Hong Kong has a robust manpower market supplying a diverse range of talent to meet different corporate needs. However, many employers still uphold a culture of internal promotion in their organisations whereby existing staff are given priority consideration for job opportunities that emerge.
External recruitment is used only when no suitable candidates can be identified from existing employees, or to replenish junior positions vacated by staff who have been promoted.
This approach has different benefits. It offers staff promising career prospects, helps an employer attract and retain talent, maintain high workplace morale and drives healthy competition by performance.
For the Shangri-La Group which subscribes to this approach, these benefits have translated into a steady and motivated workforce and the consistent maintenance of high standards of service by the hotel's dedicated team.
Kenneth Wai Shiu-kee, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong's area director of human resources, said the group's two hotels in Hong Kong had staff turnover rates below the market average, thanks to their binding and engaging corporate culture which stressed equitable rewards for merit and professional excellence.
'A hotel's success hinges on its service. Our emphasis on these values, and on individual ownership of the team's achievements, helps us motivate our staff to keep the high service standards we pride ourselves on,' he said.
