What it does: Makes gaming machines and related technology
Staff stats: Around 3000
The good bits: Global opportunities
The not so good bits: Being given anti-gambling lectures at parties
Hiring grads with degrees in: Engineering, Maths, IT & Computer Sciences; Finance, Accounting, Economics & Business Administration; Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
Len Ainsworth knocked out his first spinning reel slot machine in 1953, back in the days when you had to pull a handle to play the pokies. Long story short, despite being a half a world away from gambling meccas such as Las Vegas and Monte Carlo, Aristocrat Leisure Ltd went on to become the largest gambling machine manufacturer in Australia and the second-largest manufacturer of slot machines in the world. If you’ve ever played Queen of the Nile, or a linked-machines jackpot game such as Cash Express or Jackpot Carnival at your local RSL, you’ve used an Aristocrat machine.
As well as individual and linked-jackpot slot machines, the company also produces the computerised network systems that manage a venue’s slot machines, computerised card game simulations and electronic table games. While the Ainsworth family went on to create another gaming company they retain a significant stake in Aristocrat. The business was listed in 1996. In 2014, it paid US$1.3 billion for the American gambling machine maker Video Gaming Technologies. While the company took a hit when disposable income dried up during the GFC, is now back in expansion mode thanks to both strong organic growth and acquisitions. Aristocrat is now licensed to sell its products in 240 jurisdictions around the world and has offices in Argentina, India, Macau, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, the UK and the US. In 2016, the company had revenues of $2.1 billion.
Aristocrat promotes a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse cultures and communities in which it operates around the world. It encourages contributions from people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to enrich the work environment, as well as deliver attractive products and services to its international customer base. Aristocrat recognises it needs to improve its gender balance and is working to become an Employer of Choice for women and install more women in executive and board positions.
There’s no getting around the fact that gambling addiction is a serious social issue. However, Aristocrat has a strong commitment to responsible gaming in the community and online. It works with its customers, regulators and other stakeholders to address problem gambling. It has also invested in developing technologies that encourage those using its products to gamble responsibly. The company supports charities around the world and encourages staff to participate in fundraising activities. Employees get one day of paid leave each year to volunteer at the charity of their choice.
Aristocrat runs a two-year Graduate Development Program that allows participants to “gain exposure to our global platform”. Grads rotate through the organisation to develop their business, creative and technical skills. They also engage in assignments, internal and external training, monthly development and networking sessions and team-building assignments. Each grad is assigned a mentor who is a senior leader of the business.
Aristocrat is split into five divisions: corporate, design and development, engineering, sales and marketing and supply chain. All run their own grad programs. Whichever program you apply for, you’ll require a relevant degree and need to be enthusiastic about the company’s core values of respect, courage, integrity and passion.
The recruitment process starts with an online application. What happens after that can vary depending on what division you’re applying to join. Be prepared for online personality and psychometric testing, a phone interview with HR and a day at an assessment centre where you’ll be expected to do an individual presentation and take part in group exercises.
Salaries for graduates are around the industry average. Contingent on the performance of your team, you can look forward to quarterly bonuses as well as an end-of-year one. Offices are well resourced. Corporate HQ in North Ryde, Sydney has a café with a barista on duty, as well as a pool table and arcade games.
If you demonstrate you’re keen to advance you’ll be provided with support and training needed to rise up the org chart. If you’re identified as management material, you’ll be invited to join the company’s globe-spanning Leadership in Action program. This “focuses on best practice approaches to feedback, coaching, leading and managing priorities, to support our leaders and improve their skills”.
For those high performers who demonstrate leadership potential, there may be opportunities to take part in dedicated development programs as our High Rollers or Linc Leadership programs.
The work atmosphere is laidback and friendly. The dress code is usually smart casual. In many ways, Aristocrat is a tech company and has the typical tech company approach, including being relaxed about staff taking a break to play pool or video games.
Star Rating: 4.2 stars
"At Aristocrat, we believe people are the heart of our business and the talent behind our success, which is why we’re committed to attracting the best people and building a high-performance workforce.
Our people love working at Aristocrat and it’s not hard to see why. Room to grow, space to get creative, flexible work arrangements and access to all our best games, not to mention collaborating with the industry’s most brilliant minds. It’s all in a day’s work at Aristocrat.
If you’re ready to launch your career, there’s no better place to do so than with us! We know that great talent leads to great success, so we’ve developed a world-class graduate program that will give you the grounding you need to become a technical guru or a future leader of our organisation – or maybe even both!
You’ll benefit from our commitment to providing the structure, flexibility and resources you need to learn and grow, as well as the opportunity to contribute through meaningful and challenging work experiences and accountability from day one. We operate in 90 countries around the world with a team who deliver outstanding results by pushing the boundaries of innovation, creativity and technology, so what are you waiting for?
Whether you are a Graduate or an Intern we are open to expressions of interest from students from the following disciplines:
Game Designer Graduate at Aristocrat
Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences at University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Game Designer Graduate at Aristocrat
Bachelor of Mathematic at University of Wollongong (UOW)
Electrical Engineer at Aristocrat
Bachelor of Electronic Engineering at Macquarie University