Vol.2, No. 12 December 2005
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How to Be Special
Stand out from the crowd to better your chances of promotion
Most businesses prefer to hire from within, and casinos are no exception. How do you separate yourself from other, equally qualified, applicants when applying for another position at your property?
George DaGrosa, former director of compensation and benefits with Showboat in Atlantic City, and now senior VP of operations for CBP Technologies, states, "People need to add value to their clients, assist internally with projects, and add value to their work teams. Do that and your stock will always be on the rise."
But what's meant by add value and how do you do it?
"A person ‘adds value' to the team when, after working in a function or after performing a process, the function or process is better in some way," states Liz Ryan, entrepreneur and former VP of HR with several Fortune 500 companies. "It's not a matter of just doing your work every day; that's expected from everyone and doesn't mark you as an exceptional employee."
Paul Copcutt, Canada's leading recruiter of medical professionals, recently shared an example of a person who definitely adds value in her job: his favorite barista at the local Starbucks.
On Copcutt's first visit to this Starbucks, he bought a pound of coffee recommended to him by the clerk. When he returned to the store several weeks later, she remembered him and greeted him by name (value added #1). She then asked Copcutt what he thought of the recommended flavor (value added #2). He was honest and said he didn't like it. The clerk then asked a few questions about his coffee tastes (value added #3) and gave him a free sample of a new flavor of coffee based on his tastes (value added #4).
CREATING VALUE
While gaming is certainly different from a coffee shop, adding value requires you to think about what you can do within the parameters of your job and then to act on it. William Arruda, a leader in the concept of personal branding, advises that "employees should consider what the company overall, and their department in particular, value most. They then should be outstanding representatives of those values. That's how they'll stand out and market themselves well."
When a person accepts a job he also accepts responsibility to do his part to help the organization succeed in its mission. In a for-profit business like a casino, that means doing your part to increase revenue and keep costs down. Each company typically has a vision, a set of guiding principles, or a strategic plan that points towards what the organization wants to and needs to accomplish. Your department may also have those same things in order to clarify how its employees support the overall company mission. One of the biggest ways to begin to differentiate yourself—and add value—is to accept and embrace your role in furthering the company's and your department's mission.
Whether looking to move into a management position or you've finished your accounting degree and want to begin working in that area, Ryan encourages you to "think about how you're viewed internally versus how you'd need to be viewed in order to be considered for the job."
For example, if you have a reputation as someone who regularly does the "8 and skate," you may not be seen as someone who can be counted on for a position that requires a lot of overtime or a great deal of flexibility.
Make an appointment to speak to the manager of the department in which you'd like to work so you can get his thoughts on the skills and qualities needed for success in that area. Conducting this type of informational interview before an opening occurs is a great way to get more insight into your desired job or career path. It's also a terrific way to meet people in the organization.
When contacting a person for an informational interview be very courteous and extend yourself to make it as easy as possible for him to share his viewpoint with you. Offer to meet him for coffee before he starts his shift, or at the end of his work day. If the best day for him to meet you is your day off, come in anyway. Yes, it's inconvenient, but it demonstrates that you're interested and willing to go out of your way to learn.
Make sure you are prepared with questions for him and take notes while he speaks. Things to ask about include: the tasks of the job, the working environment, training provided, skills and qualities important for success, and other issues of concern to you. Most people enjoy talking about what they do, are flattered to be asked, and glad to help someone who demonstrates interest and initiative.
ADDRESSING CONCERNS
Employees are sometimes concerned their manager won't support their efforts to change jobs. It's understandable for your manager to be worried about losing you if you're a valued contributor to the team. Put yourself in her shoes and think through what her concerns would be. How can you address them? Is she worried about the department being shorthanded until your replacement is found and trained? Then share your knowledge with others and help improve the skills of your coworkers. Have you been in the job and department for a long time? Then start writing a manual or guide that lists important information only you have that she and the others will be able to refer to when you're gone.
We evaluate people based on the actions they take. When an employee submits an internal application form that's late or incomplete, those actions don't present the person in the best light. Annette Aguirre, director of human resources for Boyd Gaming in Las Vegas, recommends that "employees check postings continuously so they are not late" turning in their applications.
Ryan suggests three steps to prepare for the interview: • Reach out to the person whose job is available if he's still with the company. Talk with him to get some insight into where the department and the position are headed. Find out about the projects or work he did, as well as what he feels should still be done. Ask what he feels made him successful. • Think about how your current role has prepared you for the job you're going for. Be ready to talk about how your background in the company will qualify you better than other internal or external candidates.
• Use your knowledge of the company and information gained from your internal contacts to decide what the top three or four issues will be for the new hire. Write down your plans for addressing these issues and read them until you can recite them without sounding like it's something you memorized. This will be a key message for you to get across to the hiring manager, either in the interview or in the thank-you letter you send after the interview.
Your mom was right: Saying "thank you" is important, and it's one of the easiest ways to differentiate yourself from the competition. Few candidates, either internal or external, take advantage of this important opportunity to show they appreciate the opportunity an interview provides. A thank-you note is also an excellent way to reinforce why you feel you're the best candidate for the position by summarizing your key strengths. It's one more way to separate you from the pack.
Until that ideal next job is listed on your property's posting board, follow the advice given by Maria Ciro, director of staffing and personnel for Harrah's in Atlantic City: "Maintain excellent work performance in your current job."
