Workplace diversity yields profits for local companies. Here's how Parx Casino got there
"Serve drinks. Serve food. Have fun!"
The job advertisements for Parx Casino are short and inviting.
All are welcome. Give it a shot.
These ads have not only helped Parx become one of Bucks County's leading employers, it's also given it something sought by hundreds of other companies and organizations in Bucks County.
In an area that's predominantly white, Parx has a workforce that's decidedly not.
Of some 2,000 Parx employees, 46% identify as Black, Hispanic or Asian American, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. One-quarter of its senior and executive positions are held by minorities, according to the PGCB.
For more than 15 years, Parx has labored to build a workforce that includes a wide variety of employees, and that has allowed the casino to attract customers of varied backgrounds, said Ron Davis, chief diversity officer for the casino since 2005.
Parx's efforts started long before many companies realized that building a diverse workforce is good for business.
"Diverse backgrounds bring diverse perspectives," said Kevin Putman, of Penn Color in Doylestown, which is now working to attract more employees of color as it expands its colorant business overseas . "It was very easy to get everyone on board with this, when we could clearly link it to revenue generation."
Inclusivity is now seen as advantageous. A workforce that's diverse might be quicker to spot trends among customers and in markets previously overlooked or unconsidered. And that diversity of ideas can come from workers of all ages, backgrounds, genders, races, and sexual orientations.
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Even Wall Street has realized the power of diversity.
Researchers at Princeton found that groups of all-white investors were more likely to overvalue stocks. That can create price "bubbles," which lead to market crashes.
“(Ethnic) diversity facilitates friction,” reads the study. “In markets, this friction can disrupt conformity, interrupt taken-for-granted routines, and prevent herding.”
Hospitals discovered that a more diverse team of health care workers leads to more profits.
“Diversity is associated with better financial performance and a higher quality of patient care,” notes a study published in the August 2019 Journal of the National Medical Association. Research suggests that diverse teams of health care workers are better at caring for patients of varied backgrounds.
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How companies are working to attract diverse candidates
In November, Pamela Fisher was named chief diversity and inclusion officer at Bristol Myers Squibb.
Among its diversity efforts, the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant, which draws employees from Bucks and Montgomery counties, is working to develop talent at the level of high school students, said Fisher. Some students of color do not see a place for themselves in science and medicine, and that must change, she said.
Organizations need to make room for the employee who speaks English as a second language and may need more time to speak at a meeting, Fisher said. Workers, for example, in some cultures are not as experienced in networking over drinks at the bar.
If you don't create a welcoming environment, Fisher said, "you can get a revolving door."
Yet even as companies publicly embrace diversity, many continue to struggle in their efforts.
In July, the USA Today network gathered hiring records from some of the nation’s most valuable companies. After corporate pledges to address racial inequities, the companies examined remained largely while and male and were found to be out of step with the U.S. labor force.
The highest-paying employees were overwhelming white. Black and Hispanic workers were concentrated in lower level positions such as administrative assistants, technicians and laborers, the report found.
Organizations seeking to hire employees from various backgrounds must completely re-think their recruitment and retainment efforts, said Sheila Ireland, deputy secretary of workforce development for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor.
“For years, you would just buy talent. Everything in the job world has now exploded," said Ireland, who spent more than 25 years in human resources, training and workforce development for nonprofits, government, and the private sector.
Organizations must look now “both broadly and deeply” for workers who can be trained to perform skilled labor, Ireland said. Many are too “risk averse” at hiring the wrong candidate and post lengthy job applications with too many requirements.
“Companies are relying on technology to connect with potential workers," Ireland said. "You need real people who are out there in the community and looking for the talent.”
How Parx made diversity a priority
Parx's move toward diversity was required by state law. The Pennsylvania legislation that governs slot machine licenses also instructs casinos to develop a diversity plan.
Casinos must file annual reports on their efforts to promote diversity on the job and can be subject to an "on-site diversity review" by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Parx's report also includes the number of minority- and women-owned businesses that provide services for the casino.
Companies and organizations that seek to diversify must make long-term investments in both recruiting and retaining workers, said Parx's Davis. You must reach new pools of candidates and create a work environment where everyone who is hired feels comfortable.
"You need a plan that is understood at all levels of the company," said Davis. Efforts will fail if the top brass is trying to diversify the company and the employees don't see the point, he said.
Parx uses current employees as ambassadors in communities of color, Davis said. "One person tells another person who tells another person," he said.
Parx also makes job contacts through organizations such as the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia.
Why Penn Color is seeking diversity
Penn Color makes chemical products to color toys, boats, cars, housewares, food service, electronics, medical and many other products.
The company's slogan is "Color Your World." Yet the employees have largely been one color.
"If you look at our staff, historically, it is heavy white male," Putman said.
That lack of diversity made it a challenge as Penn Color went global. The Doylestown-based company now has sites in the Netherlands and India and corporate partners in Mexico, South America, and Korea.
"If you're only surrounding yourself with others who have the same background and experience, then you're going to struggle," Putman said of those global operations.
At the same time, Penn Color is simply struggling to find workers in the United States. The company must make itself attractive to workers of more backgrounds, Putman said.
"We want to be a company that is forward looking and more attractive in terms of recruiting workers and retaining workers," said Putman. "We need to do this not just because it's the right thing to do but because it's hard to recruit employees."
Contact reporter James McGinnis at jmcginnis@couriertimes.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Parx Casino sees profit in workforce diversity, customer base
