In anticipation of the completion of its permanent casino in Rockford, Illinois in late August 2024, Hard Rock plans to hire 400 employees in addition to the 350 workers at its temporary venue, A Hard Rock Opening Act.
Officials said they’re preparing workforce readiness workshops early next year and hiring events in the summer. All job opportunities will be posted by May.
Geno Iafrate, president at Hard Rock Casino Rockford, told the Rock River Current, “It’s a heavy lift. It’s never too early to start reaching out to the community and the community organizations that we think will be invaluable in helping us fill those positions with the right folks.
“These type of community connection events give us that opportunity to start those conversations early so that hopefully as we roll into the summer, we have more people than the 400, and we’re not scrambling to try to fill positions at the last minute.”
Miguel Pascual, director of human resources at Hard Rock Rockford, told the Current, “We’re building a talent pool now so when the time comes we know who’s in line, who’s interested and who’s a good fit. If you want to get in, get in now or start knocking on the door so that when the time comes you’re not standing in line waiting to get in.”
Jobs to be filled include management positions in food and beverage service, casino operations, transportation, retail and warehouse. Supervisor salaries will start at $50,000 annually; managers can expect to earn more than $70,000 a year. Management positions will be posted in March and supervisor positions by April.
Casino operations jobs also will be available, including card dealers, cashiers, security officers, drivers, audio/video technicians, sportsbooks hosts and more. These jobs will start at $18 an hour for non-tipped employees and $10-$16 for workers eligible for tips.
Food and beverage job openings will include executive chef, outlet and banquet chef, butcher, cooks, bartenders, servers, hosts and hostesses and other food service roles.
Meanwhile, Hard Rock Casino Rockford officials introduced a live craps table on December 22, bringing the number of table games to 10, including four blackjack tables, one Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, one 3-Card poker, one mini-baccarat, one Mississippi stud table and roulette.
Iafrate said, “Since opening live table games in April, guests have eagerly awaited the introduction of craps. We worked closely with the Illinois Gaming Board, executed countless hours of training and are finally ready to bring this exciting, high-energy game to Rockford.”
Looking ahead, officials said the permanent Hard Rock Casino Rockford will have 65,000 square feet of gaming area, with 1,300 slot machines, 44 live table games including six poker tables and a sportsbook. Other amenities will include a 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue that can be used for banquets and events; a Hard Rock Café; an upscale Council Oak restaurant; and the retail Rock Shop and Unity Store. The food hall will feature YouYu Noodle Bar, Constant Grind bistro and coffee shop and yet-to-be-named taco and pizza outlets.
