bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

New staff centre pampers potential employees 'like guests'
In an effort to compete in an increasingly difficult labour market, Wynn Macau has established its own recruitment centre.
The idea behind the centre, situated in the heart of Macau, is to treat potential employees in the same way as guests are pampered at the nearby Wynn Resort.
Wendy Yu Yuen-ying,  vice-president for human resources at Wynn Macau,  said the centre was designed to make the application process 'efficient, comfortable and pleasant', things not normally associated with applying for a job. She said the centre was the only one of its kind in Macau, aimed at giving Wynn an advantage over other employers desperate to attract new recruits.
Most applications are done online or people can book an appointment at the recruitment centre. If selected for an interview, they receive a free gift, another if they are invited back for a second interview and a third on securing  a position.
Ms Yu said the employment process was  vital for Wynn that has more than 7,200 staff in Macau, and that at any one time would have at least 150 jobs on offer. She said the constant demand for staff meant that the company had invested  heavily in human resources and staff development.
Positions on offer range from waiters and chefs to security guards, fitness instructors, front-office staff and supervisors. There are also specialised jobs in information technology, finance and human resources.
Ms Yu said last year was  tough for recruitment in Macau due to the large number of new developments that opened. The situation for casino resort operators is not likely to get any easier with further stages of the Venetian Macao  to open later this year and the mega-resort, City of Dreams,  scheduled to open in 2009.
Wynn Macau has started construction on a fully integrated resort hotel with more than 400 luxury suites and villas along with restaurants, additional retail space and  VIP gaming space. This will mean a mass recruitment drive for  2,000 more staff next year.
'Wynn Macau is recruiting talent from all around the world, but the priority is to recruit from Macau,' Ms Yu said. 'Overseas staff only fill positions that cannot be filled locally, or who offer specialised industry skills or knowledge.'
Of the 7,200 employees at Wynn, about 20 per cent are international workers. Ms Yu said when looking outside Macau, Hong Kong was the obvious choice.
'Hong Kong is a good source for recruitment because of the similarity between the two cities in terms of culture and language,' she said. 'Hong Kong people are very hard working so they are good targets. We also go to the mainland and other Asian countries for less skilled jobs.'
With so much competition for new staff in Macau, there is also great emphasis on retaining employees. Strategies range from providing wage increases and bonuses to offering free staff training and gifts. The company also runs career talks at local schools to attract graduates.
Career development programmes have been established to retrain promising staff so that they can be promoted or shifted to other areas of need. Examples include moving staff from reception into marketing or from food and beverage to events management.
Ms Yu admitted that while Wynn may not always offer the best remuneration package, there was increased emphasis on treating staff well so they did not leave. She said the challenge was to find other ways to keep people happy that did not rely solely on monetary incentives.
'The toilet paper used in staff facilities is the same as what is used in the hotel, deodorant and mouthwash are provided in the changing rooms and each New Year staff receive a gift. Last year it was a DVD player and this year a digital camera,' she said.
'Business is not good if we just compete on money,' Ms Yu said. 'Mr Wynn is famous for how he treats his employees back in Las Vegas. We treat our employees like customers in whatever we do. We create a good working environment and spend a lot of time designing staff facilities.'
Other methods to attract and keep staff include the creation of the Wynn Academy, which provides training courses in everything from English and management skills to health and well-being. Employees have annual development plans aimed at identifying areas where training is needed. About 90 per cent of all training is conducted in-house and staff can access financial support for external study at a range of universities.
'We don't only offer courses that relate to staff jobs either. There are flower arrangement and wine tasting classes and other personal interest courses.  If staff are not busy, their department will allow them to attend these during work hours or they can come on their own time.'
According to the Census and Statistics Department of Macau in the fourth quarter of last year, Wynn Macau averaged occupancy rates of 92.4 per cent. The overall occupancy rate for five-star hotels in Macau for the same period was 82.01 per cent.
Best bet
Wynn Macau has at least 150 positions vacant at any one time
Jobs available range from sales and gaming to IT and finance
A recruitment centre has been established to attract new recruits
A mass recruitment drive will be held next year for 2,000 employees
Increased emphasis on training and creating a caring work culture to retain staff



Resort ups recruitment stakes