International consultancy and construction company Mace Hong Kong is currently involved in a number of high-profile projects, including Phase 3 of the Hong Kong Science Park and the Jockey Club's New Generation Racecourse development at Sha Tin.
'Good projects are coming up,' says Penny Hubbard-Brown, director of Mace Hong Kong. 'We are in the process of bidding for both larger ones and smaller ones. We are incredibly interested in the projects we've got planned - they are going to be really challenging and exciting.'
The company wants to be 'the best employer of the best people' and is very selective. Hubbard-Brown, who has lived and worked in both Hong Kong and Macau, prefers to hire chartered surveyors, engineers and architects, though Mace also supports less-qualified staff in their efforts to get their charterships.
She is very impressed with the calibre of staff in Hong Kong. 'My team never fails to amaze me with their capability,' she says.
With 65 full-time staff in the city, Mace Hong Kong often advertises for resident staff. Hubbard-Brown says hiring for those positions has been quite tricky, as the market is hot and demand is quite high. The company, however, has a hiring advantage, as it treats contract employees no differently from permanent staff. They are involved in training sessions and social activities, and some feel such a part of the team that when their contracts finish they prefer to wait until Mace has another project coming up rather than find other employment.
'I'm always keen to meet people who want to be challenged and want to thrive,' she says. 'We are not fussed about project-specific experience and don't pigeon-hole people.'
