Arte Nathan
The Human Resource
July 24, 2007 | by noah | Permalink
Arte Nathan seems an intimidating man. In his 20 years in the gaming industry, the Cornell graduate hired more than 80,000 people to staff hotels all over the world. His secret? Go ask your mother.
After leaving law school, Arte managed a steel company in New York until he was injured on the job. This led to a two year hospital stay, perhaps the root of his understanding how people want to be treated. That, as well as an excellent recall of every piece of advice his mother gave him.
The simplicity is a misnomer. As the head of human resources for Steve Wynn, Arte oversaw the staffing of hotels that would eventually dominate the market. He gives credit to Mr. Wynn, however, who sees “human resources not as a department, but as the department.” That sentiment, after the intimidation subsides, radiates from Arte.
He once dressed up as Mrs. Doubtfire to give a talk to an audience full of employees, simply to put them more at ease. It is that sensitivity that Arte used to study Chinese culture for a year before attempting to staff a hotel in Macau. His diligence paid off. Arte retired from the gaming industry, but could not quit working for good, as he simply has too much energy.
Today he is the vice president of human resources for Irvine Resort Properties, and he carries into this new endeavor his style developed in the gaming world. Respecting and valuing employees “isn’t a thing we have to do. It is the way run our business.” Sounds like something a mother might say.
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THERE ARE 2 RESPONSES TO THIS INTERVIEW
kelly Says:
July 26th, 2007
This man shows great spirit! I love the sensitivity he shows to his employees as well as the fond regard he has for his mom!
Pursue the Passion: The Interviews » Blog Archive » Trying to Make Connections Says:
August 17th, 2007
[…] SHRM conference on June 25th, 2007. I actually did make a few great connections, one which was Arte Nathan, who we interviewed during our stay in […]
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