What does it take to work for the happiest place on earth? A great big smile, of course. That's what Hong Kong Disneyland wants to see when job candidates walk through the door. 'You can teach almost anything: how to serve a meal, how to treat a guest, how to prepare a balance sheet, how to do an interview,' said Greg Morley, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort's director of staffing and human resources services. 'But you can't train people on what kind of attitude to adopt.'
The company is looking to recruit about 700 people - or 'cast members' - for the upcoming Halloween season. About 200 of the positions are for entertainment performers, and the rest are for positions in food and beverage, merchandise, costuming and park operations. The positions are both part-time and full-time.
'You don't see a lot of grumpy, unhappy-looking people at the company,' Mr Morley said. At least not among the ones that stay on.
Getting people to want to stay is one thing. Finding the right people in the first place is another.
'We can hire anybody. We can fill all of our jobs easily enough, but we're trying to find the best of the best for those jobs,' Mr Morley said. 'In a market like Hong Kong ... finding the best of the best takes time.'
However Disneyland has been patient, and it has paid off. The firm's turnover rate is at about 20 per cent per annum, which Mr Morley said was quite good for the service industry in general. He attributes some of the turnover to Hong Kong's relatively strong economy and vibrant service industry, but said the company was working to keep the numbers down with the enhancement of employee benefits and advancement opportunities. The company offers cast members a number of avenues for professional growth and development, including both internal training and opportunities for training at other Disneylands around the world. Employees can also get reimbursement for external job-related training and education programmes, including language courses.