Sunday, May 27, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NEVADAN AT WORK: MARC WEISWASSER - Director of the executive search division for the Navegante Group

Recruiter aims to deal casino companies managerial aces

Executive recruiter Marc Weiswasser's job is to match casino clients with qualified executive and managerial candidates. Because he tries to fill positions in a host of worldwide jurisdictions, he has some insight on the job market for mid- and upper-level casino employees.

Question: Tell me about your employer, Navegante Group.

Answer: The company was founded by former MGM Grand Chief Executive Officer Larry Woolf. It's a full-service gaming management and consulting company. We do due diligence for companies questioning the viability of a specific casino or of a casino jurisdiction, including research, investigation and analysis.

Question: What does Navegante's executive search division do?

Answer: We're paid by casino operators to fill certain manager and director positions. Most of the positions we fill are outside of Las Vegas.

Question: How does that work?

Answer: Well, typically the client calls us, and tells us what position he needs to fill. We'll then contact qualified people and ask if they'd like to be recommended. We then present the client with three candidates who've agreed to do be interviewed on the phone. After the client interviews the candidates they'll usually want to bring in one of the three candidates for an in-person interview or they'll ask us for additional applicants.

Question: How much does Navegante get paid?

Answer: The usual fee is 25 percent of the employee's first year salary, paid by the casino company. Although the fee is due when the candidate is hired, we provide a 60-day guarantee. If the person hired doesn't last 60 days, whether they were fired or quit or whatever, we'll replace them.

Question: What casino jurisdictions do you place applicants in?

Answer: Well, we fill positions all over. We're currently attempting to fill four jobs in Latin American casinos, and we get a number of requests from riverboat and tribal jurisdictions.

Question: Do you fill many Las Vegas jobs?

Answer: Surprisingly, no. Most of the big Las Vegas operators have people who know most of the key players in the business. A lot of Las Vegas positions are filled by people known to the prospective employer. Most of the jobs we fill are outside of Nevada.

Question: Does your location in Las Vegas allow you to refer Nevada applicants to jobs in other jurisdictions?

Answer: Absolutely.

Question: What makes some jobs tough to fill?

Answer: The key factors which make jobs difficult are location, job title and salary. Rural properties are generally less desirable. Titles are important because people want to make progress in their careers, and don't want to have only a manager's title if they're saddled with a director's responsibility. And money is obviously a factor in most job changes. You have to be candid with the client. We have wage surveys, and we'll tell the client that if you want to attract a Vegas candidate, you'll have to pay Vegas wages.

Question: Are some Las Vegas employees eager to leave the city?

Answer: Most candidates want to be in Las Vegas. This is the mecca. A lot of industry jobs specify that Nevada experience is required, and the Las Vegas lines on the resumé are a big plus. But some Las Vegas executives do want to go elsewhere. Some people don't like the urban setting or working in a fast-paced big store operation. Others want to go someplace specific to be near family, friends or hometowns.

Question: Has industry consolidation reduced demand for executive-level job searches?

Answer: It's definitely had an effect. There aren't as many middle managers. Now one vice president may oversee several properties instead of just one property. Each separate casino used to have directors in charge of slot operations, food and beverage, etc. Now a worker could wait five or 10 years to move up from a managerial job at the property level to a director's job at the corporate or division level.

Question: How many jobs are you trying to fill at any one time?

Answer: Right now I have 12 positions to fill, ranging from manager to vice president. That's about average.

Question: How long does it take your company to fill the average position?

Answer: From one day to two months.

Navegante Group executive search director Marc Weiswasser works to find candidates to fill casino management jobs in Nevada and beyond. He said his company his now working to fill four jobs in Latin American casinos, and gets requests to fill other openings in riverboats and tribal casinos
Photo by Steve Andrascik.

VITAL STATISTICS

Name: Marc Weiswasser

Age: 43

Position: Director of the executive search division for the Navegante Group

Education: Associate of arts, casino management, Community College of Southern Nevada

Work history: Table games dealer, various Las Vegas casinos, 1981-1993; floor supervisor, MGM Grand, 1993-1999; director of the executive search division for the Navegante Group, 1999-present; president of Casino Management Association, 1996-1998; executive director of Casino Management Association, 1998-2000

Family: Two brothers and one sister

Favorite book: "The Talisman," by Stephen King.

Hobbies: Collector of Hot Wheels, pins, beer bottles and cereal boxes

Hometown: San Pedro, Calif

In Las Vegas since: 1981