Drug testing in 2024 ? Really ? When cannabis is now legal in 24 states and decriminalized in seven others , and Indian nations are opening dispensaries as new sources of revenue ? Best practices today eliminate pre-employment drug testing and make probable cause testing the norm .
their background investigations . The time it takes for a candidate to get a bona fide offer could take several weeks .
In the meantime , Walmart , Amazon and countless other employers were making it easier to fill out an application . Today , a candidate only needs to scan a QR code from a social media website , a paper job listing , or a sign in front of a store and be immediately directed to an electronic application form . That application can be completed on an applicant ’ s mobile device while the candidate sits in a car in the time it takes to finish a soda .
The application can then be reviewed by human resources , and an invitation to come in for an interview sent within a day . In other words , the old days of waiting for applicants to walk into the back of the casino and fill out an application form no longer works . Nor does making applicants wait weeks instead of days to receive an offer ; in that span of time , most job seekers are already working somewhere else .
How To Solve The Conundrum
The first step in solving the staffing conundrum is to streamline the application process : incorporate new technologies such as QR codes , allow candidates to apply online remotely , follow up quickly with video interviews , hire additional staff to more quickly complete background checks ( or streamline them appropriately ), and commit to getting the candidates an answer quickly . Some casinos have begun overstaffing in highattrition jobs to have the flexibility of additional workers to staff schedules in this extended recruitment time .
Another policy that needs to be revisited is drug testing . Drug testing in 2024 ? Really ? When cannabis is now legal in 24 states and decriminalized in seven others , and Indian nations are opening dispensaries as new sources of revenue ? Best practices today eliminate pre-employment drug testing and make probable cause testing the norm .
The Onus of Past Behavior
Criminal background checks for non-gaming workers ? Explain that one .
Ex-convicts represent one of the best pools of potential labor for non-gaming positions . Many just want to get a normal job , show up every day , and work . They do not want to go back to prison .
Many come to a new job fully trained . Incarceration taught many of them how to work in production kitchens . They know food sanitation and safety ; they learned how to follow standardized recipes , how to feed thousands of people , how to work under pressure in a highvolume kitchen , and how to do it every day of their lives . That is what prison taught them .
They also know how to clean and maintain a property . Porters , housemen , kitchen cleaning , maintaining public areas , landscaping , carpentry , painting ; they know how to do that work and would rather do it for a reasonable wage than do it in an institution . The challenge is to convince tribal gaming commissions to alter their policies . These non-gaming jobs are perfect for people seeking a second chance in life . Many gaming companies are finding this a great new source of candidates and are having great success with those formerly incarcerated individuals that they hire .
Local workforce investment boards can work with casino human resource departments to identify the best candidates for recruitment . They have a vested interest in sending candidates with the greatest chance of success . And studies have proven that incarcerated individuals who have earned and are seeking a second chance in life will do nothing to ruin that opportunity — they become dedicated , hardworking , and loyal .
The old methods of recruitment and hiring no longer work in today ’ s labor market . In many communities , casinos are no longer the preferred employer . And the old methods of recruiting and managing employees , where managers told employees to leave their problems at the door , also do not work in competitive labor markets . The companies that have adjusted to this new environment are the ones solving this staffing conundrum today .
Arte Nathan is president of Strategic Development Worldwide ( www . sdwnet . com ). Previously , he was chief human resources officer at Wynn Resorts and opened all the company ’ s properties in North America and Asia . He can be reached at arte @ sdwnet . com .
Andrew Klebanow is the principal at Klebanow Consulting . He has worked in the casino industry since 1977 and as a gaming consultant since 2000 . He can be reached at andrew @ klebanowconsulting . com .
20 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2024