Speaker Interview: Ivana Blečić, Merkur Gaming
Could you please list the three biggest challenges faced regarding personnel policy in your company?
Currently, there are many challenges regarding our personnel policy, I can speak freely when I say that in land-based business the primary focus is precisely on working with people, the right selection, the development of personnel, and keeping motivation and dedication at a high level. This is the everyday task of the HR function as well as the operating management. People will do what they must. The real challenge is inspiring them to work to the best of their abilities.
Considering the trends in the gaming industry, and all the more apparent distinctions between online and land-based operator business models, which is the personnel profile with the highest demand?
I’ll be talking here predominantly about the land-based profile, considering that this has been my area of expertise and focus of my work for the past 6 years.
The profile with the highest demand entails a team player, with excellent communication skills and a responsible approach to work, meticulously and consistently respecting the established work processes. Naturally, if we add to this a driving energy and an appetite for constant improvement – we have the perfect candidate.
Business operations of gaming operators most often involve the cooperation of teams coming from different countries, how do you manage to get the message about corporate culture across efficiently to all employees?
The culture is transferred through the life that we live, through personal examples, through things which we reward, and behaviors which we sanction. Through stories and traditions, and business values that we nurture. Considering the multicultural environment, we need to be flexible and accept that each national culture adds a little color to the corporative culture. As long as we stick to our joint key values everything is just as it should be, and there is uniformity, along with a dose of local authenticity.
Responsible gaming is prescribed by law but also represents an extremely important segment of the sustainable business strategy of the organizer. How important is this topic for the employees themselves?
This topic is extremely important and is becoming even more so. Responsible gaming provides both the employees and the guests with a sense of security and trust, which is exceptionally important in our branch.
And just like in sports, when the rules are clear and transparent, incidents and misunderstandings rarely occur.
