in the success of the casino industry.
Several panels are scheduled for the half-day session, Customer Service & HR: The People Factor. It kicks off at 9 a.m. on the campus of UNLV. The series is sponsored in part by Konami Gaming, with Smokefree Casinos and Clarion Gaming offering additional support.
The human factor in the gaming industry can’t be ignored, said Roger Gros, publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine, one of the event sponsors. Finding the right employees, while difficult, is important because of how it affects customer service, he said.
“This is a session we thought would wrap up the year well because it focuses on the people in the industry,” Gros said. “We talk about technology, development and all the (other) things that make this industry interesting to work in, but what makes it go is the people. You can have the most beautiful hotel and the most up-to-date technology, but nothing is going to work if you don’t have the people to pull it off.”
Proper employee training is crucial to your team developing good habits and helps them provide great customer service, Gros said.
During the first session, Building a Team: How to Hire and Retain, casino recruiters will discuss how to fill open jobs – which can be a challenge with a low unemployment rate, Gros said – what experience to seek from candidates, and how to offer a package that will both appeal to prospective employees and help to retain them once they’re onboard.
“People are going to learn how to hire quality candidates,” Gros said. “And how do you retain them (once you have them), because that’s a big problem. There are a lot of people that go to a job and don’t like it or jump to the next job that comes up that’s a little better.
“It’s vital to treat employees well,” he said.
Jennifer Martinez, owner, president and CEO of Consult HR, will moderate the panel, which includes Bill Werksman, managing partner of Resources Partners; Ben Farber, president of Bristol and Associates; and Marwa Mitchell, vice president of recruitment for Pentasia.
The day’s second session deals with Raising Morale: How to Motivate and Reward, a look at workplace morale and team motivation.
Donald Hoover, a partner with Gaming Hospitality Experts, will moderate; the panel includes John Ceresani, a principal with The Pharos Group; Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison municipal relations coordinator Missy Tracy; and Annette Aguirre, director of gaming with Cintas.
“People like to be rewarded with money, but sometimes that’s not possible,” Gros said. “We’re going to make some suggestions (of other ways) to recognize employees.”
Following that, a session called People Potential: Human Resources Issues & Answers will examine potential issues in the workplace, including sexual harassment, problem gambling, downsizing, gender identity, bullying and union organizing.
Gros will moderate that session, which includes former Mandalay Bay senior vice president of gaming operations Rick Fields and AGS human resource director Melissa Joseph.
“Those are controversial issues, and we have some good people who have been through the wars there,” Gros said.
The day wraps up with a session called Recalibrating to the Possible: Focus on the Positive. This session deals with providing extraordinary service to your customers while at the same time empowering your employees.
The session is geared toward “anybody who wants better customer service from their employees – and to keep them happy,” Gros said.
The speakers will include Paul Speirs-Hernandez, founder and president of Steinbeck Communications, and Kim Marie Rebeiro, an executive coach, international trainer and keynote speaker.
For more information and to register and attend in person or watch a live simulcast, go to https://conferences.regfox.com/unlv-gaming-hospitality-education-series-2019.
