Seminole Hard Rock and Penn Interactive have been voted top Employers of Choice in the 21st Annual Casino Gaming Executive Satisfaction Survey, organizers announced on Wednesday. The report is conducted by nationwide executive search firm Bristol Associates and global non-partisan consultancy Spectrum Gaming Group.
Described as a “critical benchmarking tool for the US gaming industry,” the survey is designed to help gaming companies attract, retain and motivate their executive talent by providing insight on executives’ overall attitudes and preferences toward their workplace and the industry, a press release explains.
For the second straight year, gaming executives voted Seminole Hard Rock as Employer of Choice among the Brick and Mortar Organizations category, followed by Penn National Gaming and Station Casinos.
Meanwhile, in the iGaming and Mobile Sports Betting category, executives picked Penn Interactive as Employer of Choice, followed by Hard Rock Online Casino and Caesars Interactive Entertainment, the survey reveals.
“When Bristol and Spectrum launched this survey more than two decades ago, we knew enough to anticipate the unanticipated,” Spectrum Gaming Managing Director Michael Pollock said. “The ongoing shocks from the COVID pandemic fall into that category.”
The survey analysis conveys how the attitudes and preferences of casino gaming professionals have changed since the pre-pandemic era, and how they relate to overall market conditions. “Like so many industries, gaming has to adapt to a new HR environment,” added Pollock. “This survey again offers a roadmap for meeting those changing demands.”
“To sum up 2021 in one word: resilience,” stated Bristol Associates’ President Benjamin Farber. “Incredible growth spurts occurred as a result of the challenges faced. Since we began measuring work-life balance back in 2019, the value of this relatively new concept has drastically increased for society as a whole.”
According to Farber, in just a few years, this practice has grown “from a consideration to a major focus,” with remote work and work from home flexibility now being commonplace options that are “intrinsically tied to our health,” especially as society aims to put the pandemic in its rear-view mirror.
The survey was conducted over a span of six weeks, from September 2021 through October 2021. The study received a total of 1,419 unique online responses, and officially closed on October 18, 2021.
According to the full report, overall, both employee satisfaction and optimism have decreased since 2020 and ever since the start of the pandemic, executives’ priorities and preferences have shifted in the gaming industry.
Even though companies have struggled to fill lower-level positions, executives continue to be in a competitive job market. As corporate culture becomes the highest career priority when considering an employer, organizations should reflect and implement strategies that ensure their company culture will attract and retain executive talent, the survey says in its conclusions.
Moreover, with the importance of work-life balance also on the rise, employers should evaluate if working from home part-time would be beneficial for executive satisfaction, if the position allows for it. The survey results for 2021 show that part-time remote work is more desirable than full-time remote work models.
— Bristol Associates, Inc. (@BristolAssoc) February 1, 2022
Management also continues to have a significant impact on the employee experience, the study claims. Findings show that direct supervisors affect their employees’ opinion of the organization as a whole.
From a recruiting standpoint, employers should use the interview process to ensure that not only is the candidate qualified for the role but will also be a good cultural fit and the right leader for their team, the survey conclusions suggest.
Bristol Associates and Spectrum Gaming Group are set to launch the 22nd Annual Survey in Fall 2022.
