Setting people up for success: How the Portman Ritz-Carlton hotel gets the best from its people

Abstract

In China, where many multinational companies face a constant shortage of talent and high employee turnover, the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel has been able to attract, develop, and retain high-quality talent to deliver excellent customer service and ensure profitable growth. Under the leadership of Mark DeCocinis since 1998, the Portman Ritz-Carlton has not only been named as the “Best Employer in Asia” by Hewitt Associates three consecutive times, but has also rated the highest in employee satisfaction among all of the Ritz-Carlton's 59 hotels worldwide for five consecutive years. How can DeCocinis and his leadership team achieve such remarkable results? In his interview with Arthur Yeung, Mark DeCocinis, general manager of the Port-man Ritz-Carlton and regional vice president, Asia-Pacific, of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, shares his philosophy and practices on talent management in China and elsewhere. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.