MGM Resorts knows its long-term success hinges on how valued its employees feel within the company. “They are the lifeblood of MGM Resorts,” says Becky Smith, vice president of talent acquisition. “Their dedication and passion for what they do create memorable experiences for our guests every day.”
When the company initially went live with Workday, it didn’t know what the future held for the hospitality industry, but it clearly understood that people were at the core of the company’s growth and success. And now, after years of using Workday, MGM Resorts has overcome challenges such as market instability and a global pandemic. Company leaders have the agility and business insights to prepare for the next decade and beyond.
Krista Haines, executive director of talent management and organisation effectiveness, says employees contribute to MGM Resorts’ profitability and growth when they feel empowered and enthusiastic about their work. “That’s accomplished by focusing on providing processes that are transparent and easy to use and implement,” Haines says.
MGM Resorts uses the Workday unified and automated talent management system to help nurture a satisfied and engaged workforce. The system lets employees:
- Access transparent career development programmes
- Clearly see compensation and other benefits
- Become more aware of internal job openings
Operational efficiency lets managers focus on employees
MGM Resorts’ managers have a unified view of their workforce, which reduces time and effort once spent retrieving data from disparate systems. The automation gained through Workday has freed managers from manual data collection, giving them more time to build relationships with their teams. “Leaders make decisions about employee benefits at a local level,” says Karin Willey, director of compensation.
MGM Resorts asked about 300 company leaders for their feedback on using Workday for compensation planning. Before, these leaders relied on spreadsheets, which required double-checking the data to make sure the calculations were right because different formulas may have been applied. “I think they were surprised by how easy it was to use and by the fact that we didn’t have data issues,” Willey says. “It went flawlessly.”
MGM Resorts can also automatically plot workers based on arrangement rules, which then allows managers to relocate employees, adjust ratings, or compare assessed versus calibrated results for deeper analysis.
Having a single source of truth for our workforce data allows us to make informed decisions quickly.
Executive Director of Talent Management and Organisation Effectiveness
Quicker onboarding and hiring
In the competitive hospitality industry, speed in hiring and getting staff ready to start is crucial. “Automation in our recruiting processes means we can onboard employees faster, which is essential when you have 6,000 open positions to fill,” Becky Smith says.
Smith adds that the mass hiring functionality means the company can employ up to 300 housekeepers and 150 security officers at the same time. The ease of access to recruiting data means MGM Resorts can maintain a robust pipeline of talent, ensuring that no opportunity is missed.
“Ninety-nine per cent of our recruiters use Workday as their primary platform, which I think says a lot about the ease of use,” Smith says.
Big win with data transparency for employees
MGM Resorts captures and shares relevant data with employees, such as how the company calculates its Total Rewards programme benefits and annual incentive payouts. “Employees understand how their performance is evaluated and how they can advance, which drives satisfaction,” Karin Willey says.
By making data visible and understandable, MGM Resorts empowers its workforce, supports pay for performance and enhances the overall employee experience.
Employees can access development plans from one central location. “They can share the form with their managers more easily versus having to save it to their desktop and then needing to track it down if their computer is replaced,” Krista Haines says.
Ninety-nine per cent of our recruiters use Workday as their primary platform, which I think says a lot about the ease of use.
Vice President of Talent Acquisition
Internal mobility: onwards and upwards
By leveraging talent pools within Workday, MGM Resorts can quickly identify high-potential employees and offer them opportunities for advancement. “With 30 per cent of our employees getting promoted, sometimes multiple times, Workday gives us that flexibility to get related data faster,” Willey says. MGM Resorts identified 839 individuals for talent development.
The company uses Workday Pay for Performance to create award budgets and distribute budget pools so managers can recognise their top performers. The company also launched Workday Career Hub, a one-stop shop for employees who want to browse positions, get alerts about openings, or submit or revise applications and referrals.
With Workday, company leaders can also identify critical rules for succession, nominate the right internal and external candidates, assess readiness and target development needs. “It’s made a world of difference for us,” Smith says.