Carlson Hotels' Worldwide Diversity Initiatives are Integral to the Company's Business Strategy

Programs Go Beyond Traditional Areas of Recruitment and Training

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. October 14, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS, September 13, 2005. For many years, hotel companies viewed diversity programs as important, but hardly imperative. Yet profound demographic changes in the U.S. and around the world are driving recognition that diversity is more than simply the right thing to do. Diversity programs represent a way for companies to fuel growth by tapping into fast-growing multicultural markets, and extend beyond recruiting, hiring and training into every key facet of the business.

At Carlson Hotels Worldwide, parent company of hotel brands Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts(R), Park Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlsonsm and Park Inn(R), company leaders view inclusion of and collaboration with people of diverse groups as foundational to the overall business strategy.

Carmen Baker, vice president of Diversity for Carlson Hotels Worldwide, said the reason her company is taking a proactive stance is due in part to U.S. Census Bureau research that indicates one in three Americans will be African American, Hispanic American or Asian Pacific American by the end of this year.

"Together, these three key multicultural groups are increasing seven times faster than the population as a whole," said Baker. "This shifting population mix, along with the demands of growing international markets, have our company viewing diversity as more than simply a hiring practice it's a business imperative."

Baker said that Carlson Hotels' diversity programs range from recruiting, hiring and training people of diverse backgrounds at all levels of the organization, to establishing guidelines for increasing dollars spent with minority suppliers and creating minority business ownership opportunities. "My ultimate goal is to make the consideration and inclusion of diversity such that, in time, my role will no longer be needed within the company. But we also realize it doesn't happen overnight," she added.

Under Baker's leadership, Carlson Hotels is demonstrating its commitment to diversity by reaching out with programs such as: Hotel Ownership. "Carlson Hotels is actively bringing together groups with varying backgrounds to build awareness of the opportunity that exists "We have been working with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners Operators & Developers, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in Arizona, to name a few."

Recruitment and Employee Training. Baker said that Carlson Hotels is committed to attracting, developing, rewarding and retaining workforces that reflects the marketplaces served by the hotel brands. "We are exploring and creating recruitment networks that can help bring more diversity to our hotel group and are working with organizations such as Multicultural Forums, the United Negro College Fund, Urban League, National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, Multicultural Foodservice and HHospitality Alliance, American Hotels & Lodging Association and various colleges and

universities to bring more diversity and training to our industry. At the hotel level, we are currently testing 'Sed de Saber,' a comprehensive English-as-a-second-language program created by LeapFrog Enterprises for adult learners."

Another initiative is our multicultural committee of corporate employees who volunteer their time to regularly provide education and awareness to other employees on topics such as diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion. We want to build awareness and celebrate our differences and similarities. The parent organization of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Carlson Companies, is counted among a select group of global corporations classified as "woman-owned. Our company not only employs a high percentage of women, many serving in senior leadership positions, but also provides internships for members of ethnic and women's groups. We also have a Women's Mentoring Circle at the corporate level that provides support to women as they move along their career path."

Supplier Diversity. Carlson Hotels has established goals to increase spend with women and minority suppliers by 4 percent to 6 percent in 2005. Carlson Companies' Manger of Supplier Diversity Judy Gauvin, on behalf of the company, received the "Advocate of the Year" award from the Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC). Both Carlson Hotels Worldwide and the parent company have also been received in the past the Minority Business Enterprise Recognition Award from the MMSDC for the company's efforts in promoting the use of minority businesses. "We are committed to further opening the economic opportunities to women and minority-owned businesses," said Baker. "And we are committed to aligning ourselves with supplier partners that philosophically embrace as we do."

Diversity Beyond Ethnicity. Baker added that Carlson Hotels takes a broad perspective of diversity, adopting programs and training that address sensitivity and in-room accessibility to persons with physical limitations. For example, a new program being tested and implemented in owned and managed hotels is designed for guests with Dwarfism. The program includes an in-room tool kit equipped with a stepstool, a reaching tool, a bar to lower the clothes rack in closets, and a device to retrofit the latch-hook lock on the door. We are looking at how we might enhance our distribution systems to better represent our capabilities to accommodate people with physical challenges.

Looking forward, Baker said Carlson Hotels continues to evaluate the company's diversity progress and to create a baseline of understanding for what needs to be done in the future. "Many of our programs are in test or various stages of implementation, so we are in the early stages of fully understanding the effectiveness of our efforts," said Baker. "In the short term, we are confident that we're on the right path to making diversity commonplace within Carlson hotels and our

leadership is fully engaged."