HR Magazine Spring/Summer Issue 2020

2020 SPRING/SUMMER

16

COVER STORY Cost-cutting and agility key as organisations emerge from COVID-19

32

EMPLOYEES BACK ON TRACK Innovative mental health programme helps teams through changing times

N OT

54

ESS UPDATE Lowdown on HKSAR Government Employment Support Scheme

Back to business as usual

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

Editorial Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Paul Arkwright Editor Tony Ryan Staff Writers Sophie Cooper, Yukie Zhang

Where on Earth do I begin with this issue?

Art & Graft

#WTF? #WFH

Head of Design

How about promising not to use the words ‘unprecedented’ or ‘new normal’, how about I just tell it how it is.

Heidi Chan

These last few months have brought many organisations in Hong Kong to their knees. Already reeling from months of protests, business disruptions and transport lockdowns due to riots, COVID-19 then reared its viral

Designer

head, bringing lockdowns of another kind and business shutdowns globally. Check out our first Livestream,

Russell Balad

which shared our first dose of COVID relief: HR Uncovered (p. 50). In Hong Kong, thanks to decisive and effective action by the Government and our key workers, we have, to date, thankfully been spared the huge

Images

death tolls witnessed in countries less familiar at dealing with epidemics. Financial support for businesses (and

Freepik, Shutterstock, Russell Balad

Editorial Enquiries

individuals for that matter), although promised, has been slightly slower to materialise. This means two things are now critical to organisational survival: managing cash flow to keep things going and maintaining constant communication with talent, many of whom are working from home.

Paul Arkwright Tel: (852) 2736 6318

Positive action back to success

paul@excelmediagroup.org

This issue will not look back at all the negatives, nor focus on the infodemic of COVID-19, but rather look

Advertising & Sponsorship

forwards and focus on all the positives. We will examine in detail how HR can leverage this time of upheaval to create stronger, more agile teams which can work together with greater collegiality, even from disparate

Chris Flynn

locations (See Cover Story, p. 16; and Interview with Lisa Johnson, Crown World Mobility, p.24) and achieve greater

Tel: (852) 2736 6339

efficiencies for lower costs by rapidly digitalising. Another positive to come out of all of this has been in bringing

chris@excelmediagroup.org

the issue mental health much more to the forefront of HR and organisational minds (Interviews with Pauline Williams, Atrium HR, p. 28; and with Dr Koh Yi Mein, AXA Hong Kong & Macau, p. 32).

Aamir Khan Tel: (852) 2736 6339

We also share tips on the HK$81 billion Employment Support Scheme (ESS), which might just be up and

aamir@excelmediagroup.org

running by the time you read this (p.54).

Arnold Shum

COVID-free news

Tel: (852) 2736 6339

Remember live events? Check out our timely Turbulent HR on-ground conference write up, which landed just

arnold@excelmediagroup.org

in time (in between the riots and the onset of the pandemic) on p. 42.

Subscriptions

We explore what HKRI is doing to cultivate talent on land and sea with their innovative T&D that is smashing maritime stereotypes right out of the HR park (p. 38). Why parental leave is on the increase across APAC (p.36).

Venus Lee Tel: (852) 2736 6375

Fax: (852) 2736 6369

subs@excelmediagroup.org

And talking of couples, we were lucky enough to catch Jennifer Petriglieri on her brief stopover in Hong Kong (pre-quarantine days) to get her take on ‘Couples that Work’ and share how to thrive in love and at work (p. 40).

Published By Excel Media Group Ltd. Unit 101 Fourseas Building, Jordan, Kowloon, HK

Printed By

Love & hugs

Paramount Printing Company Limited

From Paul & the team at HR Magazine

1/F, 8 Chun Ying Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, Tseung Kwan O, NT, HK No part of this publication can be reproduced without consent from the Publisher. Copyright of all material is reserved

throughout the publication. Contributions are welcome but copies of work should be kept, because HR Magazine takes no responsibility for lost submissions. The views, conclusions, findings and opinions published in this magazine belong to those expressing such, and do not necessarily represent those of the Publisher or editorial team.

1

CONTENTS 2020 Spring/Summer HR News

HR Features

HR Legal

04

Hong Kong News

24

Mobilising & motivating talent amid COVID-19

54

07

APAC News

26

Prioritising people

08

International News

28

Why HR should build fences to enhance

10

HR Events

12

HR Moves

32

Getting employees back on track

14

HR in Numbers

34

Why will 50% managers leave their jobs in 2020

36

Parental leave increasing across Asia

38

Cultivating talent on land and sea

40

Couples that Work

workplace well-being

Cover Story 16

Costing-cutting and agility key as organisations emerge from COVID-19

HR Community 42

HR Magazine Conference Turbulent HR—Flexible HR solutions for tough times

50

HR Magazine Conference HR Uncovered—Rapidly adapting teams & work environments

16 50

42 2 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

ESS Update

HR Books 56

Couples that Work

Classifieds 57

Classifieds

00 Mind your health AXA Mind Health Programme, a comprehensive, end-to-end mental health programme designed to support the wellbeing of employees.

• Education: A calendar of events to educate employees, raise awareness and erase stigma • Prevention: Digital wellness tools to support and empower your employees - accessible anytime, anywhere • Support: One-on-one services to provide individualised support and guidance

Know You Can

3

HR NEWS HK NEWS

Half of Hong Kong Talent Unhappy at Work Only 51% of locally-based Hong Kong employees feel ‘satisfied’ in their current role. Research was conducted by Randstad Hong Kong, who released their latest local results from a recent Workmonitor survey.

The survey revealed that 51% of locally-based respondents feel satisfied with their current job, whilst 38% of respondents are not actively looking for a job but would be curious if an opportunity was presented to them.

Other key findings: • • •

21% had changed employers in the last six months; 77% want to be able to travel internationally for work; and 67% are willing to relocate to another market for a substantially higher salary.

Grim Future For Hong Kong's Social Enterprises 79% of local social enterprises currently face varying degrees of operational loss. Over 42% have seen medium-level deficits, while 24% said their situation was serious. These figures come from a survey of 103 enterprises, conducted recently by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises.

PTSD Sufferers Reach 2 Million in Hong Kong One in three Hong Kong adults has shown symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the social unrest started in 2019.

University of Hong Kong academics, who conducted the study, urged the government to step up its mental health provisions. Their research also suggested that up to 11 per cent of the city’s adult population was affected by probable depression last year.

Professor Gabriel Leung, Dean of HKU’s faculty of medicine, who co-led the research, said, “Hong Kong is under-resourced to deal with this excess mental health burden.”

The following list summarises the percentage of industries within the social enterprise sector that have been adversely affected in recent months: • • •

Catering industry – 100% Education – 86% Retailers – 78%

4 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Hong Kong is under-resourced to deal with this excess mental health burden.

HK NEWS HR NEWS

HK 8% Youth Unemployment & Worst GDP since ‘60s If we thought last year was challenging for HR and the economy, then 2020 to date looks even more challenging. The economy was already decreasing by 3.2% quarter-on-quarter in real terms in the third quarter of 2019, after the fall of 0.5% in the preceding quarter, indicating that the Hong Kong economy had already entered a technical recession. Since then, Hong Kong has seen a turbulent political situation that has impacted all areas of the economy. On the back of this in early May 2020, the Hong Kong Government significantly adjusted downward the GDP forecast for 2020 to -4% to -7%, which is much worse than their original estimates of -1.5% to 0.5% in mid-February 2020. This anticipated GDP makes this the worst forecast since the 1960s, because of the pandemic and other external factors. Unemployment for those aged under 25 currently sits at around 8%.

Hong Kong Leadership Teams Struggle with Digital Change 25% of Hong Kong bosses say they are either not confident or unsure their organisations have the right leadership team to implement digital change. New research by Robert Half showed that Hong Kong bosses are among the least confident globally in possessing the right leadership talent to navigate a digital future.

Leaders cited a lack of management support or interest (48%) and a lack of change management experience (45%) as the main reasons for not having the right leaders to implement digital change.

31 Civil Servants Suspended During the recent period of social unrest in Hong Kong, 41 Civil Servants have been arrested, according to figures released by the Hong Kong Police Force. Of those 41, 31 have been suspended and face losing their jobs if convicted by a court.

Joshua Law Chi Kong, Secretary for the civil service, said, “31 had been interdicted and suspended from service. In the event that they are convicted by the court, we will initiate disciplinary actions. The result could be sacking or warnings depending on the situation.”

Law said the decisions to suspend arrested civil servants were made in the public interest, explaining, “We need to consider public perception if an arrested civil servant is allowed to continue to exercise the powers and functions of office. Law also stressed that the number of civil servants detained for taking part in unlawful public activities only accounted for a tiny minority of the 180,000 government employees in Hong Kong.

5

HR NEWS HK NEWS

Nurturing global talent in Hong Kong Around 100 HR professionals from

events of this kind, we believe HKU

nearly 40 companies met with over

Business School, together with the business

400 undergraduate and postgraduate

community, are going to build a talent pool

students at a recent large-scale job fair

for the future of Hong Kong and beyond.”

at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong.

Alongside career coaches and other

Ms Joey Lau, Manager (Training and

experienced professionals, the event

Development), Sino Group, remarked,

created an ideal platform for students

“Sino Group treasures talents, and

and corporate partners to exchange

seeks to attract high-calibre candidates

ideas on talent acquisition, share real-

with our well-established recruitment

world experience and learn more about

mechanism. We are excited to get to

career development.

meet the outstanding candidates at the job fair organised by the HKU Business

HKU Dean of Business and Economics

School, and are impressed with their

Professor, Hongbin Cai said, “Through

ideas and insights.”

Legal Firm increases Hong Kong presence

DLA Piper, who is helping many in HR with legal issues during the

a leading global business law firm accelerating growth for our clients.

challenging times in Hong Kong, has just made a fresh start of things with

Through the bold use of design and state of the art technology, we are

their own office moving from the Landmark to Three Exchange Square.

providing improved ways of working for our community. There are fun

In keeping with their growing presence in Hong Kong, the new DLA Piper

aspects in the office as well.”

office now occupies three and a half floors.

The improved facilities, meeting rooms and spaces facilitate a collaborative Susheela Rivers, Office Managing Partner for DLA Piper in Hong Kong,

approach and showcase panoramic views of the beautiful Hong Kong harbour

commented, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to be in a new space

and landscape. The office provides a first-class working environment,

that reflects our core values: we connect our people and our position as

supporting the team to feel valued and connected.

6 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

APAC NEWS HR NEWS

Employment law issues abound amid HK turmoil On the back on months of social unrest, and global pandemic disruption, it is not just HR and employees who have been thrown into turmoil. The ‘perfect storm’ has also given rise to a plethora of unique employment law issues.

Employment law is closely governed by statute and over 100 years of common law, with almost all breaches being criminal offences fraught with personal and emotional elements. Historically employment law has often been relegated to a sub-division of firm’s corporate or dispute resolution practices. Hugill & Ip, a local employment firm, however, think that as a result of many factors unique to employment law, clients are best served via a dedicated practice, and, somewhat unusually in Hong Kong, the firm has made employment a key practice area.

Adam Hugill, Partner, commented, “While there is a perception that Hong Kong’s employment laws are slow to change, in the past 12 months the social unrest immediately followed by COVID-19 has given rise to unique employment law issues that have thrust HR to the very centre of client’s businesses. Human Resources teams and their advisors have been tested in a way that was, for many, previously unknown, often requiring speedy, novel and inventive solutions”.

Asia-Pacific countries advancing gender equality Ministers and high-level officials from 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific region have committed to prioritising women’s rights for an equal future.

The ‘Asia-Pacific Declaration on Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Beijing+25 Review’ was adopted after intense negotiations at a threeday Ministerial Conference, organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia-Pacific.

Armida Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-SecretaryGeneral and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, said, “The 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is an opportunity for us to take stock of our progress and accelerate efforts. I am delighted member states from across Asia-Pacific have agreed on an ambitious, forward-looking Declaration, which strengthens the region’s commitment to action on gender equality and women’s empowerment.”

7

HR NEWS INT NEWS

Autocorrect blamed for racist email

Candidates Pay to Work

A UK-based university worker was fired after claiming that the auto-correct function on his computer had changed his colleague’s name to ‘Hash brown’ in an email. In his defence, the worker said, “Hash brown is not a racist term. It is a breakfast item. It is a bit weird to call someone that intentionally.

Why would I do it? To class it as gross misconduct is just unbelievable. It was a typing error.”

A recent job advert has gone viral. In a recruitment post for a Data Analyst in New York that appeared on Indeed.com this week, applicants were informed that they must pay USD15 an hour

After a disciplinary investigation into the email, he was let go when bosses

to work there.

were unable to replicate the error to prove that the message had been amended by auto-correct.

A screenshot of the job post, which was originally shared on Twitter, went viral across all social media platforms, including Reddit

It is always best practice to proof-read emails before sending them. Not

and Facebook read, “You will complete various applied research

only will this make them sound more professional, but it will avoid

projects for data analysis. Strong critical thinking skills and some

the prospect of offending the email’s recipient. If this advice

programming experience is a plus. Knowledge of machine learning

is communicated early on to employees, then it may

techniques is a bonus!” Finally, it informed job seekers that, “This is a

cause HR fewer headaches in future.

reverse financed internship so you will pay $15/hr to work here.”

2020 Year of AI and Doing More With Less 2020 is expected to bring a rise in AI, tighter budgets and slowing economies. The top 5 predictions for 2020, according to enterprise software experts, SAP Concur, are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Small businesses will tighten budgets to safeguard against economic and government downturns.

Fears of a slowing economy in AsiaPacific will bring more pressure on businesses to do more with less.

Trade tensions will create uncertainty and reshuffle global priorities.

Workers looking to save time will kick demand for AI into overdrive.

Artificial intelligence and emotional intelligence will converge.

8 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Andy Watson, SVP Asia Pacific Japan and Greater China, SAP Concur, predicted, “fears of a slowing economy in Asia-Pacific will bring more pressure on businesses to do more with less, but by harnessing technologies like AI and automation they will be able to deliver greater productivity and intelligence to operations.”

INT NEWS HR NEWS

EWB champion CSR in Tanzania Situated in the mountains of north-western Tanzania, the rural district of Karagwe is a far cry from most in HR, a once-powerful kingdom where wealth was measured in cattle. While agriculture remains one of Karagwe’s key sources of income, the area also faces a significant water shortage. Johan Kerstell, Executive Vice President and Head of Human Resources, Sandvik Group, has been working to bring in teams to help overcome such challenges.

Sandvik AB has a longstanding relationship with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Sweden and contributes its technical know-how, project management skills and international experience to EWB’s activities in Sweden and developing countries. The first goal of the Karagwe sanitation project was to build a prototype toilet that could go on to be used in the district’s public primary schools. Delivering social value is something that many employees want to participate in, and people want to work for responsible companies. The Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study found that 64% of millennials would not accept a job if the company did not have strong CSR values.

10,000 job website launched to mitigate Vietnam COVID unemployment Non-profit programme is helping thousands

encounter difficulties. It is expected that if the

of workers made unemployed by COVID-19 in

epidemic continues over the next few months,

Vietnam. The ‘Campaign for 10,000 Jobs for the

tens of thousands of companies will close due to

Community—Fighting Seasonal Unemployment’,

the overwhelming pressure of various expenses,

launched

leading to tens of thousands of young people to

by

Canavi,

is

helping

connect

unemployed candidates with employers looking to

lose their source of income.

fill seasonal and home-based roles.

The Canavi Hanoi Youth Union aims to The pandemic has caused thousands of workers

connect candidates with employers to fill

in Vietnam out of work indefinitely, with financial

seasonal and home-based jobs, to support

pressure increasing every day. According to the

the community and young people

country’s Ministry of Labour—Invalids and Social

in economic recovery during and

Affairs, the number of people who applied for

after the epidemic in a timely and

unemployment insurance in February 2020 was

sustainable manner. It provides

47,164, up more than 59% compared to January

free soft skill courses, including

2020, and a rise of 70% compared to the same

English lessons, interviewing

period last year.

training,

sales

techniques

and more. It also helps Nguyen Ngoc Viet, Secretary of the Canavi

employees connect with

Hanoi Youth Union, shared, “In the context of

businesses that require

COVID-19, young people and students are often

workers

subject to precarious situations when businesses

10,000-job website.

through

the

9

HR NEWS HR EVENTS

HR EVENTS MAY

JUNE

14th

5th

ESS Update: What you need to know

HR Magazine Live: Restarting organisations to go beyond BAU

organised by HR Magazine

organised by HR Magazine

Time

11.00am – 12.30pm

Time

11.00am – 12.30pm

Website

https://hrmagazine.com.hk/event/employment-

Website

https://hrmagazine.com.hk/event/hr-magazine-live-hr-

Email

chris@excelmediagroup.org

Email

chris@excelmediagroup.org

Venue

Tel

Online support-scheme-ess/ (HK) +852 2736 6339

Digital Employee Experience—a Vital Need in the "New Normal" organised by SAP

Venue

Tel

Online reboot-restarting-organisations-to-go-beyond-bau/ (HK) +852 2736 6339

16th – 17th HR Tech APAC Digital Summit (Webinar) organised by HR Exchange Network

Time

2.30am – 4.00pm

Website

https://go.concur.com/15353-hk-sap-sf-may-lp.html

Tel

(HK) +852 2736 6339

Venue

Online

Email

aamir@excelmediagroup.org

Time

10.45am – 2.45pm

Website

https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/events-hr-tech-apac/

Venue

Online

Email

contact@hrexchangenetwork.com

18th – 19th

18th

Thailand HR Tech: Conference & Exposition 2020

6th HR Leaders Asia Indonesia 2020

organised by Personnel Management Association of Thailand

organised by Rockbird Media

Venue

Venue

Royal Paragon Hall

Address

Royal Paragon Hall 5th Floor, Siam Paragon

Website

http://www.pmat.or.th/hrtech/

Tel

TH - (66) 02-3740855

Email

Shopping Center info@pmat.or.th

Address

Grand Hyatt Jakarta Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.Kav. 28-30, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350, Indonesia

Website

https://hrleadersapac.com/sixth-hrleaders-asia-2020/

Tel

(HK) +852 5803 1855

Email

hello@rockbirdmedia.com (PH) +63 2776 4316 (SG) +65 3163 1388

10 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR EVENTS HR NEWS

JULY

AUGUST

2nd

11th – 13th

HRD HR Tech Summit Singapore

Shared Services & BPO Week (Webinar)

organised by Key Media

organised by SSON

Time

8.15am – 5.35pm

Venue

Online

Address

1 Orchard Road, Singapore 238883

Email

enquiry@ssonetwork.com

Contact

Bianca Tan

Venue

Hilton Singapore

Website

https://singapore.hrtechsummit.com/

Email

bianca.tan@keymedia.com

Website

https://www.ssonetwork.com/events-ssophilippines/

Tel

(PH) +65 6722 9388

18th – 20th 9th

3rd Employee Experience Summit organised by Clariden Global

Asia Human Capital Development Conference 2020 organised by HR In Asia Time

8.00am – 5.00pm

Address

Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Malaysia

Venue

Hotel Istana

Website

https://www.hrinasia.com/events/asia-human-capital-

Email

findus@hrinasia.com

development-conference-2020-2/

13 – 16 th

th

Time

9.00am – 5.35pm

Address

5 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039797

Venue

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

Website

http://claridenglobal.com/conference/employee-

Email

admissions@claridenglobal.com

Tel

experience-sg/ (SG) +65 6899 5030

27th – 28th

10th Learning & Development World Congress 2020

Surviving HR Organisation: Strategy & Implementation in the Future Work

organised by Equip Global

organised by PT. Intipesan Pariwara

Website

https://www.equip-global.com/10th-learning-amp-

Time

8.00am – 12.00pm

Email

enquiry@equip-global.com

Address

Jl. Pantai Mengiat, Benoa, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten

Website

http://www.aspachrforum.com/index.php

development-world-congress-2020

Venue

Ayodya Resort Badung, Bali 80363, Indonesia

11

HR NEWS HR MOVES

HR MOVES Stephanie Biernbaum

Mary Edmunds

Veronica Chang

Chief People Officer, Biernbaum

Head of Human Resources, Biernbaum

Director of Human Resources, InterContinental

Hines, the international real estate firm, has

Hines continued its expansion of HR roles with the

Veronica Chang recently joined InterContinental

announced Stephanie Biernbaum as the Chief

appointment of Mary Edmunds as the new head of

Hong Kong as Director of Human Resources.

People Officer. In this pivotal new role, she will

Human Resources for Europe. Edmunds will report

She brings over 15 years of work experience with

oversee a team of more than 60 professionals, and

to Stephanie Biernbaum, the newly appointed Chief

international conglomerates, including Carrier

all HR activities and responsibilities worldwide,

People Officer, as well as to the Hines Europe CEO,

Hong Kong Limited, where she most recently

allowing the firm to work on evolving trends

Lars Huber.

served as Human Resource Director for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Guam, overseeing the full

in career development, diversity and inclusion, analytics and other areas changing the traditional

Jeff Hines, CEO, Hines, commented, “Under

landscape of HR.

Stephanie, Mary is poised to drive performance

spectrum of HR functions across the region.

by partnering with executive leadership on key

Veronica previously spent almost a decade with

Biernbaum will be working closely with David

issues as we continue to grow and lead—while also

GEODIS (Freight Forwarding & Supply Chain

LeVrier, Stephanie Fore, Dana Morrey and our

recruiting and retaining the top talent in the real

Optimization, Asia Pacific), which is part of SNCF

talented HR teams to map out a new global HR

estate industry.”

(Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français),

strategy. Before joining Hines, Biernbaum was a

France’s national state-owned railway company.

consultant with McKinsey & Company for eight

Her earlier work experience includes HR positions

years. Most recently, she served as associate

with Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, Li & Fung (Retailing)

partner and a leader in their Organisation Practice

Limited and Dairy Farm.

where she built business strategies and counselled senior executives.

12 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR MOVES HR NEWS

Peter Sargant

Damien Green

Anne Scanlon

Chief Executive Officer, Community Business

Chief Executive Officer, Manulife (International) Limited

Chief People Officer, SmartBear

Community Business, a leading not-for-profit

Manulife has announced the appointment of

Anne Scanlon has been added to SmartBear’s

organisation advancing responsible and inclusive

Damien Green as the new Chief Executive Officer

executive leadership team as Chief People

business practices, has announced the appointment

of Manulife (International) Limited, overseeing

Officer. Anne is responsible for leading the

of Peter Sargant as Chief Executive Officer, effective

Manulife’s business in Hong Kong and Macau.

company’s global human resources function, including employee and culture development,

from March 2020. Peter will succeed Fern Ngai, Currently Manulife’s Chief Strategy and

talent acquisition, and retention and change

Transformation Officer for Asia, Mr. Green

management. She has more than 20 years of

Peter joins Community Business following a short

will start as CEO for Hong Kong and Macau on

experience leading Human Resources at various

career break, prior to which he was an Executive

January 1, 2020. As a member of Manulife’s Asia

high-growth companies.

Director of Standard Chartered Bank. Throughout

Division Executive Committee, he will continue

his career, Peter has been a dedicated diversity

to report to Manulife Asia CEO Anil Wadhwani

Justin Teague, CEO of SmartBear, said, “As we

and inclusion (D&I) advocate and a champion for

in his new position.

continue to grow globally and prioritise employee

who is retiring after serving as CEO since 2012.

engagement, Anne will be incredibly valuable in

minority groups.

Mr. Green is an experienced life insurance CEO,

helping us to succeed.”

Kishore Sakhrani, Board Chairman of Community

having previously led MetLife’s businesses in Korea

Business said, “My fellow board members and I are

and Australia and AIA’s business in Australia.

Anne comes to SmartBear from Aptus Health, Inc.

delighted to appoint Peter Sargant as the next CEO

In total he has almost 20 years of leadership

a subsidiary of Merck and Co., Inc. where she was

of Community Business. His extensive not-for-

experience within the insurance industry across

the Chief Human Resources Officer. Previously, she

profit board and volunteer experience combined

the Asia-Pacific including in Korea, Hong Kong,

held global HR leadership roles at ACI Worldwide,

with his wealth of D&I knowledge, make him the

Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, and EMC.

ideal leader for our dynamic and ambitious team.”

13

HR NEWS HR IN NUMBERS

HR IN NUMBERS 45%

3.2%

HR candidates looking

estimated average increase in

Robert Walters Salary Survey, 2019

ECA International, 2019

88% FinTech professionals who are

real salaries in APAC for 2020

optimistic about 2020 job opportunities

78%

23%

87%

employees would increase tenure if

jobseekers happy with

Mercer

jobsDB Laws of Attraction

to change jobs in 2020

they saw better career path in company

existing employers

Robert Walters Salary Survey, 2019

employees expect employer to

support good work-life balance Glassdoor

50 HOURS Average working week for Hong Kong workers UBS

14 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR IN NUMBERS HR NEWS

47% companies have HR

software over 7 years old goremotely.net

84% employees worldwide

currently stressed at work Cigna

USD$2 TRILLION predicted global spending on

digital transformation in 2020

International Data Corporation (IDC)

USD$375.8 BILLION actual spend on digital transformation across APAC in 2019

International Data Corporation (IDC)

96% Hong Kong employers who say

they have under-performing staff Robert Half

15

COVER STORY

Cost-cutting and agility key as organisations emerge from COVID-19 16 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

COVER STORY

Watch our panels again Scan the QR codes below to them watch again on HR Magazine's brand-new YouTube channel.

Modern finance: equipping future leaders with financial insights

Future of HR: engaging and empowering your workforce to improve agile HR responses

It seems HR, CFOs and organisations are playing a game of catch up.

After being thrown, unwillingly, in front of the COVID-19 bus, teams have been left on a frenetic process of digitalisation. It had to happen sooner and later, and in many ways, the pandemic—tragic as it is— has been the 'perfect' catalyst to bring this shift about. It's just been a much faster journey than many had ever imagined.

Amid the infodemic of 'unprecedenteds' and 'new normals' that have flooded media at large, organisations have been busy shifting their entire business models and strategies simply to survive.

Here, at HR Magazine, we had to pivot from on-ground events to Livestream events within a week and were begging and borrowing tech equipment to allow us to do so on a shoestring budget. The way we work as individuals has changed too, maybe permanently, with remote working much more commonplace and mental health issues much more in the open. Technology is key to facilitate any digital transformation, yet, on the backs of months of protests, months of COVID-19 disruption has brought many organisations to their knees in terms of cash flow, as so organisations also have to be mindful of finances during this transition.

With this in mind, on 24 April, HR Magazine and Oracle brought together senior Finance and HR leaders across a range of industries including hospitality, education, legal, banking and technology sectors, to discuss new ways of working—as organisations begin to emerge from the COVID-19 shakeup. The Livestream served up two instalments on the same day: •

Future of HR: engaging and empowering your workforce to improve agile HR responses

•

Modern finance: equipping future leaders with financial insights

17

COVER STORY

Modern finance Equipping future leaders with financial insights HELEN COLQUHOUN Partner, Head of Employment Hong Kong, DLA Piper

Cash is king

on how to speed up and digitise—to facilitate a

Ensuring cash flow is high on the agenda for every

complete data transformation. We're a large Chinese-

organisation right now, and unique challenges

state-owned organisation that recognises the need

are being thrown up while they try to prepare for

to change, and we're leveraging our size and scale to

recovery. Phil Smith, Global Director—Financial

make those changes in a fast and efficient way."

& Compensation Services, Crown World Mobility, explained, "There's an increased focus on cash, so

Companies wishing to be more agile will certainly

where other parts of the business are slowing down

need to ensure they have enough liquidity to

MICAH FRIEDMAN

and looking at their processes, we were ramping up

support this transformation and cash flow becomes

Chief Information Officer,

conversations with clients on getting payments in,

paramount. Guruprasad Gaonkar, JAPAC SaaS

and preparing for the future. Many organisations are

Leader—Office of Finance (ERP) & Digital Supply

holding onto cash reserves, which is a double-edged

Chain, Oracle JAPAC, explained, cash is critical in

sword. Organisations should always prioritise paying

two ways. Firstly, ensuring there is clear visibility

suppliers on time whenever possible. We've been

of the organisation's various cash sources; and

looking at multiple sources of finance to ensure that

secondly, using it optimally." For heads of finance,

as we move back into recovery, we have a stronger

this is no mean feat, and Gaonkar advised, "To solve

position to start with."

this challenge, we recommend splitting action into

Rosewood Hotel Group

three key categories. The first is about focusing on Micah Friedman, Chief Information Officer,

automation. The second is about visualisation. As it's

Rosewood Hotel Group, shared his experience in

more than just analytics, it's about transforming your

the hospitality sector, which has been particularly

information into insights. So you can focus on each

President, College of

hard hit by the pandemic. Freidman explained,

of your core operational activities and have visibility

International Finance

"Every hotel company has been badly impacted.

of cash flow from each of those perspectives. This

That said, there are strategic projects we are moving

shared awareness of any cash flow challenges needs

forward with to put ourselves in a position to have

to exist across all departments so that appropriate,

an eventual recovery. There are going to be changes

timely measures can be taken. The third is impact—

to our operating model to ensure we become more

and how you optimise it. We need to move away from

agile. We're asking now: what do we have to do to

Excel spreadsheets, the new-age capabilities we have

prepare for it? We're finding efficiencies and getting

out there today, meaning we can use AI algorithms to

more creative in the ways they work."

find tactics to help optimise cash flow."

Utilising new technology

Positive thinking

Workplaces are changing more quickly than ever

In situations like this, it is crucial to think

Global Director—Financial

before, and one of the ways that organisations

optimistically about outcomes in the next few

& Compensation Services,

can help control business continuity—aside from

months ahead. Friedman shared a ray of hope,

having good contingency plans—is by utilising

"There's significant anecdotal data that points to

technology to help speed up processes. Yet even

a huge amount of pent up demand for products

larger, well-established organisations can face the

and services in society. For example, the Hermès

Scan the QR code below to

pressure of needing to modernise themselves quickly

boutique in Guangzhou reported US$2.7 million

watch the finance stream

under the current climate. Paul Ryder, President,

in sales on its reopening day after the lockdown.

College of International Finance, Bank of China,

We're also seeing an extremely high engagement on

expressed his concerns, "The whole situation has

social channels for people thinking about travel. I'm

forced us to re-look at the quality of AI and data

confident about the future, even in the hotel sector:

analytics and reporting across a range of spheres,

hotels have been around since Pompeii, and they're

whether it's changes in customer behaviour or risk.

going to be around into the future. When life gives

Amid rapid changes, we sometimes find that our

you lemons, make lemonade."

PAUL RYDER

Bank of China

PHIL SMITH

Crown World Mobility

data is insufficient as a starting point to make the predictions we want to make. So, our focus has been

18 HR MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

As it's more than just analytics, it's about transforming your information into insights Guruprasad Gaonkar JAPAC SaaS Leader—Office of Finance (ERP) & Digital Supply Chain, Oracle JAPAC

19

COVER STORY

Future of HR Engaging and empowering your workforce to improve agile CHARLES CALDWELL HR Director, English

HR responses

Schools Foundation

HELEN COLQUHOUN Partner, Head of Employment Hong Kong, DLA Piper

Changes in HR technology

He also urged against assumptions that employees

With the sudden shift from working in the office

are not at risk of leaving organisations during this

to working from home (WFH), many companies

time. "Right now, it's easy for those conversations

have been grappling with the challenges of how

that managers are having with staff to stop. It's

to maintain employee productivity. Mukta Arya,

easy for top talent to disengage. Don't make

Head of Human Resources, SEA and Head of

decisions today which are harsh, when six to nine

Talent Development and Inclusion, Asia-Pacific,

months away, it could lead to them being snapped

Société Générale, explained, "We realised there

up by a competitor."

was a huge range of duties that can be done perfectly well remotely, including tasks like sales

Streamlining hiring processes

and training. We are fortunate that we had the

One of the most critical things when hiring

technology already in place to facilitate this,

new talent is time. How can we speed up the

so when we had to work from home, it wasn't

recruitment process? Caldwell shared, "We've

that difficult. One of the main concerns for HR

been looking at how we can move away from

about WFH is around the human aspect and

the linear model of hiring someone—moving a

the psychological issues it throws up. When,

candidate through the recruitment process—to

so-called, 'water cooler conversations' that create

a more parallel hiring model. What this means

Head of Human Resources,

more spontaneous idea sharing, are replaced

is, while we're moving a candidate through this

SEA and Head of Talent

with deliberate, scheduled Zoom meetings,

process, we're still looking for other staff. This

communication can be a lot more challenging. So,

saves us a lot of time that would usually get

to help overcome this challenge the basic tenant

wasted using the linear model."

MUKTA AYRA

Development and Inclusion, Asia-Pacific, Société Générale

is the same: communication, communication, and more communication. We believe that line

Rowan Tonkin, Senior Director, HR

managers play a critical role in keeping these

Transformation APAC, Oracle, shared advice for

'human' connections ongoing."

organisations looking to modernise their hiring process and enhance hiring agility. "A key thing is

Scan the QR code below to watch the HR stream

20 HR MAGAZINE

HR future priorities

generating interest in joining your organisation.

There's little doubt that the post-COVID-19

Usually, it's a binary-type process, when a person

world of work is already looking much different

sees an opportunity, they apply, they go through

to before, so what should HR be prioritising, and

a process, and they get it or don't. Unfortunately,

how can they be more robust? Charles Caldwell,

there's often a lot of wasted time and effort in

HR Director, English Schools Foundation, spoke

these traditional hiring processes. Technology

about how ESF is taking a more integrative

can significantly improve this process for both

talent management approach. Caldwell shared,

HR and the candidates by providing insights.

"Instead of simply identifying top talent through

For example, the system can give candidates a

a traditional linear recruitment model; we

gentle 'nudge' and make them aware of other

now encourage staff to nominate themselves

roles currently open in the organisation that they

for suitable roles. I've seen a lot of data where

are suitably skilled to apply for." Tonkin added,

problems have been solved, not by the people who

"From the recruiter's perspective because it can

have been on the talent list, but on the people

link with a skills map of every employee across

nominating themselves. What we've done is shift

the organisation, this technology means HR is

from being traditional talent 'gatherers' to talent

already working with a warm candidate, rather

'hunters', so that we're much more on the front

than a cold one, which helps identify better-fits

foot now when it comes to talent acquisition."

and significantly speeds up the time to hire

COVER STORY

It's important to strike the right balance between technology and an empathetic human touch Rowan Tonkin Senior Director, HR Transformation APAC, Oracle

cycle. Moreover, the visibility of each candidate's

meaningful contact with staff who are no longer

available. So, you also must make sure whether

skills sets allows HR to select someone who can

in the workplace, and also ensuring data security

from a reputational standpoint, if this is right for

perform multiple roles, further enhancing the

with the transfer of information from work to

your company."

organisational agility and reducing the risk of cost-

personal devices.

of-wrong-hires to the business."

And with the novel coronavirus, many companies Tonkin noted, "We use social media and mobile

are also facing novel legal challenges. Colquhoun

Upskilling employees via LMS

devices to help transfer information quickly and

explained further, "There are also concerns

The dramatic shift towards remote working has

easily between colleagues. However, HR needs

about data privacy issues, in terms of the extent

left many organisations looking for effective ways

to be mindful as a lot of colleagues may prefer

that organisations are now collating data

in which they can continue to upskill their talent.

not to be contacted on their personal devices. It's

about people: where they've been travelling,

Online Learning Management Systems (LMS)

important to strike the right balance between

what their temperature is, whether they've got

are the obvious go-to solution. However, they

technology and an empathetic human touch. It's

antibodies, whether they've tested positive. Many

do come with their own challenges in terms of

best to use technologies that people are already

organisations are asking questions such as: Can we

engagement, demonstrable ROI and sometimes

used to and that are intuitive and easy to use."

collect that data, how do we store it, can we share it, do we need consent to obtain that data?"

simply getting users onboard. Arya shared how Société Générale had overcome such challenges

Arya added, "We do use video conferencing

to leverage online learning fully. She shared, "You

technology, but we don't encourage people to use

Stephen Kai-yi WONG, The Privacy Commissioner

shouldn't go in expecting every single online

social media, because of the nature of the work

for Personal Data, Hong Kong (Privacy

learning programme to be successful, sometimes

we do and compliance issues." Caldwell added,

Commissioner), previously shared advice on HR's

people need a bit of gentle persuasion. We utilised

"We provide a great degree of flexibility at our

role in ensuring such data security. He explained,

a group of key influencers within the Bank, talent

schools in terms of communication platforms,

"While we acknowledge that there is a legitimate

already on high-potential paths. We engaged

but it's important to think about data security.

basis for employers to collect additional data

them in key training modules, so that afterwards

For example, when we use WhatsApp to help

of their employees to help control the spread

full of new ideas and enthusiasm, they were able

coordinate students, teachers, and parents for

of the disease, the collection and processing of

to advocate the programme and easily encourage

a class trip, we ensure that we delete all that

employees' personal data should be specifically

co-workers to join."

personal data afterwards."

related to and used for the purposes in relation

Another drawback to LMS can be the high

HKSAR Government ESS

duration and scope as required in the particular

potential costs if they are not fully utilised. Arya

The Government recently announced its new

situation." He added, "Additional data to be

shared a novel tactic that helps to overcome this

Employment Support Scheme (ESS) aimed at

collected must still adhere to the usual principles

challenge and ensures a much better utilisation

providing 50% funding towards staff salaries from

such as minimisation, purpose specification and

of online programmes. She noted, "We explain

June to December 2020 to help keep businesses

use limitation. It must be necessary, appropriate

to our target employees that the course will

afloat during this period. In terms of organisations

and proportionate to the purpose to be achieved."

be available on the LMS for three months. And

maintaining headcount before and during the

if people aren't using it, then it will be taken

scheme, Helen Colquhoun, Partner, Head of

Colquhoun added, "Another area of concern for

away so that someone else can benefit from it.

Employment Hong Kong, shared with both streams,

organisations is when you've got a significant

This helps avoid any wastage on the finance

"Practically, this can't be a perfect scheme for it to

portion of your workforce trying to work from

side, focuses leaning resources at those who are

be rolled out quickly and the Government are not

home and using their laptops and firewalls, do

motivated to use them, and so generates the best

looking at whether you have the same employees,

you have sufficient security measures in place.

ROI for the organisation."

but rather whether your headcount is the same."

This was highlighted with security issues flagged

She also cautioned about the impact on the image

around the use of Zoom, which have since been

Communicating with frontline staff

of larger organisations seen to be claiming this

addressed. Currently, it the case of the law

Another challenge for organisations managing

funding, "The list of companies that have decided

trying to catch up with rapidly changing external

disparate workforces has been maintaining

to leverage the scheme is going to be made publicly

situations organisations find themselves in."

to public health and should be limited in both

21

COVER STORY

Getting back to business after COVID-19 Here we share a little on what HR and organisations can do to leverage this adversity to emerge leaner, stronger, more collegiate and agile.

Giovanni Angelini Advisor, Angelini Hospitality “Have an effective business promotion and recovery plan in place. Maintain your brand image and pricing during the crisis. Do not drop your published rates—as reducing these, in general, does not stimulate demand and may harm your image online. Instead, offer discounts or value-added extras. Continue looking for new markets during and after the crisis and identify if the local market or community offers any opportunities. Do not cut your marketing budget; you may need to increase it at the end of the crisis as you may have to 'buy more business'.

Develop a strategy for the image for tactical advertising activities and based on the local situation, assess if it is prudent to continue advertising, and if not and how to proceed—better leverage digital marketing and other innovative ways of getting your message out there.”

“Find out about government assistance packages and tax reliefs—specifically appoint someone to handle this task.

Look at the possibilities of renegotiating with vendors and suppliers with the objective of cost reductions without impacting quality. And stay away from the 'infodemic' of fake news—and those creating unnecessary panic, instead consult your local health authorities and follow WHO guidance.”

Margaret Fung Managing Director in Hong Kong, TMF Group “Flexible working arrangements have also been implemented in many of our offices, including Hong Kong, in line with government guidelines. These include a combination of staggered working patterns in the office and remote working. Our IT infrastructure has been extended and strengthened to support flexible working across our networks.

Thanks to digitalised documentation, video conferencing and VPN technology, we have the theoretical IT and process capacity for more than 90% of our staff to work from home. Currently, around 30% are, with much of the rest working staggered shifts.”

“Clear communication and processes are more important than ever and will be key to managing uncertainty among employees as the situation evolves. We encourage people to share their photos and fun when they work from home."

Pauline Williams Director, Atrium HR Consulting (Asia) Limited “With so many employees are treading along a dangerous cliff edge right now, coping with unprecedented stresses on them, employers need to be more mindful than ever of their duty of care. HR needs to continue, or start if they haven’t yet, to nurture, engage, develop and look after the mental health of their talent teams.”

“EAPs are merely the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but what employers really need to do is build a fence at the top of that cliff—to help protect their staff. Prevention is always much better than cure.”

See the full write up on advice for enhancing employee well-being on page 28.

With the massive uptick in HR adoption of technology solutions, we have witnessed a considerable number of job roles being effectively conducted from the convenience of employees’ living rooms. With many more in the workforce experiencing anxiety and depression, conversations on mental health are becoming more frequent and more candid.

It is possible that when we see the end of this virus, many organisations way of working will fundamentally change for the better. It is likely we will emerge from a world of mostly rigid work environments and concealed employee emotions, to one of much greater flexibility, freedom and openness.

Stay safe, stay strong…we are nearly there in our new global workplace.

22 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

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events@superpark.com.hk +852 3611 0443 23

HR FEATURES

Mobilising & motivating talent amid COVID-19 HR Magazine speaks with Lisa Johnson, Global Practice Leader, Consulting Services Crown World Mobility about their new report, Big global mobility trends to watch in 2020. She highlights the sweeping changes currently taking place in workplace mobility and what HR needs to do to keep staff mobile and engaged during this incredibly challenging time.

Global mobility strategy—key HR considerations The Report identifies seven key priorities that HR should focus on to help smooth the way for employee relocations. Moreover— with so much of today's workforce having to work from home— many of these measures also help facilitate, or at least better prepare staff for, relocations, support or training.”

Sustainability priorities Employee duty of care and mental health Global mobility communities Happy attrition and other post-assignment strategies The big EX! Mobility links to diverse leadership Domestic mobility maturing in new locations

Source: Big mobility trends to watch in 2020, Crown World Mobility For more information: https://www.crownworldmobility.com/

24 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

Global mobility sustainability is about creating meaningful reductions and making smarter choices at any level Lisa Johnson Global Practice Leader, Consulting Services Crown World Mobility

HR steps to creating a sustainable global mobility strategy

HR's duty of care

companies are emphasising well-being programmes

It is essential for HR to regularly review and update their

that include exercise, nutrition and mindfulness along

Provide guidelines for relocating employees before

company's duty of care strategy. Often it is an emergency

with updated definitions of work-life balance."

moving that highlight sustainable ways to reduce

such as COVID-19 that reminds us of how important it

waste during their move. This advice should aim

is to have a plan A, a plan B and further support in place

Global mobility communities

to help them make personal choices with positive

for employees. A big part of mobility duty of care lies in

Today, more than 40% of the world's population uses

consequences, e.g. methods to donate items that

preparing business travellers, relocating employees and

social media to share information and connect. Linked

will not be packed or stored like excess furniture/

their families for unexpected illnesses and accidents,

to this is a growing trend around participating in online

clothing/appliances.

personal and family security issues, political upheaval

communities. Johnson noted, "Where we see bigger

and terrorism. Another critical concern is immigration

growth and opportunity is for communities within

Provide more online forms to reduce assignment-related

policy—amid daily changes due to COVID-19—and

Global Mobility teams. Communities are strengthening

paperwork and facilitate completion from any location.

countries around the world banning entry to non-

Global Mobility teams—and their internal or external

residents, which obviously impacts assignments. HR

partners—in sharing best practices and getting input on

Offer virtual solutions, e.g. virtual home-finding trips

should also help prepare employees so they can better

a challenge without waiting for the next meeting. These

in cases; this also allows relocating families to select

understand the financial implications of their move, the

platforms are definitely strengthening communication

suitable homes and schools—even if they are under

tax consequences, cultural differences and new language

for dispersed teams. Companies that use Yammer,

self-isolation lockdown at home.

that may need to be learned.

Workplace from Facebook and more are leveraging

Move towards crate recycling and use of biodegradable

Even when a person is highly motivated, the experience

technologies for virtual meetings such as Microsoft

bubble wrap for shipping.

of moving inevitably causes stress and anxiety as

teams, Zoom and Skype has helped build teams across

people leave family and friends behind. They often

the world. A godsend for staff self-isolating at home—

feel pressured to hit the ground running in a new and

helping them share not just work-related issues, but

perhaps highly visible role. Employee stress is not just

also get support with the plethora of mental health

Let talent know you're committed to enhancing

limited to relocation. With the massive shift towards

issues that the current global pandemic has thrown up.

sustainability by adding statements to your policy that

working from home, more employees are now having

At least some of the stigma is dissipating, and a more

encourage green options for employee benefits.

to cope with the added pressures of children being off

significant number of conversations around mental

school and elderly dependents to look after—all while

health are starting.

them for these purposes." Indeed, the use of such

Add electric cars and trucks to transportation fleets.

Encourage global mobility team members and relocating

they are trying to work. HR has a duty of care to address

employees to use public transport where possible.

employee well-being. However, this topic presents a

Facing a new reality

considerable challenge due to the stigma that exists

Despite the turmoil that COVID-19 has created in the

Introduce relocating employees and transferees to

around talking about mental health issues at work, and

global mobility arena, now is one of the best times

local recycling customs in their new location as part of

the fact that it can be largely 'invisible' to HR if they are

for HR to reflect on current ways of working and

settling-in services and discourage the use of single-use

not looking for it. An important first step to address

consider improvements for the months ahead. Post

plastic bags in every country.

mental health issues in a global mobility programme

COVID-19, 2020 will provide the opportunity for HR

is for HR to help remove the stigma. Johnson added,

to re-energise themselves and their teams with new

Create workspaces that are Leadership in Energy and

"Promoting employee well-being strategies can also

ideas, with sustainability and employee mental health

Environmental Design (LEED)-certified.

promote mental health in the workplace. Many

of paramount importance.

25

HR FEATURES

Prioritising people Lessons for business continuity amid a global pandemic

By Kelly Tey, Marketing Communications Manager, Compass Offices

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

T

his famous adage rings true today when people are reeling from the impact of COVID-19, but

still fighting its effects by learning to accept, adapt, bounce back and move forward. No one could have prepared for the outbreak that came, but if there is one leadership lesson we can take away from this ordeal, it is ensuring HR preparedness to help guide people through uncharted territories.

Business continuity plans have long been reserved for technical issues—compromised data and servers, cybersecurity drawbacks and blackouts. With the impact of the pandemic touching almost everything under the sun, companies must review further the plans stored for its fundamental building block—their people.

Priority on people A business is as important as the people behind it. So, to ensure day-to-day operations can continue to run effectively, one must first prioritise the welfare of the stakeholders that will keep things going.

In the event of a virus epidemic, a company will want to have preventive measures that focus on its people.

Reviewing working hours can be a start where the 9-to5 routine no longer work. Employees that can perform their tasks remotely should work from home to reduce contact exposure, as one case of infection will be a huge risk to others.

A clear guideline to being more agile in working arrangements is a step in the right direction. To make this happen, a company should be ready to equip employees with the necessary tools, technology and security to accommodate the situation swiftly.

26 HR MAGAZINE SPRING 2020

HR FEATURES

Reinforce core team Business continuity plans cannot be smoothly implemented without a force driving it. In a time of crisis, having a team that will help put plans into motion is crucial. This team will be the first responders to unexpected situations—they will be the key decision makers to make the call and communicators that will keep channels open to address questions and quell any doubts or concerns.

Ideally, there should always be a ‘Plan B’ or ‘Team B’ in case a protocol or core team members fall through. In addition to this, these plans and protocols should always be updated and strengthened from time to time.

Back-up office space Many situations can render an office temporarily unusable, like a confirmed case of the infection. In this case, vacating the premises is a logical next step to take. At this juncture, many companies have imposed a work-from-home policy to encourage safe-distancing among employees. However, the living quarters may not be a viable workspace for all. This can stem from a lack of space, unsecured home networks, distractions, detachment from the team, or the general idea that working from home would mean longer hours.

There is always a reason for a workspace to exist. Where work from home is not practical, there are arrangements such as temporary office rental options like flexible office spaces where employees can safely and comfortably resort to. Ready-to-use office space is also convenient to disperse employees and space out crowded offices, while its flexible rental terms give companies the freedom to extend their stay when the situation develops and plans change.

Communicate openly A vital part of any kind of crisis management is constant communication. Top-down communications should also be considered and are crucial, especially in organisations with many layers of management.

Once a business continuity plan is established, relevant stakeholders should have access to it to align what needs to be done and when. When the plan is clear cut, there will be no room for misinterpretation. As situations change, so will the plans. There should be regular updates where necessary, and stakeholders should be informed of new developments.

Ability to adapt Most businesses do not have the leeway to halt operations during unexpected situations to make way for calculated steps. With the pandemic still not contained, it is more pressing now than ever to address the need for an effective business continuity plan for the sake of the company and its people.

Place employees’ well-being as the priority when planning.

Consider the right and verified information to disseminate on an open communication platform to put employees’ minds at ease.

Look into flexible workspace such as serviced offices in advance.

They are business-ready for immediate move-in to minimise disruptions on operations and keep businesses going.

27

HR FEATURES

Why HR should build fences to enhance workplace well-being HR Magazine speaks with Pauline Williams, Director, Atrium HR Consulting (Asia) Limited to get her take on the current state of mental health in the workplace and why fences are more critical than ambulances in HR.

M

any employees are treading along a dangerous cliff edge right now—with

unprecedented stresses on them arising from once-in-a-lifetime events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid this backdrop, employers need to be more mindful than ever of their duty of care to continue to nurture, engage, develop and look after the mental health of their talent teams.

Nevertheless, traditional employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are simply not cutting muster anymore. Pauline Williams, Director, Atrium HR Consulting (Asia) Limited gave an interesting analogy. She cautioned, “EAPs are merely the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but what employers really need to do is build a fence at the top of that cliff—to help protect their staff. Prevention is always much better than cure.”

Preventing employees going over the edge Only 24% of companies in Hong Kong currently have an EAP in place, but this is only half the battle.

Williams noted, “There is also increasing data to indicate that other wellness services are also required to enhance existing EAP programmes.

EAP is a great foundation, but it’s rarely enough.”

So, what exactly can HR do to help prevent their employees from going over the edge? Williams shares the concept of global wellness and provides an HR battleplan with some great tips on what they can do to foster better employee well-being.

28 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

At the end of the day, it’s all about prevention. Do not wait until the horse has bolted Pauline Williams Director, Atrium HR Consulting (Asia)

HR battleplan to ring-fence employee well-being 1. Consider communication. Promote EAP awareness with the HR teams and then replay this message to staff. HR often needs help in delivering this message as many questions crop up. Prepare answers to the following (and any other questions that might be asked): What exactly is an EAP? What is wellness support? What is the primary purpose of an EAP? Why is it there? What does our organisation hope to achieve from our EAP?

2. Consider what, who and when. Consider exactly what your EAP offers your staff and which elements are to be offered. Also, decide who exactly can assess each of them.

It is also important to let staff know who they will be talking to. For EAPs to work, staff need to feel comfortable enough to build rapport with the person helping them—it is highly preferable, if not essential, that they should be able to access the same counsellor throughout the process. Depending on the nature of the intervention, this can last from several weeks to several months.

3. Consider the type of interaction that your EAP will provide. An EAP should be a lot more than just a hotline. Will the interaction provide be face-to-face or online or via telephone? Flexibility, localisation and accessibility are all critical considerations to ensure it is as easy as possible for staff to use the service.

4. Consider the efficiency and effectiveness of the EAP. It takes time for staff to build up a rapport with their counsellor. Williams advised, “If you can provide an onground meeting or at least face-to-face intervention via video link—this allows both parties to see and read each other’s body language, which is not only much more personal but also facilitates a faster healing process.”

5. Considered structured support for the team. Workplace stress is not something that just affects individuals; it is viral and has the potential to spread across entire teams and families. Counselling can be offered from a variety of perspectives including, but not limited to marriage counselling, child counselling, career counselling and family counselling. Williams added, “Tragically, in the light of COVI-19, grief counselling is likely to be something that sees a dramatic increase in uptake in the near future.”

29

HR FEATURES

Help for HR So, while HR is busy putting together their EAPs, who is helping HR? Williams advised those in HR to look for what she termed, ‘a global wellness offering’, encompassing a holistic approach to enhancing the mental well-being of both HR teams and the talent they were leading. This HR offering should comprise several vital elements which can be utilised for different needs depending on the person involved and the circumstances they are currently going through, as outlined below.

1. EAPs—most appropriate for when staff are going through something specific and need help getting back on the right track. Atrium's help is provided via remote multi-lingual counselling services. Services are arranged through an online booking system which is easily accessible by enrolled staff, who simply need to send an email to the Atrium wellness team. After completing basic details on line, the staff member receives a direct response from a fully-qualified counsellor with the relevant expertise that aligns with the nature of support required.

Therapists—support comes from interventions provided by fully qualified professionals to help staff with a wide range of mental health issues. This is available on a one-to-one basis via telephone or video conference and provides unlimited and ongoing therapy to ensure they can receive not only temporary relief but also work towards permanent mental health well-being.

2. Wellness Support—that aims to generate an overall sense of well-being.

Atrium gives an extra level of support and ensures the company can maintain productivity and performance through a confident and focused workforce.

3. Global Wellness Coaching—Atrium provides access to performance coaches that staff can call for information and advice to help them overcome obstacles and get through challenging events in their professional and personal life. Whether it is preparing from a big meeting, dealing with a conflict, maintaining relationships or even general coaching for any part of their life, the coaches have a proven track record in enhancing performance.

4. Tele-physiotherapy—gives staff support in overcoming pain injuries and pain. Atrium is a pioneer in this area being the only benefits provider to include this on a global basis, with companies saying they have seen a difference in productivity for their staff who use it.

Tele-physiotherapy allows staff to be assessed, receive advice and treatment programs, without the need to visit the clinic and gets them back to work quickly and pain free.

The fact that these services are available remotely via video conference is proving a timely solution for many in HR right now, dealing with remote teams and work-from-home teams during COVID-19 isolation and social distancing.

Williams concluded, “At the end of the day, it’s all about prevention. So, HR needs to be proactive in setting up on-going dialogues and support systems for their talent and themselves. Do not wait until the horse has bolted, instead be proactive, not reactive.”

30 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

31

HR FEATURES

Getting employees back on track Innovative mental health programme helps teams through changing times

H

R is under no illusion that the past few months

Smiling Mind. Smiling Mind is used by companies

Help for employees

has taken its toll on employees’ mental health.

like IBM, the Australian Government & the AFL,

The final aspect of the programme is support

Uncertainty around paid leave, salary reductions, and

to enable staff to develop skills to manage their

and Dr Koh shared how this had benefited her

in the worst cases—job losses have left many people

mental health more effectively using the tool of

colleagues at AXA. She said, “AXA offers one-

with anxiety about the future. Almost everyone

mindfulness. This also supports stress management,

to-one coaching with experienced therapists,

is social distancing, many working from home—a

improves focus, and increases connections within

where employees can talk about their concerns

problem compounded in Hong Kong with cramped

life at work and home.

in a safe, confidential space. We’re also using

living conditions. These factors have left many

cutting-edge VR technology to enable our staff to

employees feeling more isolated than ever before, with

Dr Koh explained, “By educating employees through

experience new worlds that provide therapeutic

social interaction being much more limited.

talks, workshops and events, all of which can be

benefits to users.”

accessed remotely, we hope to create a supportive Never one to stand still, AXA Hong Kong has

culture in the workplace. We believe that doing this

A new feature just added to the offering is the AXA

been looking at ways they can further support

will ensure colleagues are both aware of their mental

Mind Health Network, which is run in partnership

employers and their employees across Hong Kong

health and can support their co-workers in their

with Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital in Wong

as we wade through this challenging time. HR

mental well-being.” She added, “We believe it will

Chuk Hang. AXA Mind Health clients can access

Magazine spoke with Dr Koh Yi Mien, Managing

help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in

the exclusive AXA Mind Health Network—which

Director of Health and Employee Benefits, AXA

general. Hongkongers are traditionally less willing to

provides fast-track ‘priority’ access and preferential

Hong Kong and Macau to find out more about their

talk about emotional issues, so we aim to encourage

rates to a comprehensive range of personalised

recently launched Mind Health programme.

people to be more open and honest when they are

treatments and support packages delivered by

experiencing difficulties.”

experienced mental health specialists.

Professionals in Hong Kong generally have a comparatively intensive working life, and surveys

A recent study by the City Mental Health Alliance

indicate that over 1 in 3 employees are currently

(CMHA) showed that 69% of employees had never

Help for HR

experiencing mental health issues during their

received any education on mental health. Moreover,

While the implementation of such a programme

employment. Although there are a few existing

only 12% of employees ever inform their HR about

might sound like a lot to take on right now, Dr

policies in place, support for mental health is lacking

their mental health issues. Dr Koh commented,

Koh believes every company can deliver a tailored

in many areas. Limitations in the territory include

“These figures show that there is a huge gap in our

programme to their colleagues with a little help.

a shortage of psychiatrists and subsequent long

workplaces: in knowledge, trust and support. We

Dr Koh explained, “This is precisely why we

wait times to access professional help. According

want to help close that gap.”

launched our Programme Assistance for HR”.

to the SCMP1, the longest waiting time for mental health support stands at more than three years. So,

Companies who join the programme are provided

with little outside help, it is often left up to HR to try

with a single point of contact to help them personalise their programme delivery for the

and deal with their staff’s mental health challenges, and without adequate support and advice—this is

Prevention

unique needs of their staff. HR will also receive

no mean feat.

Another critical aspect of the Mind Health programme

communication support in the form of collaterals,

is prevention. Dr Koh explained, “Even when mental

including welcome packs and user guides to help

So to help companies ensure employees are not only

health care is incorporated into existing employee

launch their services to their employees.

physically, but mentally healthy, AXA has developed

benefits, prevention is better than cure.” In this

the Mind Health programme. As the first insurance

regard, the programme collates some of the latest

To help with the metrics, and demonstrating

company to offer a comprehensive, end-to-end

digital applications to help equip employees with

ROI, Dr Koh added, “We also provide aggregated

mental health programme for corporates in Hong

additional preventive tools to support themselves.

reporting data on the usage of all our digital tools.

This helps HR keep track of employee engagement.

Kong, the programme uses a three-pronged approach encompassing education, prevention and support.

Dr Koh noted, “There are more than 8,000 mental

This data-backed evidence help HR teams to

health apps on the market. It is difficult for people to

objectively assess the success of the programme.”

Education

know which ones work. With the help of our advisory

The programme features design thinking workshops

board, we have curated three of the best apps for

The metrics also provide insight into the value

and lunch & learn sessions for employees and HR

workplace wellness: Mental Health Guru, Moodgym

of this programme for employees themselves,

teams. Everyone learns what mental health is, and

and Smiling Mind. Employees have free access

which in turn helps gain buy-in from other, more

how best to keep it leaning towards the positive

to learn how to manage their mental health. They

sceptical, colleagues.

side. Users also get access to Mindfulness at Work

can do the training—such as an introduction to

webinars provided by the international not-for-profit

mindfulness—anytime, anywhere.”

Cheung, E. (2018, July 20). Up to three-year wait at public hospitals for mentally ill patients. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2072183/long-waiting-times-hong-kong-public-hospitals

1

32 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

Dr Koh summarised, “We believe that these breakthrough initiatives from AXA will increase both employers’ and employees’ awareness of mental well-being. By addressing the psychological needs of employees and HR alike, we can together improve well-being and enhance productivity in the long term. It is a win-win-win situation for everyone.”

Now more than ever during this time of economic change, companies need employees that are both motivated and composed. With external global issues continuing to create daily anxiety for many, these steps can help ensure workplaces remain calm and stable refuges that support and nurture staff as they need to.

Innovative mental health programmes help teams through changing times.

We encourage people to be more open and honest when they are experiencing difficulties Dr Koh Yi Mien Managing Director of Health and Employee Benefits, AXA Hong Kong and Macau

33

HR FEATURES

Why will 50% managers leave their jobs in 2020?

7 in 10 managers feel undervalued or underpaid, while half of managerial staff intend to quit their role within the next year. These are worrying figures for HR professionals. To get to the bottom of why managers feel this way, Dr Ashley Prisant, Harvard University has assisted in research by TalentLMS in order to get to the facts behind the figures.

There are a number of concerning findings, including:

1 in 2 managers are thinking about leaving their company in the next 12 months

7 in 10 say they feel undervalued and underpaid

43% feel isolated at work after they became managers

61% say that the number one reason they stay is that they work well with the people they manage

34 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

People deserve a better experience than they often have at organisations

D

octor Ashley Prisant, Instructor of

problem with this is that dissatisfied staff tend to

role. When questioned, these managers brought

leadership, business, and human

be less productive and could add to an unhelpful

the conversation back to training with 92% saying

resources,

Extension

working culture. But, if people are unhappy,

it was important, but only 41% say that they had

School, explained, “Should others

why do they stay? The research reveals that 61%

received training of any kind within the last

be taking care of managers? Are

of managers stay because they work well with

month. One in four managers stated that they had

they doing enough to take care of themselves? A lot

the people they manage. Alongside this, ‘having

never received any form of managerial training at

of people say, ‘my senior people don’t support me’,

freedom and authority to make decisions’ and ‘the

all, either before or after getting promoted. 76%

but they do nothing to improve their own world.”

right amount of work-life balance’ were the second

of those questioned wanted more training and

and third most popular answers, respectively.

development opportunities.

HR profession and a puzzle that may never be fully

Managers are usually the people that staff turn

The solution, according to TalentLMS, when

solved. However, modern times require a modern

to when they have problems at work. There will

looking at the research, comes in a few different

outlook and talent welfare is high on the agenda

inevitably be times when those managers also need

forms. HR teams need to develop talent

for most organisations. We learned recently,

someone to turn to, and it turns out that they also

retention plans that take into account the

during our Cornerstone OnDemand event, that

turn to their own managers for guidance. Over

feedback seen here and reflect the needs of their

talent needs motivation and encouragement in

a third of survey respondents said that they turn

talent. That means communicating with your

order to be most successful and productive for

to their manager when they feel overwhelmed. A

talent and directly asking them what they want.

the company. Heidi Spirgi, Chief Marketing and

quarter said they turned to a co-worker who was

Many of those surveyed for this research gave

Strategy Officer, Cornerstone OnDemand told

also a friend, whilst 7% admitted that they had

their views and the top three areas they want to

us, “People deserve a better experience than they

nobody to rely on. This latter group presents a

see improved are:

often have at organisations,” with this sentiment

worrying statistic as having no one to turn to in

reflected in the statistics.

times of stress and feeling overwhelmed can lead

Harvard

The question of happiness at work is as old as the

•

harmonious relationships at work—first with the team and then with upper management;

to burnout and isolation. Of this group of isolated The purpose behind this research then, is to investigate

managers, three-quarters of them have intentions

•

a culture based on inclusion; and

how companies can take better care of their top

to leave their company within the next year, making

•

being more involved in strategy and decisions.

performers and prevent them from leaving. Ana Casic,

them a high-risk group for HR teams dealing with

Media Relations at TalentLMS, elaborated, “We also

retention and staff welfare. These same people

As ever, the modern worker wants a greater focus on

wanted to look into whether new managers are getting

also admitted that they were happier before they

human relationships. It does not seem to be all about

managerial training that will help them with the

became managers (51%) and that isolation started

pay and benefits. ‘Better training’, ‘more frequent

challenges of a new demanding role. It turns out that

after their promotion (62%).

development opportunities’, ‘positive workplace culture’ and ‘being listened to’ come up time and

employers aren’t delivering, as 1 in 4 managers never received any management training at all.” This, again, fits

Going back to the original premise that half of all

again as factors that would improve retention. There

into what we were told by Spirgi when she said, “We need

managers intend to leave, it is important to know

is still time to save your best managers from leaving.

to re-tool the workforce. We transformed technology,

if these people are new to management or have

Take the opportunity to improve the environment

but we left the people behind.” Training is leaving people

a lot of experience. The statistics show us that,

for everyone and retention figures may not look so

feeling uncertain, unprepared and ultimately unhappy.

within this group of intended leavers, only 37%

disappointing in the future.

are new to the role or have less than three years Training is just one part of the puzzle, but even

experience. Those at greater risk of leaving are

unhappy talents stay in their current roles. The

the ones with five or more years in a managerial

35

HR FEATURES

Parental leave increasing across Asia

HR FEATURES

Japan, in 2015, saw only 2.7% of eligible male workers take childcare leave

Kudos to the following leading the pack: Ashurst 18 weeks of parental leave at full pay.

T

he rights of parents to have greater leave entitlements are on the increase across the whole APAC region.

Burberry

Recently, a number of statutory increases across various regions in Asia, as well as global companies raising benefits in all regions have been announced. Many of these

18 weeks of parental leave at full pay and the

countries have not seen changes to the leave entitlements of expectant parents for

opportunity to work a 30-hour week at full pay for

many years. For example, Hong Kong’s announced increase from 10 weeks to 14 weeks

a further four weeks on their return.

is the first rise in such an entitlement for 48 years.

Culturally, parental leave in Asia has been different from that in the West for various reasons. However, things are starting to change, although the take-up of leave does not

NestlĂŠ

always match what workers are entitled to. Japan, for example, in 2015, saw only 2.7% of eligible male workers take childcare leave. Clearly, tradition and the status quo will not

18 weeks fully paid leave for the primary carer

change simply because the law has. There needs to be a cultural shift alongside relevant

and four weeks for secondary caregivers

legislation, which will take time.

Global companies tend to do a better job of giving benefits than local ones. A Global Parental Leave report by Mercer shows that more than one-third of organisations

Novartis

worldwide now have one centralised global policy that covers the various types of leaves available, including maternity, paternity, adoption, and parental. 38% of these

26-week equal paid parental leave to all parents

organisations provide paid paternity leave above the statutory minimum, and several

welcoming a new child through birth, surrogacy or

regions mandate a parental leave program that may be used by either parent.

adoption.

According to recruitment specialists Michael Page, enhanced leave programs are a valuable tool for attracting and retaining top talent. Companies in Asia are beginning to see the benefits of enhancing the entitlements for parents. When faced with similar

Philip Morris International

offers from companies during the hiring process, the final decision for candidates often comes down to company culture and the work-life balance benefits offered.

18 weeks for mothers, and 10 days

for partners

Parental leave policies can have a positive effect on both employees and employers as they help talent maintain a better work-life balance. These leave policies also promote the company as a more attractive place to work, improving retention during a time of continued demand for highly-skilled talent.

Zomato

Statutory entitlements are still relatively low across the APAC region, so organisations

26 weeks equal paid parental leave,

have been taking it upon themselves to offer a global policy to add more leave if the

including fathers.

region’s legal minimum does not meet the same standards.

Although many countries already have statutory provisions in place above these levels, many still do not, so it is nice to see that forward-thinking organisations are taking the leave to provide additional benefits. It is also a positive move that most benefits are not gender-specific and apply equally to mothers, fathers and same-sex couples. Hopefully, more companies will see the benefits

37

HR FEATURES

Cultivating talent on land and sea Smashing maritime stereotypes—HKRI’s innovative training programme nurtures young captains and engineers for Discovery Bay’s ferry fleet

D

iscovery Bay, or ‘DB’ as it is affectionately

into healthcare services and other investments in

In recognition of these efforts, HKRI recently

called, has always been a bit different. Nestled

Hong Kong, mainland China and across Asia. This

received an Employer of Choice Award from Job

in a bay on the northeastern side of Lantau Island,

sustainable growth has been founded on the Group’s

Market. The organisation also scooped the Next

the international community which started out 40

ability to build engaged and innovative talent teams.

Generation Development Award for its superior talent management initiatives and innovative HR practices.

years ago as a barren piece of unused land, is today a thriving mini-metropolis that offers a much needed

Pride in its teams

escape from the pressures of the busy city.

Guided by its corporate values of PRI2DE (Pioneer,

Committed to respecting every member of the

Respect, Innovation, Integrity, Devotion and

HKRI family, the company endeavours to build

The experiment in low-density, resort-style living

Excellence) in daily management, operations and

an open and collegial working environment

has paid off handsomely for its developer, HKR

attitudes, the company is proud of its consistent

by providing a variety of training and career

International Limited (HKRI). With over 40 years

approach to talent development. Ms Carmen Li,

development opportunities for staff to facilitate

of steady growth, the locally-based enterprise

Assistant General Manager of Human Resources,

their development. However, while most firms

has continued to diversify its interests from real

HKRI, explained, “Our success is all based on

focus purely on land-based staff, HKRI also pays

estate development and investment, property

the firm belief that people are the core of any

attention to employees who work on the water for

management, luxury hotels and serviced apartments

organisations' prosperity.”

the Discovery Bay ferry service.

HKRI's Hong Kong flagship: Discovery Bay, a world-class sustainable community

38 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

DBTPL becomes the first ever ferry company to join hands with Maritime Department and MSTI to cultivate young captains and chief engineers

The challenges in finding maritime talent

instead of cultivating young people from scratch.

in supporting the safe and reliable operation of the

Operated by Discovery Bay Transportation Services

HKRI has adopted a different approach. In addition to

DB ferry fleet. A total of 10 talented young people

Limited (DBTPL), a subsidiary of HKRI, the high-speed

pioneering innovative living spaces, the organisation

have obtained Coxswain Grade 3 Certificates, three

ferries provide residents and visitors with convenient

is also determined to set milestones at sea with its

have received Grade 2, and one has qualified for the

transportation between Discovery Bay and Central.

own innovative maritime training schemes.

highest-level certificate, Grade 1.

First ever ferry company to partner with MD & MSTI

Championing female captains

hire captains and crew off the street. More than ten certificates and a series of training courses are required

In 2016, HKRI’s Group Human Resources worked

Man, who joined the company three years ago, after

to become a qualified captain or chief engineer.”

with its subsidiary, DBTPL. The result was the

developing a keen interest in sailing. At the time

launch of a brand-new talent training programme

she had no relevant maritime certificates. Now,

These technical requirements represent a significant

aimed at addressing the challenges of cultivating

with the company’s assistance and support, she has

barrier to career development, which in turn has

and retaining young captains and chief engineers for

earned her Coxswain Grade 2 Certificate and also

led to talent shortage throughout the maritime

the DB ferry fleet. In addition to delivering extensive

become an Assistant Master, which qualifies her to

industry. The situation is further complicated by

pre-service training and on-the-job training, one-to-

navigate DB ferries and similar watercraft.

the stereotype that the occupation is both boring

one coaching is also provided to participants.

However, finding the right people to operate them is not an easy task. Li explained, “You can’t simply

and hard work, which makes it less attractive to the

Among the Group’s new captains is Ms CHAN Kin

Female captains are still a rarity in Hong Kong’s

younger generation. According to a conservative

DBTPL was the very first ferry company to join

shipping industry. However, HKRI likes to think

estimate, today more than 70% of mariners in Hong

hands with the Hong Kong SAR Government

differently, and Li noted, “HKRI has always believed

Kong are over 50 years old.

Marine Department (MD) and the Maritime

in the benefits of diversity and inclusion—notably

Services Training Institute (MSTI) to create a

gender equality—in the workplace. By promoting

A novel approach to staff training

unique maritime talent training scheme. And the

initiatives like this training scheme, we aim to smash

The cost of training maritime talent, both in terms of

scheme is certainly making its mark. To date, six

maritime stereotypes, shift public perception, and

time and money, is also relatively high. Accordingly,

participants have obtained their Chief Engineer

generate renewed interest in traditional technical

many companies try to hire experienced captains,

Grade 3 Certificates and are now playing a vital role

jobs—especially among younger talent.”

People are the core of any organisations' prosperity 39

HR FEATURES

Couples that Work Jennifer Petriglieri is a British academic and researcher, and the author of ‘Couples that Work: How to Thrive in Love and at Work’. She is also a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD in Paris. HR Magazine spoke to her about the upcoming book, discussing issues related to HR and talent in the workplace.

A review of ‘Couples that Work’ can be found in the book review section of this issue (page 56).

40 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR FEATURES

If you want to understand their career journey you need to understand their partners

Unique viewpoint

‘whose life am I living?’ Whereas, successful

in certain markets, but when asked ‘why?’, they were

The marketplace for business and working-

couples are those who spend time on the basic

not clear, answering ‘because that is what the guys

life literature is already heavily saturated, but

layers of their relationship, especially setting the

at the top did’; the implication being that they were

Petriglieri explained her reason for jumping into

boundaries—and make their decisions on that

perpetuating outdated models of hierarchy.

this crowded pool. She said, “There’s nothing else

base level to align with both parties.

like this out there. None of the available literature

Those companies on the cutting edge are moving

deals with the issue of couples in the right way.

away from that and looking at the skills needed

For the last 15 years, I’ve been researching careers,

instead. Old methods are no longer as efficient at

career transitions and leadership development

talent management. The newer, fresher leaders, according to Petriglieri, “Are using a more

and I was increasingly hearing from people that if you want to understand their career journey you

Hedging bets

bespoke approach that fits the employee and their

need to understand their partners.”

Dealing with challenges becomes easier if you

life, rather than just thinking of the employee as a

have these boundaries in place. For example,

single entity.”

As an academic and a writer, Petriglieri looked

when companies offer a promotion opportunity

around and saw that there is a lot available to read

or management training plan, if it falls outside

on work-life balance and sharing the roles at home,

of the couple’s prescribed boundaries, then the

dividing child care, and so on. But, there is nothing

opportunity will be passed up. The relationship’s

that really speaks to the intersection of careers.

core goals overtake individual career choices.

Egalitarianism

Often, in books and media, careers are talked about as if there are no-strings-attached. A career is often

Younger generations, increasingly on two-incomes,

A rise in egalitarianism is seeing women more able to

looked at as a separate entity to the interaction

tend to be better placed to deal with such problems

express their need for a meaningful career, as well as

between couples who both have a working life.

and these couples have a greater tolerance toward

men who feel free to express their desire to be more

them. They can hedge their bets more, as there is a

hands-on at home. This equity means both partners

fallback. Due to some companies still being stuck

have a stake in decision making, which affects their

in the ‘old ways’ and not thinking of the employee’s

working life and, by proxy, the companies they work

partner’s life, they risk losing out on talent. Petriglieri

for who, if they want to retain such talent, need

added, “There are fewer ‘tagalong’ partners, who

new methods of accepting these cultural changes.

Setting boundaries

might be able to move around with the other more

Petriglieri added, “Research appears to show that

The key to being a successful dual-career couple,

easily. So, an example such as an employee who is

men who have working wives, or daughters who

according to Petriglieri, is decision making. She

offered the chance to move to different countries

work, are more egalitarian as managers. They have

elaborated, “The core thing is that it doesn’t matter

may be less willing to accept the opportunity as it

empathy and understanding. The mechanism of

what you choose, it’s about how you go about

does not fit within the boundaries of the relationship.

their managerial improvement is their experience

choosing it. For example, having kids, moving

Demographers argue that couples have more power

and understanding. They ‘get it’.”

homes, any decision—the couples who do well are

now, due to a double-income, meaning they can walk

the couples who take time to really think through

away from a company if the opportunities do not fit

Petriglieri is not confident that enough companies

their choices together at a fundamental level.”

their life choices.” This power-dynamic was not so

‘get it’ at the moment. There appears to be a lot of

common in the past.

work still to do for HR leaders if they are to fully embrace the modern dual-career couple in an

This means it is not just about decisions on the usual issues, such as money or childcare. The key

The future of work

effective way. Those couples who are successful

is to take time to create the foundation—what

Going forward, companies need a new strategy

in their relationship will not be as persuadable as

matters to us as couples? Where do our ambitions

if they are to retain the best talent. In one of

the talent from previous generations; therefore,

lie? What can often happen is that a decision

Petriglieri’s surveys, she asked a company’s VP of

if organisations want to recruit the best talent,

is made, quickly, based on money (or ease) and

HR, ‘Why does your leadership ladder look like that?’

they need to be more adaptable, flexible and better

eventually, you wake up one morning wondering

The organisation replied that they need experience

understand the trends.

41

HR COMMUNITY

42 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR COMMUNITY

With Hong Kong suffering from social unrest, an economic downturn and an uncertain future, HR leaders gathered to discuss and share their ideas for dealing with staff and helping them through such a difficult time.

Leveraging artificial intelligence to create an internal gig economy

Engagement strategies during dramatic change

Chan began by stating that access to energy is a basic human right. She talked to us

The foundation of engagement across work and home is more

about her organisation’s approach to a multi-generational workforce. She explained,

complex than we think and the levels of excitement are not

“Now is the first time we have five generations working together at the same time.

always positive as Elizabeth Pannell explained what it means to

They all have different needs. They all have different expectations.” Technology has

be engaged and how we should be finding the issues and needs

also been disrupting the workplace. Research shows that the skills people have today

of employees rather than, finding out solutions first. Elizabeth

will be extinct in the future. The future requires a different skill set.

asked the audience, “What is the foundation of engagement?”

Several definitions were offered, but in Elizabeth’s own words

Soft skills are becoming more important as well as managing people, virtually, around

she noted, “Engagement is not a strategy that HR comes up with

the world. The shelf life of skills is changing to around five years. Therefore, we need

in a dark room. Rather than it being a linear process, it’s more of

to be constantly thinking about ‘are the skills we have today relevant to our role?’

a flexible journey that is ever-flowing and ever-changing.”

Agile organisations are changing from organisations to machines. Organisations are becoming organisms; Chan described them, “as less hierarchical and more agile.”

She emphasised the idea of the ‘mental change curve’ and why it relates to engagement in the workforce; and how health and

The answer, according to Schneider, is to create an internal gig economy. 47% of

wellbeing are fundamental to successful employee engagement.

Schneider employees leave because they can’t find internal opportunities. If talent

She explained, “Excitement is not always positive. Going

does not know how to find the roles, they can’t apply, so Schneider is implementing

through the phases of crisis, we then come out of this and we

an ‘open talent market’ to enable employees to own their own career. Chan

lean towards acceptance, new confidence and transformation—

explained, “We want our employees to be in the driver’s seat, so we are leveraging

this is where we are engaged.”

this platform to find the diverse skills and talents available.”

Her team at MUFG looked into strategies to help equip leaders There is now a new platform designed to tap into the different skills and

with greater empathy and the ability for human interactions to

experiences of employees; connecting employees’ skills to their ambitions

create a framework that is individually curated to help employees

in a strategic way. This helps improve the organisation but also reduces staff

feel more listened to and accepted. She added, “One size does not

turnover. Chan believes that, “It creates an inclusive environment and offers

fit all with engagement strategies and we, in HR cannot write up a

better access to opportunities within the company.”

strategy and expect that to work for every single person.”

DOROTHY CHAN Vice President, Global Talent Management, Schneider Electric

ELIZABETH PANNELL HR Business Partner APAC, MUFG Securities Asia Limited

43

HR COMMUNITY

Proactively managing talent wellness during times of crisis

Strategies to help employees through uncertain times

Winston raised the issue of human physiological responses to crisis using

Caldwell gave an overview of strategies to help employees

Hong Kong’s current unrest as an example. It is important to understand

through uncertain times and shared some results from

normal responses to unrest. He explained that unrest, like we are seeing

various surveys. To demonstrate this overview, the ESF Crisis

today, puts us all on edge. Physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural

Management Team (CMT) shared their best practices, which

reactions are normal. Explaining our reactions, Winston said, “When we

created different results. Their focus is to monitor the level

encounter these types of emotional events we will naturally have one of these

of stress their employees are facing and the mental and social

responses. Work can feel less important when we are emotionally invested

impacts of protests had on employees.

in external events.” We take our responses into the office, especially when events are extended over time.

He also talked about ESF students, saying, “Students in secondary school are more open for debate about the social

Therefore, HR must focus on managing staff needs and people’s

unrest and I am optimistic about the future outlook of the Hong

commitments outside of work too. There are practical considerations, such as

Kong Higher Education industry in 2020 and beyond.”

flexible working, providing travel solutions, giving staff extra time. However, it is not just the individual, but their families who are indirectly impacted.

Caldwell distinguished single events as a short term problem that

Winston said, “What we see in the office is just the tip of the iceberg, not the

researchers claim, will take a couple of weeks or months for someone

whole person. Leaders need to be fluid, give space for people to feel safe to be

to return back to normal but not so, for the situation in Hong Kong.

themselves. There is no fixed rule book.”

“A lot of people question what’s on the horizon or what the horizon looks like, which means that chronic stress is still lingering in the

Giving examples of what employers can do, Winston urged them to support

background and still affecting you and your employees.”

people to live and work as normally as possible through this challenging time.

Leaders can coach staff to allow space for everyone to feel safe. Consider

During the session, the audience also took part in a live poll,

bringing in a speaker or psychologist on managing conversations. Employers

which demonstrated how they felt over the last 2 months.

have a legal duty, but the better ones go further. Winston went on to say,

Over 60% felt negative and down, with approximately 16%

“Maintaining BAU is important for two reasons: financial working of the

neither enthused nor discouraged. The strategies Charles and

business and staff; and to maintain a level of stability for the people.” In

his colleagues have set for staff at ESF included tests in early

worst-case scenarios, it is also important to have contingency plans, which

October and mid-November, just after another intensive event,

may include moving out of HK. Winston concluded by saying, “We need to

and regular meetings with the CMT to help monitor the current

prepare senior leadership for any of these contingencies. You need to have a

safety status. They made use of a traffic light system; from

boundary. Different companies have different lines. Be consistent, however.”

green, meaning everything is stable and amber, meaning there is slight disruption, to red and black for more severe events.

CASSIDY WINSTON APAC HR Lead, IHS Markit

Their work is still ongoing and he will share the data with HR Magazine for publication in the near future.

CHARLES CALDWELL HR Director, English Schools Foundation

44 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR COMMUNITY

Work well live well—a wellness program for people development

Flexible frontline solutions for disparate talent: stable hands to senior directors

Chong began, “To cultivate healthy living habits for employees

The HKJC is one of Hong Kong’s most famous companies and has suffered as

at work and at home are challenging and requires a long term

much as any other in the recent unrest. Lee explained how they are making

process.” She explained and highlighted the positives and

use of incident management teams, regular meetings, risk assessment and

negatives of employee health and wellbeing in the workplace

up-to-the-minute communications to help deal with it. All stakeholders

and emphasised the importance of positive wellbeing across the

are involved and efforts are made to stay alert to the changing situations.

workforce and at home.

Communication must be timely, Lee explained, “We need to inform our employees, who can be full-time or part-time, as well as the public as soon as

Chong explained, “We find that employees suffer different kinds

possible. A lot of things need to be coordinated.”

of health issues, not just diet but prolonged working hours.”

Chong stated that it is not an easy process and that people

Lee warned against being unclear in communication, explaining, “Whatever

should adopt a holistic approach by raising awareness, creating

we say may very quickly be turned into a social media discussion. Social media

a supportive environment, engaging others and educating them

is so powerful.” Any actions taken by HR can be misunderstood or taken the

on the importance of taking care of our physical and mental

wrong way, so it is important to communicate with staff and explain corporate

health to maintain positive wellbeing.

actions to them. She elaborated, “We want to over-communicate, rather than only communicate when it is necessary. We are also working on apps to be

Chong closed her speech by explaining the long term

able to access HKJC messages at any time.”

sustainability of her company’s project—to change the outlook, the stigma towards mental health and her faith in those living in

Lee hopes to be seen not to take sides and be fair to staff. Staff safety is the

China, because development in technology and education has

number one concern, so, if they are able, they can work remotely, or finish

helped people to be more open to new ideas

early on days of disruption. Lee went on to discuss employee wellness, detailing how HKJC also wants to improve their managers’ skills in their

BESSIE CHONG Director, Group Training and Talent Management Group, Esquel Group

ability to deal with staff problems. One of the ways to do this has been by running various physical and mental health programmes and training workshops. There is a need for managers at all levels and functions, not just HR, to help manage employee wellness. Lee hopes that this can improve the willingness of staff to admit when they need help.

DAISY LEE Head of HR (Business Facing), the Hong Kong Jockey Club

45

HR COMMUNITY

Building resilience in high-performance teams Simpson introduced the idea of gamification. It is a term that is being used more and more in the world of HR these days. He said, “Games can be used for team building and assessment, producing data that can be evaluated by the organisation.�

Simpson then handed out boxes of props and iPads to delegates, who had been placed into teams, and got them to choose a leader. From there, the teams were set a number of physical and mental tasks designed to take the best skills of each individual team member, relying on each other to succeed. The gamification exercises were a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by the crowd. By the end, the room was buzzing with excitement and energy, with all delegates doing their best to win.

DAVID SIMPSON Co-founder and Director of Learning and Development, Team Building Asia

46 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR COMMUNITY

47

HR COMMUNITY

PANEL DISCUSSION The biggest HR challenges in these turbulent times

T

alking about today’s biggest HR Challenges, the panel gave their unique perspectives on each organisation’s ways to tackle them. Lee talked about the safety of staff, especially at the moment in Hong Kong. She said, “How do we ensure employees safety? Business

is diverse; people work at different times, Sundays, public holidays, etc. We want them all feeling comfortable.” The financial implications of a city in times of such unrest have been leading to redundancies, which Pannell expanded upon, saying, “Redundancies and resignations have lead to issues with staffing for us. In hindsight, we may have made different decisions. The organisation has cut the workforce to the bare minimum, but the current unrest is seeing further resignations.”

FACILITATOR Paul Arkwright Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine PANELISTS Adam Hugill Partner, Hugill & Ip Daisy Lee Head of HR (Business Facing), the Hong Kong Jockey Club Dorothy Chan Vice President, Global Talent Management, Schneider Electric Elizabeth Pannell HR Business Partner APAC, MUFG Securities Asia Limited Lazara Canton Client Director, BRIDGE Partnership

The time is now, they all agreed, for HR to become more relevant. Canton explained, “We’re all working in unprecedented times. We don’t have all the answers. It’s a time to show that HR can be true partners in business.” Her advice was to be authentic, not hiding behind policies and guidelines. Teams must work together to make something workable.

The effect of disruption on staff mental health is another ongoing concern in Hong Kong. Hugill empathised with HR leaders, saying, “HR is in an unenviable position due to the potential for staff members to get involved in protests. They don’t want to discipline staff for fear of being targeted by other protesters.” Difficult decisions have to be made, including whether the approach is lenient or harsh. On this topic, Lee said, “People are free to express their view, but in doing so, they need to understand that others hold a different view and must be respected.”

There has been a trend, in the last 6 months, especially among the younger population, to be less concerned about breaking the rules. An example was given of an employer who was issued with a warning letter, which was then posted on social media. Repercussions against the employer followed, showing that this willingness to break the rules makes HR’s job more difficult. What then, in these uncertain times, are our HR leaders doing to improve the situation? Chan believes that, “Trying to keep business as usual over the last few months is the key, re-communicating core values and respecting each different view.”

Staff mental health is a hot topic and maintaining morale is a real challenge. Lazara said, “Support leaders to support their employees. Leaders not knowing what to do can be a source of stress.

Then you’re better placed to help your teams.” With regard to dropping morale in the workplace, the panel was asked if they have noticed it in their organisations. Chan replied, “Not much.

Leaders openly talk about their own mental wellbeing. It got a lot of positive feedback from staff to see leaders show that they also suffer from stress and issues.” Lee accepted that morale can be a problem, but gave her solutions, saying, “We need to be flexible. Managers understand the challenges faced by staff and don’t want to make it worse. Also, to address concerns, we have developed a number of workshops to help managers with practical skills to assist their staff.”

48 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR COMMUNITY

Support leaders to support their employees. Leaders not knowing what to do can be a source of stress.

In some ways, many employers have adopted a similar situation to the typhoon policy with regards to staff needing to leave early or have transport trouble. This has worked well, as it does not require much in terms of educating people to a new way of working as they already understand the way to deal with this. The protests have shown all organisations that flexibility is important, and that it can be effective. More people enjoy having the opportunity to work from home and work at different times. All agreed that flexibility and understanding have been core lessons learned over the past six months Overall, the event was a huge success thanks to varied talks, engaging topics, activities and audience involvement. There seems to be a lot of work ahead for HR leaders if they are to steer a path clear of Hong Kong’s turbulent waters, but from what we heard today there seem to be many good ideas being implemented across the region.

Sponsors

Supporters

49

HR COMMUNITY

50 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR COMMUNITY

With the pandemic spread of COVID-19 continuing to impact organisations and communities globally, HR departments are facing increasing pressure to implement new working strategies rapidly, maintain cashflow and deal with tricky legal issues. At the same time, the overall mental well-being of staff and HR alike has taken a battering, with collective anxiety about the virus creating new tensions in the office and at home. HR Magazine brought together a suite of senior HR and legal professionals in a recent Livestream, filmed for a virtual audience from the Commons coworking space in Wanchai, to get their perspective of the best ways forward.

Health and safety issues

This is because people tend to touch it, you

There are still a lot of mixed messages on the

take it off when you eat, it gets damp, and it’s

actions people can take to prevent the spread

not very effective. You only really need to wear

of COVID-19, such as should you wear a face

one if you are sick yourself or nursing a sick

mask, and how can you protect yourself and

patient.” However, in the light of the recent

your employees. Moving forward, this will

number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the

remain a critical issue for HR to address. Sian

UK, the wearing of facemasks is become more

Griffiths, Emeritus Professor, The Chinese

commonplace, with anecdotal evidence to

University of Hong Kong (CUHK), who led

suggest around 50% of the population is now

the HKSAR Government inquiry into SARS,

wearing them in public places.

was interviewed via Zoom in the UK to get her

SIAN GRIFFITHS Emeritus Professor, CUHK

medical perspective on this.

Griffiths noted that washing hands and keeping surfaces clean is the best prevention and said,

Griffiths shared, “The UK advice is wearing a

“It’s a good idea to wipe down surfaces regularly

face mask is only useful if you’ve got an upper

because the virus can stay alive on a surface for

respiratory tract infection—that means colds

up to 72 hours, but it is most likely to survive

and sniffles. In this case, you are protecting

for a few hours on a damp surface. The type of

other people from the spread, but it is highly

surface it’s on also matters: the virus is more

unlikely that wearing one will protect you.

likely to keep living on a damp or wet surface.”

51

HR COMMUNITY

Maintaining productivity With so many staff working from home, talent managers need to ensure their team is maintaining productivity while juggling home life. Aisling Gormley, Head of HR, Catalyst Lifestyle, said, “We have to make sure clear goals are set. We work closely with managers to ensure that. There was a great spike in productivity when people started working from home because some people are just better at working from home.”

Steven Campbell, HR Director—APAC, Hallmark Cards, added, “Just be realistic about the expectations of your staff. Keep in contact with your line manager. But it’s about keeping your staff and family safe. Once people know that, staff will work extra hard to

AISLING GORMLEY Head of HR, Catalyst Lifestyle

keep the business going.”

WFH legal issues With more people required to work from home, many companies are wondering how they stand in terms of legal responsibilities towards WFH staff. For example, if a staff member has an accident while working from home, is the company still legally responsible for it?

Adam Hugill, Partner, Hugill & Ip, answered, “Yes, it is, especially if you require people to work from home, you have made their apartment their workplace. So, it should be covered by your employee compensation insurance, but it’s something which is still quite untested in Hong Kong.”

Mandatory quarantine for staff Many staff members returning from overseas have had to go into mandatory quarantine to stop the spread of the virus, which creates another challenge for HR. Anissa Leung, VP Talent, Senior Recruiting & Training, North Asia, Ceva Logistics, has a significant

STEVEN CAMPBELL HR Director APAC, Hallmark Cards

number of staff working across Greater China. Leung explained the company policy for staff under quarantine, “We facilitate them working from home, and we maintain their normal salaries. Even if they are not able to work from home, we still pay them. We start from the people side by making sure they are safe and feel safe. Then we keep in contact with them to make sure they understand it’s not personal; it’s just to help keep other staff members safe.”

Campbell added, “This is clearly a challenging situation for everyone. The end goal is to come out of this with an engaged workforce so that your business can move forward. If any staff members have been put under mandatory quarantine, it’s not their fault, and companies really should be supporting them. You’ll see better results coming out of this issue on the back of that.”

ADAM HUGILL Partner, Hugill & Ip

ANISSA LEUNG VP Talent, Senior Recruiting & Training, North Asia, Ceva Logistics

52 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

The end goal is to come out of this with an engaged workforce so that your business can move forward

HR COMMUNITY

We can’t just tell people to feel comfortable; we need to create the kind of environment where people can actually be comfortable

DR RICHARD CLAYDON CEO, roundPegz & CEM, Organisational Misbehaviorists

Mental well-being According to the mental health organisation Mind HK, 61% of people in Hong Kong are experiencing mental health problems right now. However, there are only 356 psychologists in the city—less than half of the amount recommended by the World Health Organisation.

With more people working from home, feelings of isolation and loneliness are common among those who are used to daily face-to-face meetings. How do we ensure that staff members are supported during this challenging period?

Dr Richard Claydon, CEO, roundPegz, said, “One of the core reasons for a rise in mental health is the anxiety of dealing with uncertainty that can’t be resolved. At this moment, if you make sure people are receiving accurate information about COVID-19 and what the

SREEDEVI VIJAYAGOPALAN HR Business Partner, Verizon

company is doing about it, then people are less likely to feel anxious.” ` Sreedevi Vijayagopalan, HR Business Partner, Verizon, shared three things that even small businesses can do to help teams towards better mental well-being, “The first would be to set up a mental-health resources page. The second thing would be to reach out to organisations like Mind HK and provide their contact information to staff. The third thing is to continue to educate staff and remind everyone that when we work from home, it is natural to feel a sense of isolation and disconnected from the rest of the office.”

Openness about mental health A further challenge is how to encourage staff to break the stigma and be more open about their mental health. Susane Yan, Regional Manager, Talent & Development APAC, Schroders, shared, “Educating managers on how to have these kinds of open conversations is critical. We can’t just tell people to feel comfortable; we need to create the kind of environment where people can actually be comfortable.”

SUSANE YAN Regional Manager, Talent & Development APAC, Schroders

During this turbulent period, a need for strong, calm leadership is vital for staff to feel safe and confident in their employers. This, in turn, will have a knock-on effect and help people to feel more at ease with their new working from home environments, reducing the amount of anxiety they are experiencing. In the long-term, creating an accepting environment and making suitable resources available will enable staff to talk more openly about the mental health issues they may be facing.

Sponsors

53

HR LEGAL

ESS Update We speak with Adam Hugill, Partner, Hugill & Ip to get the lowdown on the Governments' new HK$81 billion Employment Support Scheme (ESS), which has been approved by the Legislative Council Finance Committee and is due to roll out any day now.

Please note, with the limited information that is currently available, the answers are provided for guidance only and are based on the information available as on 6 May 2020. It should be noted that things may change after the Government announces further details of its formal rules and regulations concerning the ESS.

What should a company do if there is a resignation or retirement, but no replacement is made, i.e., the total number of employees would be less than the number submitted in the application, would this cause problems?

As currently expressed, the focus of the ESS scheme is maintaining headcount. Therefore, if an employee departs due to resignation or retirement during the operation of the scheme, that employee would need to be replaced – probably within the same month as the departure to ensure that the overall 'headcount' for that month is not reduced.

The unemployment rate in Hong Kong is the highest it has been in the last decade. It is, therefore, expected that it should be reasonably easy to hire replacement staff. While this might be true for more junior level positions, senior employees are often subject to fairly lengthy notice periods and even post-termination non-competition restrictions making speedy recruitment very difficult.

Do you think employers would opt for this scheme and decide to lay off senior staff, replacing them with lower-paid staff? What is being done to prevent this as the Hong Kong Government is only tracking the issue of total headcount?

This is a potential loophole that has already been identified by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare who has said that the Government will not actively monitor such situations. The Government may, however, investigate if reports are made by employees. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare specifically identified firing employees and hiring friends or families in their place as being acts of fraud that would not be tolerated.

54 HR MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HR LEGAL

What should a company do if there is a low performing staff member, can the company terminate their employment in light of ESS? Will this affect the amount they are entitled to?

Provided headcount is maintained via recruitment; the low performing employee can be terminated without breaching the ESS. However, I expect that for many employers, I expect a blind eye would be turned to below-par employees during the operation of the ESS—especially if the continued hire of such employees do not pose any serious risk to the business.

If there is a relocation of a staff member, how does this affect their ESS entitlement?

Relocation can take a number of forms. Direct relocation to another office is likely to reduce headcount, and the role would need to be replaced. Relocation by way of secondment might not result in a headcount reduction and therefore may not affect ESS benefits.

Will the ESS that employees receive still be treated as taxable from the individual salary tax perspective?

While ESS must be used to pay employee salaries, it is not an 'additional' payment to the employees—especially where the employee is still receiving full or substantial pay. Employees that have been put on reduced income below HK$18,000 or fully unpaid leave would be entitled to receive HK$9,000 per month during the operation of the scheme. Since such payment would be regarded as wages, it is our understanding that it would be taxable.

Which exact month(s) are relevant for comparing against March headcounts? Should June's headcount submitted on 10 July be counted instead of May's headcount submitted on 10 June?

This is currently unclear. The original announcement said that headcount during the operation of the ESS would be compared to March 2020. This was, however, clarified to headcount not being reduced during the operation of ESS (i.e. during the period June – November 2020). We are awaiting the final guidance from the Government.

Does the company need to provide evidence that there is a downtrend of their business/turnover/ profit during this period to apply for ESS? No. Organisations that are still performing well and not struggling can apply for ESS provided the two undertakings are provided: (i) the payment is used to pay wages; and (ii) there is no reduction in headcount.

55

HR BOOKS

Couples that Work

By Jennifer Petriglieri Most couples, around 65%, in the modern era are ‘dual-career’ couples, and that figure continues to grow. The world is an increasingly expensive place, making economics a key reason for this upward global trend. However, as Petriglieri explains, economics is only part of the picture; egalitarianism is playing a role, with both men and women changing how they define meaning in their lives.

Research on couples, conducted by the author, has led her to believe that we pass through a distinct set of transitions on our route from work to retirement. These transitions, of which there are three, push couples to deal with their relationship through negotiation and prioritisation.

Through case studies, the reader is taken on an exploration of what can help dual-career couples maintain a healthy, successful relationship, whilst dealing with the rigours of a career. By looking at transition stages, triggers, coping mechanisms, conflicts and traps, Petriglieri has produced a quasi-self-help book, which provides genuine, evidence-based advice for the modern couple.

Although no self-help book is right for everyone, this particular example looks at couples as a unit rather than individuals striving for success by themselves. It eschews lowbrow spiritual advice, which has become so popular, in favour of anecdotal and tangible examples based in the real world. For that reason, it is worth reading if you are one half of a couple struggling to navigate your way through a busy modern life, balancing home and office.

HR CLASSIFIEDS

HR Classifieds Index Business Process Outstanding 57 Co-working Space 57 Education / Corporate Training 57 Employee Wellbeing / Insurance 58 Gender Equity 59 HR Consulting 59 HR Technology Solution 60 Leadership Development 61

Legal / Employment Law / Tax MICE Venues / Event Organisers Photography / Videography Recruitment / Executive Search Relocation / Logistics Serviced Apartments / Hotel Staff Benefits

61 61 62 62 63 63 64

BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSTANDING TMF Group helps global companies expand and invest seamlessly across international borders. Its expert accountants and legal, HR and payroll professionals are located around the world, helping clients to operate their corporate structures, finance vehicles and investment funds in different geographic locations. With operations in more than 80 countries providing managed compliance services, TMF Group is the global expert that understands local needs.

TMF Hong Kong Limited 36/F, Tower Two Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tricor Business Services draws on our diverse professional expertise, backed up by the latest technologies and systems, to provide a comprehensive range of services, including but not limited to: Business Advisory; Accounting & Financial Reporting; Treasury & Payment Administration; Human Resource & Payroll Administration; Tax Services; Trade Services; Trust Assets Administration; Fund Administration; Governance, Risk & Compliance; and Information Technology Solutions.

Tricor Services Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong

Our work processes and controls in the rendering of accounting and payroll services are externally audited by Ernst & Young Hong Kong and accredited each year in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3402.

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CO-WORKING SPACE cozy event space is your ideal venue for corporate and private events, ranging from training sessions, team building, seminars, meetings, conferences, workshops, parties… the possibilities are endless.

Our versatile multi-purpose space may accommodate up to 50 seats in a seminar setting, and the layout may be freely configured according to your requirements.

We are located in a brand new premium office building in Sheung Wan, and is the only tenant of the floor, which are attributes well appreciated by corporate clients that prefers a prestigious, modern and private venue.

cozy event space 17/F Skyway Centre 23 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan,Hong Kong Phone No.: +852 5741 6863 E-mail: cozy@werkspace.com.hk

To meet the flexibility required by many businesses, the space may also be rented in weeks or months for temporary office use for up to 20 staff members, with two rooms that may be used as meeting rooms or managers’ rooms.

Contact today to schedule a site visit or to obtain a quotation!

EDUCATION / CORPORATE TRAINING ACT is a corporate L&D consulting and training company based in Hong Kong & Singapore with over 15 years’ experience in people training and development that partners with forward-thinking organizations and leaders who understand the importance of their greatest asset - their people.

Asia Corporate Training Ltd. 13B, Shun Pont Commercial Building, 5-11 Thomson Road, Wanchai, HONG KONG

The acronym for the company name, ACT, simply and powerfully represents the philosophy of taking ACTion: to understand how one’s belief will lead to specific behaviours which will result in specific outcomes. ACT believes that selfawareness of how we think and act is critical for personal growth, to translate into leadership effectiveness, contributing to greater corporate success as a result.

Tel: (852) 25756470 contact@act-asia.com.hk www.act-asia.com.hk

57

HR CLASSIFIEDS

As a trusted international organisation and a global leader in English training, the British Council has over 70 years’ experience in English assessment. We develop and deliver English language programmes for businesses in Hong Kong.

Aptis, British Council’s English testing tool, is a robust four skills test used by corporate businesses, government organisations and educational institutions.

It provides an accurate and affordable way to benchmark language levels of employees for recruitment or career advancement purposes. With results available in as little as 24 hours, Aptis assesses ability in the areas that HR want to focus on – in individual skills or combinations of speaking, writing, listing or reading.

British Council 3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2913 5100 aptis@britishcouncil.org.hk www.britishcouncil.hk/en/ exam/aptis

Dew-Point International Ltd. is a leading provider of training and management consulting services throughout Asia. We assess the specific needs of our clients and respond with customised, practical training programs and consulting services. Established in 1973, we combine in-depth knowledge with genuine enthusiasm and highly dynamic training techniques to create productive and effective learning experiences. DewPoint enhances organisational and individual effectiveness by building the capacity within organisations without the need of continued outside help. Through assessment, skills training, team facilitation and executive coaching, we have ensured the long-term success of countless clients.

Dew-Point International Ltd. 21/F., Ritz Plaza,122 Austin Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

The PTI Group is a consulting, training, and publishing group. In conjunction with the internationally-renowned professional association, International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) of UK, we offer online pure distance learning courses (PDLCs). IPMA’s website: http://www.ipma.co.uk/conferences.

The PTI Group 20/F. Wellable Commercial Building, 513 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Our “Financing & Capital Raising Professional™ (FCRP™)” and “Environmental, Social & Governance Expert™ (ESGE™)” programmes seek to enhance candidates’ practical & international knowledge in raising funding for companies (bank financing, IPO, private equity etc.) and ESG respectively. Upon qualification, candidates can use respective professional designation, awarded by IPMA.

Tel: (852) 3511 9288 info@the-pti.com www.the-pti.com

Tel: (852) 2730 1151 Fax: (852) 2730 0164 info@dew-point.com.hk www.dew-point.com.hk

Raise your colleagues’ ability to add value through practical & international knowledge by enrolling in our PDLCs.

The Vocational Language Programme Office aims at offering quality vocational English, Chinese and Putonghua training for working adults to meet their language needs at work. We have run various courses for public organisations and private corporations before, such as HKSAR Water Supplies Department, Hospital Authority and Pizza Hut Hong Kong Management Limited.

With the support from the Language Fund, the QF-recognised Vocational English Enhancement Programme is on offer for enhancing the practical English skills of the Hong Kong workforce. Individual corporations can enjoy great flexibility by having the VEEP courses operated at their training venues and preferred schedule. On completion of the course, learners can receive 60% of the course fee reimbursement and obtain certificates issued by the Vocational Training Council and LCCI.

H.R. Solutions specialises in training in leadership, performance management, sales and general skills development including negotiating, project management, presentation skills and communication skills. We are official partners of Think on your Feet® and engage-universe, and accredited DISC and MBTI® facilitators.

Based in Hong Kong, we work regionally with local languages delivery as required.

Our workshops incorporate simple frameworks and processes to provide effective, structured learning, supported with tailored experiential exercises, cases and role-plays. Our long-term development programs combine classroom training with on-the-job learning, ongoing coaching and on-line resources as appropriate. We aim to ensure participants can apply the skills immediately in the workplace for better team performance and superior business results.

Vocational Language Programme Office Vocational Training Council Room 437, 4/F, Academic Block, 30 Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2595 8119 vlpo-veep@vtc.edu.hk www.vtc.edu.hk/vlpo

H.R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. Room 2802, Tower Two, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2573 0501 abrophy@hrsolutions.com.hk www.hrsolutions.com.hk

EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING / INSURANCE

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Holistic Wellness Hong Kong (HWHK) regularly organises different types of events, lectures and workshops, all of which have been carefully and scientifically designed to help participants manage their emotions, cope with stress and improve interpersonal relationships and work performance.

Holistic Wellness Hong Kong Unit C, 8/F, Hung To Center 94-96 How Ming Street Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

HWHK is committed to promoting the practice of Holistic Wellness to the general Hong Kong public in their daily life and work. They offer different kinds of personal and corporate training services.

Tel: (852) 9794 1363 (Raindy) Tel: (852) 9454 5687 (Vincent) contact@hwhk.org www.holisticwellnesshongkong.com

HR CLASSIFIEDS

Hong Kong Adventist Hospital—Stubbs Road is one of the leaders in medical services, providing organisations with comprehensive health assessment packages to choose from. The hospital works closely with HR and Benefits specialists to design tailor-made programmes to satisfy your staff’s unique requirements. The checkups not only assess staff’s health status and identify the risk factors, it also provide preventive programmes to help clients fine-tune their lifestyles for healthy living. All the services are supported by experienced professional staff using advanced equipment in modern facilities.

Hong Kong Adventist Hospital­— Stubbs Road 40 Stubbs Road, Hong Kong

Major Compare is a leading international employee benefits consultancy, risk management advisory and business insurance brokerage firm. They work with companies of all sizes both in Hong Kong and around the world to advise and implement customised employee benefit plans with the goal of retaining and attracting employees. Through industry specific due diligence Major Compare also help reduce HR overheads with policy management and by ensuring your company is fully and properly insured with the guarantee of the lowest premium(s). All services provided by Major Compare are completely free to their clients.

Major Compare 1/A, 128 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3018 1353 www.majorcompare.com.hk

Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers is a leading international health insurance brokerage specialising in providing comprehensive coverage options to individuals, families, and companies throughout the AsiaPacific region. Working with over 120,000 clients in 150 countries, Pacific Prime can deliver advice in more than 15 major languages. With offices strategically located in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong, Pacific Prime is able to provide immediate advice and assistance to policyholders located around the world. Pacific Prime works with over 60 of the world’s leading health insurance providers, giving customers unprecedented access to the best medical insurance products currently on the market.

Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers Ltd. Unit 1 - 11, 35/F, One Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2586 0731 Fax: (852) 2915 7770 info@pacificprime.com marketing@pacificprime.com www.pacificprime.com

FLEXImums stands for mums & women who want to work! FLEXImums was established with the vision to empower and connect working mothers and mothers returning to work with full-time and part-time jobs. FLEXImums’ portfolio of clients extends across all sectors, from public to private and SMEs to large multinationals.

FLEXImums info@fleximums.com (852) 6540 0526 www.fleximums.com www.genderequityconference. com

atrain is a premium consultancy in leadership assessment, talent management and organisation development. Headquartered in Germany, we have offices in Europe, United States, South America and Asia.

atrain Limited Unit 1201-3, 135 Bonham Strand Trade Centre, 135 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan

Tel: (852) 3651-8835 Fax: (852) 3651-8840 www.hkah.org.hk

GENDER EQUITY

HR CONSULTING

90% of our consultants are business psychologists; we bring together the best of business strategies and the psychological approach to develop solutions tailor-made to your requirements. We explore and research on innovative concepts, and help you to cultivate the company culture you envisage.

Our international presence and culturally diverse teams enable partnerships with multi-national corporate clients for their business growth and success.

Tel: (852) 2522 9018 info@atrain-apac.com www.atrain-apac.com

Put us to the challenge—you will not be disappointed.

Atrium HR Consulting is a joint venture between Alliance Group International and RamsaySmith, bringing together extensive experience and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Atrium’s aim is to help businesses achieve the highest possible level of performance by maximising efficiency, cost savings and results.

Atrium’s services are used and trusted by more than 25% of the Fortune Global 500. Building upon their current client base, resources and an established global infrastructure they work to deliver a professional customer-focused service around the world.

Atrium HR Consulting.

22/F OVEST, 77 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Contact person: Pauline Williams Tel: 852 2891 8915 info@atriumhr.com www.atriumhr.com

Today Atrium supports clients across 180 countries with their recruitment, training, employee benefits and wellness programmes.

Flex Human Resources strives to provide small and medium-sized Hong Kong businesses with comprehensive, reliable and cost-effective HR outsourcing and consulting services.

Our services include recruitment and selection, headhunting, payroll processing, benefit administrations, performance management, training and development, employee surveys, HR analytics and projects, etc.

With strong talent databases, we also provide staff leasing and outsourcing for companies in Hong Kong, China and overseas.

FLEX Human Resources Unit 705, 7/F, Tamson Plaza, 161 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3466 5279 info@hroutsourcing.hk www.HRoutsourcing.hk

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HR CLASSIFIEDS

The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) was established in 1960. The HKMA is a non-profit making organisation which aims at advancing management excellence in Hong Kong and the Region, with a commitment to nurturing human capital through management education and training at all levels, the HKMA offers over 2,000 training and education programmes covering a wide range of management disciplines for approximately 48,000 participants every year.

Hong Kong Management Association 14th Floor, Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong

Korn Ferry is the pre-eminent global people and organizational advisory firm.

We help leaders, organizations and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our nearly 7,000 colleagues deliver services through Korn Ferry and our Hay Group and Futurestep divisions. At Korn Ferry, we design, build, attract and ignite talent. Since our inception, clients have trusted us to help recruit world-class leadership. Today, we are a single source for leadership and talent consulting services to empower businesses and leaders to reach their goals.

Korn Ferry International (H.K.) Limited 15/F, St. George’s Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2971 2700 Fax: (852) 2810 1632

Through our vision, research and tools across 80 offices and 3,400 employees, we convert potential into greatness. Our solutions range from executive recruitment and leadership development programs, to enterprise learning, succession planning, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).

Organisations around the world trust Korn Ferry to manage their talent—a responsibility we meet every day with passion, expertise, integrity and results.

Tricor Consulting Limited is a member of Tricor Group dedicated to creating value for clients and strengthening their organization capabilities through: Strategic Management—Shaping your future and making it happen Organization Structuring—Aligning organization structure with strategies HR Consulting—Maximizing performance and return on investment of human assets Talent Management—Cultivating talents to create competitive advantage Director Remuneration and Board Evaluation—Ensuring appropriate remuneration of senior executives and building an effective board Training Resources Consulting—Maximizing business impact of training with ondemand scalable resources. Change Management—Partnering with clients to drive and enable organization transformation

HR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION

COL, based in Hong Kong with over 40 years of experience, is a leading IT services subsidiary of WTT. COL is the vanguard of HRMS providers, crowned Excellent HR Information System Provider of HR Excellence Awards 2014 by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM). COL offers a comprehensive IT services portfolio, including application development and implementation, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), IT infrastructure, etc.

With domain expertise in business applications, we deliver the best practice Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions ranging from award-winning HRMS, web-based employee self-service portal to outsourcing services for MNCs, enterprises and SMEs. “Doc:brary” Document Management System is another flagship application in our HCM product portfolio that securely manages HR related documents including employees P-file, appraisal records, training materials, etc.

Tel: (852) 2526 6516 Tel: (852) 2774 8500 Fax: (852) 2365 1000 hkma@hkma.org.hk www.hkma.org.hk

General inquiry: kornferry.hongkong@kornferry.com Leadership and Talent Consulting: ltc. hongkong@kornferry.com www.kornferry.com

Tricor Consulting Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2980 1027 Fax: (852) 2262 7596 john.kf.ng@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

COL Limited Unit 825 - 876, 8/F, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2118 3999 Fax: (852) 2112 0121 colmarketing@col.com.hk www.col.com.hk

COL is an Avaya partner, a Cisco Gold partner, an EMC Velocity Partner, a Juniper Networks Elite Partner, an Oracle Gold and ISV Partner, a TmaxSoft ISV Partner and a VMware Partner. COL was CMMI Level 3 assessed in May 2005

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With strategic offices in Hong Kong, China, UK and US, DaXtra is a world leading specialist in high-accuracy multilingual CV parsing, semantic search, matching and process automation technologies. Our solutions are compatible with most leading recruitment ATS and CRM systems and are designed to bring efficiency and automation, while dramatically reducing the overall ‘cost of hire’. Over 1000 organisations globally use DaXtra products every day – from boutique recruitment firms to the World’s largest staffing companies, from corporate recruitment departments to job boards and software vendors.

Daxtra Technologies (Asia) Ltd. Unit 401, OfficePlus 93-103 Wing Lok Street Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

SuccessFactors, an SAP company, is the leading provider of cloud-based Business Execution Software, which drives business alignment, optimises workforce performance, and accelerates business results. SuccessFactors customers include organisations of all sizes across more than 60 industries.

With approximately 15 million subscription seats globally, we strive to delight our customers by delivering innovative solutions, content and analytics, process expertise, and best practices insights. Today, we have more than 3,500 customers in more than 168 countries using our application suite in 35 languages.

SuccessFactors 35/F, Tower Two, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, HK

Tel: (852) 3695 5133 asia@daxtra.com www.daxtra.com

Tel: (852) 2539 1800 Fax: (852) 2539 1818 info.hongkong@sap.com www.successfactors.com

HR CLASSIFIEDS

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT For over 20 years MDS has been the market leader in talent development, leadership training, sales effectiveness and executive coaching, producing great results for global companies in the Greater China and APAC regions.

MDS is the certification centre and distributor of leading personality and leadership assessments for talent development programmes including the MBTI® and FIRO® , Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA360™) and GMI® , Strong Interest Inventory ® for career planning, Sales Performance Assessment™ (SPA™) for sales development, and TKI® for negotiation skills.

From MDS offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei we manage an outstanding team of international trainers and executive coaches delivering a vast collection of leadership and sales programmes including the Miller Heiman products.

Management Development Services Limited Room 1701–3, Kai Tak Commercial Building, 317–319 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2817 6807 Fax: (852) 2817 9159 mds@mdshongkong.com www.mdshongkong.com

In 2016, MDS launched the Smith-MDS partnership with University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. The partnership draws on a world-class faculty, facilitators and executive coaches to deliver leading edge executive development solutions.

LEGAL / EMPLOYMENT LAW / TAX DLA Piper has been doing business in Hong Kong for 20 years. It has close links with our other offices in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US. Together, we provide clients with a seamless global capability to meet their business needs. Staffing the Hong Kong office is a vibrant team of over 130 locally and internationally-trained partners, lawyers, consultants and legal executives. Our lawyers regularly assist clients with their multi-jurisdictional cross-border activities throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Reflecting the international diversity of our clients, our people in Hong Kong all speak English, with individuals speaking Putonghua (Mandarin), and a wide range of Asian languages and dialects including Cantonese, Korean, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese as well as French, German, Italian, Punjabi and Spanish.

Hugill & Ip is a young independent law firm, but with decades of experience providing bespoke legal advice and exceptional client service to individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses, in Hong Kong and internationally. The firm’s core team comprises partners who are recognised as leaders in the areas of Dispute Resolution, Corporate & Commercial, Family, Probate & Trust and Employment.

Hugill & Ip’s Employment practice is constantly developing to keep pace with the law and has gained a respected position with employers, employees and among our peers as being at the forefront of providing practical and straightforward advice in a complex and fast-moving area of law.

DLA Piper 25/F, Exchange Square Block 3, 8 Connaught Pl, Central Tel: (852) 2103 0808 http://www.dlapiper.com

Hugill & Ip Solicitors 2308, Two Lippo Centre 89 Queensway Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2861 1511 e​n quiry​@ hugillandip.com www.hugillandip.com

Whether advising individuals or companies, the firm provides advice that is results-driven. With extensive knowledge and experience of employment law in Hong Kong, Hugill & Ip is able to advise on all options but will also “come offthe-fence” and offer advice that achieves a practical solution

WTS is a tax and business consulting firm providing assistance in the strategic planning and management process of intercompany assignments’ cost and compliance.

Our Global Expatriate Service specialists advise on expatriate issues relating to corporate tax, personal tax, social security matters and process consulting across Asia. Our expertise therefore enables us to identify assignment related risks at an early stage and optimise tax and social security payments for companies and their employees while keeping the administrative burden to a minimum. In conjunction with our international network, we can assist you in almost 100 locations worldwide.

WTS consulting (Hong Kong) Limited Unit 1004, 10/F, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2528 1229 Fax: (852) 2541 1411 claus.schuermann@wts.com.hk www.wts.com.hk

MICE VENUES / EVENT ORGANISERS AsiaWorld-Expo is Hong Kong’s leading exhibitions, conventions, concerts and events venue, yet it is also an ideal venue for annual dinners, worldclass conferences, cocktail receptions, media luncheons and sumptuous banquets. With Hong Kong’s largest indoor convention and hospitality hall, AsiaWorld-Summit which seats up to 5,000 persons, together with a full range of meeting and conference facilities, award-winning chefs and attentive hospitality staff, AsiaWorld-Expo is definitely your choice for an unforgettable event.

AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong, China Tel: (852) 3606 8888 Fax: (852) 3606 8889 fnb@asiaworld-expo.com www.asiaworld-expo.com

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HR CLASSIFIEDS

Rockbird Media is an events management expert who aims to organize best-quality events that will bring impact to its clients’ business growth. We aim to spread this principle in Asia and the Pacific, and even globally. We don’t just organize events. We create the kind of experience that people talk about, the ones they cannot get enough of. It’s who we are.

Website: https://rockbirdmedia.com/

PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEOGRAPHY

I’m an independent videographer based in Hong Kong, specialising in event videos, interviews, brand videos and many more. My love of watching films and tv shows intrigued me to discover all the intricacies within film making.

I believe a good video requires a great team and careful attention to detail which leads to an effective video.

Paul Fukushima Tel: 6356-1700 Email: fukushimapaul@gmail.com https://fukushimapaul.wixsite. com/home

Headquartered in Switzerland, Adecco is a Fortune Global 500 company with around 5,000 offices in over 60 countries and territories around the world.

We possess the skills and global intelligence to develop human resource strategy for the highest levels, yet remain close to clients, local markets and needs. Adecco Hong Kong has over 30 years of experience in the region, with a comprehensive service offering that includes permanent placement, temporary & contract staffing, recruitment process outsourcing, HR consulting & assessment services, employment contract services, recruiting projects & overseas search, payroll outsourcing & administration services, and training.

Adecco Personnel Limited 12/F, Fortis Tower, 77-79 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Established in 1996, Frazer Jones is a Human Resources Recruitment Consultancy. Contact us to find out how we can assist you in your next Human Resources hire or if you are looking for a change in your HR career. As part of The SR Group, Frazer Jones has wholly owned offices in Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai, London, Düsseldorf and Munich and has access to the best HR talent around the world.

Frazer Jones 1918 Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad is a Fortune Global 500 Company and the second largest recruitment & HR services provider globally, with operations spanning across 39 countries with over 29,700 corporate staff that help talented people develop their career potential and provide companies with the best people to reach their business goals. Founded in 1960 by Frits Goldschmeding, our Asia Pacific operations reaches across Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand. Randstad Hong Kong was established in 2009 and specialises in permanent and contract recruitment across specialized areas including Accounting & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Property & Engineering, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain & Logistics.

Randstad 5/F, Agricultural Bank of China, 50 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tricor Executive Resources has for the past 28 years built an unrivalled reputation for integrity and professionalism in the executive search business.

Our team of specialist consultants and researchers provide a range of practical and innovative solutions to help you search for the right talent to meet your business needs. We utilize in-depth research, intense resourcing and a highly focused approach in the identification of qualified candidates in the appropriate industry sector. Our clients consists of multinationals, publicly listed and private companies as well as family-owned and start-up companies.

Tricor Executive Resources Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2980 1166 Fax: (852) 2869 4410

RECRUITMENT / EXECUTIVE SEARCH

We also provide advice on HR best practices to enhance your human capital. Our HR Solutions can help drive your business performance through the effective use of talent. These include Compensation and Benefits Benchmarking; Soft Skills and Management Development Training; Performance Management Systems; Talent Assessment Centre; Human Resource Outsourcing; Career Counselling and Talent Transition Management and Employee Engagement Surveys.

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Tel: (852) 2895 2616 Fax: 2895 3571 hongkong@adecco.com http://adecco.com.hk/

Tel: (852) 2973 6737 info@frazerjones.com frazerjones.com

Tel: (852) 2232 3408 www.randstad.com.hk

fiona.yung@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

HR CLASSIFIEDS

RELOCATION / LOGISTICS Asian Tigers, has provided international relocation and moving service to the Hong Kong market for more than 40 years. We move people internationally, regionally, and even within Hong Kong itself. Our experienced, multilingual staff enables Asian Tigers to deliver low-stress relocation services. Perhaps you are responsible for coordinating your office move and would like to know more about ‘low down-time’ office relocations. Whatever your needs, wherever you are headed, Asian Tigers can help facilitate and streamline your relocation. Give us a call and find out how we can assist you.

Asian Tigers Mobility 17/F, 3 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Crown Relocations, a worldwide leader of global mobility, domestic and international transportation of household goods, and departure and destination services, has over 180 offices in more than 50 countries. From preview trip and immigration assistance to home and school searches, orientation tours, intercultural training, partner career programme, and ongoing assignment support, Crown offers the best relocation solutions to corporate clients and transferees across the world.

Crown Relocations 9 - 11 Yuen On Street, Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, New Territories

Four Seasons Place, the epitome of luxury and elegance, Four Seasons Place creates a relaxed and homely living environment amidst the surrounding opulence. With 519 serviced suites designed by internationally renowned designers, guests can choose from a range of stylish accommodations from studios and 1/2/3-bedroom suites to penthouses that open up to spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. It also features a rooftop heated pool & jacuzzi, sky lounge, gymnasium, sauna and multi-purpose function room to meet business and recreational needs. Heralding a comfortable, hassle-free living experience, all guests are pampered with personalised hotel services from VIP airport pick-up to 24-hour multi-lingual concierge services.

Four Seasons Place 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong

GARDENEast is prestigiously located at the heart of Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, boasting 216 luxurious units in 28 storeys.

GARDENEast Serviced Apartments 222, Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2528 1384 Fax: (852) 2529 7443 info@asiantigers-hongkong.com www.asiantigers-mobility.com

Tel: (852) 2636 8388 hongkong@crownrelo.com www.crownrelo.com

SERVICED APARTMENTS / HOTELS

Each of our luxurious units is subtly unique. Spacious studio, studio deluxe, deluxe 1-bedroom, executive suite and twin-beds in selected rooms, with their sizes ranging from 395 to 672 square feet, are comfortably-appointed with an all-encompassing range of fittings and furnishings. The landscaped gardens offer a relaxing lifestyle, peace and tranquillity of green living and a diverse choice of dining and entertainment is right on your doorstep.

Tel: (852) 3196 8228 Fax: (852) 3196 8628 enquiries@fsphk.com www.fsphk.com

Tel: (852) 3973 3388 Fax: (852) 2861 3020 enquiry@gardeneast.com.hk www.gardeneast.com.hk

The HarbourView Place is part of the Kowloon Station development, located at a key harbour crossing point. Located atop the MTR and Airport Express Link at Kowloon Station. The junction of major rail lines, three minutes to Central, 20 minutes to the Airport, a mere 30 minutes to Shenzhen and 60 minutes to Guangzhou. It is a place for the best view of Hong Kong and Kowloon and is an icon property at Harbour Gateway. Located next to International Commerce Centre, the fourth tallest building in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and W Hong Kong, guests can enjoy a premium luxury living with the large shopping mall Elements and Hong Kong’s highest indoor observation deck Sky100.

The HarbourView Place 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Conveniently nestled in the East of Hong Kong, Kornhill Apartments is one of the biggest apartment blocks in town, featuring a total of 450 units with a variety of unit configurations designed to suit every need imaginable.

Kornhill Apartments 2 Kornhill Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Notable for cozy and contemporary décor, as well as superior amenities and services, the complex is located next door to Kornhill Plaza where you can relish a wide array of shops and entertainment choices.

Tel: (852) 2137 8101 Fax: (852) 2568 6256 kornhillapts@hanglung.com www.kornhillapartments.com

The apartments are an excellent choice for corporate clients who cater for visits by expatriate colleagues. Units include studio, one to two-bedroom suites and deluxe three-bedroom suites.

Tel: (852) 3718 8000 Fax: (852) 3718 8008 enquiries@harbourviewplace.com www.harbourviewplace.com

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HR CLASSIFIEDS

Vega Suites, is the stylish suite hotel in Kowloon East. Located atop the MTR Tseung Kwan O Station, Island East and Kowloon East are only 3 MTR stops away. The integrated complex becomes a new landmark creating a comfortable, relaxing and home like living space for guests. The all-encompassing landmark development comprises two international hotels & luxury residence The Wings.

Situated directly above the trendy PopCorn mall, connected to one million square feet of shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment. There is a lustrous selection of units – ranging from Studio, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom to 3-Bedroom with flexible staying terms.

Vega Suites Atop Tseung Kwan O Station 3 Tong Tak Street Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong

V is a collection of award-winning hotels, serviced apartments and private residences in Hong Kong.

V Hotels and Serviced Apartments Unit 5702, Cheung Kong Centre, 2 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3602 2388 Fax: (852) 2891 1418 reservations@thev.hk www.thev.hk

Bringing our philosophy of eat, shop, live easy, each V is nestled in a plethora of restaurants, amidst excellent shopping hubs and surrounded by an extensive transportation network. V Wanchai and V Wanchai2 are minutes walk from HKCEC, whilst the Lodge connects to 5 railway systems.

Each V is urban, contemporary, but calm and quiet. Our two Causeway Bay properties host penthouse and terraced apartments for families and elegance entertaining, whilst V Happy Valley features an outdoor water garden.

Tel: (852) 3963 7888 Fax: (852) 39637889 enquiries@vegasuites.com www.vegasuites.com.hk

Each V carries a different design motif, yet shares one critical ingredient – we deliver a high standard of comfort and good honest service.

STAFF BENEFITS Nespresso provides a range of machines dedicated to professional use that meet the different needs and expectations of our customers. Zenius is the one of the latest innovation in the professional machine range by Nespresso and comes at an affordable price. It is intuitive to use, reliable and integrates the latest technological advances by Nespresso. Zenius is the ideal machine for small and big companies looking for quality and simplicity. At Nespresso we want to make it possible for you to make the same full-bodied espresso offered by skilled baristas. Your business can benefit from years of Nespresso expertise in premium Grands Crus coffees, innovative machines and excellent customer support.

Nespresso, Division of Nestlé Hong Kong Ltd. Unit 505, Manhattan Place, 23 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: 800 905 486 Fax: 800 968 822 CRC.HK@nespresso.com www.nespresso-pro.com

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