Lounge operator at Hong Kong airport embarks on hiring spree, targets workers from ethnic minority background

A major lounge operator at the Hong Kong International Airport plans to hire more staff, including ethnic minority workers with language skills, to cope with the surge in post-pandemic travel demand. Managing four lounges at one of the terminals, Plaza Premium Group said it aimed to hire 500 more employees by the end of the year, on top of the 500 it has recruited since 2021. The company’s global director of human resources, Joanna Lee Chui-ha, said it was eager to attract workers from ethnic minority groups, as their language skills and familiarity with different cultures would be valuable at the airport. “We open the door wide to welcome ethnic minority people to join us as we have the capacity to recruit as many as possible,” she said. “We discovered that employees with ethnic minority backgrounds have been a valuable asset in diversifying the cultural environment.” Towards that end, the company joined a recruitment programme jointly run by the Airport Authority and HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre. It is part of the authority’s initiative of partnering with NGOs to provide young people with vocational training and subsidise their efforts to better themselves. After finishing the programme, the participants can choose their preferred jobs at the airport, while companies are inclined to hire the trained candidates.<br/>