The shortage of qualified staff has led to lowered selection criteria, often by as much as 30%, to secure staff, according to recruitment and executive search specialist TMS Asia-Pacific.
TMS general manager Asia, Andrew Chan, said many companies had changed selection criteria to fill empty job slots as quickly as possible rather than spending months looking for the right candidate.
“I know of several companies who waited more than 12 months to fill a position,” he added. The shortage is further exacerbated by the demand for new staff to work at major casino and hotel developments in Asia, particularly in Macau, China and Singapore, Chan said.
“It’s the same in China where hotel management has already created a staffing ‘vacuum’ for their Asian neighbours as the country gears up to host the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,” he said.
The recruitment push in China and Macau is having a marked effect in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, where the hospitality industry has seen its customer service staff lured overseas by attractive remuneration packages.
Chan said Singapore’s qualified, bilingual candidates made it a target for recruiters.
