Exclusive Interview

Dorsett: Recruitment a challenge with expansion

With all its glitz and glamour, the hospitality industry, and hotels in particular, do face challenge that is uncommon in these difficult times – getting the people. This was amongst the challenges faced by Dorsett International Sdn Bhd.

“Senior managers especially are very difficult to get, as well as the accounts executives,” said Jus Osman, the company’s area director of human resources in an exclusive interview with JobsDB Malaysia. Dorsett International currently owns and manages the international class Grand Dorsett Labuan Hotel in Labuan, the four-star Dorsett Regency Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the four-star Maytower Hotel and Services Residences in Kuala Lumpur, and the three-star Dorsett Johor Hotel in Johor Bahru.

Recruitment will be a big challenge for Dorsett, as the company gears itself to huge expansion plan of opening ten hotels in five years and have up to 1200 employees by then.

In particular, their operation in Labuan was affected badly due to this reason. “One reason is the location, people are very selective unfortunately,” said Osman.
“Malaysians are selective, and most of them are not loyal. They want lots of personal time for themselves. It’s about what you can give to me than what I can give you,” she laments.

Also typical are question on working hours and time, not exactly right queries to pose on an industry which depends on shift system. “At the end of the day, you need to have passion in what you do. But the attitude seems to be about, ‘you should be honoured I am joining you’.”

This also is not helped by the fact that only 20% graduates from hospitality and hotel colleges and universities who actually end up working in this industry. “The others move on to other industries like Telco, bank or education sector,” she said. Telco especially seemed more attractive monetarily considering their revenues number in billions easily.

More frustration comes in form of the turnover in the sales department which is typically high. “There is lot of pinching in the industry,” Osman said. “They use this as training ground and move on to five star hotels.”

Challenges, challenges. Even when the hotel does get some interested candidates, they have to face the challenges concerning their communication skills. “Local graduates struggle in communicating in English. To overcome that, those accepted can attend our internal English class,” she said.

“In order to open new property, we need to have senior managers, head of departments, then we go for rank and files, supervisors, waitress but that will be in individual stage,” she said, adding that there will be difficulty in getting people for the rank and file jobs, namely waiters and chambermaids. “Local job seekers think working as chambermaid is dirty job, long hours,” she noted.

But she is not backing off from hopes of getting quality candidates. Osman is confident that the company’s benefits, highest amongst four star properties in Malaysia, would induce them.

Investment in form of trainings would also be offered for the candidates to upgrade themselves. ““Dorsett is new, compared to other international hotel. However we believe in our people and developing them,” Osman said.

All geared up, the company is now focussed on creating a large resume bank. “We need to reach the market. We would take in those who are very much interested in hospitality, and if needed we don’t mind taking candidates who were in the other services secotr,” Osman said.

Which means, only when push comes to shove, to use her words. “For departments like accounts, public relations or administration, the only issue will be the training,” she added.

Osman still believes in the lure of the industry, namely the spirit of it all.

“It’s an exciting industry; like the airlines industry, it’s so full of life,” said Osman “For one, you get to meet all walks of life, ranging from cabinet minister to a dishwasher, for example. You get to know different culture and handle different challenges on daily basis. It’s not a mundane chore, nor is it confined to office,” she said

She added that people are much friendlier in hospitality industry, and it is natural that they treat everyone equally. “It’s a people oriented industry, very warm and friendly. This is also an industry where one can learn from the other,” she noted.

Further to that point, for example, a maid can go to the bakery and watch their bakery chef whip up cakes and pastries and learn from them. Hotels also offer lots of training that may not be related to one profession but may be used to add extra skills in had. Trainings, like cake decorations or fruit carving for example.

“In fact, this is one industry where one can start as bell boy and become a general manager,” said Osman.