UT College of Business and Innovation presents HR Management Excellence Awards to three highly visible Toledo companies
The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation presented their 17th annual
Human Resource (HR) Management Awards for Excellence in May, recognizing three well-known
Toledo companies for their outstanding human resource practices.
Each of the three finalists was named a recipient of the Human Resource Management
Award for Excellence: Hollywood Casino (innovation); The Toledo Blade (impact); and
The Toledo Zoo (leadership).
Hollywood Casino began operation in 2012 as one of the newest properties of Penn National
Gaming and the first casino in Toledo. HR activities at the Hollywood Casino which
contributed to their award include quickly and efficiently bringing in 948 team members
to establish the fully operational, new casino; creating a HR process that is responsive
and providing support 24/7 to every team member; and developing a culture of community
engagement through which they plan events for team members and implement a community
outreach program called Hollywood Cares.
The Toledo Blade is a 179-year-old privately-held newspaper and the oldest continuing
business in Toledo. Human resource activities at The Toledo Blade which contributed
to their award include developing health and safety programs which resulted in a drastic
reduction in accidents, worker's compensation and health care costs; engaging the
HR function as a strategy where its input is recognized as absolutely critical for
organizational success; and building a labor/management relations culture on mutual
trust as well as open and honest conversations with a real partnership between workers
and management.
The Toledo Zoo, recently recognized as the #1 zoo in America, was established in 1900
and welcomes more than 875,000 visitors each year. HR activities at The Toledo Zoo
which contributed to their Management Award for Excellence include developing healthy
relationships between union and management by moving from traditional bargaining to
interactive, interest-based bargaining; implementing an HR information system to assist
in selection, scheduling and reduction of paperwork; and creating and maintaining
workforce flexibility to accommodate the Zoo's seasonal staffing.
“As local residents continue to think about jobs, it is important to recognize area
success stories, the area’s best employers who are taking steps to attract and retain
the best people,” noted Dr. Clinton Longenecker, COBI Professor of Management and
chair of the Awards Selection Committee. “These amazing organizations are utilizing
their human capital to compete at the very highest levels.”
“The Human Resources Management Excellence Awards are given annually by the college
since 1998 to celebrate the success of local organizations and leaders for creating
great places to work. Their efforts make a real difference in our economy while they
also inspire others to advance their organizations, demonstrating to the region that
area employers can compete in a world marketplace,” said Longenecker.