The construction of the new facility that will house the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford has been completed. The next step for the administration of the betting stop situated at the junction of Interstate 90 and East Street, is to kick off operations. Scheduled to open by the end of august, the task at hand is to bring onboard close to 400 full-time staff. It is not yet clear what system of recruitment the Hard Rock Casino management will use to run the recruitment exercise but the relevant department is ready for the task.
This assignment will be executed by the HR department, but even more interesting is that at the helm of this will be the recently appointed Hard Rock human resources manager, Aleksandra Micevic. She is a continuing employee of the organization so her appointment portrays the management’s trust in her abilities. She not only brings experience in management but also in the industry and its needs.
For the 36-year-old manager of Bosnian and Serbian descent, this new breed of employees will be a reflection of how well she fits into her role. Speaking to WREX, her message to the industry was that she will be looking out for positive attitudes among candidates. Describing her ideal staff as a “rockstar,” Micevic is eager to engage a productive workforce. The Hard Rock brand is synonymous with music so the term “rockstar” is a befitting choice.
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Micevic’s life journey
She is aware of the fact that there is an existing team working at the temporary A Hard Rock Opening Act casino situated at 610 N. Bell School Road. With a ready starting team from this location, she is confident that scaling for the new facility will take place according to plan. The permanent building will mark the 16th retail casino to be established in the state. Online casinos are prohibited in Illinois but there are remarkable efforts that will permanently change this state of affairs through proper legislation.
Micevic is not a new comer to the operations of Hard Rock- her first engagement in 2019 was as a brand manager. Have migrated to the United States in 2001, this new HR director is well versed with the American work culture. She does not shy away from stating that none of her family members (her included) spoke any English at the time of immigration. Everything that she has achieved throughout her stay in the US has been a result of hard work – she attributes this value to her parents.
The entire industry is now looking at her to see how she navigates the task of filling all the open vacancies at the new casino. HR professionals are aware of the magnitude of this task and everybody agrees that the exercise requires time and patience. Actually, the vetting of candidates has been ongoing from December. Even though she has a large number of positions to fill, Micevic will hire for the sake of it. In her opinion, it is better to ignore a lack of skills than a lack of optimism in potential employees.
As an experienced executive in the gambling industry, Micevic appreciates the flare of nerves associated with conducting job interviews. To make the most out of the candidate selection process, she eases the pressure by taking candidates through her own employment journey at Hard Rock Casino. Most people are tense at the thought of sitting through an interview so it makes sense to make them comfortable by sharing a bit about her personal journey.
The projected employee population at the new Hard Rock Casino will be 750 broken down as follows; management positions in food and beverage, casino operations, transportation, retail, and warehouse with salary ranges of between $50,000 to $70,000. Casino floor operations that require new manpower include card dealers, cashiers, security officers, drivers, technicians and sportsbooks hosts. The current number of workers on the payroll of A Hard Rock Opening Act is 350. This leaves an average of 400 slots to be filled that the new HR is focused on.
Grand opening planned for May
When the president of Hard Rock Casino, Geno Iafrate spoke to WREX, the company head blamed the weather for the current delays. Considering the timelines earlier given on the construction at Rockford, the progress is reported to be headed in the right direction. Once opened, the 180,000-square-foot betting facility will house a sportsbook, six poker tables, 44 table games and 1,300 slot machines. The entire casino lounge space will measure 65,000-square-foot.
For guests coming to the Hard Rock café for a time of pampering and great food, they can expect an unforgettable experience at the upscale Council Oak restaurant, a unity store or a rock shop. The management has envisioned this facility as all-purpose given that they have under construction, an entertainment venue with a capacity of 1,600 that will also serve as an events and banquet space.
If you have been following casino news keenly, then the news of the mass hiring is not a surprise because the projections had been made way back in 2021. While the approvals for a permanent casino had been granted in 2021, the casino management decided to set up a temporary space to keep their clientele engaged. The temporary casino which many know as Rockford Casino was opened in 2021 but the construction work on the new Rockford Casino only began in 2022.
Conclusion
The Rockford Hard Rock Casino is in existence today because its bid won over others by Rock River West Casino and Forest City Casino. While the ones that did not succeed had impressive plans, the gaming board preferred the Hard Rock plan. It is on this high expectation that Micevic will be seeking to uphold with the new team that is yet to be hired. Everything about the building is state of the art and the only pending aspect is workers.
