The end of 2020 can’t come soon enough. In a year plagued by the coronavirus pandemic, places such as Turning Stone Resort Casino have felt the pain. But ending one bad year comes with another reflection point: the beginning of 2021 can’t come soon enough.
“While we’re not immune to the economic downfalls of this unprecedented year, we are committed to planning for our recovery and investing in our workforce that will contribute to our continued growth in 2021,” said Joel Barkin, vice president of communications for Oneida Nation Enterprises, which operates Turning Stone in upstate New York.
To start the new year off in a promising way, Oneida Nation has launched an initiative to attract employees to Verona, just off the New York Thruway. The resort lies 15 minutes from Rome and a half hour from Utica. Known as New Year, New Career, the initiative hopes to fill more than 250 positions, from baker to bell person, desk clerk to drop supervisor. The program seeks to attract workers from areas hardest hit by the pandemic, including Las Vegas and Orlando, where theme parks have had to lay off thousands of employees. Hourly positions pay between $15 and $25 an hour.
“Our recruitment initiative is a national search to find qualified gaming and hospitality team members to join our team and help our recovery and growth in 2021,” Barkin said.
Turning Stone is offering to pay people to move to upstate New York, give them a job, provide housing assistance, daycare and the resources to help family members traveling with them find employment.
“We’re a hospitality organization and we’re ready to expand that hospitality to folks who are moving here to take on a new career,” Dana Sovocool, vice president of human resources with Oneida Nation Enterprises said.
Offering these incentives helps get more experienced gaming and hospitality employees back to work, especially those who may not have the finances to move and relocate to a new state. “We have temporary housing available in our hotel properties for new employees moving to our area, as well as extended housing options that will give people a chance to get settled,” Barkin said.
Unemployment still remains higher than normal throughout the country, but that is not the only factor when people consider a new job in a new area.
“Incentives help people get over a mental hurdle,” Barkin said. “We’re forward looking and these new hires are for our future and will guarantee we remain New York’s top casino resort destination.”
While a significant percentage of the workforce come from the local area, Oneida Nation Enterprises regularly recruits from around the country.
“New Year, New Career is designed to supplement our local recruitment efforts, while also targeting experienced gaming and hospitality employees who have been expertly trained and will seamless fit within our ethos of providing unparalleled guest service,” Barkin said.
When Oneida Nation Enterprises was fully operational and open earlier this year, the organization employed more than 4,750. “Our goal is to return to that number, if not greater, by the end of 2021,” Barkin said.
For more information on careers at Turning Stone, visit https://www.turningstone.com/careers
