It takes great people to maintain the top level quality of entertainment and service that Montecasino offers 24 hours a day – employees who are enthusiastic, energetic, show high levels of initiative, and are passionate about working for Gauteng’s premier entertainment destination.
Montecasino has long recognised the need to attract and retain people of the highest calibre to its workforce of more than 1 200 and is constantly reviewing and refining its staff development programmes to ensure that every person is able to perform to their full potential – while enjoying what they do.
Montecasino’s Graduate Development Programme (GDP), which forms part of the overall talent management plan, ensures that business performance is driven by superior talent and is making a difference not only to the individual graduate but to the company as a whole.
“Montecasino’s positioning is, ’We’ve got it!’ – and we do. Through our wide range of entertainment options we are committed to giving every visitor, from seven to 70, a magical experience, each and every time they visit the precint. But we can only achieve this if our staff members are continuously developed to meet the needs of our ever-changing offering,” says Tati Tsunke, HR Manager of Montecasino.
In the GDP, graduates are taken through a 12-month rotational development programme that provides a solid foundation for the working world of Montecasino, as well as a wide array of internal and external training courses.
Each graduate is assigned to a full time coach and is monitored against a structured developmental plan. Through this plan, graduates gain valuable practical experience, as well as the esteem and skills they need to become specialists or managers in their functions. It also allows them to identify future areas of interest within the whole Tsogo Sun group.
Tsunke says that the criteria that make a truly good candidate for the Graduate Development Programme are good academic results, excellent communication skills, sense of humour, confidence, commitment, a positive attitude, and creativity – all of which contribute towards ensuring Montecasino retains its position as Gauteng’s premier entertainment destination.
To date, 22 graduates have successfully completed the GDP since it was implemented at Montecasino in 2010.
Lindiwe Khumalo is a Marketing Administrator with Montecasino who has completed the GDP, having graduated from the University of Johannesburg with a national diploma in Retailing, followed by a B.Tech Marketing degree. She is enthusiastic about marketing as it offers such variety in any given day, as well as the opportunity to work closely with people both internally and externally.
Her responsibilities within Montecasino’s Marketing and Communications Department include public relations events, multimedia blogger events and other multimedia administration, social media competitions, and copywriting, as well as working closely with the Communications Manager on all advertising initiatives.
Khumalo says her experience with the GDP was wonderful as it gave her excellent insight into all the activities of the large marketing division, as well as the opportunity to specialise in the areas which she felt were best suited to her capabilities. She adds, “Altogether it was an amazing experience as the Montecasino Marketing team is the best team to work with. They were all very supportive and understanding throughout the programme and willingly shared their knowledge with me. My mentor, Tara Nicholas (previously Project Manager of Marketing and Mind & Mood), was great and she taught me a vast amount. The overall support from everyone made the experience manageable and over the year I grew and developed and became an integral member of the marketing team. It was a proud moment for me when I was successful in my application to join the marketing team.”
Thapelo Komane, another Montecasino GDP graduate, is an Events Producer for Montecasino, having achieved a national diploma and B.Tech degree in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg. He says his GDP training involved spending time within each area of marketing to get a basic understanding of what their roles where and how each contributes to the success of the department. After the rotation he chose to spend six months in Project Management and six months in Events. He thoroughly enjoyed the year which he says was not without its challenges, “all of which I welcomed as learnings”.
Komane states that training and working at Montecasino has equipped him with skills and knowledge that he wouldn’t have acquired anywhere else. “This has contributed positively towards my growth and development – and my wish is to see the programme being extended to many more young people to give them the same opportunities that were given to me.”
His goal is to be a highly effective Events Manager and to play an integral part in the success of Montecasino, which he loves. “The moment you walk into the precinct you are greeted with a positive energy that automatically transfers to you. For me, knowing that we create events that become lifelong experiences for the guests is very satisfying.”
Komane says that his position as Events Producer gives him the opportunity to interact with a lot of different people on a regular basis, which means that no two days are the same, offering him much learning and excitement every day. “Each event comes with its own challenges and thrills – and that makes the position so much more enjoyable.”
Says Tsunke, “We are extremely proud of our graduates and their dedication to gaining as much from the programme as possible – and we are also proud of our GDP, which is being constantly evaluated and improved according to changing demands within our highly dynamic environment. The bottom line is that our success is driven by the total talent quality of our team – and we aim to maintain the excellent standards we have set for ourselves.”
If you’re interested in applying for the Montecasino Graduate Development Programme visit www.montecasino.co.za/CAREER/Pages/default.aspx
Montecasino – We’ve Got it!
