The perception of Las Vegas as Sin City is great for hospitality and tourism but makes it tough for casinos and other gaming-related companies to recruit executives, tech experts and other staff from out of state, a search firm executive said Wednesday.
The comments came from Bill Werksman, a managing partner with executive search firm Resource Partners, during a panel discussion Wednesday on customer service and HR for the casino industry on the campus of UNLV.
Werksman said that, while a strong economy and job market nationally are great for business, it has also made it more difficult to recruit people to Southern Nevada.
“We’re in competition for candidates with firms from all over the place,” Werksman said. “(And) some of the challenges we face are unique to Las Vegas. People don’t understand what it’s like to live here if they’re not from the marketplace.”
Werksman said he’s probably relocated more than 300 people to Las Vegas and only recalls one leaving because they didn’t like the quality of life. As someone who’s raised two children in Las Vegas, he said, it’s a great place to live, but it’s hard for candidates to understand that from the outside.
Recruitment firms try to overcome that perception by controlling the elements of Las Vegas that candidates see while they’re in town, he said.
“We want candidates to understand that the job opportunity may involve the Strip in terms of a product, technology or operation, but that’s not what your daily life will be,” Werksman said in outlining their strategy. “We tell them that daily life is going to be similar to what they have in Chicago or San Francisco. You are going to get the kids off to school and everybody is going to go to work, and then you will come home.”
When candidates arrive, Werksman said they house them in off-Strip hotels and generally keep them away from the Strip entirely so they so that they see other parts of the city. Candidates are also taken to residential areas to show that locals don’t live in hotels or on the Strip.
“It’s hard to (deal with their perceptions) because ‘What happens here, stays here’ is so strong and great for our economy, but it’s not a great recruiting message to get candidates here.”
That observation has long been made by the Las Vegas business community when recruiting companies, executives and other employees to relocate to the state.
Consult HR Partners owner, president and CEO Jennifer Martinez, who moderated the panel, said she’s recruited senior level staff that waited a year before bringing their families with them. They wanted to make sure it was the right decision and a cultural fit for the family, she said.
“I have raised three kids in Las Vegas… I can give them my perspective to overcome some of the concerns they have,” Martinez said.
Besides perception, Werksman said Las Vegas has faced other challenges in recruitment, such as rising home prices, which make some candidates concerned they won’t have as nice a home in Las Vegas.
“We have lost a little bit of our cost-of-living edge in Las Vegas relative to other cities we have done well against in the past on the East Coast and Midwest,” Werksman said.
Other candidates have seen challenges in selling their existing home, or see its value rising and are reluctant give up that asset.
Panelists also talked about the challenges that the casino and hospitality industry faces in hiring people locally. With a strong economy and low unemployment, workers are not only looking for good pay and benefits but a flexible work schedule or the ability to work from home if possible.
“In this market, I tell clients we can’t create the 4D version of the person they are looking for… we can only provide the best talent available and help them choose,” said Ben Farber, president of Bristol Associates Inc.
“Candidates are driving the market,” he said. “There’s competition over which companies offer the best benefits, but it’s also about the best culture. They are not about to sacrifice their lives for the best paycheck anymore. That puts a lot of pressure on the employers looking to hire.”
