Hrm- Ya Kun Kaya International Case Study

Ya Kun was founded in 1994 by Loi Ah Koon, as a coffee shop that served coffee tea eggs and toast. Ya Kun Kaya International moved to Singapore in 2001, where it now has 32 outlets, and has 27 franchise outlets in other parts of Asia. Its overseas outlets are located in Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Ya Kun has a family-style work environment and an established “promotion-from-within” policy. There is also a strong emphasis on teamwork, where helping one another is the norm, even between employees across outlets and departments. The top management reinforces this culture where staff feels comfortable approaching their superiors to discuss their problems or suggestions for improvements.

Job Openings for the outlet staff are advertised in Chinese and English Newspaper, as well as through recruitment notices at their outlets. Applicants who respond to the advertisements are invited to interview. Applicants go through two rounds of interview, one with the senior area manager and one with the operations manager.

Job applicants are screened primarily for their level of commitment and willingness to work shifts. Other desirable qualities include integrity, diligence, and honesty. Prior work experience in the food and beverages industry is not essential. Ya Kun believes that if an applicant is committed and willing to learn, the necessary skills to excel in the job can easily be taught. Successful applicants then go through 2 weeks of training and remain on probation for 3 months. Most of Ya Kun Singapore’s outlets staff re more than 30 years of age because mature workers generally have better work attitudes and exhibits a higher level of job commitment. Also, the majority of the outlet staff are Singaporeans, with a small proportion from Malaysia and China. Most of the outlet staff are full time workers, with some part-time staff hired to complement the full time staff when they go for vacations or become ill.

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