Kitchen and service staff
Dining Concepts

With 18 restaurants, two food delivery companies and one table-top supply company supplying chinaware, glassware and uniforms to Hong Kong hotel and restaurants, managing director Sandeep Sekhri is always on the lookout for good staff for his company, Dining Concepts.

"The turnover is about 5 per cent. We need 20 to 30 people at any given time," he says of his 500-strong company.

Stability in previous jobs is highly valued in applicants. "It is an indication of how loyal and serious an employee can be," Sekhri says.

Staff have to be eager to learn and committed to the job. Experience, attitude and mindset are important. "They can be groomed. Experience counts the most in what we do." 

He says he prefers to promote from within. Around 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the staff stay long with the company. Junior staff, such as servers and cleaners, can be promoted as supervisors, assistant managers and managers, but they have to be willing to take responsibility and have initiative and a sense of belonging. They have to treat the business as their own.

"We have an incentive programme. We like to share the profit with them after a certain amount of sales. If there is any problem, we are there for them. We try to act like a family," says Sekhri.

There is a Dining Concept basketball team currently participating in a tournament. They also have boat trips and play cricket together. "Timing is a problem," Sekhri acknowledges. "But we try to find time."