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| Corporate Cultures |
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| Grand Breaks the Cycle |
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The role of the casino in gaming's emerging markets is
more subtle and complex than just being an economic boon,
important though that is. For the most part, emerging
markets are small towns. Not uncommonly, gaming becomes
the largest employer in the area. Inevitably, the cultures
of the casinos exert significant beyond-the-walls impact,
reaching into the community itself and affecting the way
it acts and thinks.
Whether this influence results in the betterment or detriment
of the community depends on what casino executives make
of it. In Tunica, Mississippi, one casino has chosen to
make its presence an unquestioned benefit to the community
it serves.
Before gaming came, the Mississippi delta region was the
poorest place in America. The glitter and gold the casinos
brought was, in some respects, overwhelming. For the most
part, people from the area were poorly educated, had little
to no work experience, and were lacking in rudimentary
job readiness.
From the start, employee turnover was rampant. Employees,
having money for perhaps the first time in their lives
and no real sense of longterm commitment, would jump ship
for as little as fifty cents an hour more. To worsen matters,
Tunica casino executives now are bracing for an expected
drain of employees to the Gulf Coast with two major new
casinos.
At Grand Casino Tunica, turnover averaged 100%, about
the norm for the market. Management considered this excessive,
even in the somewhat transient world of gaming. The company
determined to do something about it. They recognized that
the answer lay deeper than just money. Attention was directed
to the culture of the company and ways to create bonds
that would make employees stick to the Grand.
Bill Baker, Vice President of Human Resources at Grand
Casino Tunica, took up the challenge. He reflected on
one of the key declarations of the Grand corporate mission
statement: "Respond to community needs." Baker
sought a way to create a win-win scenario that would bond
the Grand to the area around it, serving both the needs
of the people who live there and the casino's need for
a stable workforce it could depend on.
He launched an initiative known unofficially at the Grand
as the "Adopt-a-Town" program. On a map of the
area, he inscribed a circle with a fifty-mile radius around
the Grand. He met with Mississippi job security officials
in nearby Clarksdale to identify the communities with
the worst unemployment. Jonestown and Marks both suffered
from crushing 30% unemployment. Each is about 45 miles
from the Grand Casino.
Baker had his targets. He reasoned that if he could put
these people to work, the communities would take the first
steps to recovery and he would have employees loyal to
the Grand for making it possible to climb out of the misery.
Baker met with the mayors and town leaders to map out
a plan to inform the people of job opportunities offered
by the Grand, help prepare them to enter the workforce,
and provide the means for them to get to work (since few
can afford a car).
It was a daunting challenge. If they had any work experience,
it was probably in agriculture and piecework from the
local mills. As a general rule, they suffered from low
self- esteem, reluctant to make eye contact with anyone
dressed better than they, and kept silent around authority
figures.
The plan constructed by the town fathers and Baker created
a step-by-step process to lead the people from poverty
to productive lives — to "teach them to fish"
instead of feeding them on welfare.
The towns are responsible for getting the word out to
the unemployed and distributing applications. Those who
are interested can attend a job readiness training course
provided free by the Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale.
The course provides 20 hours of intensive training in
how to get and keep a job — dress, grooming, attitude,
responsibility, and teamwork being among the topics.
They work together to set group and personal goals. They
begin to sense that a piece of the dream they see on television
every day, only an unreal fantasy to them, could actually
be theirs.
A strong camaraderie developed among them. Baker says
the transformation during the five-day course was astonishing.
"I didn't even recognize many of them," he said,
noting that they dressed better, wore make-up, were fresh-scrubbed,
and sported new hairdos. They showed spirit, confidence,
and hope.
Grand Casino conducted job fairs for those who finished
the course. Baker and his Human Resources team carefully
screened the applications to find the people with the
greatest potential for success. He felt it was crucial
to the initiative for the first wave to prove the point
that a valuable resource lay beneath the veneer of hopelessness.
To date, fifty-three employees have been hired through
the initiative, with seventeen more approved for hiring
and awaiting openings. It's a small step, but it's a beginning.
Baker arranged bus transportation to shuttle the Jonestown
and Marks employees to and from work.
The Grand's "Adopt-a-Town" initiative is only
a couple of months old, so it's premature to rate its
success. However, early signs are encouraging. Only two
of the original group have left, one for failing a drug
test. That's a turnover of less than 4%, illustrating
the strong bond among the group and its attachment to
the Grand.
The reaction of the town fathers has been positive. "They're
ecstatic,"Baker says. "They call frequently
to ask when we can get together to plan the next phase.
They stop me in the bank or on the street to tell me stories
about how the initiative has made a big change in this
person or that person's life in their town." He adds
cryptically, "Church leaders are among our most avid
supporters."
For Grand Casino, the initiative makes good business sense.
The cost has mainly been time. Cash outlay has been less
than $25,000. Baker expects that the savings in turnover
costs alone eventually will more than pay for the program.
He says the higher-ups in the Grand organization give
him solid support for the initiative. Baker's vision is
that, in time, other Grand properties in emerging markets
will start similar programs.
Bill Baker speaks with the passion of man with a mission.
He fervently believes it is possible for a casino to be
both socially responsible and profitable. He also believes
the Grand culture can make a difference and be a force
for good in the community.
So far, he seems to be proving his case.
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