Penn National ranked as first-choice employer


October 10, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

Survey: Penn National is employer of 1st choice

Staff report

WYOMISSING, PA.

The parent company of Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Austintown was named the leader in gaming-industry employment.

On Thursday, Penn National Gaming Inc. was named by Spectrum Gaming Group as the gaming industry’s Employer of First Choice in the 14th annual Bristol Associates/Spectrumetrix Executive Satisfaction Survey.

“A core focus for Penn National Gaming, and a key to the company’s long-term success, has been attracting and retaining the industry’s best talent, maintaining high standards of performance and integrity and leveraging our team’s commitment to excellence to provide the industry’s best gaming- entertainment experience for our customers,” said Timothy J. Wilmott, CEO of Penn National Gaming.

Penn National hired 90 percent of its workers locally to fill its 400-plus workforce at the recently opened racino in Austintown.

For this survey, Bristol and Spectrum questioned gaming executives from around the country “about their careers, including long- and short-term goals, satisfaction in their current position and general outlook on the field to better understand the casino-gaming industry and the executives who lead it,” according to a press release issued by Penn National.

Penn National received nearly 21 percent of the first-place votes and placed ahead of 14 lead gaming companies in the survey.

The company received high marks for its “stable and positive workplace environment and attractive corporate culture,” according to the release.

Penn National saw a 51.47 percent increase from respondents who selected the company as their employer of first choice compared with the 2013 survey. In last year’s survey, Penn National ranked second to Wynn Resorts.

The survey included input from 636 participants who represent a sample of industry executives from across North America based on a number of criteria, including diverse geographies, executive responsibilities and years of experience.