With ambitious expansion plans in mind, Rhombus International Hotels Group has 100 vacancies that it intends to fill in the coming months. The group, which manages, operates and develops hotels, aims to have over 1,000 employees by the end of the year.

“Our recruitment is ongoing to cope with our expansion plans,” says Calvin Mak, founder and chief executive of the group. “We are recruiting for all key positions, from frontline service to department heads and hotel managers.

“We are also constantly looking for management trainees and entry-level hospitality graduates who are eager to learn and pursue a long-term career in the hotel industry,” he adds.

The group currently manages four hotels in Hong Kong, one in London and one in Chengdu, China. It will open two boutique hotels in Causeway Bay in the next year – one on Pennington Street and one on Jardine’s Bazaar. It will also soon takeover a hotel in Macau, as well as several in Europe and Asia-Pacific, while also having an eye on the North American market.

“With the expansion of our group’s portfolio, we are looking to grow our Rhombus family as well as enhance the professional development of our current team and enable a more diverse range of career opportunities on an international level,” Mak says.

With a vision of becoming a premier hospitality service provider operating quality products in China and Europe, the Rhombus Group strives for excellence in service while maximising profits for owners and investors, and increasing asset values. At the same time, the group also takes care of employees who have a willingness to learn and work hard, according to Mak.

“As with any service-related business, every position and individual within a hotel is important. For those who grow with us, we will help them map out their career plans as we believe in investing in resources, benefits and cross-training for our team members, while providing opportunities for career development worldwide, should people desire,” he says.

Applicants who want to succeed should be friendly, dedicated, committed and patient team players. They should have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.

“The most important soft skills within the hotel industry are communication, people and service abilities. Languages, technical knowledge, time management, integrity, initiative and interpersonal skills are certainly additional assets in a successful candidate,” Mak says.

Frontline staff should be fluent in English, Cantonese and Putonghua, while languages such as French, German, Korean and Japanese are an advantage. For overseas hotels, a European language combined with local language skills is preferred.

Requirements for work experience and educational background depend on the role. For junior positions, the applicant’s service attitude, strong work ethic and dedication are the most important aspects, as the company believes a “can do” spirit, combined with commitment, will drive people to perform and excel at their jobs.

For senior and management-level positions, it is also important to have a related academic background and experience, in order to execute the company’s goals, objectives and philosophy.

Applicants for positions such as chef de cuisine should be classically trained, certified or Michelin-experienced chefs who are hands-on, innovative, creative and consistently refining their cooking skills.

Fresh hires will undergo an orientation by the human resources department and will tour the group’s four hotels in Hong Kong. Within one month of joining the company, corruption prevention and occupational-health-and-safety training is provided as a follow-up. Outstanding performers will have a chance to gain additional experience through cross-departmental training, and management-grade staff will have opportunities to train in the group’s overseas properties.

Rhombus Hotels will also sponsor education and tuition fees to encourage continuous learning related to career development.

Teamwork is strengthened by an annual company outing, a staff appreciation party, and sport and leisure activities, as well as a monthly party to celebrate employees’ birthdays and to reward long-serving staff.