Walt Disney Co. president and CEO Robert A. Iger goes by the book to bring mainland China its first-ever Disneyland. (Photo : Getty Images)
Targeting to hire 2,000 full- and part-time workers in China, the Shanghai Disney Resort is teaming up with various educational institutions in the country to search for a fresh pool of talent.
Walt Disney via House of the Mouse is partnering with 10 Chinese vocational schools, colleges and universities this year to boost its recruitment, China Daily reported.
Called the "Shanghai Disney Resort Talent Class," the project cements Walt Disney's commitment to hiring 98 percent of its Shanghai resort workers in the country.
"The essential element in guest satisfaction is the interaction that our 10,000 staff members have with visitors," Philippe Gas, general manager of Shanghai Disneyland Resort, was quoted as saying by China Daily.
Disney will be organizing a variety of classes with its partner institutions to teach company practices. There will also be internship opportunities for participants, including slots for accountants, makeup artists, mechanical technicians and animation designers. Best-performing students will likewise be given a chance to intern at Disney's Florida resort.
About 30 to 50 students are expected to fill in each class. The participating institutions include Tourism College of Zhejiang, Shanghai Sanda University and Shanghai Polytechnic University.
Disney's target of 2,000 new hires this year is said to prioritize the disabled population, according to Lara Tiam, Shanghai Disney's VP for human resources.
The world-famous resort, however, is bracing for a rapid turnover rate. In the service and hospitality sector alone, the turnover rate was about 20 percent in 2015, per recruiting site 51job.com.
"The focus on customer service is very important for Disney, but there is still a huge gap between their standard and normal Chinese standards," said Sara Wong, Kelly Services' Hong Kong director of recruitment outsourcing, in a 2016 interview with Bloomberg.
In 2012, Disney filled up 100 high-skill positions, including engineers and designers, to help with construction.
