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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1996)
July 15, 1996 SMOKE SIGNALS rnmdm 11 : 1 Casino unveils plan for increasing tribal member employment Spirit Mountain has announced a plan to enhance tribal member employ ment at the Casino. The plan features new personnel dedicated to tribal em ployment issues, better communications and targeted training programs. The Casino will implement its plan in close cooperation with the Tribal Administra tion. "Our missions are to benefit the entire Tribe by developing a professional, high quality work force which maximizes Ca sino revenues and to provide as many jobs as possible for qualified tribal members," said Kit Devine, Human Resources Direc tor. "Our new approach increases our abil ity to do both." The new tribal employment plan focuses on matching interested tribal members with Casino openings, providing personal atten tion to each tribal member applicant, refer ring tribal member applicants, where needed, to job training provided by the Tribal Administration to enable them to qualify for the type of job they want, and ensuring clear communication throughout the process. Adam Henny, the Casino's new Tribal Liaison in Public Relations, is the first point of contact for all tribal members who have concerns or complaints about Spirit Mountain's policy or procedures. He will personally work with tribal members to re solve their issues and improve the commu nication between the Casino and the Tribe. Henny will meet with both the Spirit Moun tain Development Board and the Tribal Council on a regular basis to address hiring progress and any other concerns. "The new policy changes will improve communications among the Casino, the Tribal Council and tribal member applicants and employees," notes Henny. "I myself will be available to anyone who has a ques tion, a complaint or any concerns. Together, we can resolve a lot of the questions tribal members have about the Casino or our hir ing policies." To further help tribal members, the HR priate supervisor or manager and then schedule an interview with them and the tribal member applicant. At least two Ca- New plan addresses items such as hiring procedures and communication Department is also making other personnel changes. In addition to Hcnny's position, a new Human Resources Assistant will be added, whose time will be devoted only to working with tribal member applicants. In addition to adding the new position, cur rent employee Matthew Kirkland will now become the Casino's Career Development Specialist, coordinating the Casino's Tribal Member Career Development Program. He will make sure tribal members currently employed at the Casino have every oppor tunity to increase their job skills and knowl edge to achieve their full career potentials. If there is a tribal member employee who is interested in expanding his or her jobs skills or learning leadership skills, Kirkland will work with them to enroll in the program and offer on-going individual guidance and ca reer counseling. The revised tribal member employment policy is as follows: Hiring: The Casino's Human Resources (HR) Department tries to place tribal mem bers into meaningful employment that ben efits both the Casino and the tribal mem ber., To do this, the HR Assistant position is being added, which will be devoted only to tribal member applicants. All tribal mem ber applicants will receive a personal inter view with the HR Assistant, who will as sess the best position for them based on their experience and qualifications. If there is a current job opening in the position they desire, the HR Assistant will discuss the job opportunity with the appro- sino individuals will be present during the interview. If no opening is currently available in the position the tribal member is interested in, every effort will be made to place the tribal member in another position where an open ing exists and can be met by thai tribal mem ber. Devine adds that Spirit Mountain will be both flexible and aggressive in attract ing, hiring and keeping qualified tribal member applicants in jobs. If the scheduled job interview is success ful, the tribal member must then success fully go through the licensing process with the Grand Ronde Gaming Commission and pass a dnig screen. They can also enroll in the Tribal Mem ber Career Development process, designed to help them gain additional on-the-job training for advancement. If a job interview is not successful, the HR Assistant and the Staffing Team Leader will review the decision to ensure the fair ness and the proper use of the Casino's policy in the hiring process. The HR As sistant will contact the applicant to tell him or her why he or she are not being selected for the position and refer him or her to the appropriate step, either to another position or to a training program. The HR Assistant will also review the hiring process with the tribal member and discuss any potential roadblocks which could occur in obtaining a position, such as the licensing process and security back ground checks. If there is no other job opening for which this tribal member is qualified, the HR As sistant will counsel the tribal member ap plicant on the best resources available for them to gain the experience, train ing, education or social assistance, avail able through tribal Administration pro grams, which he or she will need to qualify for a position. They will also be referred to a specific person at tribal of fices for further training assistance. Every tribal member applicant who is not hired for a specific position will also receive a follow-up letter explaining again the rea sons why the referral to tribal offices is be ing made. The HR Assistant will follow up with that tribal member within one to six months to check on their progress and their interest in future Casino positions. Training as Follow-up: Every effort will be made, through the combined efforts of the Casino HR Department and the tribal offices and Education Division, to make sure that any tribal member applicant who docs not receive a job at Spirit Mountain due to a lack of skills or experience, will receive, through Tribal Administration pro grams, the opportunity to gain the experi ence, training, education or social assistance needed. For current tribal member employees who wish to progress within the organization, the Casino HR Department has created the Tribal Member Career Development Pro gram to help them gain further career and leadership skills. Report on Follow-Up: The HR Assis tant will also keep the Tribal Council, other tribal officials and the Tribal PR Liaison in formed of hiring progress at Spirit Moun tain. For further information on the revised Spirit Mountain Casino Hiring Plan for Tribal Member Employment, please call Adam Henny, 503879-2350, extension 3146, or 1-800-760-7977. Tribal Member Employee Profile: Ed Hansen Ed Hansen was looking for a career position in sales and marketing, one which would allow him to both interact with a broad spectrum of people and to work independently. He found what he was looking for as a Group Sales Representative at Spirit Mountain Casino. As one of two Group Sales Representatives in the Casino's Marketing Department, Ed uses his sales and marketing skills, his considerable creativity and his strong sense of self motivation to "sell" free group bus trips to Spirit Mountain to people who live in Eugene, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, east Portland and elsewhere east of Interstate 5 in Oregon. Any one who has seen the buses lined up outside the Casino can see for themselves how suc cessful Ed is at selling Spirit Mountain! Ed grew up locally in the WillaminaSheridan area, where his sales experience began as a night supervisor for the Corner Store in Willamina. He says he was a shy child growing up, but few of those who know his colorful, exuberant personality these days can believe that. In fact, the shy boy has become quite a "people person"! Interested in a career in writing, Ed left the West Valley area to attend the University of Washington in Seattle. He graduated with a degree in psychology, training which comes in quite handy now in his sales position. "It's amazing how nearly everything you do in life can help you somehow in the future," Ed notes. He says his psychology training in how people think and what motivates them has really helped in his sales efforts. A desire to be closer to his family and to become more active in the Tribe drew Ed back to the area a couple of years ago. Although he had a good job as a manager of a camera store, he wanted to work with Tribe. Initially he pursued a position at the Tribal Offices, but was naturally drawn to the Group Sales position at the Casino. "The position seemed a perfect fit," he admits. He at tended the Casino's Job Fair last summer, applied, and got the job. How does he like working at Spirit Moun tain? "I love it here," he says. "I couldn't have designed a better job, one which fits everything I'm looking for in a career." He hopes his position with the Marketing De partment at Spirit Mountain will also allow for even more opportunities to work closer with the Tribe, meet more tribal members and spread the word on Spirit Mountain throughout Oregon. it ' :
