NZSki chief executive James Coddington yesterday told the Queenstown Times the company was chuffed with the result, especially on the back of the "difficult" start to the 2011 season.
Following flooding in the vital Australian market of Queensland, tourism fallout from Christchurch earthquake, the warmest May on record and Chilean ash clouds, June's high temperatures rendered the company's extensive snow-making infrastructure "useless" until July.
About 540 NZSki staff were left without income, including 220 staff assigned to Coronet Peak who thought they would start earning on June 4.
As per their contracts, staff did not get paid until the mountains opened, but the Queenstown community and NZSki kept struggling workers fed and occupied in the meantime.
"We work very hard to ensure that we provide the best environment for our team and people were understanding that last year brought challenges outside of our control, with the weather.""So it's great to see such a great retention rate and we are looking forward to working with our team again," Mr Coddington said.
NZSki, which also runs the Mt Hutt ski area, employs between 1000 and 1100 people annually during peak season and last year posted a staff retention rate of 62%, up from 58% in 2010.
Online applications for the company's snowsports department opened at the start of February, followed by the rest of the positions at the beginning of this month.
Mr Coddington said applications were coming in fast, and while he could not say "how many thousands were pouring in", it was a significant number. Applications close close in six weeks.
NZSki would be focusing its post-Easter recruitment drive "a little bit differently" this year, Mr Coddington said.
"We will be focusing on our locals around Queenstown and in the Canterbury area ... and doing everything we can to increase the number of New Zealanders working for our business."
Between 4000 and 5000 people apply for jobs with NZSki every year. Last season, about 60% of the workforce were New Zealanders.
