The new Hard Rock Casino Rockford at Interstate 90 and East Street is on track to open by late August. The resort needs to hire around 400 full-time employees before then.
That job falls to Aleksandra Micevic, who herself is the newly appointed human resources manager at Hard Rock.
The 36-year-old of Serbian and Bosnian descent told WREX that she is looking for “rockstars” with “positive attitudes.”
Micevic immigrated to the US in 2001
The Hard Rock Casino Rockford will replace the temporary A Hard Rock Opening Act casino at 610 N. Bell School Road. It will become the 16th retail casino in the state. Illinois online casinos are prohibited, but efforts are ongoing at the Capitol to change that.
Micevic was hired by Hard Rock in 2019 as brand manager. Speaking to WREX, she said she and her family “did not speak any English” when they first arrived in the US in 2001. Following the example of her hard-working parents, Micevic has forged a name for herself in the gaming industry.
Her job now is to fill all the jobs needed at the new permanent casino in Rockford. The search for viable candidates has been ongoing since December. She isn’t looking to employ just anyone off the street. Skills can be taught, she said, but optimism is in short supply these days.
She understands that job interviews can be nerve-wracking. To take the edge off, Micevic likes to relax candidates by giving them a glimpse into her own Hard Rock journey.
“Usually if you share a little bit of your experience, people tend to open up and then they can see themselves doing the same thing. “
Hard Rock looks to employ 750 at new casino
Positions in management are available in the following areas:
– Food and beverage services.
– Casino operations.
– Transportation.
– Retail.
– Warehouse.
Managers can expect to earn upwards of $70,000, while supervisor salaries start at $50,000.
The casino will also offer a variety of jobs in casino operations, including:
– Card dealers.
– Cashiers
– Security officers.
– Drivers.
– Audio/video technicians.
– Sportsbooks hosts.
Presently, the casino employs around 350 at A Hard Rock Opening Act. A total of 750 employees will be needed at the permanent casino resort.
Casino planning official grand opening during Labor Day weekend
Construction on the Hard Rock Casino Rockford is making good headway. “I think we maybe had one or two days where we were impacted by the weather,” casino President Geno Iafrate told WREX.
The 180,000-square-foot facility will include a 65,000-square-foot casino space housing 1,300 slot machines, 44 table games, six poker tables, and a sportsbook.
Guests can expect a Hard Rock Cafe and an upscale Council Oak restaurant as well as a food hall, a Rock Shop and a Unity Store.
A 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue, which will double as a banquet and events space, is also under construction.
