WHETHER YOU call it headhunting, poaching or simple recruitment, Hong Kong's vibrant hotel industry is undergoing a staff merry-go-round.
The moves have been sparked by the recovery of the tourism industry, largely on the strength of a boom in the number of visitors from the mainland.
The five-star hotel sector has already seen the opening of Langham Place in Mongkok, and the Four Seasons Hotel in Central is scheduled to open later this year. A handful of new three- and four-star hotels are adding to the demand for experienced staff, while Macau, with its Las Vegas-style aspirations, is actively recruiting from Hong Kong and offering competitive packages.
Every time someone changes jobs, the vacancy must be filled, and the competition for good employees is heating up. As a result, there is an increasing focus in the industry on retaining staff.
Even the Kowloon Shangri-La, which prides itself on an exceptionally loyal workforce, is feeling the pressure - despite the fact that more than half of its 700 staff have worked there for more than a decade and close to 25 per cent are 20-year veterans.
The newly renovated hotel is recording average occupancy rates of 80 per cent to 90 per cent, and seeing benefits from the new link connecting the KCRC's Tsim Sha Tsui terminus and the MTR, enabling easier access.
