According to Ivy Leung, director of human resources (HR) at the hotel, employees must not be looked at as an asset of the company, but rather as part of the family.

'When the one-on-one connection is made with the individual, the connectivity created allows employees to feel part of a niche where their own concerns can be expressed to management at all levels,' Ms Leung said. 'Each employee can be regarded as unique and part of the group.'

Having managed and trained more than 500 new employees in the successful hi-tech, five-star property, Ms Leung continues to oversee the HR department and develop innovative strategies and programmes that drive business and unlock the potential of staff members.

'During the pre-opening stage of the Langham Place Hotel, I created the Daily Revival Champion or Dr C's model to help employees build on their communication and management skills. Having implemented this HR model, employees have the opportunity to excel through departmental training and external and online courses.

'Our objective is to make every staff member feel as though they are a champion - each letter representing a core value of the company. We aim to facilitate action, creative thinking and observation.'

The Dr C concept helps encourage open communication between employees and includes a variety of training methods, demonstrations, role-plays, skits and even self-study opportunities.

These are designed to test staff on creativity, flexibility and the ability to co-operate with one another.

With this objective in mind, the hotel has established daily morning briefings during which various employees present their service credos and share their opinions with management.

Every year about 80 per cent of the hotel's associates attend such meetings, which helps to strengthen communication.

Department heads evaluate employees on the three key performance indicators (KPIs), which include HR, finance and guest services and assisting in the improvement of any of these areas.

'Continuous improvement is key, and with this system in place our employees will be able to leverage on their existing skills and create new sets in the years to come. In our programme, employees are also filmed for further evaluation of themselves through self-observation,' Ms Leung added.

Quarterly awards are given to staff members who have shown excellent service, and the hotel encourages horizontal movement of staff members in various positions, which helps build a stronger repertoire.

When hiring new staff, the hotel looks for candidates who have the potential to fit into the caring culture of the hotel, and who understand the company's values.

Newcomers are taught about the credos during orientation, and are expected to adopt them as soon as possible. New employees are also provided with mentors to assist them.

In another training initiative, frontline staff are filmed so they can later assess themselves and improve on their language and communication skills and appearance.

Ms Leung said it was a mistake to believe that money was one of the key factors in retaining staff, and believes increasing salaries is not the solution.

'The new generation of job seekers are looking for a chance to develop and promote themselves - an opportunity to shine and that is what we need to focus on,' she said.

Annual salary reviews and quarterly awards for the champions of the hospitality industry are just a few more tactics used by the hotel to create award-winning staff.

'We believe the HR department is one of the most significant pillars of the business. To further enhance unity, we are looking towards more team-building initiatives such as our yearly camps at Cheung Chau for all the associates at the hotel,' Ms Leung said.

'We need to pass on the key messages of the hotel's direction and continually educate and train our staff so that we speak the same language.

'Most importantly, respect for each individual is key in sustaining a successful business.'

Training tools

Effective communication between employees at all levels is key

Quarterly awards and yearly reviews act as incentives

Regular social activities enhance team spirit and sense of loyalty

Training courses to emphasise company's core values