Casino job fairs are becoming almost as common as football games throughout the United States. From the Pechanga Resort Casino in California to the Borgata and Hard Rock in Atlantic City, N.J., casinos and resorts were looking this month to fill a plethora of openings.
While employment in many industries has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, gaming led the leisure and hospitality sector by adding 30,000 new jobs in August, American Gaming Association figures show.
Finding the best people for the jobs, combined with procedural changes resulting from the pandemic, leads to another issue for operators: ensuring all employees, new and returning, understand what to do and the best way to do it. Teaching them is a process called “onboarding.”
“One of the biggest pain points (for casinos) is onboarding a bunch of people and getting them trained, so they’re on the floor and you’re not losing money,” said a spokesman for Vector Solutions for Casinos, which provides more than 150 gaming-specific online training courses. Subjects range from AML compliance and cage operations to food and beverage operations and IT. More than 350 casinos use Vector programs.
Onboarding is an issue not only for new operations, such as Resorts World Las Vegas, a Vector content client, but also for long-established sites bringing employees back to work. Especially with the turnover common in casino staffing, efficient and consistent training is essential, the Vector spokesman said.
Vector provides online training, which makes sessions easy to access from anywhere at any time. That removes the necessity of taking employees off the gaming floor for instruction. Vector’s programs also allow customizations that provide employees in different job roles with information about their specific responsibilities and enable those working in different properties or jurisdictions to be trained based on the requirements for their area. The company says virtual learning takes 40 percent to 60 percent less time than traditional classroom training, while increasing retention of course material by as much as 60 percent. Online training also allows quick updates when necessary.
Vector says online training ensures consistency in instruction and reduces the paperwork involved in tracking individuals’ progress.
The company cites these key things to look for in online training:
- Ease of use for new hires, employees, and managers. That also includes an easy-to-use interface and providing presentations and forms available in optional languages for those not fluent in English.
- Accessibility through any workstation and mobile devices when appropriate.
- Ease of reporting, including the use of real-time data so employees can see what courses they need and chart their progress and so supervisors and managers can do the same.
An overview of Vector’s casino onboarding program, including client experiences and comments, is available here.
