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Casinos, showgirls, tropical drinks, glittering lights, and elaborate hotels.
It's hard to work under these conditions, but as we return from Staffing World 2019, we couldn’t help but think about all the wonderful things we’ve learned about Las Vegas, from some of our favorite films.
From "Showgirls" to "The Cooler", here are some quotes from the classics that will help with all your staffing endeavors.
1. CASINO, 1995
"I cannot have a man like that working here."
Martin Scorsese's classic film "Casino" knows a lot about the Mafia's relationship with Las Vegas. It's based on a book by Nicholas Pileggi, who had full access to a man who once ran four casinos for the mob, and whose true story inspires the movie's plot.
It makes us feel like eavesdroppers in a secret place.
What we're hearing is that we should always encourage candidates and their employers to be honest and direct about their performance.
2. SHOWGIRLS, 1995
"There's always someone younger and hungrier coming down the stairs after you."
Nomi, a young drifter, arrives in Las Vegas to become a dancer and soon sets about clawing and pushing her way to become the top of the Vegas showgirls.
Watch your step.
3. SWINGERS, 1996
"You're so money, and you don't even know it."
The American frontier became the all-night diner, with Formica tops, ketchup on every table, and a waitress who wrote down your order on a green and white Guest Check. And in these coffee shops, there are countless young men like the heroes of “Swingers,” who are so near to stardom they can reach out and touch it, and so far away they can't afford to pick up the check.
One of the guys, named Trent (Vince Vaughn), uses the word “money” as an adjective. In Hollywood, absolutely everything comes down to money. Intelligence, beauty, talent and fame go through a kind of universal currency exchange.
Remind your candidates about their worth.
4. FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, 1998
“I'm a relatively respectable citizen. Multiple felon perhaps, but certainly not dangerous.”
Simple moral here: the importance of criminal background checks
5. THE COOLER, 2003
"Hey. You look in the mirror, you don't like what you see, don't believe it."
Bernie, played by William H. Macy as a gloomy nobody, is a professional loser:
A "cooler" is what his boss Shelly (Alec Baldwin) calls him. He is employed by the Shangri-La casino to wander the floor, bringing an end to winning streaks.
Keep that chin up. Everyone.
6. LEAVING LAS VEGAS, 1995
"Do you know what time it is? You should be drinking coffee."
In "Leaving Las Vegas," a man loses his family and begins to drink himself to death. He goes to Vegas, and there on the street he meets a woman who takes him in and cares for him. He calls her his angel. But he doesn't stop drinking.
How many chances should we really give people?
7. RAIN MAN, 1988
"I know there has to be somebody inside there!" But who? And where?"
Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), is "high-level" autistic. He can carry on conversations, stick to a schedule, compile baseball statistics, memorize dinner menus and become disturbed when anything upsets his routine. He can also count 46 spilled toothpicks in an instant and calculate square roots in a flash. But we can't quite figure out what's he's thinking.
Don't forget to ask:
What matters most to you?
