Ms. Jessica Wong (Left); Ms. Joanne Leung (Right)

"Everyday while wearing our 'wardrobes', we aim to create 'good shows' to bring our guests the best experience ever," say Jessica Wong, Lead, Park Operations, and Joanne Leung, Host 1, Merchandise of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL). "Jessica and Joanne, like all of our employees, are called 'cast members' who are committed to transporting every guest on a happy journey," explains Colin Chang, director of talent acquisition, compensation and benefits of HKDL. "Our cast members start performing their roles as soon as they don their uniforms, which we call the wardrobe."

Enjoying happy moments and gaining satisfaction from work

Disneyland's unique corporate culture expression  'Happy Me, Happy Guest'  has laid the foundation for its human resources management. "We build a delightful work environment for our cast members because we understand that if our colleagues are always in a happy mood, they will then feel self-motivated to provide delightful experiences and fond memories for our guests from the bottom of their hearts," says Colin.

"The enjoyment that our guests show in return helps build greater work satisfaction among our cast members. This ultimately leads to a fulfilling pleasure cycle that benefits everyone."

There have been many unforgettable experiences for Jessica and Joanne while working at HKDL. Jessica remembers that she once saw an elderly person accidentally get hurt in the park. While the guest didn't want to create a fuss, Jessica took it upon herself to immediately find a wheelchair and take the elderly person to the first-aid centre.

In another instance, Joanne came across a middle-aged man who lost a photo of himself, his son and Iron Man together. Understanding that the photo meant a lot to his son, Joanne retrieved the image file and offered a reprinted copy for the guest. He felt relieved and grateful.

Afterwards, both Jessica and Joanne received emails from these tremendously satisfied guests to express how much they appreciated their caring attitude and kind assistance. "All we needed to do was stand in their shoes and show empathy, and that helped us create a great experience," say both cast members.

Before Jessica and Joanne joined HKDL in 2013 and 2014 respectively, they often visited the theme park for fun. Moreover, both of them had long been big fans of Marvel comics.

Changing from park guests to cast members, they believe, has been a truly magical journey. In just a couple of years, they both have made great strides, having been promoted from entry-level staff to trainer and supervisory-level positions. Now they take up more important roles including rostering duties and providing instructions for their fellow colleagues.

Paving the way for cast members with vertical and horizontal career paths

In addition to vertical career advancement, cast members may also apply for jobs across different departments to widen their horizons and build a more solid foundation for their future career development in the hospitality industry.

"Our park operations involve a wide range of job tasks and specialised teams, so we encourage our cast members to seek other work opportunities through our internal application scheme," says Colin.

As a team leader responsible for various attractions in Tomorrowland, Jessica has also been busy with preparations for the launch of a new attraction  'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!', scheduled to open on March 31. Joanne has started her new role in the newly established 'Pavilion Gift', a shop that showcases a wide array of themed apparel and accessories, located next to the upcoming Ant-Man attraction.

Because HKDL is operated in adherence to strict global standards, the park's comprehensive training programme is essential to ensure high quality. To this end, Disney University provided more than 300,000 training hours last year, which means that, on average, each staff member received almost a full week of training.

The courses offered at Disney University cover a range of areas, including the Disney spirit and stories for new staff, plus the development of language skills as well as customer service training and much more.

Reflecting a typically open-minded American style of corporate culture, the management and more than 7,000 full-time and part-time cast members at HKDL generally maintain smooth communications and interpersonal relations.

The internal cast member consultation committee, formed by more than 200 frontline personnel, meets regularly to discuss employee opinions and channel them to the management.

For example, Jessica and Joanne noted that some colleagues had raised issues related to inadequate wardrobe sizes and menu choices at the staff canteen. "In response, the company took quick action after hearing our opinions," Jessica and Joanne say. "This made us feel that our voices are being heard and that we are well respected by the company. It helps build a happy work environment too."

Integrated online and offline platforms for talent recruitment

HKDL not only won the 'Employer of Choice Award' for the fourth consecutive year, it also received for the first time the 'Innovative Recruitment Strategy Award'.

Colin points out that the company has integrated both online and offline platforms in order to attract more talent and help bolster sustainable development of the park.

"In addition to thoughtfulness for our guests and cast members, we also care about the overall experience of our applicants," says Colin. "Starting from last year, we organised large-scale, fun-filled recruitment carnivals, where applicants not only submitted application forms and sat for on-site interviews, but also enjoyed the happy ambience of being invited to try themed Disney snacks, participate in towel art workshops, and receive special greetings from a host of Disney characters."

Colin adds that the human resources department makes full use of social media platforms popular among young people, like Instagram, to "soft sell" Disney characters and stories in order to nurture their interest in a career with Disney.