Grand Formosa Regent Taipei launches Management Apprenticeship Program

The Grand Formosa Regent Taipei, a Four Seasons Hotel, has recently established a one-year Management Apprenticeship Program to recruit and develop highly qualified internal and external associates for key positions at the hotel.

“In our business environment today, soft skills are essential in driving the long-term success of a business,” said Mr. Francesco Borrello, General Manager of the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei. “It is therefore our steadfast endeavor to offer superior opportunities to those who are interested in learning about our industry and becoming hospitality leaders of the future in Taiwan.”

The Management Apprenticeship Program recruits potential candidates then trains and equips them with a service mindset of relevant knowledge and skills. Upon completion of the program, associates will be totally cross-exposed and have a critical understanding of the professional philosophy and the hotel industry framework.

To secure the apprenticeship program, candidates must go though several rounds of selection, including a written test, a group interview and an individual interview. The program is open for graduates from hospitality and main criteria are enthusiasm and passion about the service industry. The 12-month program is structured with training along with practical on-the-job experience in a variety of areas within the hotel.

Candidates are first recruited based on basic academic and behavioral skills plus a mixture of the following criteria: attention to details, ability to organize, direct, and coordinate large-scale activities, self-control, social orientation, concern for others, business sense and financial skills, supervising and motivating fellow associates, dependability, stress tolerance, adaptability/flexibility, teamwork skills, integrity, and coaching and finally grasp the main attributes of leadership skills.

Moreover, a keen interest in the industry is key to successful enrollment in the program. Selection criteria include commitment and passion to share the company’s core values in quality, service, innovation and trust. Candidates must be able to demonstrate these and a clear career aspiration on the application forms.

The training approach will be hands-on combined with problem-based scenarios. The interactive teaching is learner-centered and focuses on “why” in addition to “how” and “what”. It is outcome-oriented and emphasizes on quality under the caring nurture of the Training Guidance Team, which comprises of experts from all departments who are also the main coordinators.

After training at a department, the apprentice is given a performance review by the department leader before going on to the next department of rotation. Each apprentice will be tested on a weekly and monthly basis based on what they have learned. At the end of the rotation, apprentices will sit for a final test with question set by department leaders, training managers, and the General Manager. All test results will be accumulated and those with a score of 90% or higher will be promoted to Assistant Department Leader level; those with scores of 80~90% will be assigned as Section Leaders.

The Grand Formosa Regent Taipei’s Management Apprenticeship Program is scheduled to start on the first of November of this year.

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