HR Corner Hiring for attitude by Charles Mak Top hotel recruits, retains and rehires to keep knowledge stream intact in people-centred industry Competition for hospitality talent will only intensify as Hong Kong's tourism industry continues to boom. To maintain a stable workforce, hotels are constantly reviewing their people-management processes, from the recruitment of high-potential staff to rehiring experienced top performers. Langham Hotel Hong Kong is a case in point. When it comes to recruitment, Langham Hotel Hong Kong's emphasis on hiring for attitude is clear from its exhaustive interview process. Short-listed candidates who have been through an initial interview with HR meet department heads and the hotel manager. "In this way, they get a better idea of the job they're applying for and of their prospective colleagues, so that they can familiarise themselves with our management style before making a decision," notes Eliza Yau, director of human resources, Langham Hotel Hong Kong. "In turn, we gain a more comprehensive understanding of the candidate." A personality test helps identify necessary attributes and strengths for filling certain positions. "This also allows us to plan ahead for the individual's specific learning and development needs," adds Andraw Tang, director of learning and staff development. To serve its niche market, the hotel has tailored learning and development programmes. These are aligned with its brand position and levels of service. Every new staff member undergoes a discovery tour and a 10-hour familiarisation programme, which is broken down into several two- to three-hour workshops about guest expectations, the hotel's unique culture and its market position, among other aspects. Peripheral training programmes in key area such as language and communication are designed for existing staff to increase their confidence in offering quality service to guests. "We align staff's career development needs not only with the hotel's development plans but with those of the entire group" Exceed expectations At Langham Hotel Hong Kong, employees are categorised into five levels, with each level assessed according to a particular set of attributes. General staff make up the first two levels, while middle management the third. Department heads help developing managers set goals, and identify strengths and areas of improvement via interim assessments. A marking system is used to measure staffers' level of accomplishment, which in turn determines the pace of development. "Our philosophy is to push staff's competency levels to the maximum. In the hotel business, we always aim to exceed customer expectations. It's very much the same when it comes to career development," Mr Tang says. Assessment appraisals of high-potential managers are sumitted to Langham's head office to form a huge talent pool. "We align staff's career development needs not only with the hotel's development plans but with those of the entire group," Ms Yau notes. Top performers are invited to discuss their development plans with management, which open doors to accomplished careers, sometimes at the hotel's sister properties around the world. "Top employees have a place in our succession plans," Mr Tang adds. "They receive coaching, in-house and external training and exposure to help them grow." These plans, he stresses, are transparent so that staff can see a clear career path ahead, which also encourages them to take initiative to move forward. Happy returns Through goal-setting, the hotel and its staff agree to mutual commitments, but, Mr Tang points out, it does happen that employees don't have timely opportunities to show their true potential and decide to seek opportunities elsewhere. It is a priority for the hotel to respond whenever staff members resign. "We endeavour to find out about problems early on and to offer alternatives such as internal transfers, so that such staffers can function better and stay with us," he notes. When a member of staff does leave, it is important for the hotel to establish the reasons. This is done through exit interviews to find out how departing staffers feel about their jobs, relationships with colleagues and supervisors, salaries and other benefits and work environment. Ms Yau says, "In doing so, we are better informed of what they would want changed and this helps us to continuously improve our capabilities as an employer." Rehiring is becoming a trend when it comes to hotel recruitment, according to Ms Yau. In accordance with the hotel's rehiring policy, employment records are stored so that they can subsequently be retrieved, should former employees express the desire to return. "Previous employees are welcome to rejoin, subject to availability of relevant vacancies," she notes. "With rehired staff, we don't have to worry about the 'reality shock' that new staff members usually experience. Instead, we can capitalise on their previous experience with us and increase productivity." Comprehensive policies such as the ones outlined have gained Langham Hotel Hong Kong an enviable staff portfolio. Currently, 45 per cent of its 450 staff members have been with the hotel for more than five years. Within this group, 21 per cent has been with the hotel for more than 10 years and nine per cent has been working there for more than 15 years. An impressive number of interns have also opted for a career with the hotel upon their graduation from universities and other institutions. "Approximately 12 per cent of our interns returned to become a part of our family," says Ms Yau. Salient points Exhaustive interview process and personality tests bring results Tailored learning and development programmes foster talent Staff competency levels escalated Goal-setting and policies pay off Taken from Career Times 10 August 2007, p. A20 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]