Casino Organizational Structures

The gaming industry has experienced a tremendous evolution in the past 40 years.

Isolated in Nevada and the Caribbean in the 1950s and 1960s, it expanded to New Jersey in 1978, and in the mid-1990s it began to proliferate in many other states and countries in the form of riverboats, Native American casinos, and land-based development projects.

This growth brought it with an increased involvement with regulators, new business partners, the investment industry, unions, and new communities, all of which were keenly interested in the business plans of growth-oriented gaming companies.

Inevitably, the human resources strategies wee one indication of the organizational and professional viability of these new companies.

The human resources changes brought about by this evolution have been significant. Historically, at-will employment policies and minimal training were the norm; human resources departments primarily coordinated payroll distribution and the maintenance of personnel files.

Today, sophisticated hiring, training, fair treatment and recognition policies serve as support mechanisms within the business plans of successful gaming companies.

With an emphasis on friendliness and service, employees are initially screened for outgoing personalities, commitment to quality service, and stability. In the past, the 'dummy up and deal' mentality was prevalent; today's customers expect casino employees to meet them with friendliness and a desire to exceed their expectations.

All hourly employees are trained to know what their job tasks are, why those tasks are performed, and how best to perform them before they are allowed to start work.

With effective training, this one is inducted by trained department personnel, who use structured training guides developed for each job classification.

The gaming customer today is a sophisticated traveler who expects quality service--- the kind that only a well-prepared employee can provide.

Successful gaming companies are teaching management and task skills to their line managers and executives. Basic skills include legal responsibilities, conflict resolution, and delegation.

Leadership skills are also important and include motivation, speech making, and business writing. Annual in-service training provides managers with the tools to effectively lead their employees.

With fair treatment, the most successful companies are staffed by employees who like where they work, and nothing satisfies employees more than being treated fairly.

It is important to be recognized. Performance should be reviewed on a continual basis; supervisors should note and comment when performance is good, and help employees improve when performance is below standards.

These are just a few of the strategies that effective human resource departments are employing to meet the business demands of the gaming industry and in step with its current needs.